Jerry Hossom Knives
Purpose Engineered Designs, Simply Styled, Carefully Crafted, Functionally Meaningful...
Vengeance Tanto
This is a work in progress, my first update since early 2005. Took me this long to get started and will likely take awhile to get finished. Thanks for your patience.
In the meantime, if you need to reach me my email is jerry at hossom.com. My phone number is 770-449-7809.
NO ORDERS: I no longer accept orders and only make such knives as appear in my mind's eye when I pick up a slab of steel and my magic marker to start a new batch of blades. I seldom know where the black lines on that sheet of steel will lead before they appear. When knives are completed I sell them at shows, on my forum www.knifemakerforums.com or to whomever contacts me first.
In the meantime, if you need to reach me my email is jerry at hossom.com. My phone number is 770-449-7809.
NO ORDERS: I no longer accept orders and only make such knives as appear in my mind's eye when I pick up a slab of steel and my magic marker to start a new batch of blades. I seldom know where the black lines on that sheet of steel will lead before they appear. When knives are completed I sell them at shows, on my forum www.knifemakerforums.com or to whomever contacts me first.
My Philosophy From Day One...
Knives are tools, and as such they should be designed with the job in mind - all else is secondary. Those who know me well understand my least favorite word in this business is "cool" and that I hate everything that word connotes when applied to anything to do with knives. "Cool" communicates an indifference to function and a preference for appearances, reflecting ego at the expense of how a knife may need to perform. In many, possibly most cases that probably doesn't matter. Those who buy knives because they are "cool" are likely those who are least likely to use them, but find gratification in appearances and their pleasure in owning a knife is derived from showing it to friends. Most knife companies and a great many knifemakers today focus on designing knives that are "cool". I am not one of those...
It's not a coincidence that the two knives I've featured on this front page of my website are those which are most likely to evoke "cool" responses. Both knives are far more functional than cool. The Vengeance Tanto Fighter at the top has a handle that easily fits most hands and remains secure in virtually any grip position. The blade, unlike most tanto's, is hollow ground all the way to the point, avoiding the fat and inefficient forward edge found on most tanto's. The tanto-like angle on the forward portion of the edge acts like a giant serration, a secondary point dramatically increasing penetration in a cut, driving the edge more deeply than a more rounded edge might achieve. Along the back of the blade is a narrow, fully sharpened edge, not a "false edge" as is found on many fighters. This edge cuts, easily and well. At the front of the handle is a large choil and integral guard that will effectively catch and deflect an opponent's blade. The handle itself is fashioned of Black Canvas Micarta, a rugged composite material that is secure when dry and becomes even more "grippy" when wet. The sides of the handle are hollow ground, providing accommodation for the fleshy part of the palm beneath the fingers on one side and a spot for the fingertips to grip on the other. The blade is deeply hollow ground to remove as much unneeded steel as possible to reduce weight and improve balance, while retaining a full thickness spine that extends forward to within an inch and a half of the point, remaining at least 1/8" thick right up to the point itself. The full tang beneath the handle is tapered to remove additional weight and also improve balance. The result: A large,10-1/2" fighter that weighs less than a pound, is lightning quick, easily maneuvered and uncompromisingly strong.
It's not a coincidence that the two knives I've featured on this front page of my website are those which are most likely to evoke "cool" responses. Both knives are far more functional than cool. The Vengeance Tanto Fighter at the top has a handle that easily fits most hands and remains secure in virtually any grip position. The blade, unlike most tanto's, is hollow ground all the way to the point, avoiding the fat and inefficient forward edge found on most tanto's. The tanto-like angle on the forward portion of the edge acts like a giant serration, a secondary point dramatically increasing penetration in a cut, driving the edge more deeply than a more rounded edge might achieve. Along the back of the blade is a narrow, fully sharpened edge, not a "false edge" as is found on many fighters. This edge cuts, easily and well. At the front of the handle is a large choil and integral guard that will effectively catch and deflect an opponent's blade. The handle itself is fashioned of Black Canvas Micarta, a rugged composite material that is secure when dry and becomes even more "grippy" when wet. The sides of the handle are hollow ground, providing accommodation for the fleshy part of the palm beneath the fingers on one side and a spot for the fingertips to grip on the other. The blade is deeply hollow ground to remove as much unneeded steel as possible to reduce weight and improve balance, while retaining a full thickness spine that extends forward to within an inch and a half of the point, remaining at least 1/8" thick right up to the point itself. The full tang beneath the handle is tapered to remove additional weight and also improve balance. The result: A large,10-1/2" fighter that weighs less than a pound, is lightning quick, easily maneuvered and uncompromisingly strong.
The American Kopis