Forged Knife by Todd Butler
Alabama artist Todd Butler is known for making truly exquisite custom knives that sport elegant lines and razor-sharp blades. Butler returns to this year’s CLF Fundraising Auction with a stellar offering that’s sure to elicit competitive bidding.
Butler’s knife, which measures in at over fifteen inches in length, carries an imposing ten-inch-long blade forged from 1075 steel. The top of the blade features a false edge, while the bottom of the blade sports Spanish notches, which, Butler explains, are inspired by the work of Alabama knife maker Hill Pearce.
The knife’s handle, made from black cow horn, offers a nice color contrast with the gleaming steel of the blade. The handle is turned, octagon to round, with a wedding band, and is secured with an iron bolster and iron S guard. The through tang is threaded with an iron nut and finished with a silver end cap. The knife comes with a handmade, vegetable tanned leather sheath with decorative stamping, but is also accompanied with a wooden display stand for home or office.
This auction offering affords bidders the chance to own an outstanding knife from one of the CLA’s most gifted bladesmiths. But buyer beware. Butler, in something of a modest understatement, simply points out that this knife is “very sharp.”
For more information on the work of Todd Butler, contact the artist directly:
Photography by David Wright
Text by Joshua Shepherd
