LL-OO Flipper with Mammoth Ivory, Damascus, and Meteorite (Ceramic IKBS)

Product Description for LL-OO Flipper with Mammoth Ivory, Damascus, and Meteorite (Ceramic IKBS)

Maker: George Muller (click to see more by this maker)
Price: $1,385.00
Item num: 105558
*** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind ***
Blade length: 3.50 in.
Cutting edge length: 3.20 in.
Total length: 8.20 in.
Blade height (at heel): 1.10 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.14 in.
Blade thickness (at midpoint): 0.08 in.
Blade thickness (near tip): 0.03 in.
Item weight: 5.80 oz.
Shipment weight: 13.8 oz.
Blade: Twist pattern stainless damascus forged by Damasteel in Sweden
Bolster: Gibeon meteorite bolsters
Handle: Ancient mammoth ivory set on anodized titanium liners
Sheath: Zipper pouch and wood storage box
Style: Folding linerlock with Ceramic IKBS
Description: South African knifemaker George Muller makes an exceptionally dramatic knife -- and at a price that would never be found from a US maker. Visiting with Muller during my trips to South Africa is always a highlight. The colors, textures and style all work perfectly together. The combination of ancient mammoth ivory, stainless damascus, and Gibeon meteorite immediately captures the eye and inspires the imagination.
The hollow ground blade is Twist pattern damascus forged by Damasteel in Sweden. The blade has smooth, drop shut action and is easily opened with one hand using the ambidextrous flipper toggle. It uses the IKBS (Ikoma Korth Bearing System) pivot system. This mechanism, which was originally designed to fit balisong knives, uses ball bearings to create exceptional action with no blade play. This special folder is made with ceramic ball bearings. Generally IKBS bearings are made either from tool steel or from stainless steel. Stainless steel can wear away, resulting in uneven action over time. Tool steel bearings can oxidize making the action rough. Ceramic bearings are the best of all worlds -- extremely hard and wear resistant, they are also inert and will not oxidize.
Handle scales are ancient woolly mammoth ivory. They are dovetailed to Gibeon meteorite bolsters. The Gibeon meteorite landed in Great Namaqualand, Namibia, Africa. It radio carbon dates to over 4 billion years ago. Gibeon fragments are spread over one of the largest strewn fields in the world, measuring 70 miles wide by 230 miles long and have a distinctive pattern known as the Widmanstatten pattern, which is one of the richest and most distinct patterns found in meteorites. The crystalline patterns can only form in the vacuum of space. The large metallic crystals require millions of years of cooling to form from a molten planetary core fragment. It has been estimated that it took about 1000 years for these molten pieces of planetary core to cool by just 1 degree Celsius!
Hand fileworked, anodized titanium liners surround damascus backspacers. George Muller's signature is on the inside of the backspacer. The anodized titanium pocket clip is mounted for right-side, tip up carry.
Excellent work throughout!


Availability: In stock. Usually ships in 1-2 business days