This menacing, but majestic Art Knife was one of those non-commissioned pieces I worked on a little at a time for nearly a year while working around, and between projects. This came about as an idea to elaborate on some of the concepts I came up with on the dagger "Voodoo Child". I again began with the anodized and sculpted tang wrap, which is now a feature in one form or another on most of my knives. After that, I just set out to go full throttle on everything embellishment-wise. It wasn't until I was finished with this piece that I realized how drastically different it really was from its inspiration; the initial idea was there, but it is a complete departure from Voodoo Child. The blade is a striking custom made, one-of-a-kind, deeply hollow ground, deep etched three bar composite, low-layer, loose Twist pattern Damascus forged by Daryl Meier. As the handle elements are all different shapes, and stepped in from one another, I had to create three different working copper templates; one each for the titanium tang wrap, liners, and scales. It took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to cut and carve the tang-wrap, with integral guard, out of one large billet of titanium. The liners float over the tang-wrap, and out into their own space, creating new lines, particularly in the paralleled claws of the pommel tips, which are accented with 18k yellow gold bar supports. A total of twenty-six gemstones set in gold are deliberately sprinkled throughout the handle to accompany some of the textures and colors found in both the titanium, and the elaborate, richly color impregnated, stabilized maple burl scales. The bolsters and inlays are ladder patterned damascus, turned vertically to compliment and tie together the vertical lines of the bars on the composite blade, and also to visually lengthen the piece in general. Another new element here was the pierced guard tips with gold rings. These piercings have become yet another of my signature accents. There are nearly forty hidden screws in this piece. This knife is yet again another evolution from the knives that came before it. "Invocation" gets its name from the concept of conjuring spirits. In 2002, this knife was picked for inclusion in a gallery show entitled "Innovative Tools for Personal Use", sponsored by the Society of North American Goldsmiths and the 3M corporation. This knife has appeared in the following publications: In the book "Art & Design in Modern Custom Fixed-Blade Knives", the Sept.-Oct.-Nov. 2003 edition of the French magazine "Excalibur", in the Jan./Feb, 2003 German magazine, "Hephaistos", in the Society of North American goldsmiths newsletter, SNAG / 3M "Innovative Tools for Personal Use", Exhibition Catalog and CD-Rom, the Sept. 2001 issue of "Tactical Knives", the Winter 2001 "RISD Views", Jan. 2001 edition of "Blade" magazine, in the Oct. 2000 Swiss magazine "Internationales Waffen-Magazin", and in the Jan/Feb 2000 French magazine "Excalibur", and most recently in the Jan. 2007 issue of "BLADE".

NAME: Invocation	STYLE: Dagger	LENGTH: 15 1/2"
BLADE STEEL: 1095/A203E 3 Bar Composite low layer loose twist forged by Daryl Meier		GRIND: Hollow, 5" wheel
BOLSTERS / INLAY: 1095/A203E Vertical Ladder Pattern Damascus forged by Daryl Meier, Contoured w/ stones
SCALES: Stabilized & Impregnated Maple Burl, Contoured w/ stones	LINERS: Fileworked and Bevelled Anodized Titanium
STONES: Top to Bottom: (All stones are faceted unless otherwise indicated) 3mm Green Tourmaline, 4mm Sapphire, STONES: 5mm Citrine, 4mm Blue/Green Tourmaline, 6mm Green Tourmaline, 3mm African Garnet, 3mm Peridot, STONES: 5mm Blue/Green Sapphire, 4mm Chrome Green Tourmaline. All set in 18k Yellow Gold with additional STONES: details in 18k Yellow Gold.
TANG WRAP: Fileworked and Bevelled Anodized Titanium	PIERCINGS: 18G 18k Yellow Gold w/ Hematite
HEAT TREATED BY: Paul Bos