The Shrike – 5th Anniversary Masterworks

The Shrike 5th Anniversary Masterworks edition is a celebration of this most quintessential of our designs. July saw Ironside Edge Works celebrate 5 years of making knives, with the Shrike being the very first. It was only natural that we create a masterworks version of this knife for such an occasion.

While about a month behind schedule, this knife was worth the wait. Although it’s taken a few new directions since its original inception, it’s turned out pretty close to our original mark. The overall aesthetic was inspired by the interior design of the exquisite Italian supercar, the Pagani Huayra, with a mix of leather and brushed metals. We knew it had to be a Tsukamaki handle, and leather ito would provide that warmth and texture of a classic racing steering wheel.

The only aspect of this knife we were unable to achieve was with the blade. We had originally intended to create a blade with Hamon. Unfortunately the Hamon didn’t take during the heat treating process and we were unable to coax this beautiful part of the blade into life. But such is the nature of knife making, sometimes you have to accept what the knife wants to be and adapt to it.

The blade was finished to a high grit satin polish, patina etched to give a sultry and subtle grey tone, with a soft antique-like appearance. The Tsukamaki handle has some firsts for us. The handle is built on a satin finished brass liner, with fittings shaped out of titanium with a brushed finish. The samegawa (raisin) has been left its natural white colour, and just lightly polished and clear coated. Lastly the Brown Leather Ito brings it all together, with an inviting grip that fits like a favourite glove.

The knife has been finished with a simple fold over Hydex sheath that is great for IWB or OWB carry, but in this instance has been set up with a Soft Loop.

Everyone in the Ironside Edge Works shop had a hand in putting this knife together, including some help from friends. Despite the challenges it threw our way, we are excited about how it turned out. A truly unique, one of a kind knife that celebrates what we are about.