The above text was included in an email from Barry Dawson some time ago. One of the perks of being associated with knives.com is the opportunity to try out the odd knife sent as a gift or sample by one or other knifemaker. These knives generally get used as a carry knife for a time, to be replaced by the next knife that comes along. This year a Dawson Special beckons enticingly like a beautiful woman and finds a place on my person. I have strong collector instincts I have other Dawsons which I have until now resisted using, so this time I can afford to treat myself.

Faced with the offer of a knife for Christmas I had to be awkward. Rather than chose a knife from Barry's range I simply provided him with a number of stipulations and challenged him to fill them. The initial idea was for a belly knife, something that could be worn diagonally in the waistband. Thus it would be comfortable to wear even when sitting, unobtrusive, yet ready to hand should the need arise. It was envisioned that it would be carried on the left side for a cross draw but in practice it proved possible to place it on the right side where it is even closer to hand.

When presented with such a knife the first thoughs that seem to crowd my mind all relate to the thought processes of the person that made it. You can always tell when an experienced maker makes certain choices, why a particular knife is a certain shape, size, weight, etc. A knifemaker is striving for balance between the various elements which leads to equilibrium in the finished knife. The shape of the grip in this knife is predetermined by the choice of raw materials, a practised eye and the ability to previsualise the stag crown as part of the finished knife informed that choice. Later on the skill lay in turning that previsualisation into reality without having to make too many or any compromises along the way.

The blade is 3/16 inch thick which would seem heavy for such a small knife, but it features a pronounced distal taper and is hollow ground. It has quite a marked resemblance to a scian dubh. Pattern, grind and filework reinforce the theme. Were it flat ground and made from thinner stock it would be almost indistinguishable from a regulation scian dubh blade. The rest of the knife does not stray too far from a scian dubh either though the guard is a departure and the handle gets more pistolgrip like toward the pommel.

At times like tnis I wonder if the skilled maker picks up subliminal information during a handshake. How else to explain the fit this knife takes with my hand. The gap between the guard and the crown portion of the stag exactly matches the width of my fingers. People with even slightly larger hands than mine find the grip restrictive yet for me it is perfect and those with smaller hands than mine experience no problems either. The fit has a 'made for me' feel that is very reassuring. Its a good trick when a knifemaker can make a knife for a particular person despite it being too small for the knifemaker himself. For I seem to recall that Barry's hand is a bit bigger than mine. Of course it could all simply be the result of coincidence on Barry's part and an over active imagination on mine. Still I plan to shake hands next time I ask a knifemaker to make me a knife. I wouldn't mind but the nearest knifemaker is sixty miles away. That's a long handshake!

Although the supplied edge was fine I always like to have my own edge on a knife so I resharpened it after three days of use. Its like any Dawson, for edge quality, they are all just as good, I imagine. Every Dawson will sharpen to razor on the coarse side of a Norton combination stone, at least this one does, for me. Thats unusual. Most other knives I have sharpened need to go to the smooth side before they will go to razor and some even need a strop to really get the best out of them. That speaks volumes to me regarding the quality of a Dawson 440C heatreat. The things he can do with 440C are unmatched by anyone else.

Cutting with this knife started in the kitchen, with a tomato as luck would have it. It wasn't planned that way but how better to find out if it was really sharp. The weight of the blade and a gentle too and fro motion produced the tissue like slices that I find most digestable in a sandwich. Next it was used to take a slice from a cooling ham, right out from under the chef's nose. It performed this illicit act without faltering. When I owned up to my transgression she proceeded to express her admiration for the knife. That first day food of one sort or another was its staple diet. Its a bit pointy for an eating knife. Over the next few days the knife was used as the tool du jour and called to task for all regular cutting jobs. String, cardboard, foamcore, wood, all yielded to the edge with ease. As part of my dayjob the ability to make clean cuts in foamcore for hours without tearing the delicate foam was vital. No sharpening stone was present yet the little Dawson kept cutting clean. The precise point, almost straight edge and stiff blade helped ensure that guidance problems were a non issue. The pistol grip shape of the stag changes the handling of the knife. Usually with a straight handled knife the cutting angle or angle of attack tends to be adjusted by rotating the knife inside the hand using the fingers and thumb for control. The pistol grip does not allow as much adjustment and so the angle of attack tends to be controlled more at the wrist. The level of precision control achievable with the pistol grip is greater than with a straight handled knife since the knife is locked into the hand, but cutting angle adjustments are slower, because the wrist is slower than the fingers. Its a small trade off for the dialed in feel of the knife in use.

For years we have been reading that stainless will not cut as well as high carbon but to those who might turn their nose up at 440C in deference to a high carbon steel I say try this little Dawson because it equals or outcuts most of the high carbon knives that inform my experience. Were it not for its remaining silvery having sliced four lemons I might be tempted to think it was non stainless. The cutting edge is the single most impressive thing about any Dawson knife, yet its the one thing you can't tell from an image or description on a web page, you just have to try it out for yourself.

Barry's leatherwork is nothing to write home about. Its utilitarian and sturdy but does not win points for finesse. Wish I'd asked for kydex. Barry's kydex sheath is an excellent piece of economic and elegant design, his leather sheath is bulky and agricultural. A farm hand will appreciate its robust qualities, the city dude needs something more refined. This itinerant who lives in both worlds depending on the time of year, will probably make his own sheath for it eventually.

At some point another knifemaker will want me to carry his knife or another knife will come along, but I know that when that time comes I will put my wee Dawson aside with some measure of regret. If this knife really was a beautifull woman, we would hit it off fine. I'm also thinking about breaking out my other Dawson. I have a big job down the country and I'm thinking its no good having them if I don't enjoy using them.

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