Damascus & Mastodon Ivory Balisong (BLADE 2012 #2)

Jangtanong (Suchat Custom Knives), Suchat

At the age of 14, I began my lifelong profession by becoming the third generation of knife makers in my family. I learned the trade by assisting my father and grandfather in our family's knife making business in the Uthai Thani province of Thailand. In order to continue to learn I attended the technical school and after graduating in 1982, I worked as a trainee with a knife making team. It was here that I first became known for my ability to carve pearl. In 1984, I opened my own shop. Just like my father and grandfather, I carry on the tradition of handcrafting each of my knives by using only the most basic equipment. I believe that the beauty of knife making is being able to feel what you are doing and having a true vision of the knife you are creating. I make folders and balisongs and my preferred handle material is carved or inlayed pearl, but it is very dangerous to work with as it will crack with the slightest error. For this reason, the number of knives I can make is limited to the mistakes I make. Because most of my knives go in collections I use a great deal of mosaic damascus created by Robert Calcinore and Tony Metsala. I believe this steel radiates boldness and brings my knives to life. I also use ATS-34, because it is strong and good for daily use. My personal favorite is Chad Nichols stainless Damascus steel, because it is beautiful and works well for everyday carry knives. Another characteristic of many of my knives is my spring mechanism. Suchat's work was displayed at the Antique Arms Show in Las Vegas in January 2011. R.B. Johnson was impressed with the quality and pricing of Suchat's knives and purchased two of them, and later bought three more in Atlanta at the Blade Show. Corrie Schoeman, a long standing member of the South Africa Knifemakers Guild, who was on the evaluation team for many years stated, "The knife that Suchat made is I think may be the nicest one I have ever seen. It is beautiful." Suchat's knives were on display at the Texas Knife Show in April 2011. Johnny Stout commented that they were "high quality and a great bargain for the price"" and Warren Osborne noted that "they are very nice knives". After seeing Suchat's knives at the 2011 Blade Show, Joe Kious remarked that "these knives are absolutely magnificent and an incredible value."