Chuck Hawes Custom Seahorse Whittler Purple Maple W2 Hamon

Purple maple glows against a flowing hamon line on the Chuck Hawes Custom Seahorse Whittler, a hand-forged W2 slip joint framed by a 124-layer Damascus bolster and a curved seahorse profile.

• Sole Authorship Build: This knife is fully handmade by Chuck Hawes, who forges and fits each component himself, ensuring one-of-a-kind quality from start to finish.
• W2 Tool Steel with Hamon — Chuck heat-treats the high-carbon W2 blade so a wavy temper line rises along the edge. The hardened steel takes a sharp, lasting bite while the softer spine stays tough, and each hamon sets a little different in the fire.
• 124 Layer Damascus Bolster — Hand-forged into a burl pattern from 124 layers of W1 and 15N20 steel and etched to bring out bright and dark bands, the bolster anchors the front of the whittler. Set against purple maple, the pattern gives the knife a one-off front end.
• Purple Maple Handle Scales — Dyed maple gives this whittler a deep purple tone that shifts in the light and shows the grain beneath. Each scale is shaped and contoured by hand to follow the curve of the frame, so the fit feels custom.
• Flat-Convex Grind: The blade features a razor-sharp edge with a subtle convex geometry behind the bevel, enhancing cutting performance and prolonging its lifespan.
• Strong Backsprings with Half-Stop: Built with strong, reliable backsprings and a clean half-stop, this knife opens with authority and closes securely.
• Detailed Filework: The backspacer and blade spine are both hand-filed, adding detail only found in custom made knives.

About Chuck Hawes

Chuck Hawes has over 30 years of experience crafting custom knives from his shop in Weldon, Illinois. While his work is admired by collectors, Chuck designs his knives to be used, aiming to create knives that will last a lifetime. He is well known for his damascus forging ability, and he still builds each knife the old way, one at a time.