Aslan’s How
The third in our Signature Collection series based on the C.S. Lewis's novels The Chronicles of Narnia: A handmade culinary-leaning take on the Arab Jambiya influenced by Prince Caspian's sword, wielded to defend the Narnians in the fourth Chronicles Novel Prince Caspian along with the representation of middle eastern culture in the previous novel The Horse and His Boy.
This knife is meticulously crafted from a combination of high layers of Ni200 nickel and reclaimed ship chain iron forged over a 400 layer high carbon damascus steel core for exceptional beauty and durability. Extra material was fire-welded on and carved along the spine to emphasize its historical ornate Arab dagger influence. The hidden tang is embedded in a carved nguni cattle horn handle, adorned with patinated copper claw habaki, hammered bronze "s" guard, red jasper stone bolster and cast bronze lion's head pommel. Accompanied by a hand stitched ox blood leather slip cover.
- 8.75” Blade, 2.5” heel, 14.75” overall length
- Carved and tapered hand-forged nickel layered iron over a high carbon damascus steel core
- Hidden tang in carved nguni horn with copper habaki, hammered bronze guard, red jasper stone bolster, and bronze lion head pommel
- 12oz
- Ox Blood Leather slipcover
- Black zipper case
This knife is intended as a work of art but is fully functional for culinary performance if desired.
The Inspiration:
This knife specifically started as the incredibly vague idea of a lion's tooth, which put me down a path of trying to find tusks and horns that resembled large teeth. From there the build snow-balled as a combination of the (aesthetics of) red and gold cross-guarded swords carried by the Narnians with the (design of) middle eastern curved profiles of Arab daggers carried by the Calormen, an adjacent and opposing culture outside the lands of Narnia. "Aslan's How" is the name of the underground catacombs the creatures of Narnia retreat to as invasive forces seek to wipe them out, built over top of the stone table upon which Aslan the Lion was willingly sacrificed two books earlier.
The Chronicles of Narnia are written as beautiful allegory for the Christian Faith, representing through a mystical world of talking animals the Creation of Life, The Fall of Man, The Sacrifice of Christ and the call-to-arms of a truly Sacramental Christian Life. I read them for the first time over 2024 along with my then 9-year-old son as one of our first shared "big kid" book series together. At the time I considered myself "spiritually searching" having been offput by religion much earlier in life. I found the story's heroism and moral commentary very moving and the connection with my son over such large themes, presented so poetically, to be an incredibly positive experience.
The end of 2024 and into early 2025 I became very sick, which I've detailed before, and that added both an urgency and a clarity to my "searching" that I have since become incredibly thankful for. While still in bed our family watched the early 2000's Narnia movies which cemented the idea of our newfound faith being represented by this magical world. I am now trying to translate that idea into steel.
Over this year we’ve dived deep into prayer and scripture, immersing in faith and church history. Our whole family, all five of us, undergoing Orthodox Christian Catechism to be baptized into the Christian Church. Though I do plan to keep our faith personal, believing that the best evangelizing is done through sacramental living, there is an ancient beauty to Christianity that I can't help but want to bleed into this work as I hope it leads the eyes upwards, honors our God and promotes differing communities to gather around the table.
I hope you enjoy seeing this work as much I do making and being able to make it. I feel blessed every day I get to do what I love. More to come as it unfolds. Thank you for your support.
