This was the first Covenant I made. Drawing heavy inspiration from my earlier Pikal designs, the Covenant is designed to be a functional, purpose driven Defensive EDC Knife. 

In this first iteration, the blade is made from more visually extravagant high carbon Damascus steel in a V-Ladder pattern, which I forge heat treated. The blade is configured in double edge, with the primary edge being on the Pikal with the short secondary edge primarily functioning to support the point and aid penetration.

My aim here is to produce a blade that functions well for its intended task. A Defensive knife needs to perform under tremendous pressure, and survive the types of stresses other knives don’t. This is a robust blade, shaped from thick steel stock. It needs to be able to drive through tough materials, while cleaving soft organic tissues. It needs to maintain its integrity through contact with hard materials like bone or metal buckles, and sustain lateral torque if it gets trapped. The ambush scenario is one that can put a blade through its paces and the Covenant is designed to see you through to the end.

It is also an elegant blade. These are well refined lines that produce a pleasing symmetry to the eye.

The handle is of course Tsukamaki, in this first instance, in a theme heavily focussed on my Christian Faith. The Covenant name is one that conjures up many meanings all of which are tied into this blade. The word itself is one which indicates a deep promise, a vow rooted into one’s soul. A Covenant is not merely an agreement, its much deeper than that. In the Christian faith it is God’s new covenant which does away with all the rituals of the Old Testament, and ensures we are forgiven from our sin, for eternity. Something well worth giving glory to.In the traditional Japanese sense, the blade and the warrior also shared a covenant. There was a mutual agreement to look after one another, the Samurai would care for his weapon, and his weapon would care for him. It was a deep and meaningful bond.

With this knife, I wanted to recreate this in a modern context. The Covenant therefore represents both the relationship between the warrior and his weapon, and as a Christian with this particular theme, give glory to Him and his promise.