Prince x Fletcher Planet Eater Gyuto

Little short of a cosmic amount of energy, focused and constant, can provide the power needed to consume a planet. While it may seem elusivehere on Earth, in reality the resources for such an effort can be attained with just the right combination of inputs; as in when Rhode Island artist Joshua Prince teams up with Anchorage Forge artist Gabe Fletcher, the very same Gabe Fletcher of Anchorage Brewing fame. To rip their vision from the grips of darkness; a void presumably the result of a black hole’s pull; and make it reality, these two boundary-pushing craftspeople merge damascus steel patterns of each of their making into a singular blade, all accompanied by an IPA developed and brewed for this once-in-a-blue-moon occasion. The collaborative blade’s recipe begins with the element conceived of and forged at Joshua’s hands, a self-contained, metallic planet, also known as a ‘plug weld,’ centered in the blade and surrounded by the vacuum of space. Contained within this singular component are no fewer than four individual damascus creations, including two beautiful versions of a ‘jelly-roll’ pattern. With the celestial body triangulated and ready for consumption, Gabe went about the gargantuan task of preparing jaws and steel teeth with which to devour Prince’s planet. A dense, turned, and twisted layering of carbon steel alloys in place, Fletcher’s initial pattern is stretched and contorted producing mirrored wings, the resulting artwork then cut and stacked to form a new mosaic from which the final 283mm / 11.1″ blade is formed. Like each of its components, the blade takes on a functional life of its own. Gabe’s convex free-hand bevel geometry, symmetrical and finely honed, is superb from the tip, where the materials slims substantially creating a fine, needle-like point, to the 62mm-tall heel where the edge delivers enough toughness for demanding work while remaining thin and perfectly balanced. To wield something of such magnitude requires control of the highest degree, and for this Gabe fashions a handle in his new, unique, and exceedingly comfortable geometric form. To do so Gabe merges a series of tapering and conjoining facets, beginning with the integral forged bolster which presents the intricacies of his damascus in a novel light, and flowing back through two complementary pieces of carbon fiber, the larger infused with veins of brass. A swell in the forward section of the grip fills the hand with comfort and tactile rewards not soon forgotten. From the accompanying beer’s Simcoe, Peacharine, and Luminosa hops, to the handle’s two-tone carbon fiber, and the blade’s darkly-etched concoction of high-carbon steels, this artists’ collaboration is unlike any other.