Dew Hara Infinity, Serial Number 1 of 1
One man built this knife. Dew Hara made it by hand in Seki, Japan, signed the Certificate of Authenticity himself, and numbered it 1 of 1. This is a custom, not a mid-tech, not a small production run with a maker’s name on the box.
The blade is 150-layer Pyramid Carbon damascus, blued and polished until the pattern runs purple through crimson into indigo. The scales are natural abalone. The liners underneath are titanium finished in opal anodization. It opens on a front flipper and it does not lock. Find it among our folding knives.
Dew Hara: One Bench, Two Lineages
Dew Hara is the son of Koji Hara, Japan’s most collected custom knifemaker. He spent more than twenty years working in his father’s Seki workshop before stepping out under his own name. That is the first lineage, and it shows in the inlay work.
The second is stranger and more interesting. Dew served a four-year apprenticeship under Anthony Marfione of Microtech. Traditional Japanese art-knife craft on one side, American tactical engineering on the other, and both of them visible in the same object. Few makers on our master custom knifemakers page carry a background like that.
Abalone, Opal Anodized Titanium, and Polished Stainless
The handle is built in three layers and the Certificate of Authenticity records all of them. Natural abalone shell forms the outer inlays, shifting green through cyan as it turns. Polished 420 stainless frames each panel. Titanium sits beneath, finished in opal anodization.
Opal anodizing is the quiet part of this knife. Look at the frame edges rather than the face and you will find teal, violet and rose running the perimeter, colour that comes from the titanium reacting rather than from any coating. Material combinations at this level are a large part of what holds value, which our collector’s investment guide sets out.
Setting organic shell against chemically blued carbon steel is difficult work. The bluing process would destroy the shell, so the two treatments have to be sequenced and isolated with no margin for error.
Pyramid Carbon Damascus and the Double Detent
The blade on this Dew Hara Infinity is 150 layers of Pyramid Carbon damascus, forge welded, acid etched, then blued and mirror polished. The pattern grinds out as concentric rings. Blued carbon steel reads differently at every angle, which is why the same blade photographs purple in one frame and copper in the next.
The action is a double detent, and it is worth understanding before you buy. There is no liner lock and no frame lock. Two spring-loaded detent balls, one in each stainless liner, ride the blade tang and drop into recesses when the blade reaches full open. That holds it steady for light cutting. Deliberate pressure on the spine breaks the detent and closes it.
Because the front flipper tab stays proud of the spine when open, your thumb naturally rests against it in a normal grip, which resists the blade folding. Understand it as a non-locking folder, because that is what it is. Our guide on how to choose a custom knife covers what lock choice changes in the hand.
Condition and What’s Included with This Dew Hara Infinity
This Dew Hara Infinity is preowned and in excellent condition. It carries no damage and no modification. It came from a collector rather than a pocket. The abalone is intact with no chips at the borders and the blued finish is unmarked. Read how we grade before you buy.
Included with the knife:
- Original Certificate of Authenticity, hand signed by Dew Hara, recording the model, full material specification and serial number 1 of 1
- Original branded storage pouch
- Dew Hara cleaning cloth
Dew Hara Infinity Specifications
Materials below are transcribed from the signed Certificate of Authenticity. Measurements are taken from the knife. Compare it against the rest of our preowned collector knives.
- Maker: Dew Hara, Seki, Japan
- Model: Infinity
- Serial Number: 1 of 1
- Type: Custom folding knife, front flipper
- Lock: None. Double detent system, non-locking
- Deployment: Front flipper with jimped tab
- Overall Length (open): 7 in / 177.8 mm
- Blade Length: 3 in / 76.2 mm
- Closed Length: 4 in / 101.6 mm
- Blade Thickness: 0.11 in / 2.79 mm
- Blade Steel: 150-layer Pyramid Carbon damascus
- Blade Finish: Blued, high polish
- Handle: Abalone with polished 420 stainless and opal anodized titanium
- Liners: 420 stainless
- Pivot Collars: Black stainless steel
- Pocket Clip: 420 stainless, black finish, hand engraved “1of1”
- Markings: Dew Hara dragon logo on the scale, “1of1” engraved at the clip
- Weight: 3.2 oz / 90.7 g
- Country of Origin: Japan
- Condition: Preowned, excellent
- SKU: 00187-DEW-INFINITY-1OF1-ABALONE-PYRAMIDDAM
- Included: Signed Certificate of Authenticity, branded pouch, Dew Hara cloth
Video Description: Hara Japanese Gentleman’s Folder
The Dew Hara Infinity, serial 1 of 1, shown preowned and excellent. Dew Hara built this one by hand in Seki, Japan. The blade is 3 inches of 150-layer Pyramid Carbon damascus, blued to a high polish. Colour shifts through purple, crimson and indigo as the light moves. The scales are natural abalone over polished 420 stainless.
Beneath them sit titanium liners finished in opal anodization. It opens on a front flipper with a jimped tab. There is no lock. Two spring-loaded detent balls hold the blade open and closed. Pivot collars are black stainless. The clip is 420 stainless, hand engraved 1 of 1. Overall length is 7 inches, closed 4 inches, weight 3.2 ounces. It ships with its signed Certificate of Authenticity, pouch and cloth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this knife lock open?
No. It uses a double detent system with no mechanical lock. Two spring-loaded detent balls seat into recesses in the blade tang and hold it firmly open for light cutting. Deliberate pressure on the spine releases it. Treat it as a non-locking folder, and note that non-locking construction is legal to carry in several jurisdictions that restrict locking knives.
What does “1 of 1” actually mean here?
Dew Hara builds the Infinity as a recurring design, but he does not repeat a material stack. This particular combination of Pyramid Carbon damascus, abalone and opal anodized titanium exists once. The Certificate of Authenticity records the serial as 1 of 1, and the pocket clip is hand engraved to match.
Is this a custom or a mid-tech?
A custom. One maker built it start to finish and signed the certificate himself. Mid-tech knives are made in batches with CNC assistance and shop help under a maker’s supervision, which is a different thing at a different price. Nothing about this knife was batched.
What is opal anodization?
An anodizing technique that produces a shifting pearlescent finish across titanium rather than a single flat colour. It reads teal, violet and rose depending on angle. The colour is the metal reacting at the surface, not a coating, so it will not wear off. See how we document provenance.
How does it ship?
Insured, in its original pouch with the certificate. Full terms sit in our shipping and return policy.
Buy This Dew Hara Infinity
We inspected this Dew Hara Infinity in hand and described exactly what we found, including the fact that it does not lock. Nothing here is guesswork. See the rest of his work on the Dew Hara Custom Knives brand page. If Japanese customs are sitting unused in your safe, we will make you an offer when you sell your knife collection.
