Mid-State Murder Mile Quitter-Killer

The Mid-State Murder Mile is an annual "backyard" ultra marathon in which participants repeat the same mile loop until the last runner remains. The course includes a roughly 320 foot hill, and runners are given 30 minutes to finish and rest up before the next mile begins. As runners quit, their cloth wristband is removed and they are sent home wondering who they really are. The course record holder, Eric Kienle, defeated the rest with 133 miles in 2023 and is returning to reset the record in 2024. Eric and I have shared many trails and races together, and so he commissioned me to make a knife solely for the ceremonial purpose of killing quitters (by cutting off their wristbands). 

 

The blade is a Wharncliffe style fighter and forged from an antique horse rasp and it measures 8 3/4" from tip to guard with a razor sharp convex grind. The long copper guard is peened on the face as well as cold-forged, staked and soldered to the tang above horsehide leather, black, white, gray and vintage brick fiber spacers. The handle is antique Texas whitetail and overall length measures 14 1/4". I also made a leather sleeve for this which is stamped with my Jolly Cunninghammer stamp. 

 

With a keen love for long distance running, it is a true joy to fuse my passions together on projects such as this. Thank you, Eric!!