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When the "forty-niners" came from all over the world to find their fortune in Northern California, they came totally unprepared for both the work ahead, and the elements. Because they had to trek long distances, and move quickly, they soon learned that they had to "carry light". Many conventional tools like shovels, picks, knives and even guns were specially scaled for this purpose.
One of the most beautifully realized designs from the "carry light" era was this "Sutter's Dream At Dawn". Next to a pan and shovel, there was no bit of equipment as important as a knife. And it had to not only be rugged, but easy to handle in every situation, with a perfect balance, and a compact weight. Many believed that Sutter discovered his first gold when it glistened against the first rays of the sun, so for good luck, many panned at first daylight, and created their equipment to "mimic the dawn". Therefore for this special knife, I used a very special wood, which has been high-polished to re-created the good luck of such a dawn. Since everything from a fork to shoelaces cost an arm and a leg, everything the forty-niners carried were personalized. In honor of that, I've also made a special and rare "drop down" tip, which on its own gives it a very unique identifiable shape, and is also suitable to be carved.
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