Cowboy Sheepfoot Knife, Hand Forged with Camel Bone Handle

A straight edge does one thing better than a curved one. It meets a flat surface along its whole length at once, so nothing is missed mid stroke. This is a 4.5 inch sheepfoot blade in 1095 high carbon steel with camel bone scales. The spine curves down to bring the point level with the edge, which puts the tip where the work is.

Specification

The blade

The steel is 1095 high carbon. The spine stays dark from the fire and the bevel goes up wide and bright. The edge runs dead straight from the ricasso to the tip and the spine drops in a long curve to meet it. Set the blade on a board and the whole edge lands at once. A curved belly rocks instead, and the middle of the stroke is where it gets away from you. Carbon steel darkens to grey as you use it, and it will spot if it is put away wet.

The handle

Camel bone takes a polish and keeps a little of its own grain, so no two sets read the same. It is hard under the hand and does not soften when damp. The tang runs full to the butt with three brass pins through it and a lanyard hole at the back. Handle length is 4.75 inches against a 4.5 inch blade, more handle than blade. That gives you room to choke back behind the ricasso when you want the edge held short.

The pancake sheath

The sheath is two pieces of vegetable tanned leather stitched face to face with the blade flat between them. A welt in the seam keeps the stitching off the edge. Either side of the pocket the leather stands out in a flat wing, and the two belt slots are cut clean through it. No loop on the back. Your belt threads through the slots, so the knife lies flat. The face is struck with a basket weave stamp.

Who it suits

People who ask for a sheepfoot usually own something with a belly and want the opposite.

• Anyone working on a board or a flat bench
• People opening feed sacks and twine all day
• Buyers who sharpen on a stone
• Anyone who wants the tip low and in sight

What comes in the box

• The hand forged sheepfoot knife
• The stamped basket weave pancake sheath
• A care card
• A free engraving proof on request

Every piece is different

Every knife here is forged and finished by hand in small runs, so yours will not match the photograph exactly. Camel bone varies more than most materials. Some sets come out close to cream and some carry darker streaks. The line where the dark spine meets the bright bevel sits differently on each blade.

Looking after it

Wipe the blade dry when you are done and give it a thin film of oil before it goes away. Camel bone wants nothing beyond staying out of a hot dashboard. A straight edge is the easiest shape there is to sharpen, since you run the whole length flat along a stone without rolling your wrist to follow a curve. Strop it after. More on our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per blade and you add it on this page. Around 30 characters fits, so a name or a date works better than a sentence. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days to the build. Free on orders of 10 or more. The rest is on the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

What is a sheepfoot blade good for? Work against a flat surface. The edge lands on a board along its whole length.

Does a straight edge still slice rope? Yes. You draw it through rather than rocking it, and you keep more say in where it stops.

Will this steel rust? It can if it is left wet. Dry it and keep a thin coat of oil on the blade.

How does a pancake sheath hold on my belt? The belt passes through two slots cut through the leather itself. No loop on the back, so it rides flat and does not swing.

How long does shipping take? Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.

Is camel bone fragile? No. It is dense and hard, and pinned to a full tang.

If you want the opposite shape, the bull cutter with a rosewood handle is all belly and no point at all. For pattern welded steel, look at the Damascus cowboy knife with a stag antler handle. The rest sit in cowboy knives, in 1095 high carbon steel and in hunting knives.