{"product_id":"custom-bowie-knife-16-inch-stag","title":"Custom Bowie Knife, 16 Inch Damascus with Stag Handle and Brass Guard","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is the dress piece of the bowie run. It measures 16 inches overall with an 11 inch clip point blade in hand forged Damascus, a stag handle and a polished brass cross guard, and the sheath that goes with it carries the deepest carving we do. It gets bought as a milestone gift or the centerpiece of a collection, and it still works as a large outdoor knife at camp.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e11 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e16 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDamascus over high carbon core\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEtched pattern, mirror polished bevel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTang\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFull tang\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle material\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNatural stag antler, brass pins\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGuard\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePolished brass cross guard\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTooled leather sheath, deep carved rose\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEngraving\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e20 dollars per blade\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMade in\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eForged and finished by hand in High Point, North Carolina.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWarranty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLifetime warranty against defects, free sharpening for life.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe blade\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEleven inches is a lot of Damascus, and the length is where the pattern shows itself. The steel is pattern welded over a high carbon core, etched until the layers stand light against dark, with a mirror polished bevel. The clip is taken out of the spine as a concave sweep from roughly a third of the way back, setting the point low so it works with the wrist. A blade this long asks for room around it. The core is carbon, so it patinas and rusts if it stays damp.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe antler here is picked for looks as much as grip, since a knife this size ends up where people can see it. Ridges and hollows are left as they came off the antler, which gives the hand something to hold onto when the outside is wet. Behind the scales the tang runs the whole length in one piece of steel, pinned through in brass. The brass cross guard is polished bright to sit with those pins, and it holds the hand back.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe leather sheath\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis sheath is why people call this one the dress knife. Vegetable tanned leather is formed to the blade, welted along the edge so the stitching never meets steel, and sewn by hand end to end. A wide loop on the back takes a belt and a snap strap holds the handle in place. The face is carved deep in a western floral pattern built around a single rose, cut with a swivel knife then beveled and shaded. Deep carving takes longer and it holds its shadow lines for years.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnyone shopping for an occasion rather than a chore tends to land here. It is the biggest bowie we make and the one people ask us to engrave.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuyers marking a retirement or a milestone birthday\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCollectors who want the carving as much as the steel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGroomsmen and best man gift shoppers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOwners of a smaller bowie wanting the full size\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe custom Damascus bowie knife\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe tooled leather belt sheath\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA free laser engraving quote on request\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eHand forging means small runs and no repeats. The layer pattern, the color of the antler and the set of the rose in the carving will differ from the photographs. Two of these side by side are siblings rather than twins.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eHand wash, hand dry, and keep it out of the dishwasher, as dishwasher damage voids the warranty. Do not store it wet in the leather. Darkening is expected on carbon steel, and the gray film that forms protects it. A light coat of oil before storage is enough. Bring the edge back on a whetstone at roughly 20 degrees per side, then strop. More on the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003eknife care and sharpening page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePut a name on it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA gift knife this size is the obvious candidate for engraving, which runs 20 dollars per blade and is added on this page. Roughly 30 characters fits along a blade, and anything longer reads better tooled onto the sheath. You approve a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. See the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow does this differ from the 15 inch bowie?\u003c\/strong\u003e It is 16 inches overall with an 11 inch blade and a deeper carved sheath.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy is the clip ground into the spine?\u003c\/strong\u003e Removing that curve lowers the tip so the blade steers accurately.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs 11 inches too much knife?\u003c\/strong\u003e Not for camp chores or display, though it wants space.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill my knife look exactly like the photo?\u003c\/strong\u003e No, the Damascus pattern, the antler and the carving change on every piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow sharp is it out of the box?\u003c\/strong\u003e Sharp enough to shave paper, as every edge is checked by hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan you engrave it?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes, 20 dollars per blade, free on orders of 10 or more.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe standard size is the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hand-forged-bowie-knife-stag-antler\"\u003ehand forged Damascus bowie in stag antler\u003c\/a\u003e, and for the same length in a mixed handle, the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/handmade-bowie-knife-buffalo-horn-leather\"\u003eDamascus bowie in buffalo horn and stacked leather\u003c\/a\u003e. See \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/bowie-camp\"\u003ebowie and camp knives\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/damascus-steel\"\u003eDamascus steel\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/gifts-for-him\"\u003egifts for him\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44134483689590,"sku":"VEF-BOW-DAM-CP-502","price":269.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/custom-damascus-bowie-knife-16-inch-stag-handle_d6a9b6de-a8d8-4a45-ba43-0113b0f15127.jpg?v=1788736397","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/custom-bowie-knife-16-inch-stag","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}