Custom Bowie Knife, 16 Inch Damascus with Stag Handle and Brass Guard

This 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.

Specification

The blade

Eleven 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.

The handle

The 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.

The leather sheath

This 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.

Who it suits

Anyone 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.

• Buyers marking a retirement or a milestone birthday
• Collectors who want the carving as much as the steel
• Groomsmen and best man gift shoppers
• Owners of a smaller bowie wanting the full size

What comes in the box

• The custom Damascus bowie knife
• The tooled leather belt sheath
• A care card
• A free laser engraving quote on request

Every piece is different

Hand 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.

Looking after it

Hand 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 knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

A 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 engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

How does this differ from the 15 inch bowie? It is 16 inches overall with an 11 inch blade and a deeper carved sheath.

Why is the clip ground into the spine? Removing that curve lowers the tip so the blade steers accurately.

Is 11 inches too much knife? Not for camp chores or display, though it wants space.

Will my knife look exactly like the photo? No, the Damascus pattern, the antler and the carving change on every piece.

How sharp is it out of the box? Sharp enough to shave paper, as every edge is checked by hand.

Can you engrave it? Yes, 20 dollars per blade, free on orders of 10 or more.

The standard size is the hand forged Damascus bowie in stag antler, and for the same length in a mixed handle, the Damascus bowie in buffalo horn and stacked leather. See bowie and camp knives, Damascus steel and gifts for him.