Damascus BBQ Knife Set of 3, Black Micarta with Leather Knife Roll

A big cut of meat asks for three knives and this is those three. The carving knife takes the slices, the cleaver chops with the weight of the blade, and the boning knife follows a shape close in. All three are hand forged Damascus with black canvas micarta handles on a full tang, in a hand tooled leather roll with a pocket per knife. Micarta is the handle that does not mind grease and water.

Specification

What is in the set

The steel

Every blade is Damascus, pattern welded over a high carbon core, forged and folded so the light and dark layers show. The pattern here is twist, long spiralling swirls that turn as they run the length of the blade. The etch is done after grinding, so the pattern carries over the whole blade including the bevel. No two blades come out alike. The carbon underneath is the trade. It takes a keen edge and comes back on a stone quickly, and it darkens with use and rusts if put away wet.

The handles

All three knives carry the same handle, black canvas micarta with red liners and brass pins. Micarta is woven canvas soaked in resin and pressed under heat into one solid block, then cut and ground to shape. The resin fills the weave, so nothing soaks up water or grease and nothing swells or cracks the way wood can. The surface is matte with a fine tooth, so the grip holds with wet hands. The tang is full, so the steel runs the whole length of the handle.

The knife roll

The roll is vegetable tanned leather, cut as one long panel with pockets stitched across it, one pocket per knife, so the blades sit apart and do not knock together. Lay it flat, drop each knife into its own pocket, roll it up and tie it shut with the leather strap sewn to the end. The face is hand tooled with a basket weave, a square woven stamp struck row by row across the panel, inside a plain border. Most sellers here ship a plain bag or nothing.

Who it suits

This is the set for someone who cooks meat and wants the knives that go with it, not a wide set with pieces that stay in the drawer.

• Anyone who smokes or grills a large cut
• Cooks who want three working knives, not a full block
• Buyers who want a handle that shrugs off water and grease
• Gift buyers shopping for a cook who works over fire

What comes in the box

• The carving knife
• The cleaver
• The boning knife
• The hand tooled leather knife roll
• A care card

Every piece is different

Each blade is forged, ground, heat treated and sharpened by hand, so no two sets finish alike. The twist pattern moves from blade to blade and the tooling is struck by hand. Yours will not match the photographs exactly.

Looking after it

Hand wash each knife in warm water and dry it straight away. Never leave one in the sink or in a dishwasher. Damascus darkens with use, and that gray patina is normal and protects the steel. Give the blades a light coat of food safe mineral oil before they go away. Sharpen on a stone following the bevel already there, and use wood or plastic boards. More in our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 35 dollars for the set, added on this page, and one price covers all three knives. It is not included, so the blades arrive plain unless you ask. Around 30 characters fits. A proof goes out first and it adds 3 to 5 business days. See the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

How many knives are in the set? Three knives, a carving knife, a cleaver and a boning knife.

Is the leather roll included? Yes. Vegetable tanned leather, one pocket per knife, tied shut with its own strap.

Is engraving included? No. It is 35 dollars for the set, added on this page, and that covers all three.

Will Damascus rust? It can, there is carbon steel under the pattern. Dry each knife after washing and oil it.

Can it go in the dishwasher? No. Hand wash and dry straight away.

Will my set look exactly like the photo? No. The twist pattern differs on every blade and the leather is tooled by hand.

For a bigger version there is the Damascus BBQ knife set of 4 in buffalo horn, and for board work the Damascus kitchen knife set of 3 in olive wood. More is in kitchen knife sets, cleavers and butcher knives and Damascus steel.