Damascus Bushcraft Knife, Camel Bone Handle and Carved Sheath

Most of what a woods knife does is small and repeated. Cutting cord. Shaving a stick into curls that will take a spark. This one does that on a 4 inch blade of Damascus over a high carbon core, with camel bone scales. It is also a knife people turn over in the light before they get on with the job.

Specification

The blade

The steel is Damascus over a high carbon core, etched so the ladder pattern shows across the flat. Ladder comes from cutting grooves into the billet and pressing it out again. The pattern is decoration and it does not cut. The carbon core underneath takes the edge and holds it. The grind is flat, taken high and thin behind the edge, so it slices rather than wedges. The drop point keeps the tip under your control for fine work. Carbon steel darkens to a grey patina and it will spot if it goes away wet.

The handle

Camel bone polishes pale, with darker grain lines that no two sets of scales share. It is dense, harder than most handle woods, and it will not swell after a wet week out. The scales sit on a full tang, held with three brass pins, so nothing is glued on to work loose. The lanyard hole is lined with brass. At 5 inches the handle is longer than the blade, which is what makes this read as a woods knife rather than a hunting knife.

The leather sheath

The sheath is vegetable tanned leather, hand carved on the face rather than pressed out with a machine stamp, so the cuts have depth and catch the light. A welt is sewn into the edge so the hand stitching sits clear of the steel. It is a belt sheath, cut and wet formed to the outline of the blade it ships with, which is why it holds the knife without a strap.

Who it suits

Nobody needs a patterned blade to cut wood. This is for the person who wants the knife on their belt to be worth a second look.

• People who want a working knife they also like owning
• Anyone buying a knife that has to look like a present
• Bushcraft carriers past their first knife
• Buyers who want one knife they like, not three they tolerate

What comes in the box

• The Damascus bushcraft knife
• The hand carved leather belt sheath
• A care card
• Free sharpening for life, no form to fill in

Every piece is different

Every blade is forged and finished here in small runs. The ladder pattern moves with the billet, so the spacing of the rungs changes from one knife to the next. Camel bone is an animal material and comes out its own color every time. Yours will not match the photograph, and it is not meant to.

Looking after it

Wipe it dry when you are done, every time, and do not leave it sitting in a wet sheath overnight. Leather holds water against steel. A light coat of oil before it goes away for the winter is enough. Sharpen on a stone and finish on a strop. The etch fades a little on the bevel where you sharpen, which is normal. More in our care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per blade, added on this page. Around 30 characters fits on a blade this length. On Damascus the engraving reads darker than the etched pattern around it. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Free on orders of 10 or more. See the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

Does the pattern make it cut better? No. It is what the layers look like after etching. The core does the cutting.

Is it too nice to use? It is a knife. Use it. The patina it picks up is the part owners like.

Will it rust? Yes, if you leave it wet. It goes grey with use, which is fine, and spots if neglected, which is not.

Why is the spine squared off? A sharp ninety degree corner throws sparks off a ferrocerium rod and shaves dry tinder. The rod is not included.

Does the pattern wear off? The etch is cut into the steel, not sprayed on. The bevel loses some contrast as it is sharpened.

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

If you want a handle nobody could repeat, there is the Damascus bushcraft knife on stag antler, and for a centred tip there is the Damascus bushcraft knife in olive wood. The rest sit in bushcraft knives, the patterned blades are in Damascus steel, and if the trip takes in game too, start in hunting knives.