{"product_id":"damascus-gut-hook-skinner-bone-turquoise","title":"Damascus Gut Hook Skinner, Camel Bone and Turquoise Handle","description":"\u003cp\u003e4 inches of blade, a wide belly lifting into the tip, a hooked notch cut into the spine behind it. The belly keeps cutting through a long pull where a straight edge would let go. The steel is Damascus over a high carbon core. The handle is camel bone with a line of crushed turquoise down each scale, and that line is where most people stop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e8.75 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4.75 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDamascus, high carbon core\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEtched twist pattern\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade shape\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSkinner with a gut hook notch cut into the spine\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\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCamel bone with a crushed turquoise line inlaid down each scale, brass pins, lanyard hole\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHand carved rose and scroll leather belt sheath\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\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThe blade\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pattern is a twist. The billet is wound along its length before it is drawn out, so the layers etch as a swirl rather than bands. High carbon steel at the core holds the edge. The belly sweeps wide, holding the edge on the material through a whole pull. The gut hook is a hooked notch cut into the spine near the point, sharpened on the inside of the curve only. It opens a hide from underneath so the tip never goes in. Carbon steel greys with use and spots if put away wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCamel bone is dense and pale, closer to ivory in the hand than antler. A shallow channel is routed down each scale, packed with crushed turquoise and resin, then sanded flat so a thumb reads one surface, not two. The tang is full through the middle with brass pins across it and a lanyard hole at the rear. The handle is 4.75 inches. In a cold wet hand that length lets you choke back and still keep the whole palm on it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThe leather sheath\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVegetable tanned leather, hand stitched around a welt so the thread sits clear of the edge, the pocket cut to the outline of this blade and its notch. The face is carved, not stamped. Roses and scroll go into damp hide with a swivel knife, then get punched down until the petals stand off the background. Stamping takes minutes. Carving takes hours, and it shows. The belt loop is stitched on the back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the buyer who wants the handle to be the thing people ask about.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople who like stone and bone sitting together\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone happy that the two scales never match\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuyers who want the notch as well as the curve\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOwners who keep it out of a damp sheath\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe gut hook skinner on bone and turquoise\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe hand carved rose and scroll belt sheath\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA short care leaflet\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFree sharpening for the life of the knife\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCrushed turquoise is poured, not printed. One line runs heavy blue and the next carries more of the grey matrix through it. Bone takes the channel differently on each side, so the two scales end up cousins rather than twins. Put a twist etch over that and it cannot be repeated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWipe it dry before it goes back in the leather and keep thin oil on the steel. A flat stone handles the straight run and the belly if you roll the knife through the stroke. The notch is another matter. No flat stone reaches inside it. Use a small round file or a ceramic rod on the inner curve only, and stop when it bites. Bone and turquoise want a dry cloth. Our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003ecare and sharpening page\u003c\/a\u003e goes further.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003ePut a name on it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwenty dollars puts a name or a date on the blade, cut by laser, with around 30 characters the sensible ceiling. A proof image goes out for approval before the machine runs, which adds 3 to 5 business days. At ten knives or more it costs nothing. On a twist pattern the letters read best on the flat. The \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e has the wording rules.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is the turquoise set in?\u003c\/strong\u003e Crushed stone and resin, poured into a cut channel and sanded flat once it hardens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill mine look like the photograph?\u003c\/strong\u003e The shape will. The line will not, since no two pours run the same colour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is the notch for?\u003c\/strong\u003e A hooked opening with the inner curve sharpened, so a hide opens from the inside without the point going in.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs the Damascus a coating?\u003c\/strong\u003e No. Layers of high carbon steel forge welded into one bar, etched so they show. The edge comes off the core.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes the steel rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It will if water sits on it. Dry and oil it and it goes grey, not orange.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow fast does it ship?\u003c\/strong\u003e Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWant the notch on horn instead? The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-gut-hook-skinner-ram-horn\"\u003eram horn gut hook with the carved sheath\u003c\/a\u003e is the heavier one. Drop the notch, keep the pattern, and you have the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-skinner-knife-desert-ironwood\"\u003edesert ironwood skinner\u003c\/a\u003e. This curve sits in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/skinner-knives\"\u003eskinner knives\u003c\/a\u003e, the etched billets in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/damascus-steel\"\u003eDamascus steel\u003c\/a\u003e, the outdoor range in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hunting-knives\"\u003ehunting knives\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44146175377526,"sku":"VEF-SKN-DAM-2302","price":229.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/skinner-15-damascus-gut-hook-bone-turquoise_923b4cfc-c8e9-47c8-be7d-3822dfc3ef5c.jpg?v=1788861171","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/damascus-gut-hook-skinner-bone-turquoise","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}