Damascus Gut Hook Skinner Knife with Elk Antler Crown Handle, Hand Forged

A gut hook skinner is for the work after the hunt, and this is the top piece in the batch. The blade is short and broad with a deep belly, and a sharpened crescent hook sits in the spine near the tip. The steel is Damascus over a high carbon core, and the handle is elk antler with the crown left on. A carved leather belt sheath comes with it.

Specification

The blade

The Damascus is pattern welded over a high carbon core and etched, so the layers show. It is carbon steel underneath, so it darkens and can rust if left wet. Skinning is a sweeping cut made with the curve of the edge, not the tip, so the belly on this 4.25 inch blade is deep and the point sits low. The gut hook is the crescent notch in the spine near the tip, sharpened on the inside curve, and it opens hide from the inside out with the point kept clear of what is underneath.

The handle

Elk antler crown means the handle is cut so the rough burred crown of the antler is left at the butt. It flares there and it is knobbly, so the hand does not slide back off the handle when your grip is cold or wet. Every crown is different, because it is the part of the antler that grew nearest the skull. The tang is full, one unbroken piece of steel from tip to butt, with brass pins through the scales.

The leather sheath

Every knife in this batch ships with a leather belt sheath cut for that exact knife, and this is the dress sheath of the set. It is vegetable tanned leather, hand stitched, with a welted edge and a wide belt loop on the back so it rides flat. A strap crosses the handle and closes with a snap, so the knife stays seated while you walk. The face is hand tooled, a deep carved western floral pattern with a rose at the center. Most sellers in this category say leather sheath and stop there.

Who it suits

This is the one people buy when they want the best piece in the rack rather than the cheapest. The hook and the deep belly make it a working knife, and the antler crown and the carved sheath make it something you would be glad to give to somebody. Nothing on it is there only for show, and every part still has a job.

• Hunters who field dress their own game
• Anyone who wants a gut hook
• Someone buying a gift for a hunter

What comes in the box

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

Every piece is different

All of it is done by hand, so runs stay small and no two pieces match. No two Damascus patterns repeat, and the color and burr of the antler crown are whatever that animal grew. Yours will vary from the photographs.

Looking after it

Wash and dry it by hand, never in the dishwasher, and never left wet in a pack. Dishwasher damage voids the warranty. Damascus darkens with use and that patina is normal. Oil the blade before it goes away for the season, and let the leather dry away from heat. Sharpen the belly on a whetstone at roughly 20 degrees per side, then strop, and the hook on a round rod. More in our knife 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, and a longer message sits better on the sheath. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Clean line art engraves cleanly, photographs do not. Free on orders of 10 pieces or more. See the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

What is the gut hook for? It opens hide from the inside out, keeping the point clear of what is underneath.

What is an elk antler crown handle? The rough burred crown is left at the butt, so the hand cannot slide off the back.

Why is the point low? So the tip does not catch where it should not.

Will this Damascus rust? It can. Dry it after use and oil it before storage.

Is it full tang? Yes, the steel runs unbroken from tip to butt.

How long until it ships? Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days with USPS, free over 99 dollars.

If the hook is not what you need, the Damascus skinner knife with a stag antler handle has a plain belly, and the hand forged skinning knife in rosewood is the carbon steel option. More sits in skinner knives, this steel runs through Damascus steel, and there is more antler in stag horn knives.