{"product_id":"damascus-gut-hook-skinner-ram-horn","title":"Damascus Gut Hook Skinner, Ram Horn Handle and Carved Sheath","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe belly is long and deep, so the edge stays in the cut through a pull instead of running out. Set back from the tip there is a hooked notch. The blade is 4.5 inches of Damascus over a high carbon core and the handle is ram horn. Everything sharpens on a flat stone except that notch, and knowing what to use instead matters.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4.5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9.25 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\u003eRam horn, warm amber and grey with deep ridges, three brass pins, lanyard hole\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHand carved acanthus leaf 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\u003ch3\u003eThe blade\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe bar is twisted hot, then ground back and etched, so the layers come up as a rope pattern down the flat. The core under it is high carbon and holds the edge. The notch is cut into the spine a short way back from the tip, and only the inside of the curve carries an edge, the outer face left dull on purpose. It opens a hide from the inside and the point stays out of it. Carbon steel darkens to grey with use and spots if it is left wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRam horn comes warm amber in places and grey in others, with deep ridges running along it that you can feel through a glove. It is not sanded flat and smooth, since those ridges are most of the reason people want horn. The tang is full and three brass pins go through, with a lanyard hole at the butt. At 4.75 inches a cold hand can shift back and forward on the grip and still find the ridges to hold.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe leather sheath\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eVegetable tanned leather, carved by hand in acanthus leaf. It is the only leather that takes a carving and holds it. The pattern is cut and shaded while the hide is damp so it stands up once dry. The sheath is built around this blade's outline, with a welt down the seam holding the stitching clear of the edge, and it is stitched by hand. A belt loop on the back carries it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis one is for the owner who means to maintain it. The notch wants a round file, and people who own one already buy the hook without thinking.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOwners who sharpen their own knives and enjoy it\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone who wants a hook on a longer belly\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuyers who like carved leather more than stamped\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople who would rather have horn than wood\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe gut hook skinner, sharpened\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe hand carved belt sheath\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEngraving details\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eHorn is grown, not made, so the amber and grey fall differently on every set of scales and the ridges never line up twice. The twist pattern moves with the bar too, so no two flats read alike. Carving is freehand, so the leaves on your sheath sit where the knife took them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe main bevel is simple, any flat stone and a strop. The notch is the one job a flat stone cannot do, because a flat surface only touches the corners of a curve. Use a small round file, or a round stone close to the size of the hook, along the inside curve only, and stop before you widen the mouth. Dry the blade, oil it lightly, and the horn needs nothing but a wipe. The \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003eknife care and sharpening page\u003c\/a\u003e goes further.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePut a name on it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eNames go on the flat by laser, 20 dollars per blade, added before you check out. Room for roughly 30 characters, so a name and a date fit. Nothing is engraved until we send a proof image and you say yes. It puts 3 to 5 business days on the order, and orders of 10 or more are free. See the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat do I sharpen the notch with?\u003c\/strong\u003e A round file, or a small round stone about the size of the hook. Inside curve only.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan a flat stone do the notch?\u003c\/strong\u003e No. It touches the corners of the curve and rounds the mouth off. Keep it on the main bevel.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes the notch need it often?\u003c\/strong\u003e Less than the main edge, since it does less work. Most owners see to it when the knife goes away for the season.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat steel is it?\u003c\/strong\u003e Damascus over a high carbon core, twisted before grinding. The etch makes the pattern show.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e Carbon steel always can. Keep it dry and oiled, and the patina works in your favour.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow long does shipping take?\u003c\/strong\u003e Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe same hook in a lighter handle is the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-gut-hook-skinner-bone-turquoise\"\u003eDamascus gut hook skinner in camel bone and turquoise\u003c\/a\u003e, and for a plainer steel there is the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hand-forged-gut-hook-skinner-stacked-leather\"\u003ehand forged gut hook skinner on stacked leather\u003c\/a\u003e. More of the curve in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/skinner-knives\"\u003eskinner knives\u003c\/a\u003e, the pattern welded blades in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/damascus-steel\"\u003eDamascus steel\u003c\/a\u003e, and the belt knives in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hunting-knives\"\u003ehunting knives\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44146183340150,"sku":"VEF-SKN-DAM-2309","price":239.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/skinner-22-damascus-gut-hook-ram-horn_75a3b7b1-1f72-411b-8d27-24e9840d550c.jpg?v=1788861273","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/damascus-gut-hook-skinner-ram-horn","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}