Damascus Gut Hook Skinner Knife, Deer Skinning Knife with Stag Antler Handle

A gut hook skinner is built for the work that comes before the skinning. The sharpened notch in the spine opens the hide from the inside out, and the broad belly of the blade then takes the hide off. This one is a 4 inch Damascus blade with the hook cut into the spine near the tip, a stag antler handle over a full tang, and a tooled leather belt sheath.

Specification

The blade

The steel is Damascus, pattern welded over a high carbon core and etched so the layers show. The blade is 4 inches, short and broad, so the rounded belly does the skinning. The gut hook is the crescent notch cut into the spine near the tip, sharpened on the inside curve. Hook it under the hide and pull, and it parts the skin while the point stays clear. The hook takes a round file or a tapered rod, not a flat stone, and the carbon core will rust if left wet.

The handle

Natural stag antler, left with the ridges and hollows it grew with rather than sanded flat. That texture is what your hand finds when it is cold or slick, and antler holds warm instead of going icy in November. The tang runs the full length of the handle, steel unbroken from tip to butt, with brass pins through the scales. Antler is a natural material, so the color and the surface differ from one knife to the next, and no two match.

The leather sheath

The sheath is cut for this exact knife, hook and all, so the blade drops in clean. It is vegetable tanned leather with a wide belt loop stitched to the back, a strap over the handle with a snap, and a welt sewn into the seam so the stitching never sits against the edge. All of the stitching is done by hand. The face is hand tooled with a carved oak leaf and acorn pattern, cut into damp leather and shaded, not printed on. Most sellers stop at the words leather sheath.

Who it suits

Anyone who has opened a hide with a plain blade knows why the hook exists. This is that tool in Damascus, on a handle worth showing off.

• Deer hunters who field dress their own animals
• Buyers who want the hook and the skinning belly together
• People who prefer natural antler to synthetic scales
• Someone shopping for a gift for a hunter

What comes in the box

• The Damascus gut hook skinner
• The tooled leather belt sheath
• A care card
• A free laser engraving quote on request

Every piece is different

Each knife is forged, ground and finished by hand in small runs, so no two are alike. The Damascus pattern, the antler and the depth of the tooling will vary from the photographs. Yours will come out as its own piece.

Looking after it

Wash and dry it by hand, including inside the hook. Never the dishwasher, since dishwasher damage voids the warranty, and never leave the knife wet in a pack. The gray patina that builds with use is normal and protects the steel. Oil it lightly before storage, and let the leather dry away from heat. Whetstone at roughly 20 degrees per side, then strop. More in our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per blade, added here on the product 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. Free on orders of 10 pieces or more. See the engraving page for more.

Questions buyers ask

What does a gut hook do? It opens the hide from the inside out, with the point clear of what is below.

How do you sharpen a gut hook? With a round file or a tapered rod, not a flat stone.

What is the rest of the blade for? The broad belly does the skinning, cutting along the curve.

Will this steel rust? It can, so dry it after use and oil it before storage.

Will my knife look exactly like the photo? No, the pattern, the antler and the tooling differ on every piece.

Is it full tang? Yes, unbroken steel from tip to butt, with brass pins.

The same hook on a shorter blade is the Damascus gut hook skinning knife in rosewood, and for a plain spine the Damascus drop point skinner in stag antler. More sits in skinner knives, in Damascus steel, and in stag horn knives.