Damascus Karambit Knife with Camel Bone and Turquoise Handle

A line of crushed turquoise runs down each camel bone scale, and the sheath is carved rather than stamped, one of two dress pieces in the batch. The blade is a hawkbill, hooking down and back so the point looks at the handle and bites on the pull, and a closed ring at the butt carries the index finger. It is 5 inches round the edge, 10 inches overall, for people who cut cord and packaging.

Specification

The blade

The steel is Damascus, layers forge welded over a high carbon core and etched so the bands show. The pattern is raindrop, soft concentric rings along the blade, and the etch went on after grinding, so it runs the whole blade including the bevel, not just the flat. The edge is 5 inches along the curve and cuts as you pull. Carbon sits under it, so it darkens with use and rusts if left wet.

The finger ring

The steel does not stop at the butt. It runs past the bone and closes on itself in a full circle, drawn from the same bar as the blade, not riveted on. The index finger sits in that circle while you cut, and the knife stays with the hand on its own. Set it down and a thumb hooks under the ring.

The handle

The scales are polished camel bone, creamy white with fine natural veining. Down the middle of each scale runs a line of crushed turquoise, set into a channel cut in the bone and sanded flush, so the face stays smooth and the blue reads as a line of color. Brass pins run through into the steel, and the tang is full, so the steel shows as a bright line all round the bone.

What it is for

This is a feed and farm store knife. Bale twine off the roll, feed sacks sewn shut, seed bags, mesh and netting, string round bundled goods: loose material that slides away from a straight edge. The hook holds it instead. Drop the point behind a strand, pull, and the curve feeds it into the edge. It will not do kitchen work on a board, and the point is no pry bar.

The leather

Carving begins with a swivel knife, a blade in a barrel that turns under one finger to follow a curve. Lines are cut into damp leather, then beveled and shaded so the pattern lifts. Most of this batch carries a stamped basket weave. None here. An acanthus scroll sits inside a beaded border, on vegetable tanned leather shaped round the hook of the blade, welted, hand stitched in cream, snap strap over the mouth.

Who it suits

This is a working shape dressed up. The bone and the turquoise sit as well on a shelf as on a belt.

• People who cut cord and packaging every day
• Gardeners and growers
• Collectors of the shape
• Gift buyers

What comes in the box

• The karambit
• The hand carved leather sheath
• A care card

Every piece is different

No two Damascus patterns repeat, so the rings on your blade sit differently from the photographs. The veining in the bone and the width of the turquoise line vary too, and the carving is cut freehand.

Looking after it

Wipe the blade dry after use and never put it away wet. Damascus darkens with use, and that gray patina is normal and protects the steel. A light coat of oil before it goes away, and never a dishwasher. Sharpen in short passes round the hook, on the angle already ground. More in our knife care page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per piece, added on this page. Around 30 characters fits on a blade, so a name or a date goes on. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. See the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

What is a karambit? A knife with a claw shaped blade and a closed ring at the butt.

What is the finger ring for? The index finger goes through it so the knife hangs from the hand.

What is this Damascus pattern called? Raindrop, soft concentric rings along the blade.

Is it legal to carry? Knife carry laws differ by state, city and country, so check the rules where you live before you carry it. We cannot advise on that.

Will Damascus rust? It can, since there is carbon steel under the pattern. Wipe it dry and oil it lightly.

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

The other carved leather piece is the Damascus karambit in stag antler, and in banded horn the ram horn karambit. The rest sit in karambit knives, Damascus steel and turquoise handle knives.