{"product_id":"damascus-karambit-stag-antler","title":"Damascus Karambit Knife with Stag Antler Handle and Finger Ring","description":"\u003cp\u003eStag antler makes this the top piece of the batch, and the one people buy to keep. Ladder pattern Damascus under cream and tan bark, 4.5 inches of edge along the curve, 9.5 overall. The hawkbill hooks backward so the tip points at the handle, a farm shape out of Southeast Asia that cuts on the pull. A closed steel ring at the butt takes the index finger. Buyers are growers and people who open packaging.\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 along the curve\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9.5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDamascus over a high carbon core\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEtched ladder pattern, bevel included\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade shape\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHawkbill\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNatural stag antler, brass pins\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\u003eSheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHand carved leather sheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEngraving\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e20 dollars per piece\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 steel is Damascus, pattern welded over a high carbon core and etched so the light and dark layers stand apart. The pattern here is ladder, straight bands running across the blade like rungs, and the etch runs the whole blade including the bevel, which is what an etch done after the grinding looks like. The edge measures 4.5 inches along the curve, so the cut happens as you pull. There is carbon under the pattern, so it darkens with use and rusts if left wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe finger ring\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat ring was never a separate part. It is drawn from the same bar as the blade, so there is no braze line, no collar and nothing there to work loose. The circle closes fully. Your index finger threads it while you cut, so the knife rests on that finger and does not need squeezing. Set it down and the ring gives a thumb something to hook.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe scales are natural stag antler in pale cream and tan, with the rough knobbly bark texture left on rather than sanded flat, so it keeps the ridges and pits the antler grew with. Brass pins run through into the steel. The tang is full, so the steel runs the whole length of the handle and shows as a bright line all round the antler.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat it is for\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThink barn and smallholding. Hay string on a bale, the top of a feed sack, a fencing tie, the cord on bundled kindling, net wrap. Cable ties, tape, shrink wrap, strapping and garden twine go the same way. The hook bites and drags the material into the belly of the blade, where a flat edge would skate over it. It is wrong for board work and kitchen prep, and the point is no lever.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe leather\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eVegetable tanned leather, wet formed over the blade so the pocket takes the same hook. A welt sewn into the seam keeps the stitch line clear of the edge, the stitching is cream thread sewn by hand down the outer edge, and a snap strap crosses the mouth. The face is carved, not stamped: oak leaves and acorns cut and shaded with a swivel knife.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a working shape dressed up, so it suits people who cut things open all day and anyone buying a gift that will get used.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople who cut cord and packaging every day\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGardeners and growers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFarm and yard work\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCollectors of the shape\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe karambit\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe hand carved leather sheath\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery blade is forged, ground, heat treated and sharpened by hand, so runs stay small and no two finish alike. The ladder bands sit differently on each blade, the antler has its own shade, and the carving is freehand.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWipe the blade dry after use and never put it away wet or leave it in the sheath. 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. Work a stone along the curve in short sections and follow the bevel it came with. More in our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003eknife care page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePut a name on it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLaser engraving is 20 dollars per piece and you add it on this page. Around 30 characters fits on the blade. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. 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 is a karambit?\u003c\/strong\u003e It is the hooked pattern from Southeast Asia, made to cut on the pull.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is a hawkbill blade?\u003c\/strong\u003e It curves down and back so the point aims toward the handle and cuts on the pull.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is the ladder pattern?\u003c\/strong\u003e Straight bands of light and dark steel running across the blade like rungs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it legal to carry?\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill Damascus rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can if left wet. Wipe it dry and oil it lightly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it look exactly like the photo?\u003c\/strong\u003e No, the pattern and the antler vary on every piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-karambit-buffalo-horn\"\u003ebuffalo horn karambit\u003c\/a\u003e takes another natural handle, and the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-karambit-ram-horn\"\u003eram horn karambit\u003c\/a\u003e sits beside it. The rest are in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/karambit-knives\"\u003ekarambit knives\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/damascus-steel\"\u003eDamascus steel\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/stag-horn-knives\"\u003estag horn knives\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44141876445302,"sku":"VEF-KAR-DAM-STG-905","price":229.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/damascus-karambit-stag-antler_9e1d8b53-4f7d-4da4-a9d4-9886c1e72f06.jpg?v=1788816301","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/damascus-karambit-stag-antler","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}