Damascus Ranch Knife, Olive Wood Handle and Pancake Sheath

A knife you wear all day should stop being something you notice. That is what this one is built around. It rides flat against the belt in a sheath with no loop on the back, so it does not swing when you drop into a truck seat. The blade is 5.5 inches of Damascus over a high carbon core, and the handle is olive wood.

Specification

The blade

The steel is Damascus with a high carbon core, folded and etched so the raindrop pattern comes up dark and light across the flat. The etch runs all the way down the bevel to the edge. The pattern is decoration. The carbon underneath is what takes the edge. The shape is a drop point with a deep belly, and 5.5 inches of it gives a long sweeping edge that keeps meeting the work as you roll your wrist. Carbon steel darkens to a grey patina and spots if it is put away wet.

The handle

Olive wood scales on a full tang, held by three brass pins. The steel runs the whole length of the handle, so nothing is glued in to work loose. At 4.75 inches there is room to slide your hand back for a long pull or choke up near the blade for close work. The pins sit flush and stay out of your palm. There is a lanyard hole at the butt. Olive wood is oily and dense, and it takes a shine from your hand alone.

The pancake sheath

Two pieces of vegetable tanned leather stitched face to face, with the knife between them. That leaves a flat wing of leather either side of the pocket. Two tall slots are cut clean through the leather itself and the belt passes through them. There is no loop on the back. The seam is welted, so the thread sits inside it. The face is stamped basket weave. Riding flat is what stops it swinging.

Who it suits

This one is for people who are in and out of a vehicle all day.

• Anyone who wears a knife all day
• Drivers tired of a handle catching the seat belt
• People who want Damascus they will use
• Anyone replacing a sheath that flaps

What comes in the box

• The ranch knife
• The stamped basket weave pancake sheath
• A care card
• Engraving quote

Every piece is different

Every blade is forged, ground, etched and sharpened by hand, so the raindrop pattern lands differently on each one. Olive wood runs from pale cream to deep gold with black streaks and no two boards give the same face. Yours will not match the photographs. That is what you are paying for.

Looking after it

Wipe the blade dry when you are done and put a thin coat of oil on it before it goes back in the sheath. Leather holds damp against steel, so a wet knife in a wet sheath is the quickest way to find spots. The etched pattern stays visible under a patina. Sharpen on a stone at the angle it came to you with. More on our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per blade. Around 30 characters fits, which covers a name and a date. We send a proof image before the laser runs, so nothing gets burned in that you have not seen. It adds 3 to 5 business days. Engraving is free on orders of 10 or more. The engraving page has the rest of it.

Questions buyers ask

How long does shipping take? Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.

Will it rust? The core is high carbon steel, so it can. It darkens to a grey patina and spots if left wet. Dry it and oil it.

What makes it a pancake sheath? Two layers of leather stitched face to face with the blade pocket between them, and two tall slots cut through the leather for your belt. No loop on the back.

Does it dig in when I sit down? Less than one standing off a loop. It lies against you and turns with your hip instead of levering.

Can I wear it on the left? Yes. The sheath is the same shape both sides and rides the same either way.

Is the Damascus only for looks? The pattern is. The high carbon core underneath does the work and sharpens like any carbon blade.

For the same steel under a hand carved sheath, look at the Damascus cowboy knife with the stag antler handle. If you want a straight edge for board work, the cowboy sheepfoot knife in camel bone rides in the same sheath. The rest are in cowboy knives, the pattern welded blades under Damascus steel, and every knife we make in one place.