{"product_id":"damascus-seax-knife-camel-bone","title":"Damascus Seax Knife, Camel Bone Handle and Carved Sheath","description":"\u003cp\u003ePick it up and the sheath gets your attention before the blade does. Then the handle, camel bone, cool and smooth and a shade heavier than wood. The blade is 8 inches of Damascus over a high carbon core, straight along the edge, the spine dropping at an angle to the point. The carving is where most of the hours went.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e8 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e13 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, 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, bevel etched to the edge\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade shape\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBroken back seax with a straight edge\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTang\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHidden tang\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCamel bone, brass ferrule and brass butt cap\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHand carved leather sheath, hangs flat from two top loops\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 steel is Damascus with a high carbon core. Layers are forged together and twisted, then etched so the lines lift apart. The pattern is decoration. The core underneath cuts. The bevel is etched to the edge, where the working steel starts. The shape is a broken back seax, straight along the edge, the spine breaking down at a sharp angle into the point. That long flat edge suits push cuts and slicing on a board. Carbon steel darkens to grey with use, and spots if it is left wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCamel bone is dense and takes a polish wood cannot. It stays cool in a warm room. The tang is hidden, so the steel runs inside the bone rather than showing as scales at the sides, and nothing breaks up the grip. A brass ferrule closes the front and a brass cap the butt, so grit has no way in at either end. The handle is 5 inches, enough for a full hand and to choke up near the ferrule for close work.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe leather sheath\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eVegetable tanned leather, cut to this blade's own outline and stitched by hand, with a welt in the seam keeping the thread clear of the edge. The face is hand carved, not stamped. The hide is damped, the lines cut with a swivel knife, then each cut beveled and shaded so the work stands off the surface. Two loops along the top edge hang it flat on a belt rather than down a leg.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA stamped sheath is pressed in a few passes. This one is cut line by line, over hours. That is the difference in price.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople who look at the sheath first\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuyers who want leather to match steel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone giving a gift that should look handmade\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOwners who keep a piece out and use it\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe 8 inch Damascus seax\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe hand carved leather sheath\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn engraving proof if you order one\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery blade is forged and etched on its own, so the twist never lands twice the same. Camel bone carries its own marks and colour, some near white, some closer to cream. The carving is freehand, so no two faces sit the same. Yours will not match the photographs. That is handwork.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWipe the blade dry and leave a film of oil on it before it goes away. The carved sheath wants a wipe and, once or twice a year, a little conditioner on a cloth. Never store the blade in the sheath for months, because leather holds damp against steel and that is where pitting starts. Sharpen on a stone, then strop it. There is more on our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003ecare and sharpening page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePut a name on it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLaser engraving is 20 dollars per blade and you add it on this page. Around 30 characters fits, so a name and a date. We send a proof image before the laser runs, so nothing goes onto the steel unseen. It adds 3 to 5 business days. Orders of 10 or more are engraved free. The \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e covers the rest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy does a carved sheath cost more than a stamped one?\u003c\/strong\u003e A stamp presses a design in a few passes. This one is cut by hand. You pay for the hours.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill the carving flatten with wear?\u003c\/strong\u003e It softens where it rubs. Conditioner keeps it standing up.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is a seax?\u003c\/strong\u003e A single edged blade shape from old northern Europe. The edge is straight, and on a broken back the spine drops at an angle to the point.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can. Carbon steel darkens with use and spots if left damp. Dry it, oil it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I carry it on my belt?\u003c\/strong\u003e Laws on carrying a fixed blade differ by state, city and country, so check your local rules before you carry it, and we cannot advise on that.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhen will it get here?\u003c\/strong\u003e Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days. Engraving adds a few days.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the same pattern on wood, the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-seax-knife-olive-wood\"\u003eDamascus Seax Knife in olive wood\u003c\/a\u003e runs a raindrop instead of a twist. The plainer one is the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/seax-knife-hand-forged-walnut\"\u003ewalnut handled seax in carbon steel\u003c\/a\u003e. The shape sits in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/seax-knives\"\u003eseax knives\u003c\/a\u003e, the etched blades under \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/damascus-steel\"\u003eDamascus steel\u003c\/a\u003e, and the rest in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/historical-blades\"\u003ehistorical blades\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44144676634742,"sku":"VEF-SAX-DAM-1305","price":249.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/seax-05-damascus-camel-bone_99aada70-c806-47e3-a6b7-6c091bcac4a2.jpg?v=1788842021","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/damascus-seax-knife-camel-bone","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}