Damascus Seax Knife, Olive Wood Handle, Raindrop Pattern

Hold it and the balance sits forward, just ahead of the brass ferrule, which is what a long straight edge does. The blade is 8.5 inches of Damascus over a high carbon core, etched so the raindrop rings lift out of the steel. The handle is olive wood, pale in places and streaked dark in others. A plain outline carrying a busy surface, and that is most of the appeal.

Specification

The blade

The steel is pattern welded Damascus with a high carbon core underneath doing the cutting. Dimples are ground into the stacked billet, the billet is forged flat again, and the layers you cut through open out as rings around each dimple. The bevel is etched to the edge. The shape is a straight edge with a low angled point, so the tip stays near your knuckles for close work and there is a long flat run to push through. Carbon steel darkens to grey with use, and it spots if you put it away wet.

The handle

Olive wood is dense and oily by nature, so it polishes up and does not dry out. The grain is the draw, pale ground with dark lines wandering through. This is a hidden tang, so the steel runs down inside the wood instead of showing as scales at the sides. A brass ferrule closes the front and a brass cap closes the butt, shutting grit out. At 5 inches you can choke up on the ferrule for detail or sit back for a longer stroke.

The leather sheath

Vegetable tanned leather, cut to the outline of this blade and stitched by hand. The face is stamped, the tool driven into damp leather so the impression stays once dry. A welt is sewn into the edge to keep the stitching clear of the steel. Two loops run along the top edge instead of the back, so it hangs flat and the blade lies against the belt rather than pointing down a leg.

Who it suits

This one is for the buyer who came for the pattern. If you want rings, you want your own.

• Collectors who want a Damascus blade with no twin
• Cooks who get on with a long flat edge
• Buyers who prefer olive wood to a synthetic grip
• Anyone buying a piece to hand on later

What comes in the box

• The Damascus seax
• The stamped leather sheath
• A care card
• Free sharpening for life on any blade sent back

Every piece is different

No two billets etch the same. Dimples land where the hand puts them, and the rings come out crowded in one place and open in another. Olive wood goes its own way too, so one handle runs pale and the next runs dark. Yours will not match the photograph, and that is rather the point.

Looking after it

Wipe it dry when you finish with it. Oil the blade before it goes in a drawer for a season. Sharpen on a stone, then strop on leather. The grey the steel takes on is patina and it can stay. Orange is the one to catch early. Do not store it in the sheath for months, because leather holds damp against steel. More is on our care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per blade and you add it here before you check out. Around 30 characters fits, so a name, or a name and a date. We send a proof image before the laser runs. It adds 3 to 5 business days. It is free on orders of 10 or more. The rest is on the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

How is the raindrop pattern made? Dimples are ground into the layered billet, it is forged flat, and the etch shows the layers as rings.

Will mine look like the photograph? No. The rings sit differently on every blade, and the wood shifts too.

What is a seax? An old single edged blade shape from northern Europe, with a straight or nearly straight cutting edge.

Will it rust? It can. There is carbon steel under the pattern. Dry it after use and keep a film of oil on it.

Can I carry it? 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.

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

For the same steel with a paler handle and a carved face on the leather, there is the Damascus seax on camel bone. For more blade, the langseax with the stacked leather handle runs longer again. The shape sits under seax knives, the pattern welded blades under Damascus steel, and every blade we make is in one place.