Damascus Skinner Knife with Buffalo Horn Handle and Tooled Leather Sheath

A skinner does the work after the shot, when the hide has to come away from the meat. The blade is short and broad with a deep rounded belly, because the cut sweeps along the curve rather than driving with the tip. This one is a 4 inch drop point blade in hand forged Damascus, full tang through a black buffalo horn handle on brass pins, with a tooled leather belt sheath.

Specification

The blade

This is Damascus, pattern welded over a high carbon core and etched so the light and dark layers show across the flat. The bevel is polished bright at the edge. The blade is 4 inches with the knife 8 inches overall. The spine drops in a gentle curve to meet the belly, so the point finishes low and stays clear of what is under the hide. What you give up is stainless behavior, since carbon steel sits under the pattern and it will rust if the knife is put away damp.

The handle

Buffalo horn is close to black, with amber streaks where the horn thins. It polishes smooth but still holds against a damp palm, and it does not go icy in the cold the way a metal handle does. The handle is 4 inches, a full grip in a glove. The tang is full under the scales, one piece of steel from tip to butt, and brass pins pass through to lock the horn on. Horn is a natural material, so no two handles match.

The leather sheath

The sheath is cut for this knife alone, so the blade drops in and sits still. It is vegetable tanned leather with a wide belt loop stitched to the back, and a strap that crosses the handle and closes with a snap so the knife stays put when you kneel or climb. The edge is welted, so a strip of leather runs between the faces and the stitching sits clear of the blade. It is stitched by hand, and the face is tooled with an overlapping half moon stamp inside a carved border.

Who it suits

For hunters who do their own skinning and would rather carry something made by hand. The dark horn against etched steel is why people pick this one.

• Deer and hog hunters who process their own animals
• Buyers who want a dark handle rather than wood
• Anyone after a Damascus knife that gets used
• Someone buying a gift for a hunter

What comes in the box

• The Damascus skinner
• The tooled leather belt sheath
• A care card
• A free laser engraving quote on request

Every piece is different

These are forged, ground and finished by hand in small runs, so nothing repeats exactly. The layer pattern, the color and streaking of the horn and the shading of the tooling will differ from the photographs. Yours will be its own piece.

Looking after it

Hand wash and dry it. Never the dishwasher and never wet in a pack, since dishwasher damage voids the warranty. The carbon under the pattern goes gray with use, which is normal and protects the steel. Oil the blade before the season ends, keep the horn out of long soaks, and dry the leather away from heat. Sharpen at roughly 20 degrees per side, then strop. More in our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per blade, added on this page. Around 30 characters fits on a blade, and anything longer sits better on the sheath. You get a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Clean line art engraves cleanly. Free on orders of 10 pieces or more. See the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

What makes a skinner different? It is shorter and broader with a deeper belly, so you cut with the curve.

How is the belt sheath worn? On the belt through the stitched loop, strap snapped over the handle.

Does buffalo horn need care? Very little. Keep it out of long soaks and wipe it dry.

Will this steel rust? It can. Dry it and oil it before storage.

Will my knife look like the photo? No. The pattern and the horn vary on every piece.

Can you engrave it? Yes, 20 dollars per blade, with a proof sent first.

The Damascus skinner with an olive wood handle is the same blade in a lighter handle, and the Damascus skinning knife with a camel bone handle is shorter in the blade. More sits in skinner knives, in Damascus steel and in hunting knives.