Damascus Skinner Knife with Burl Wood and Resin Handle, Hand Forged Drop Point

A skinner earns its keep once the hunt is over and the job is hide. The blade is short and broad with a deep rounded belly, so the cut is drawn along the curve rather than the tip, and the low point stays clear. This one is hand forged Damascus with a 4 inch drop point blade, full tang through burl wood set in black resin, and a tooled leather belt sheath.

Specification

The blade

The 4 inch blade is pattern welded Damascus over a high carbon core, etched so the light and dark layers show, with a mirror polished bevel. No two patterns repeat, because the pattern is forged in, not printed on. It is a drop point skinner, the spine curving down to meet a deep rounded belly. The belly does the work, since skinning is a sweeping cut, and the low point keeps the tip from catching. The trade is the carbon steel underneath, which patinas and can rust if left wet.

The handle

The handle is burl wood stabilized in black resin, 4 inches long, held by brass pins through a full tang. Burl is the knotted grain from a growth on the tree, so the figure runs in swirls and eyes, and the resin locks the block solid. That is what makes it good for wet work. It will not swell or soak anything up, a cold damp hand still grips it, and the tang runs unbroken from the tip to the butt.

The leather sheath

The sheath is vegetable tanned leather cut for this knife, so the blade sits where it should. A wide belt loop is stitched to the back and rides flat, and a strap crosses the handle with a snap so the knife stays put as you walk. The edge is welted, so a strip of leather sits between the stitching and the blade and the edge never reaches the thread. All of it is stitched by hand, and the face is hand tooled with a diamond lattice stamp inside a carved border.

Who it suits

This is a working knife that happens to be good looking. The Damascus is what most people pick it up for and the burl handle is why it gets given as a present, but the shape underneath is plain and useful.

• Hunters who process their own game
• Anyone who wants a pattern welded blade
• Someone buying a gift for a hunter

What comes in the box

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

Every piece is different

Each knife is forged, ground, heat treated and sharpened by hand in small runs. The Damascus pattern, the color and grain of the burl and the tooling on the sheath will differ from the photographs. Yours will be its own piece.

Looking after it

Wash it by hand and dry it straight away. Never the dishwasher, since that damage voids the warranty. The gray patina Damascus takes on is normal and protects the steel. Sharpen on a whetstone at roughly 20 degrees per side, then strop. No pull through sharpeners. Oil the blade before storage, and never put the knife away wet inside its sheath. More in our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per blade. Around 30 characters fits on a blade, and a longer message sits better on the sheath. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Clean line art engraves well, photographs do not. Free on orders of 10 pieces or more. See the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

What is a skinner knife for? Taking hide off an animal with the curve of the edge, not the tip.

What is a drop point skinner? One whose spine curves down to meet the belly, giving a low point.

Is the Damascus real? Yes, forged and welded layers over a high carbon core.

Will this steel rust? It can, so dry it after use and oil it before storage.

Will my knife look like the photo? No, the pattern and burl figure change on every piece.

How sharp is it out of the box? Sharpened by hand and ready to use.

For a plainer wood, see the Damascus skinner with an olive wood handle, while the Damascus gut hook skinner with a stag antler handle adds a hook for opening hide. More sit in skinner knives, the pattern welded blades in Damascus steel, and presents in gifts for hunters.