{"product_id":"damascus-skinner-knife-olive-wood","title":"Damascus Skinner Knife, Drop Point Skinning Knife with Olive Wood Handle","description":"\u003cp\u003eA skinner is the knife a hunter reaches for once the hide has to come off. The blade is short and broad with a deep rounded belly, because skinning is a sweeping cut along the curve, not a stab with the tip. This one is a 4 inch drop point blade in hand forged Damascus, full tang through an olive wood handle on brass pins, with a tooled leather belt sheath.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e8 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDamascus, pattern welded over a high carbon core\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEtched layer pattern, mirror polished bevel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTang\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFull tang\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle material\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOlive wood, brass pins\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTooled leather belt sheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEngraving\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLaser engraving, 20 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, pattern welded over a high carbon core and etched so the light and dark layers show. At 4 inches the blade works a deer without getting hard to control, and the knife is 8 inches overall. The spine curves gently down to meet the belly, so the point sits low and the tip does not catch where it should not. The belly does the cutting. The trade is the carbon under the pattern, which darkens with use and will rust if the knife is left wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eOlive wood is dense and slightly oily, so it holds warmth and does not go slick in a wet hand. The grain runs in waves of honey and brown, and no two sets match because the tree decides the figure. The handle is 4 inches, a full grip in a glove. The tang is full underneath, one piece of steel from tip to butt, with brass pins through the scales. In cold weather wood sits better in the hand than bare metal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe leather sheath\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe sheath is cut for this knife, so the blade seats without rattle. It is vegetable tanned leather with a wide belt loop stitched to the back, and a strap over the handle that closes with a snap so the knife stays put when you kneel or climb. The edge is welted, which puts a strip of leather between the seam and the blade so the stitching never rides on the edge. It is stitched by hand, and the face is hand tooled in a carved wheat and leaf pattern.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA plain working skinner for people who take their own game apart. There is no hook to keep sharp, just the belly and a handle that fills the hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeer hunters who field dress and butcher at home\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHunters who want a skinner with no hook to sharpen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuyers who prefer natural wood to synthetic scales\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone buying a gift for a hunter\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Damascus skinner\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe tooled leather belt sheath\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA free laser engraving quote on request\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach knife is forged, ground and finished by hand in small runs, so no two are alike. The Damascus pattern, the color and grain of the olive wood and the tooling all vary from the photographs. Yours will be its own piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWash and dry it by hand. Never the dishwasher and never left wet in a pack, since dishwasher damage voids the warranty. The carbon under the pattern takes on a gray patina, which is normal and protects the steel. Oil it lightly before the season ends, and dry the leather away from heat. Sharpen at roughly 20 degrees per side, then strop. More in our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003eknife care 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, added on this page. 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 cleanly. Free on orders of 10 pieces or more. See the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is a skinner knife for?\u003c\/strong\u003e It takes the hide off game with a sweeping cut along the curved belly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy is the point low?\u003c\/strong\u003e So the tip does not catch what sits under the hide.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it have a gut hook?\u003c\/strong\u003e No, it is a plain drop point skinner.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill Damascus rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can. Dry it after use and oil it before storage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it full tang?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes, the steel runs unbroken from tip to butt.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow long until it ships and can I return it?\u003c\/strong\u003e Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days with USPS. Returns run 30 days, unused and unsharpened.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-skinner-knife-buffalo-horn\"\u003eDamascus skinner with a buffalo horn handle\u003c\/a\u003e is the same blade in darker material, and the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-skinner-knife-stag-antler\"\u003eDamascus skinner with a stag antler handle\u003c\/a\u003e puts antler in the hand. More sits in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/skinner-knives\"\u003eskinner knives\u003c\/a\u003e, in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/damascus-steel\"\u003eDamascus steel\u003c\/a\u003e and in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/olive-wood-handle-knives\"\u003eolive wood handle knives\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44134038143094,"sku":"VEF-SKN-DAM-DP-154","price":159.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/damascus-skinner-knife-olive-wood-handle_0cdd5b63-01bd-4b6d-8b78-b267edc17cb9.jpg?v=1788736487","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/damascus-skinner-knife-olive-wood","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}