Damascus Skinner Knife, Hand Forged Drop Point Skinning Knife with Stag Antler Handle

A skinner is the knife you pick up when the work turns to hide. The blade is short and broad with a deep rounded belly, because skinning is a sweeping cut along the curve of the edge, not a stab with the tip. This one is a 4 inch drop point blade in hand forged Damascus, with a stag antler handle over a full tang and a tooled leather belt sheath.

Specification

The blade

The steel is Damascus, pattern welded over a high carbon core and etched so the light and dark layers show, with the bevel polished mirror bright. At 4 inches this is a drop point skinner, so the spine curves gently down to meet the belly and the point sits low. That low point is deliberate. It keeps the tip from catching while the belly does the cutting. The honest trade is the core steel, which is carbon, so the blade darkens with use and will rust if it is left wet.

The handle

Stag antler is the handle most hunters ask for, and this one keeps its natural ridges and hollows rather than being sanded smooth. Those ridges are what your fingers find when your hands are cold or wet, and antler stays warm to hold. The tang runs full length behind the scales, steel unbroken from tip to butt, with brass pins set through. Antler is a natural material, so the color and the surface change from one knife to the next.

The leather sheath

The sheath is cut for this exact knife, so the blade goes in snug. The leather is vegetable tanned. A wide belt loop is stitched to the back, a strap with a snap sits over the handle, and a welt is sewn into the edge so the stitching stays clear of the blade. All of the stitching is done by hand. The face is hand tooled with a carved western floral scroll, cut and shaded, not printed. Most sellers stop at the words leather sheath. This is the rest of it.

Who it suits

This is the shape most hunters buy first, and a stag handle makes it a knife people leave out on a shelf rather than in a drawer.

• Deer hunters who do their own field dressing
• Anyone buying a first dedicated skinner
• People who process their own venison
• Buyers who want natural antler over synthetic scales
• Someone shopping for 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 and finished by hand, so runs stay small and no two come out the same. The Damascus pattern, the antler and the depth of the tooling will vary from the photographs. Yours will be its own piece.

Looking after it

Wash and dry it by hand. Never the dishwasher, since dishwasher damage voids the warranty, and never leave it wet in a pack. The gray patina that builds with use is normal and protects the steel. Oil it lightly before storage, and let the leather dry away from heat. Sharpen on a whetstone at roughly 20 degrees per side, then strop. No pull through sharpeners. More in our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per blade and you add it 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. Free on orders of 10 pieces or more. See the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

What is a skinner knife for? It takes hide off game with a sweeping cut along the curved belly.

Why is the point so low? A low point keeps the tip from catching while the belly cuts.

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

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

Will my knife look exactly like the photo? No, the pattern, the antler and the tooling differ on every piece.

Is it full tang? Yes, unbroken steel from tip to butt, with brass pins through the scales.

For a hook in the spine, try the Damascus gut hook skinner in stag antler, and for a wood handle the Damascus skinner in olive wood. More sits in skinner knives, in Damascus steel, and in stag horn knives.