{"product_id":"damascus-skinning-knife-bone-handle","title":"Damascus Skinning Knife with Bone Handle, Handmade Skinner with Sheath","description":"\u003cp\u003eA skinner earns its keep in the hour after the shot, when the hide has to come off clean. The blade is short and wide with a deep sweeping belly, so the work happens along the curve, not at the point, and the upswept tip stays clear of the meat. This one is Damascus with a raindrop pattern etched dark against a bright polished edge, full tang through a smooth camel bone handle with two brass pins. It ships in a hand stitched leather sheath.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\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 raindrop pattern, polished cutting edge\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\u003ePolished camel bone with two brass pins\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBolster or guard\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNone\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBrown leather, hand stitched\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\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThe blade\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDamascus here is pattern welded over a high carbon core, folded and forged until the layers show, then etched so the darker steel drops back and the raindrop rings stand out. The polished edge runs bright down the belly. It sharpens like the carbon steel it is and comes to a keen edge on a stone without much argument. It behaves like carbon steel about water too, so it will spot and rust if you leave it wet. No two of these patterns repeat, since the billet is drawn out by hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCamel bone is polished smooth here and sits in the hand in a warm cream color, cool to the touch until your hand warms it. Two brass pins run through the full tang. There is no guard, so the grip stays clean and your fingers can move forward when you want the belly closer to the hide. Bone carries its own fine lines and small tone changes, and it takes stain from use, so the handle you get will not copy the one photographed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis shape is for people who take the hide off themselves and want a blade doing the pulling for them. The Damascus pattern also makes it a piece people buy as a gift, since it reads well on a shelf.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHunters skinning deer and hogs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrappers and small game hunters\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone buying a gift for a hunter\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCollectors of pattern welded blades\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe skinning knife\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA fitted leather sheath\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card with sharpening and storage notes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA laser engraving quote on request\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDamascus is forged by hand, so the raindrop rings sit in their own places on every blade and no two match. Bone color and marking vary as well. Take the photographs as a guide to shape and character, not as a picture of yours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHand wash and dry it. Never the dishwasher, never left soaking, since dishwasher damage voids the warranty. The high carbon core wants dry storage and a light coat of oil, which also keeps the etch looking sharp. Sharpen on a whetstone at roughly 20 degrees per side, then strop. Keep it off pull through sharpeners. Dry the leather slowly and away from heat. More on the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003eknife care and sharpening page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003ePut a name on it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\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, which is often the better call on a patterned blade. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Clean line art works, photographs do not. See the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy so much belly?\u003c\/strong\u003e The long curve does the work. You draw it and the hide opens along the sweep instead of catching at a point.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill the raindrop pattern wear away?\u003c\/strong\u003e The etch is in the steel, not on top of it, so use and sharpening will not take it off.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs the bone handle slippery?\u003c\/strong\u003e Polished bone is smooth and there is no guard, so wipe a wet hand before you work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill Damascus rust and how do I stop it?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can, since the core is high carbon. Dry it after use, oil the blade, and store it out of the sheath.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow sharp is it out of the box?\u003c\/strong\u003e It is sharpened by hand and ships ready to work. Free sharpening for life, you cover shipping to the shop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan you engrave it?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes, 20 dollars per blade with a proof image first. Engraved pieces are final sale unless defective.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMore shapes for the same job sit in the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/skinner-knives\"\u003eskinner knives\u003c\/a\u003e, and the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/damascus-steel\"\u003eDamascus steel\u003c\/a\u003e range is there if the pattern caught you. Handles like this live in the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/bone-handle-knives\"\u003ebone handle knives\u003c\/a\u003e. For a hide opener with a hook, see the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/gut-hook-knife-d2-olive-wood\"\u003egut hook knife in D2 and olive wood\u003c\/a\u003e, and for bone with stone set into it there is the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/bone-handle-hunting-knife-turquoise-inlay\"\u003ebone handle hunting knife with turquoise inlay\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44128921616502,"sku":"VEF-HUN-DAM-SK-103","price":169.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/hunting-03-damascus-skinner-camel-bone-f_7825bf1b-a94d-4183-81e7-12aec32cd364.jpg?v=1788662905","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/damascus-skinning-knife-bone-handle","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}