Gentleman's Folding Knife, Damascus with Burl Wood and Resin Handle

A gentleman's folder is the small slim dress pattern, made to sit flat in a trouser pocket. This one carries a 2.75 inch Damascus blade in a slim drop point, 3.75 inches closed and 6.5 inches open, with burl wood in dark resin between brass bolsters. It is a slip joint, so it has no lock. You open it with a thumbnail in the nail nick. People buy it as a gift.

Specification

The blade

The steel is Damascus, pattern welded over a high carbon core, etched so the light and dark layers read as a fine twist. The bevel is taken up mirror bright under the dark pattern. The shape is a slim drop point, with the spine falling to a low tip. Carbon sits under the pattern, so it takes a keen edge and comes back on a stone quickly, and it darkens with use and rusts if put away wet.

How it opens and closes

This is a slip joint, which means it has no lock. A flat back spring runs down the spine of the handle and presses on the back of the blade. That spring holds the blade open when it is swung out, and holds it shut when it is folded away. Opening takes two hands. Catch the nail nick, the small crescent cut in the flat of the blade, with a thumbnail and pull the blade round until the spring settles. You close it by pushing the blade back against that spring.

The handle

The scales are stabilized burl wood set in dark resin. The burl swirls amber and brown, and the resin fills the voids in a near black that reads as shadow between the figure. Slim polished brass bolsters cap both ends and hold the pins that run through the frame. The handle stays narrow and flat, which is the point of the pattern.

What it is for

This is a small everyday cutting tool. It opens mail and parcel tape, cuts twine, trims a loose thread and takes an apple apart at a desk. It is light in a pocket. The short blade means it is not the knife for heavy work in a yard or a workshop.

The leather pouch

Every piece ships in a leather slip pouch, a flat sleeve the closed knife drops into. The leather is vegetable tanned. A snap strap closes over the mouth, and cream thread runs down both sides in hand stitching. The face is hand tooled with a carved sunflower inside a beaded border, cut and shaded by hand.

Who it suits

This is the knife people buy when they want something small and smart in a pocket, and it gives well.

• Anyone who wants a slim knife for a trouser pocket
• Buyers who like traditional patterns with no lock
• Buyers looking for a groomsman or birthday gift

What comes in the box

• The gentleman's folding knife
• The tooled leather slip pouch
• A care card

Every piece is different

Each blade is forged, ground, heat treated and sharpened by hand, so runs stay small. Damascus never repeats, so the twist on yours will not match the photograph, and the burl shifts from handle to handle.

Looking after it

Wipe the blade dry after use and never put it away wet. Damascus darkens with use, and that gray patina protects the steel. A drop of light oil in the pivot keeps the action smooth, and a light coat on the blade before it goes away. Never a dishwasher. More in our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per piece and you add it on this page. Around 30 characters fits on the blade or a bolster. 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 slip joint? It is a folding knife with no lock. A back spring holds the blade open and shut.

What is a nail nick? It is the small crescent cut in the flat of the blade. You catch it with a thumbnail.

Can it be opened with one hand? No. There is no thumb stud, so it takes two hands.

Is it legal to carry? Knife carry laws differ by state, city and country, so check the rules where you live before you carry it. We cannot advise on that.

Will Damascus rust? It can if left wet. Dry it after use and oil it.

Will it look exactly like the photo? No. Every pattern and every handle differs.

For another slim folder see the dress folding knife in ebony and brass, and for a larger Damascus folder there is the Damascus folding pocket knife in rosewood. More sits in folding knives, damascus steel and gifts for him.