Hand Forged Boning Knife, 7 Inch Damascus Blade, Rosewood Handle

A brisket needs its fat cap taken down and the silverskin under it lifted off before it sees smoke. That is what this knife is for. The blade is 7 inches of Damascus over a high carbon core, curved and stiff, and the scales are rosewood. It is the longest blade in our boning group, which is the point of it.

Specification

The blade

The steel is Damascus, pattern welded over a high carbon core and etched so a twist pattern runs the whole blade, with a fine bright edge. It is ground as a curved blade with an upswept point. That curve keeps the belly in contact as you run under a fat cap, so it comes away in long passes instead of short ones. A boning blade is stiffer than a fillet blade and this one has very little give. Carbon steel sits under the pattern, so it darkens with use and spots if left wet.

The handle

Rosewood is dense and a little oily, so it does not drink water or go slick when your hands are covered in fat. The scales are pinned in brass, and the tang is full, steel running the whole length of the handle under your grip. Five inches gives room to move. You choke up near the heel for close work around a joint, then slide back toward the end for a long trimming pass, and your hand has room either way.

The leather sheath

The sheath is vegetable tanned leather, hand stitched, with a welted edge and a snap strap over the handle. The face is stamped in a basket weave. It covers the blade and stops there, so treat it as storage and as a way to carry the knife safely rather than a belt rig. In a drawer it keeps the edge off everything else, and it keeps everything else off the edge.

Who it suits

People buy this one for trimming work on big cuts, long enough to take a fat cap down and fine at the point for getting around a joint.

• Anyone trimming a brisket before a long cook
• Cooks who want the longest boning blade we make
• People who prefer a stiff blade to a flexible one
• Buyers who want Damascus over a plain finish

What comes in the box

• The boning knife
• The hand stitched leather sheath
• A care card
• Engraving details

Every piece is different

Every blade is forged, ground, heat treated and sharpened by hand, so runs stay small and no two finish alike. The twist pattern lies its own way on each billet. Rosewood shifts from dark chocolate to a redder brown, and the leather takes the stamp differently every time. Yours will not match the photographs.

Looking after it

Hand wash it in warm water and dry it straight away. Never the dishwasher. Put a light coat of food safe mineral oil on the blade before it goes in the drawer, which matters with carbon steel. Cut on wood or plastic, since glass and stone roll an edge over. Sharpening is free for life, so send it back when it goes dull. 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, which takes a name and a date. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. On orders of 10 or more it is free, handy if you are buying for a team. See the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

Is 7 inches long enough for a brisket? The longest blade in our boning group, and the curve takes a fat cap off in long passes.

How is this different from a fillet knife? A fillet knife is thinner and has give, made to follow the ribs of a fish. This one is stiffer, for joints in meat and poultry.

Does the blade flex? Very little. It is a stiff blade, which is what you want against a joint.

Will it rust? It can. Carbon steel sits under the pattern. Dry it after washing and keep a light film of oil on it.

How long does shipping take? Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.

Will it slice the meat after the cook? It will cut, but a narrow curved blade wanders on long slices. A slicer does better.

When the brisket comes off, the Damascus brisket slicer on the same rosewood does the carving. For a shorter curve there is the hand forged boning knife in water buffalo horn. The rest of the group sits in fillet and boning knives, and anything else on this wood is under rosewood handle knives. It also sits with the kitchen knives too.