Hand Forged Bowie Knife, Damascus Clip Point with Stag Antler Handle

A bowie is the big knife on the belt, the one for jobs a folder will not touch. This is the standard size in our bowie run, 15 inches overall with a 10 inch clip point blade in hand forged Damascus, a polished brass cross guard and a natural stag antler handle. People buy it for camp cooking and for splitting kindling, and plenty buy it because a knife made by hand is worth owning.

Specification

The blade

The steel is Damascus, pattern welded over a high carbon core and etched so the light and dark layers show, and the bevel polished bright. At 10 inches this is a clip point, meaning a concave section is cut from the top of the blade about a third of the way back to the tip. That drops the point lower and brings it in line with your hand, so a blade this long still slices well. The trade is the carbon underneath, which darkens with use and rusts if left wet.

The handle

Stag antler is left with its natural ridges and hollows rather than sanded flat, so your fingers land on texture, and antler stays warm to hold on a cold morning. The handle measures 5 inches, enough to move your grip forward or back on a knife this size. The tang runs full length behind the scales, steel unbroken from tip to butt, with brass pins set through. The polished brass cross guard sits in front and keeps your hand off the edge.

The leather sheath

The sheath is cut for this exact knife, so the blade seats snug and does not rattle. The leather is vegetable tanned. A wide belt loop is stitched to the back, a strap with a snap closes over the handle, and a welt is sewn into the edge so the stitching sits clear of the blade. Every stitch goes in by hand. The face carries a carved western floral scroll, cut with a swivel knife and shaded by hand, not pressed on by machine. Most listings say leather sheath and stop there.

Who it suits

This is the size most people mean when they say bowie. Big enough to lean on at camp, still short enough to wear on a belt all day.

• Campers who want one large knife instead of a hatchet and a folder
• Hunters who own a skinner and want something bigger
• Collectors of hand forged Damascus
• Anyone buying a gift for an outdoors person

What comes in the box

• The Damascus bowie 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 alike. The Damascus pattern never repeats, antler varies in color and shape, and the tooling sits a little differently on each sheath.

Looking after it

Wash and dry it by hand. Never the dishwasher, since dishwasher damage voids the warranty, and never leave it wet inside the sheath. 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. Engraving is free on orders of 10 pieces or more. See the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

What is a clip point blade? A concave cut in the top of the blade near the tip, which lowers the point.

What is the brass guard for? It stops your hand sliding forward onto the edge.

Why is the blade 10 inches? It gives reach for camp chores and still wears on a belt.

Will this steel rust? It can, because the core is carbon. Dry it after use and oil it before storage.

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

Can I return it? Yes, within 30 days, unused and unsharpened in original packaging.

The larger dress piece is the custom 16 inch Damascus bowie in stag, and for a cream handle the Damascus bowie in camel bone. The rest sits in bowie and camp knives, in Damascus steel, and in stag horn knives.