Hand Forged Bushcraft Knife, Buffalo Horn Handle and Leather Sheath

A knife goes dull. By the third day out the edge stops biting into wood and starts sliding off it, and you press harder for the same job. Bringing it back ought to take a stone and five minutes. That is what this one is built around. The blade is 4 inches of 1095 high carbon steel, the scales are water buffalo horn, and the bevel is a scandi, the easiest edge there is to put right by hand.

Specification

The blade

The steel is 1095 high carbon. The spine keeps the dark skin it came out of the fire wearing and the bevel is ground bright, so you see where the flat of the grind begins. That line matters when you sharpen. The shape is a drop point, the tip below the spine and easy to steer. The grind is a scandi, one wide flat bevel from the edge up the lower blade with no second bevel on top. Carbon steel is honest. It darkens into a grey patina and spots if you put it away wet.

The handle

Water buffalo horn is dense and it takes a polish that gets deeper the more a hand works it. Every set of scales streaks differently, from near black to smoky amber where the horn ran thin. The tang is full, running the whole length under the scales, with three brass pins through it and a brass lined lanyard hole at the butt. The handle is 5 inches, longer than the blade, and that ratio is what makes a knife read as a woods knife rather than a hunting knife.

The leather sheath

The sheath is vegetable tanned leather, cut to this blade's own outline rather than a shape that covers most knives. It is hand stitched, with a welt in the seam so the thread sits down in a channel and the edge rides on leather instead of stitching. The face is stamped, worked in with a stamp and a mallet before the leather was wetted and formed to the blade. It hangs on a belt.

Who it suits

This is for somebody who would rather maintain an edge than baby it. A scandi comes back sitting on a log with a small stone, because the bevel tells your hands the angle.

• People who sharpen their own knives and keep it simple
• Anyone out for days with no power and no bench
• Woodcarvers who want a flat bevel and a thin edge
• Buyers who like carbon steel and its patina

What comes in the box

• The 4 inch bushcraft knife
• The stamped leather belt sheath
• A care card
• An engraving card

Every piece is different

Each knife is forged, ground and sharpened by hand, so batches stay small and no two come out the same. Horn is the bigger variable. The color and the streaking are whatever that piece grew, so your scales will not match the photographs. The forge finish sits differently on every blade.

Looking after it

Wipe it dry when you are done, every time, and do not leave it damp in the sheath overnight. Leather holds water. Before it goes away, put a light coat of oil on the steel. When it stops cutting, lay the whole bevel flat on a stone and work it until you feel a burr, then strop it on leather. More is on 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 covers a name or a date. We send a proof image before the laser runs, so check the spelling. It adds 3 to 5 business days. Order 10 or more and the engraving is free. The engraving page has the rest.

Questions buyers ask

Why is a scandi grind easier to sharpen? The bevel is wide and flat. Lay it down on the stone and it finds its own angle. No guide, no counting degrees.

What do I need to sharpen it out there? A small pocket stone and a strip of leather.

What is the squared spine for? It is left at ninety degrees with a sharp corner, so it scrapes sparks off a ferrocerium rod and shaves tinder. A rounded spine will not. No rod included.

Will it rust? It can. 1095 is carbon steel, so it goes grey and spots if left wet. Dry it and oil it.

Does horn need care? Keep it out of long soaks and off a hot dashboard. A little oil stops it drying out.

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

In wood there is the walnut handled version, and the green micarta one carries a fire steel loop. The group sits in bushcraft knives, the same steel runs through 1095 high carbon steel, and more sits in hunting knives.