{"product_id":"hand-forged-gut-hook-skinner-stacked-leather","title":"Hand Forged Gut Hook Skinner, Stacked Leather Handle","description":"\u003cp\u003eShort blade, deep curve, and a hooked notch cut down into the spine near the tip. The belly does the work, because a curved edge holds contact through a pulling stroke where a straight one runs out of it. The blade is 4 inches of 1095 high carbon. The grip is stacked leather, dozens of washers turned down to shape as one piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e8.75 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4.75 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1095 high carbon\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDark forged spine, wide bright bevel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade shape\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSkinner with a gut hook notch cut into the spine\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\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eStacked leather washers with a brass guard and a brass butt cap, tang through the middle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eStamped basket weave leather belt sheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEngraving\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e20 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\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe blade\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e1095 is plain high carbon steel. It takes a fine edge quickly and comes back on a stone faster than any tool steel we use. The spine stays dark from the forge with the bevel ground wide and bright under it. Near the tip sits the gut hook, a notch hooked into the spine, sharpened on the inside of the curve only. It opens a hide from the inside, so the point never has to go in. Carbon steel greys over as it works and will spot if it is put away damp.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe grip is leather washers, stacked onto the tang and squeezed until the pile behaves like one block, then turned and sanded until you cannot find a seam. A brass guard sits at the front and a brass butt cap closes the back. The tang runs through the middle of the stack. Leather does what horn and steel will not, which is take the cold out of a hand rather than put it in. At 4.75 inches there is room for a glove.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe leather sheath\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe sheath is vegetable tanned leather stamped in basket weave, cut around this blade's own outline so the hook has somewhere to sit and nothing catches on the way out. Vegetable tanned leather takes a stamp and holds it. A welt runs down the seam to hold the stitching away from the edge, and the stitching is done by hand. The belt loop is sized for a working belt.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnyone who has held a steel handled knife in November knows why this grip exists. Leather warms up and stays warm.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHunters who work in cold and wet more than good weather\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuyers who want a gut hook on a steel that sharpens easily\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople who like the old stacked grip and want it built properly\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone who finds polished wood slick with wet hands\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe gut hook skinner, sharpened\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe basket weave belt sheath\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEngraving details\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery stack is turned by hand, so the swell falls in a slightly different place on each one and the leather darkens at its own rate once it is handled. The forged spine comes off the hammer with its own marks too. Two of these side by side are clearly brothers, not twins.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eDry the blade, oil the blade, put it away. The handle wants leather conditioner once or twice a year and no soaking. The main edge goes on a flat stone, then a strop. The notch is the fussy part. A flat stone cannot reach inside it, so use a round file or a small round stone, work only the inside of the curve, and leave the spine alone. See the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003eknife care and sharpening page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePut a name on it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA name on the flat costs 20 dollars per blade, added on this page. You have about 30 characters to play with. We email a proof image first, so nothing gets burned in until you have seen it. Allow another 3 to 5 business days. On orders of 10 or more we do it for nothing. Details are on the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill a leather handle fall apart if it gets soaked?\u003c\/strong\u003e Not from normal use. It is compressed hard and held between brass. Dry it away from heat and feed it now and then.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it get slippery when wet?\u003c\/strong\u003e Less than polished wood does. Wet leather grips back, which is half the reason these grips were built.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is 1095?\u003c\/strong\u003e Plain high carbon steel, no chrome and no pattern in it. It sharpens easily and it will patina.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow do I keep it from rusting?\u003c\/strong\u003e Wipe it after use and keep a thin coat of oil on it. Grey is fine. Orange means you left it wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow long does shipping take?\u003c\/strong\u003e Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I send the notch back to be sharpened?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes. Sharpening is free for life, notch included.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the same hook in pattern welded steel, the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-gut-hook-skinner-ram-horn\"\u003eDamascus gut hook skinner on ram horn\u003c\/a\u003e is the one. Without the notch, the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hand-forged-skinning-knife-walnut\"\u003ehand forged skinning knife on walnut\u003c\/a\u003e is the plain version. More of the shape in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/skinner-knives\"\u003eskinner knives\u003c\/a\u003e, the same steel in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/high-carbon-1095\"\u003e1095 high carbon steel\u003c\/a\u003e, and the belt knives in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hunting-knives\"\u003ehunting knives\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44146177114230,"sku":"VEF-SKN-HC-2307","price":159.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/skinner-20-carbon-gut-hook-stacked-leather_a6824e9a-f766-454f-ba87-f401ce452c29.jpg?v=1788861186","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/hand-forged-gut-hook-skinner-stacked-leather","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}