Handmade Bowie Knife, Damascus with Buffalo Horn and Stacked Leather

A bowie this size is the big knife in the kit, for jobs a folding knife will never manage. Clearing a camp, splitting kindling, cutting cord, breaking down game far from the truck. This one is 16 inches overall on an 11 inch clip point blade in hand forged Damascus, with black buffalo horn at each end of the grip and stacked leather washers between. A polished brass cross guard sits at the front.

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 mirror bright. The clip is the concave cut taken out of the top of the blade about a third of the way back, and it drops the point lower so more of the tip lines up behind your hand. That is why 11 inches still steers well and slices instead of shoving. The trade is the carbon core, which darkens and rusts if put away wet.

The handle

Buffalo horn caps each end of the grip in deep black, and between those caps sit rounds of leather stacked along the steel. Each washer is threaded onto the tang, squeezed under pressure, then turned down against abrasive until the seams vanish and the grip reads as banded rings. Leather warms fast in the hand and keeps its hold when the weather turns. The tang runs full length, unbroken from tip to butt and pinned in brass at each side.

The leather sheath

The sheath is cut for this exact knife, so the blade drops in snug rather than rattling. The leather is vegetable tanned. A wide belt loop is stitched to the back so it rides flat, a strap with a snap closes over the handle, and a welt is sewn into the edge to keep the stitching clear of the blade. Every stitch goes in by hand. The face is hand tooled with a carved oak leaf and acorn pattern inside a stamped border, cut and shaded rather than printed on.

Who it suits

People buy a knife this size for the reach, and for the way it looks coming out of the sheath. The horn and leather grip makes it feel older than it is, which is a good part of the appeal. Most of these go to two sorts of buyer, the ones who work outdoors and the ones who collect hand forged steel.

• Campers who want one big knife
• Hunters working game away from a vehicle
• Collectors of hand forged Damascus

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, buffalo horn carries its own grain and color, and the tooling sits at its own depth.

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 comes 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. 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 anything longer 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? The concave cut near the tip that sets the point lower.

What is a stacked leather handle? Leather rounds on the tang, pressed tight and sanded smooth.

What is the cross guard for? It keeps your hand off the edge.

Will this steel rust? It can, so dry it after use and oil it for storage.

Is it full tang? Yes, steel unbroken from tip to butt.

How long until it ships? Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.

The carbon steel bowie in buffalo horn puts that material on a shorter blade, and the full tang bowie with a stacked leather handle is leather all the way down. Big knives sit in bowie and camp knives, layered steel in Damascus steel, and presents in gifts for him.