Personalized Damascus Steak Knife Set of 4 with Stag Antler Handles

Stag antler decides its own shape, so no two handles in this set of four are alike, and no two sets are alike. Four hand forged Damascus steak knives, a 5 inch blade on each, full tang under antler scales pinned in brass, and a hand carved leather knife roll that ties shut around them. This is the set people buy when the knives will be looked at as much as used.

Specification

What is in the set

The steel

The blades are Damascus, pattern welded over a high carbon core and etched so the light and dark layers separate. The pattern is twist, long swirls turning down the blade. The etch is done after grinding, so it carries the whole blade including the bevel rather than stopping where the grind begins. Look along the edge and the layers are still there. Carbon sits underneath, so the trade is plain. The steel takes a keen edge, comes back on a stone quickly, darkens with use, and rusts if a knife goes away wet.

The handles

The scales are natural stag antler, pale cream and tan, with the knobbly bark texture left on rather than sanded flat. That texture is most of the grip. Brass pins run through the antler into the steel, and the tang is full on every knife, so the steel shows all round the scales. Every knife carries the same antler and brass pins. The antler itself varies. Color, crown and bark depth shift piece to piece, so the four handles never match.

The knife roll

The roll is vegetable tanned leather, cut as one long panel with pockets stitched across it, one pocket per knife, so the four sit apart and no blade rubs another. Roll it from one end and its own leather strap wraps round and ties it shut. The outward face is hand carved with an oak leaf and acorn pattern inside a stamped border, cut with a swivel knife and shaded by hand so the leaves have depth in them. Every other seller in this category ships a plain roll or nothing at all.

Who it suits

This is the set for a table where the knives are meant to be seen. No two of the four handles look the same, and the twist pattern under the antler gives a reason to pick a knife up and turn it over. Antler gets kept rather than replaced, so it goes out as a retirement present as often as a wedding one.

• Buyers looking for a retirement gift
• Anyone who prefers natural materials
• Hosts who set a table with knives on show
• Collectors of hand forged Damascus

What comes in the box

• Four Damascus steak knives
• The hand carved leather knife roll
• A care card

Every piece is different

Every blade is forged, ground, heat treated and sharpened by hand, so runs stay small. The twist comes out of the etch differently each time, and the antler decides its own shape and color. Yours will not match the photographs or each other.

Looking after it

Hand wash in warm water and dry straight away. Never leave one in the sink, and never a dishwasher. Damascus darkens with use, and that gray patina protects the steel. Give the blades a light coat of food safe mineral oil before they go back in the roll. Sharpen on a stone following the bevel, and let the leather dry away from heat. More in our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

The title says personalized because engraving is offered, not because it is included. It is 35 dollars for the set, one price for all four knives. Around 30 characters fits, and clean line art engraves better than a photograph. We send a proof image before the laser runs and it adds 3 to 5 business days. See the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

How many knives are in the set? Four, all steak knives, each with a 5 inch blade.

Is the leather roll included? Yes. Vegetable tanned leather with a stitched pocket per knife, hand carved, tied shut with its own strap.

Does the price include engraving? No. Engraving is an option at 35 dollars for the set, which takes in all four knives.

Will my set look exactly like the photo? No. The antler and etch differ on every knife. Treat the photo as the style.

Will this steel rust? It can if left wet. Dry each knife after washing and oil it lightly.

Can they go in the dishwasher? No. Hand wash and dry them right away.

For six knives, see the personalized Damascus steak knife set of 6 in camel bone, and for plainer handles the Damascus steak knife set of 4 in rosewood. More in kitchen knife sets, stag horn knives and personalized knives.