Description
A dark stripe runs down the center of this blade where the pattern compresses, which is what the forging does when the billet is drawn out under the hammer rather than pressed flat.
| Overall length | 12 inches |
| Blade length | 7 inches |
| Handle length | 5 inches |
| Steel | 1095 + 15N20 Damascus |
| Hardness | 58–60 HRC, oil tempered |
| Handle | Black Resin |
| Included | Hand-stitched leather sheath |
Well matched to: a first serious Damascus purchase. It is a straightforward hunting bowie with no exotic materials to look after, priced where a working knife should be, and the pattern on it is emphatic enough to see across a room.
Reading this pattern
The figure runs in long parallel waves along the blade, tightening into that darker band through the middle. The center of a billet sees less deformation than the edges when it is drawn out, so the layers there stay compressed and the etch reads darker. It is a forging artifact, not a surface treatment. To confirm any Damascus, look at the edge bevel: the pattern should carry across it and change scale, because you are seeing the layers in cross-section. A printed fake stops dead at the bevel. Our guide to spotting fake Damascus covers the other tells.
The upswept clip point
Seven inches of blade with a rising tip and a full belly, which puts the point above your knuckles in a normal grip. That favors skinning strokes: you drag the belly and the tip stays clear of the meat instead of nicking it. It also rules out detailed carving, because the useful edge is all curve. Push cuts happen back near the ricasso.
Black resin, and why it is here
The handle is solid black resin polished to a gloss, with a steel bolster at the front. That is a deliberately plain choice on a knife with a busy blade — figured scales would fight the pattern for attention, and black ones let the steel talk. Practically, resin is the most maintenance-free handle material there is: it absorbs neither blood nor water, never needs oiling, will not crack in a dry house, and cleans with dish soap. What it does show is scratching, and on gloss black that is visible under direct light. A plastic polish takes them out.
What this blade needs from you
Very little, provided you are consistent. The resin needs nothing. The steel wants drying after use, a thin coat of oil before it is put away, and storage outside the sheath. Watch the joint where the blade meets the bolster, since that seam holds water after a rinse and is where spotting starts; a nylon pad and oil lift a spot before it becomes a pit. Sharpen with a rocking motion that follows the upswept curve, and finish on a strop or a smooth steel rather than a coarse rod — our honing versus sharpening explainer covers what each actually does.
Questions buyers ask
Will the black handle fade? No. The color is through the resin, not on it.
How does it compare to a wood-handled version? Resin is tougher and warmer to look after; wood is warmer to hold. The Wildwood Warden in rose wood is the direct comparison.
Is the edge ready to use? Yes, it ships sharp and needs only stropping for the first few months.
Model: BMK-671
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