Description
A forge-finished blade left dark and textured from the hammer, set against a carved bone handle with a shell inlay.
| Blade length | 5 inches |
| Handle length | 4 inches |
| Steel | 1095 + 15N20 Damascus |
| Hardness | 58–60 HRC, oil tempered |
| Handle | Engraved Bone Sea Shell |
| Included | Hand-stitched leather sheath |
Suited to: hunting and camp work where you want a knife that looks like it was made rather than manufactured. Five inches of edge covers dressing, skinning and quartering.
Care: Dry it after every use and oil it once a month. The dark forge finish is not a protective coating, so it needs the same attention a bright blade does. Keep it out of the leather and it will deepen in color evenly instead of spotting.
FAQs
Why is the blade dark? It keeps the finish it came off the anvil with. The scale and hammer texture are left in place rather than ground away, so the flat is dark and the edge bevel is bright.
How big is it? A 5 inch blade on a 4 inch handle, hardened to 58 to 60 HRC and oil tempered.
What is the handle made of? Engraved bone with a sea shell inlay band, pinned through the tang, with a lanyard tube at the butt.
What a forge finish is
When a blade is hammered hot, the surface oxidizes into a dark scale. Most makers grind it off to get a uniform flat. Leaving it means every hammer blow stays visible and no two blades look alike, which is the point. It is a finish, not armor, and it is not a coating that can chip off. It will change color with use and handling, and that is normal. The edge bevel is ground bright, so you always have a clean reference against the dark flat when you are checking your sharpening. Our notes on fixed blade bevels explained cover the grind.
The handle work
Bone is carved along the rear of the handle in a shallow scroll, and a band of iridescent sea shell is set across the middle between two steel pins. Shell is brittle and slow to fit, which is why it usually appears as an inlay rather than a full scale. The band sits flush with the bone on both sides, and getting there takes several fittings because the two materials cut at different rates. A proud inlay snags on a pocket and a sunken one collects dirt. The bone warms in the hand within seconds and grips well when it is wet.
Carbon steel upkeep
A dark blade hides a lot, so check it under decent light rather than by glance. If you do find orange rather than gray, it comes off easily when it is caught early, and our page on removing rust from a knife sets out how. For a brighter finish in the same size class, the Amber Star olive wood skinner is the alternative.
Model: BMK-679
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.