Description
Eight inches overall, four of them blade. The Azure Matrix is a working skinner that happens to wear a shell bolster, and the proportions are the point: half knife, half grip, nothing wasted at either end.
| Overall length | 8 inches |
| Blade length | 4 inches |
| Handle length | 4 inches |
| Steel | 1095 + 15N20 Damascus |
| Hardness | 58–60 HRC, oil tempered |
| Handle | Rose Wood Handle Sea Shell Bolster |
| Included | Hand-stitched leather sheath |
Where it earns its keep: at the tailgate, an hour after the shot, with cold hands. A four inch drop blade is long enough to open a deer and short enough to steer with two fingers on the spine. Rosewood does not turn slick the way polished bone does once things get wet, and the belly of this grind is generous, so the knife wants to peel rather than puncture.
The pattern on the blade
Raindrop work, drilled and re-forged so the layers dish into concentric rings that widen toward the edge. Look at the flat and you are seeing the interior of the billet, not a surface treatment. The rings crowd together along the primary bevel where the grind cuts deepest, then open out across the flat. It is a busy pattern and it hides field scratches better than a plain satin blade ever will.
Rosewood, shell and brass
The scales are rosewood with hard, dark grain lines running the length of the handle, held by brass pins and a lanyard tube through the butt. Between the wood and the blade sits a slab of pearl shell, cut thick enough to show depth rather than a thin veneer. That bolster is the one fragile thing on an otherwise robust knife. Rosewood carries natural oils and stays comfortable in cold weather; the shell is there to be looked at.
Sheath and carry
The knife comes with a hand-stitched leather sheath. Store the two apart when the season ends. Vegetable-tanned leather holds moisture and mild acid, and a blade left inside it through a damp winter comes out marked. That advice applies to every carbon-steel fixed blade, but it matters more here because the shell bolster sits right at the throat of the sheath where condensation collects.
Care. Wash the blade in warm water with no soap, dry it immediately, then coat it with food-grade mineral oil if you have been dressing game, or any light machine oil if you have not. Rosewood asks for a rub of the same oil once or twice a year, worked in with your palm until the grain stops drinking. Leave the shell alone apart from a dry wipe. Never run the whole knife through a dishwasher, which will lift the scales and haze the bolster in one cycle.
Buyer questions
Is four inches enough blade for deer? Comfortably. Our guide to choosing a skinning knife explains why longer is usually worse.
What grind is on it? A tapered flat bevel. See fixed blade bevels compared for what that does at the edge.
Is there one with shell scales instead of wood? The Ghost Scout skinner in pearl shell takes the display route the whole way.
Model: BMK-892
Margaret Thomas –
Photos don’t do this knife justice at all. Handle feels amazing and the balance is perfect. This is my new favorite in the collection.
David Ramirez –
My whole family passed this knife around at dinner just to look at it. Every piece I’ve gotten from Black Mamba Knives has been solid. Blade holds a razor edge right out of the box. Good to know real Memphis craftsmen are behind this, and shipping was quick too. Exactly the kind of quality that keeps me coming back.
Adam Chavez –
Wanted to like this more than I actually do. On the fence about ordering here again.
Richard Chavez –
Did not expect this level of quality for the price. Blade holds a razor edge right out of the box. Beyond happy with how this turned out.
William Vance –
Did not expect this level of quality for the price. This has quickly replaced my old go to knife for field dressing. Handle feels amazing and the balance is perfect. Can’t say enough good things about this purchase.
Larry Myers –
This knife is really solid. No question about it. Would send this as a gift again in a heartbeat.
Derek Martinez –
Bought this on a whim and it turned out to be one of my favorite purchases this year. Fit and finish is museum quality. You can tell real craftsmen made this by hand. This is exactly why I keep coming back to this store.
Stephen Clark –
Decent buy overall, a couple small nitpicks aside. Handle looks great though it’s a little smaller than I imagined. Minor nitpicks aside, good quality knife.
Colton Ramirez –
This knife is nice but not quite perfect. Still very happy with it and would recommend.
Brandon Peterson –
So happy I finally pulled the trigger on this one. This one’s a keeper for sure.
Peter Mendoza –
Good quality knife for the price. Sheath is nice. Wish it had more padding but it does the job. Minor nitpicks aside, good quality knife.
Dennis Davis –
This knife is top quality. No question about it. Took it out camping right away and it handled everything I threw at it. Not my first order from Black Mamba Knives and it won’t be my last. Already telling my friends to check this out.