Nightfall Handmade D2 Steel Black Oxide Gut Hook Hunting Knife with Olive Micarta Handle & Leather Sheath | Tactical Hunting Gift for Him | BMK-1180

Description

Nightfall is the blackout build. The D2 blade is finished in black oxide, so it gives off nothing at all in low light — no glint at dusk, no flash off a headlamp — and the handle is olive drab Micarta on stainless bolted hardware. The only bright thing on the knife is the edge itself.

The blade is a 4.5 inch drop point with an integral gut hook, ground and polished inside the curve by hand. The black oxide is a surface conversion rather than paint, so it will not peel; it will simply wear brighter at the high spots over years of use.

Built for: field dressing deer, elk and hog at dawn and dusk, low-light and backcountry hunting, camp work, and hard belt carry.

Care: D2 is a semi-stainless tool steel — highly rust resistant but not rust proof. Wipe the blade dry after every use and pay attention to the inside of the hook, where blood and hair collect. Oil it lightly before long storage. The black oxide protects the flats, but the cutting edge and the inside of the hook are bare steel — dry and oil those. Avoid abrasive scouring pads on the coating. Micarta needs almost nothing — soap and water and it is done. Check the handle screws are snug now and then. Do not store the knife inside the leather sheath for long periods, and keep it out of the dishwasher.

FAQs

What is a gut hook knife used for?
Field dressing game. The sharpened hook slips under the hide and unzips the belly in one controlled pull, so the point never dips into the stomach or intestines. Cleaner meat, faster work, and it removes the single riskiest cut of the whole job.

How do you sharpen a gut hook?
Not on a bench stone — a flat stone cannot reach inside the curve. Use a small round file, a fine ceramic rod or a tapered sharpener that fits the hook, and work from the inside outward. The main edge sharpens normally.

Is the leather sheath included?
Yes. The tan leather belt sheath with a stud closure shown in the photograph is fitted to this knife. It ships with the knife at no extra cost.

What does the black oxide finish actually do?
Three things: it kills reflection, which matters at first and last light; it adds a layer of corrosion resistance to the flats; and it hides marks. It is a surface conversion, not paint, so it cannot peel or flake.

How tough is Micarta?
Extremely. Micarta is layered canvas set in resin: it will not swell, crack, warp or rot, it shrugs off blood, water, oil and solvents, and its texture grips better when wet — exactly what you want on a knife used for field dressing.

Why screws instead of pins?
Bolted scales come off, so you can strip the handle, clean underneath it and put it back — worth having on a knife that gets used inside an animal. Check the hardware is snug from time to time.

Make it a gift

Tell us at checkout that this one is a gift and we will pack and ship it gift-ready. Every knife leaves our Memphis, Tennessee workshop with a lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, backed by over 2,000 verified 5-star reviews.

Model: BMK-1180