I believe I paid $220. He was trying to sell it to me for a little less (because my uncle and and my late grandpa are very good friends of his through the Ky Corps of Longriflemen), but I told him I wanted to pay full price. I just looked over his current knives for sale, and mine is relatively similar in size to the "#411 INTEGRAL BOLSTER BAG/PATCH KNIFE" he's showing at the top of his Knives Currently Available page - so I'd guess the price I paid is fairly close or right on full price. I guess I looked at it as a usable, impeccable quality, hand-made, made to order work of art that I can pass on to my kids someday. For what it's worth, I'd do it again.

 

Still, I can certainly understand not wanting to pay that much...that's a lot to invest for a knife, and I wouldn't knock anyone for not spending that much on one.

Please don't think I meant you were wrong to pay that. I really like yours and if it is well made and holds an edge then it's definitely worth it. I'm mainly trying to gauge what I'm going to have to spend on one. The shape and size of yours if probably my favorite of what I've seen so far. And really at $220 it's not that far off. What I was seeing was in the range of $125-$175. It was the $400 knife on his site that threw me off.

 

The processor we always used in the past stopped doing deer this year so we have struggled to find one close that would take whole deer. Looks like I'm going to have to start skinning and quartering more now so it's time to invest in a good knife.

Please don't think I meant you were wrong to pay that. I really like yours and if it is well made and holds an edge then it's definitely worth it. I'm mainly trying to gauge what I'm going to have to spend on one. The shape and size of yours if probably my favorite of what I've seen so far. And really at $220 it's not that far off. What I was seeing was in the range of $125-$175. It was the $400 knife on his site that threw me off.

 

The processor we always used in the past stopped doing deer this year so we have struggled to find one close that would take whole deer. Looks like I'm going to have to start skinning and quartering more now so it's time to invest in a good knife.

 

Didn't think you were implying that at all. I was just trying to explain things a little better.

 

Looking at the $400 knife...I'd assume it's twice as expensive simply because it's got over twice as much blade for him to forge, as well as a much bigger sheath for him to sew. The $400 has an 8-3/8" blade and is 13-1/8" overall, and the shorter patch knife he has listed at $225 only has a 4" blade with an overall 8" length.

 

As for holding the edge...that is, hands down, the best thing about my knife. I've really never experienced ANY blade that holds an edge as well as this one does.

Come on woods, let's go together and see if we can't get a bargain.

Come on woods, let's go together and see if we can't get a bargain.

He would have to come off that $220 price considerably, I love that knife but I also love Benellis...both above my pay grade.

He would have to come off that $220 price considerably, I love that knife but I also love Benellis...both above my pay grade.

I getcha.

Thats a very nice looking blade. I like the maple handles too. It may not be the most handsome knife ever, but you can just see it is a functional workhorse. I would like to get my hands on that knife and see what it feels like. I have thought about a custom blade several times in the past but never followed through.

 

My favorite knife for deer hunting has been a Camillus two blade folder with stag handles that I paid about $40 for 20 years ago. It has 2 3.5" blades that hold their edge and it just has a good "feel" when I have my hand up inside a chest cavity and I can't see my hands. Familiarity probably has a lot to do with my fondness for this knife. I have owned more expensive blades, but none I am as comfortable with.

 

I also have a 2 blade Schrade, bone handle that I have carried in my pouch many times and it does a serviceable job on deer. The blades are thinner and longer than the Camillus, which I don't quite like as much. It is a nicer grade than the run of the mill schrade pocket knives, but still not a high end knife by any means. I've owned it probably as long as the Camillus and I bought it back when it was about the best I could afford. I'll pass it down to my son as I will also with the Camillus.

I getcha.

Maybe you could buy 2 and we could keep one at my house

Maybe you could buy 2 and we could keep one at my house

Sounds like a good deal. Doc, buy 3 and I will keep one for you too. That way you have all 3 stored in safekeeping in 3 different locations. You really need to diversify your hunting knife portfolio that way.

I saw the following knife for sale on gunbroker and I immediately thought of this thread.

 

HANDMADE DAMASCUS STEEL FIXED BLADE KNIFE 1376 : Hunting Knives at GunBroker.com

 

Definitely cool looking, but when it says handmade, I'm 99% sure it means the bladesmith bought a piece of damascus steel and worked a blade out of it. The process of folding damascus steel is TIME CONSUMING, and a bladesmith selling a completely handmade damascus knife would undoubtedly be asking more than $120.

 

I think the kinda reverse katana point on the blade is pretty interesting, though. And I'd like to get a closer look at the rosette in between the bolster pins to see if the maker hand engraved that inlay or if it's a pre-made inlay that the maker just did the inletting on himself.

Is it me or does something about that damascus steel just look "off"?

 

Another thing, in the bottom pic, the pattern on the knife in the lower left, and the pattern on the knife in the upper right are identical. That can't be possible with true damascus unless those are digital pics of separate knives added into one photo.

Is it me or does something about that damascus steel just look "off"?

 

Another thing, in the bottom pic, the pattern on the knife in the lower left, and the pattern on the knife in the upper right are identical. That can't be possible with true damascus unless those are digital pics of separate knives added into one photo.

 

I agree on it looking "off". As I understand it, there is a sort of mill-produced damascus that just doesn't quite have the same appearance as old-school handforged and hand-folded damascus. The true handmade stuff often doesn't have quite so much movement in the figuring, and the color in the blade of the knife you posted above has much more contrast than the handmade stuff I've seen. I would guess they may actually be using different steel types in the billets they begin from so the colors of the finished product have more contrast? This is a little more like the 100% handmade stuff I've seen looks like...

 

You are probably right on target, but admittedly I don't know much about the damascus process. I thought the above knife looked nice but after I posted that I looked closer and it just didn't look right.