{"product_id":"damascus-arkansas-toothpick-bowie-knife","title":"Tombstone – Handmade Damascus Arkansas Toothpick Bowie Knife with Camel Bone Scrimshaw, Brass Spine \u0026 Green G10 Handle","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":9,\"w\":560,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":269}'\u003e\u003cstrong bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":9,\"w\":233,\"h\":18,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":269}'\u003eThe Tombstone Arkansas Toothpick\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":45,\"w\":560,\"h\":117,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":305}'\u003eThis is the longest, meanest profile in the knife world, and I built it the way it was meant to be built. The Tombstone is a full-tang \u003cstrong bis_size='{\"x\":245,\"y\":64,\"w\":207,\"h\":18,\"abs_x\":661,\"abs_y\":324}'\u003eArkansas toothpick bowie knife\u003c\/strong\u003e with a 12-inch VG10 Damascus blade, a brass spine strip, a forged Damascus guard and pommel, and a green G10 handle inlaid with hand-engraved camel bone. At 18 inches overall, it's a statement piece — the kind of blade you hang on the wall and the kind you'd never want to be on the wrong end of.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":178,\"w\":560,\"h\":117,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":438}'\u003eThe Arkansas toothpick goes back to the American frontier. It started as a long, needle-pointed dueling and fighting blade in the 1800s, the big brother to the bowie, and it never left the American imagination. It's the same long Old West toothpick profile that later found fame on the big screen in modern action films like The Expendables. I'd wanted to forge a proper one for years, and this is it — in real Damascus, not a mirror-polished factory blank.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":312,\"w\":560,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":572}'\u003e\u003cstrong bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":312,\"w\":89,\"h\":18,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":572}'\u003eWho makes it\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":348,\"w\":560,\"h\":98,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":608}'\u003eEvery Stag Steel blade is forged by hand by Naqash Minhas, our founder and master maker, who's been forging since 2001. The Tombstone isn't assembled from bought-in parts. Naqash forges the blade, the guard, and the pommel from Damascus, grinds it, heat treats it, and finishes it by hand in our Canadian shop. When you buy one of these, you're buying one man's hand work, not a production run.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":462,\"w\":560,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":722}'\u003e\u003cstrong bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":462,\"w\":341,\"h\":18,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":722}'\u003eThe blade — VG10 Damascus that won't rust on you\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eMost of the toothpicks you'll find for sale, on eBay, Etsy, Amazon, are carbon 1095 Damascus. They look the part, but they rust the first time you forget to wipe them down, and they sit soft at 55 to 58 HRC. I went a different way. The Tombstone's blade is \u003cstrong\u003eVG10 Damascus\u003c\/strong\u003e, a stainless Damascus that resists rust the way carbon never will, with a hard VG10 cutting steel running the edge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThe pattern you see is real, folded and forge-welded into the steel, not etched on top. A polished brass strip runs the length of the spine, the way the old toothpicks carried a brass back, and it sets the Damascus off beautifully against the dark pattern. Prefer a single-steel workhorse over Damascus? We also build this same toothpick in a \u003cstrong\u003eD2 steel version\u003c\/strong\u003e — same profile and frame, a tough tool-steel blade instead of the layered pattern\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":686,\"w\":560,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":946}'\u003e\u003cstrong bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":686,\"w\":187,\"h\":18,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":946}'\u003eHow the Damascus is forged\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":722,\"w\":560,\"h\":137,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":982}'\u003eThis is where a real handmade blade separates from the imports. Naqash starts by stacking two contrasting steels into a billet, then forge-welds them at welding heat, a bright orange-yellow, under the press. He draws that bar out, folds it back on itself, and welds it again, and every fold doubles the layer count, climbing from a handful of layers to hundreds. How the bar is worked, drawn straight or pressed, decides the flowing pattern you see. Only once the pattern is right does he forge it to the toothpick profile and grind in the bevels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":875,\"w\":560,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":1135}'\u003e\u003cstrong bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":875,\"w\":307,\"h\":18,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":1135}'\u003eThe heat treat — the part that actually matters\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":910,\"w\":560,\"h\":156,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":1170}'\u003eHere's the thing nobody selling cheap Damascus wants to talk about: a blade is only as good as its heat treat. A stunning pattern on a soft blade is jewellery, not a knife. After grinding, Naqash hardens the blade and tempers it back to a working hardness of \u003cstrong bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":950,\"w\":541,\"h\":38,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":1210}'\u003e59 to 61 HRC\u003c\/strong\u003e at the edge, hard enough to take and hold a keen edge, tempered enough not to be brittle in a blade this long. The pattern tells you nothing about how a knife performs. The heat treat tells you everything, and ours is done right, by hand, every time. Then the blade is polished and etched in a mild acid, which darkens one steel and leaves the other bright, and the Damascus pattern rises to the surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":1083,\"w\":560,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":1343}'\u003e\u003cstrong bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":1083,\"w\":240,\"h\":18,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":1343}'\u003eDamascus guard, Damascus pommel\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":1119,\"w\":560,\"h\":98,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":1379}'\u003eThis is where the Tombstone leaves the factory pieces behind. The guard and the pommel are both forged Damascus, out of the same steel family as the blade. Most production toothpicks, including the famous movie ones, use plain stainless furniture. Forging the guard and pommel in Damascus is more work and more steel, and it ties the whole knife together so it reads as one forged piece from tip to butt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":1233,\"w\":560,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":1493}'\u003e\u003cstrong bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":1233,\"w\":91,\"h\":18,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":1493}'\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":1268,\"w\":560,\"h\":196,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":1528}'\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\" bis_size='{\"x\":52,\"y\":1268,\"w\":520,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":468,\"abs_y\":1528}'\u003eKnife Name: Tombstone Arkansas Toothpick (full tang)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\" bis_size='{\"x\":52,\"y\":1288,\"w\":520,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":468,\"abs_y\":1548}'\u003eBlade Steel: VG10\/15N20 Damascus (stainless)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\" bis_size='{\"x\":52,\"y\":1308,\"w\":520,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":468,\"abs_y\":1568}'\u003eBlade Hardness: 59–61 HRC (hand heat-treated)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\" bis_size='{\"x\":52,\"y\":1327,\"w\":520,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":468,\"abs_y\":1587}'\u003eBlade Style: Arkansas toothpick \/ double-edge dagger profile\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\" bis_size='{\"x\":52,\"y\":1347,\"w\":520,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":468,\"abs_y\":1607}'\u003eBlade Length: 12 inches\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\" bis_size='{\"x\":52,\"y\":1366,\"w\":520,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":468,\"abs_y\":1626}'\u003eSpine: Polished brass strip\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\" bis_size='{\"x\":52,\"y\":1386,\"w\":520,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":468,\"abs_y\":1646}'\u003eGuard \u0026amp; Pommel: Forged Damascus\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\" bis_size='{\"x\":52,\"y\":1406,\"w\":520,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":468,\"abs_y\":1666}'\u003eHandle: Green G10 with camel bone scrimshaw inlay, 6 inches\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\" bis_size='{\"x\":52,\"y\":1425,\"w\":520,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":468,\"abs_y\":1685}'\u003eOverall Length: 18 inches\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\" bis_size='{\"x\":52,\"y\":1445,\"w\":520,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":468,\"abs_y\":1705}'\u003eSheath: Brown premium leather with belt loop\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":1478,\"w\":560,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":1738}'\u003e\u003cstrong bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":1478,\"w\":335,\"h\":18,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":1738}'\u003eThe handle — green G10 and a story in camel bone\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":1514,\"w\":560,\"h\":156,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":1774}'\u003eThe handle is green G10, about the toughest handle material there is. It won't crack, swell, rot, or move on you in heat or wet, and the green has real depth in the light. Set into each side is an oval of genuine camel bone, hand-engraved in the scrimshaw tradition with a crow perched on a skull. That artwork is why the knife earned the name Tombstone. It's old-world detail on a frontier blade, the kind of touch you don't get on a stamped production piece. If you like our green-handled builds, this knife sits right alongside the green G10 on our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/collections\/bowie-knives\/products\/handmade-rambo-iii-damascus-bowie-knife\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Rambo-style bowie knife\" bis_size='{\"x\":124,\"y\":1632,\"w\":163,\"h\":18,\"abs_x\":540,\"abs_y\":1892}' rel=\"noopener\"\u003e\u003cstrong bis_size='{\"x\":124,\"y\":1632,\"w\":163,\"h\":18,\"abs_x\":540,\"abs_y\":1892}'\u003eRambo-style bowie knife\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e and the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/collections\/bowie-knives\/products\/crocodile-dundee-bowie-knife-damascus-blade-with-leather-sheath\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Crocodile Dundee bowie knife\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e\u003cstrong bis_size='{\"x\":343,\"y\":1632,\"w\":198,\"h\":18,\"abs_x\":759,\"abs_y\":1892}'\u003eCrocodile Dundee bowie knife\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e — same tough handle material, same hand-finished feel, three very different blades.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":1687,\"w\":560,\"h\":19,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":1947}'\u003e\u003cstrong bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":1687,\"w\":71,\"h\":18,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":1947}'\u003eThe sheath\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" bis_size='{\"x\":12,\"y\":1722,\"w\":560,\"h\":58,\"abs_x\":428,\"abs_y\":1982}'\u003eThe Tombstone ships in a hand-stitched brown premium leather sheath with a secure belt loop and a snap strap over the guard. It's built heavy to carry a blade this size, tooled and stitched to last, and made to show the knife off as much as protect it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMade by hand in Canada\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eWe've been forging at Stag Steel Knives since 2001, and every blade is forged, ground, heat treated, and finished by hand in our Canadian shop. That's the line between this and the mass-produced toothpicks: real Damascus, real camel bone, real forged furniture, real heat treat, one knife at a time. If you've been after a \u003cstrong\u003eDamascus Arkansas toothpick for sale\u003c\/strong\u003e that's a cut above the movie replicas and the carbon-steel imports, the Tombstone is it. It's also earned its place in our roundup of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/blogs\/blog-posts\/best-bowie-knives-for-2026-top-picks-for-hunters-and-collectors\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"best bowie knives Guide\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ebest bowie knives\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e for collectors this year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eIt lives in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/collections\/damascus-bowie-knives\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Damascus bowie knives collection\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDamascus bowie knives\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e collection and among our wider \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/collections\/bowie-knives\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"bowie knives Collection\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ebowie knives\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, where the big frontier blades belong. New to this kind of steel? Our maker breaks it all down in \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/blogs\/blog-posts\/what-is-a-damascus-knife\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"what a Damascus knife really is\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ewhat a Damascus knife really is\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, and even though this VG10 blade resists rust, a collector blade this nice deserves good habits — our guide on \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/blogs\/blog-posts\/how-to-care-for-a-damascus-knife\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"how to care for a Damascus knife\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ehow to care for a Damascus knife\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e keeps the pattern and the brass right for decades. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eOne at a time means this exact knife is the only one of its kind. When it's gone, the next toothpick won't carry the same bone, the same pattern, or the same crow. Free shipping across Canada, with affordable shipping rates to the USA and worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is an Arkansas toothpick knife?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"An Arkansas toothpick is a long, straight, needle-pointed blade from the American frontier, the big, dagger-style cousin of the bowie knife. This one is a handmade Damascus version with a 12-inch blade and an 18-inch overall length, built as a collector and display piece.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Is this Damascus Arkansas toothpick blade stainless or will it rust?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"The blade is VG10 Damascus, which is a stainless Damascus. It resists rust far better than the carbon 1095 toothpicks common online, while still holding a hard 59 to 61 HRC edge. A wipe and an occasional light oil keeps it perfect.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is the handle on this toothpick bowie knife made of?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"The handle is tough green G10 with an oval of genuine camel bone set into each side, hand-engraved in the scrimshaw tradition with a crow-and-skull design. G10 will not crack or swell, and every bone inlay is engraved by hand.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Does this Arkansas toothpick come with a sheath?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Yes. It ships in a hand-stitched brown premium leather sheath with a belt loop and a snap strap over the guard, built heavy to carry and display a blade of this size.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How long is this Arkansas toothpick bowie knife?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"The blade is 12 inches and the handle is 6 inches, for an 18-inch overall length. It is a large frontier-style blade built as a statement and collector piece.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What steel is this handmade Damascus toothpick made of?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"The blade is VG10 Damascus, a stainless Damascus hardened to 59 to 61 HRC, with a forged pattern folded into the steel rather than etched on top, plus a polished brass strip running the spine.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is the difference between an Arkansas toothpick and a bowie knife?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"A bowie has a single main edge with a clip point, while an Arkansas toothpick is longer, straighter, and dagger-like with a needle point. The toothpick is the larger, more dramatic frontier blade, which is why it became a famous Old West and on-screen design.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Is this a good collectible Damascus dagger?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Yes. With a 12-inch VG10 Damascus blade, a forged Damascus guard and pommel, a brass spine, and a hand-engraved camel bone scrimshaw handle, it is built as a one-of-a-kind collector and display dagger rather than a working utility knife.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Why does this toothpick have a Damascus guard and pommel?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Most production toothpicks, including the famous movie versions, use plain stainless guards and pommels. We forge the guard and pommel in Damascus to match the blade, so the whole knife reads as one forged piece from tip to butt.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Do you have handmade Arkansas toothpick knives for sale made in Canada?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Yes. This Damascus Arkansas toothpick is forged, ground, and finished by hand in Canada, one at a time, and ships free across Canada with affordable rates to the USA and worldwide.\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n\u003c\/script\u003e","brand":"Stag Steel Knives","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46958319599804,"sku":"SK-030","price":360.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0724\/4621\/4332\/files\/damascus-arkansas-toothpick-bowie-knife-leather-sheath..jpg?v=1781414816","url":"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/products\/damascus-arkansas-toothpick-bowie-knife","provider":"Stag Steel Knives","version":"1.0","type":"link"}