Predator Bowie Knife – Handmade 14" Damascus with Wenge Handle & Leather Sheath

The Predator Bowie

This is a big knife and it's supposed to be. The blade alone is 14 inches, and the whole thing runs about 19 inches end to end. It's not a pocket knife or a light little hunter, it's a full-size Damascus bowie for someone who wants something with real heft to it. The first thing people notice when they pick it up is that the Damascus pattern doesn't stop at the blade. It carries right through the guard and the pommel too, with the wenge handle sitting in the middle of it all.

We make these by hand in Canada

Stag Steel Knives has been at this since 2001. There's no factory line here. Every knife gets forged, ground, heat-treated and finished by hand by our team, and because of that no two come out exactly the same. You'll see a lot of "Damascus" bowies online that are cranked out overseas by the hundred. This isn't that. When you hold one next to the other the difference is obvious pretty quick, in how the pattern lines up across the fittings and how the wenge sits against the steel.

How the Damascus is actually made

People ask what makes the pattern, so here's the short version. We start with separate bars of VG10 and 15N20 steel. Those get forge-welded together, then folded and drawn out again and again until you've got dozens of layers stacked up in the billet. At the end the blade gets an acid etch, and because the two steels react to the acid differently, that's what brings out the light and dark ripples you see running down the blade. It's in the steel itself. It's not printed or stamped on, which is why every one looks a little different.

One practical thing worth knowing: VG10 is stainless, so this blade handles moisture and humidity a lot better than a plain carbon Damascus would. You don't have to baby it. Wipe a little oil on it once in a while and it'll be fine, even if you're keeping it on display somewhere that isn't bone dry.

The heat treatment

This is the part most sellers won't tell you about. We don't harden the whole blade to one hardness. The edge is taken to 59 to 61 HRC so it gets sharp and stays sharp, but the spine is left softer on purpose. On a blade this long that matters. If you harden the whole thing all the way through it gets brittle and a knock can crack it. Leaving the spine softer lets the blade flex a bit and take a hit without snapping. Hard edge, tougher back. That's how a bowie this size should be built.

The handle and fittings

The handle is wenge. It's a dark African hardwood with a heavy straight grain, denser and tougher than the woods you usually find on a bowie, and it holds up well over the years. There's a Damascus spacer where the handle meets the blade, and the guard and the pommel are both Damascus steel as well, so the pattern reads the whole way from tip to butt. At 5.15 inches there's a good amount of handle to grab, which you want on a knife with this much blade in front of it.

The sheath

It comes with a hand-stitched cowhide leather sheath. There's a snap strap that holds the knife in place and a tooled edge around it. It does the job, keeps the blade safe, and looks right sitting next to the knife if you're displaying it.

Specifications

• Knife Name: Predator Bowie Knife
• Blade Steel: VG10 / 15N20 Stainless Damascus
• Edge Hardness: 59–61 HRC (differential heat treat, softer spine)
• Blade Length: 14 inches
• Blade Thickness: 5 mm
• Blade Width: 2.5 inches
• Handle: Wenge wood, 5.15 inches
• Guard & Pommel: Damascus steel
• Sheath: Hand-stitched cowhide leather
• Overall Length: approximately 19 inches

On the size

Just so it's clear before you buy, this is a large bowie. About 19 inches overall. It's heavy in the hand and it makes a statement on a wall or a shelf. If you've been hunting for a Damascus bowie knife with the size that big-bowie collectors actually want, this is built for that.

If you want to see what else we make, here's the full set of handmade bowie knives, and if you're newer to these, the history and design of the bowie knife is worth a read. When yours shows up, the guide on how to care for a Damascus knife covers keeping the pattern looking right.

We make these one at a time, so when this one's sold the next won't be identical to it. If it's the one you want, don't sit on it too long.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who makes the Predator Bowie? The Stag Steel Knives team forges it by hand in our Canadian workshop. We've been making knives since 2001, and every blade is shaped and finished by hand, not on a production line.

How is the VG10 Damascus blade made? We forge-weld layers of VG10 and 15N20 steel, fold and draw them out into dozens of layers, then acid-etch the finished blade. The two steels etch differently and that's what brings out the pattern. Every blade is one of a kind.

What heat treatment does it have? A differential heat treatment. The edge is hardened to 59–61 HRC so it stays sharp, and the spine is left softer so a blade this long can flex and take a knock instead of cracking.

Will the Damascus blade rust? It's stainless VG10 Damascus, so it resists rust and staining a lot better than carbon Damascus. A light coat of oil now and then keeps the edge and the pattern looking good.

How big is a bowie knife like this one? The blade is 14 inches and the handle is 5.15 inches, about 19 inches overall. It's a true large, full-size bowie.

What is a bowie knife? It's a large fixed-blade knife with a clip-point blade that goes back to the American frontier. The Predator is a Damascus version of that classic shape, built full size for collectors and outdoor use.

Does this Damascus bowie come with a leather sheath? Yes. It ships in a hand-stitched cowhide leather sheath with a snap strap and a tooled border, made to carry the knife safely and to sit next to it on display.

What makes this a handmade bowie and not a factory one? Every one is forged, ground, heat-treated and finished by hand, one at a time. The Damascus runs through the guard and pommel, and no two are identical. A mass-produced bowie can't do that.

What is the handle made from? Wenge, a dense dark-grained African hardwood, with a Damascus steel spacer and matching Damascus guard and pommel so the pattern carries end to end.