{"product_id":"railroad-spike-knife-hand-forged-leather-sheath","title":"Hand Forged Railroad Spike Knife with Leather Sheath","description":"\u003ch2\u003eWhat Is Our Railroad Spike Knife?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur Railroad Spike Knife is forged from a reclaimed railroad spike, with the flattened spike head left intact as the pommel. The blade is drawn out and ground to a single-edged drop point, the grip is wrapped with forged rings, and the flats keep the dark scale left by the forge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe knife measures 8 inches overall with a 3.5 inch blade, and a hand-stitched cowhide sheath is included.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat Are the Specifications?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eSpecification\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eProduct Detail\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSteel Origin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eReclaimed railroad spike\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSteel Type\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e state the carbon\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade Length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e3.5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle Length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eApproximately 4.5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall Length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e8 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade Profile\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSingle edged drop point\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFinish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eForge scale on the flats, ground bevel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIntegral forged grip with spike head pommel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCorrosion Resistance\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNone. Carbon steel, requires drying and oiling\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIncludes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHand-stitched cowhide leather sheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePersonalization\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEngraving available at checkout\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat Is a Railroad Spike Knife?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRailway spikes are driven into wooden sleepers to hold rail in place, and track maintenance pulls thousands of them every year. A spike knife starts life as one of those salvaged spikes, heated, drawn out under the hammer into a blade, and ground to an edge with the head left on as the pommel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe appeal is the origin. Every spike carries the marks of the work it did, and the piece you receive was holding track before it was a knife. The head at the butt is the most recognisable feature, and keeping it rather than grinding it away is the whole point of the form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat Should You Expect From Spike Steel?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeing straight about this, because spike knives get oversold and the honest version is more interesting anyway.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRailway spikes are not knife steel. Standard spikes carry around 0.12 percent carbon, and the high-carbon grades stamped HC run near 0.30 percent. A dedicated blade steel such as 1095 carries roughly 0.95 percent. Carbon is what allows steel to harden, so a spike cannot reach the hardness of a purpose-made blade no matter how well it is forged and heat treated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat that means in practice: the knife takes a genuinely sharp edge and it will not hold that edge as long as a 1095 or D2 blade. Expect to touch it up more often. It also sharpens very easily on an ordinary stone, which is the flip side of the same property.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBuy a spike knife for the character and the origin, not for edge retention. Anyone who needs a blade that stays sharp through hard use should see our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/collections\/damascus-bowie-knives\"\u003eDamascus Bowie knives collection\u003c\/a\u003e, and our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/blogs\/blog-posts\/what-is-the-best-steel-for-knives\"\u003eknife steel guide\u003c\/a\u003e sets out how carbon content drives hardness across every steel we work with.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy Is the Blade Thickened at the Finger?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe steel swells behind the edge where your index finger sits, forming a natural stop against the grip. On a knife this short that matters, because there is no separate guard and a short blade puts your hand close to the edge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe thickening also stiffens the blade at its base, which is where bending load concentrates during any cutting stroke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat Is the Dark Finish on the Steel?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dark surface across the handle and the blade flats is forge scale, the oxide layer formed on the steel at forging heat and left on rather than ground away. Only the bevel is polished back to bright metal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe oxide layer is more chemically stable than bare steel, so it slows corrosion where it sits. It is also a working finish rather than a permanent one, and it wears back gradually with use, faster if the knife meets acidic material or gets scrubbed hard. Thinning and patchiness over time is normal rather than a defect.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHow Should You Care for a Carbon Steel Spike Knife?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is no chromium in this steel, so no corrosion resistance at all. The routine is short and not optional.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWipe the blade after use and dry it completely. Wash with mild soap and warm water if needed, then dry immediately. Water left on the blade for an hour is enough to start a spot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApply a thin coat of food-safe mineral oil before any period of storage. Wash gently, since abrasive pads strip the forge scale faster than normal use does.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExpect the steel to darken further with handling. Even grey patina is protective. Reddish-brown powder that rubs off is rust and needs removing with a mild abrasive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStore the knife dry and out of its sheath, since leather holds humidity against steel. Sharpen when the edge stops biting, using our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/blogs\/blog-posts\/best-way-to-sharpen-a-knife\"\u003eknife sharpening guide\u003c\/a\u003e. Spike steel comes back quickly on a basic stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blade arrives sharp. Open the package carefully and keep the knife out of reach of children.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy Choose Our Railroad Spike Knife?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChoose our spike knife for its reclaimed steel origin, the spike head kept as the pommel, forged grip rings, forge-scale finish, thickened finger position, and hand-stitched cowhide sheath. Engraving is available at checkout.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is forged by hand in Fredericton, New Brunswick, where we have been making knives since 2001. No two spikes forge out the same way, so no two knives are identical.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Stag Steel Knives","offers":[{"title":"Knife without Engraving","offer_id":47860827291836,"sku":"0261","price":145.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Knife with Engraving","offer_id":47860827324604,"sku":"0261-1","price":165.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0724\/4621\/4332\/files\/railroad-spike-knife-hand-forged-leather-sheath.webp?v=1789971901","url":"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/products\/railroad-spike-knife-hand-forged-leather-sheath","provider":"Stag Steel Knives","version":"1.0","type":"link"}