{"product_id":"wenge-wood-folding-knife-engraved-bolster","title":"Wenge Wood Folding Knife, Engraved Fish Scale Bolster","description":"\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"5\"\u003eWhat Is the Wenge Wood Folding Knife?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA folding knife with a wenge handle, near black with fine pale grain lines running its length, set against a steel bolster engraved in an overlapping fish scale pattern.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA mosaic pin sits in the centre of the handle, and the blade is forged Damascus in 156 layers with a sabre grind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eOverall length runs 7.5 inches open. A top grain cowhide leather sheath is included.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"5\"\u003eWhat Are the Specifications?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eBlade material: Hand forged Damascus steel, 1095 and 15N20\u003cbr\u003eDamascus layers: 156\u003cbr\u003eBlade hardness: 58 to 60 HRC\u003cbr\u003eBlade thickness: 2 to 3 mm\u003cbr\u003eGrind: Sabre\u003cbr\u003eHandle material: Wenge wood with mosaic pin\u003cbr\u003eBolster: Steel, hand engraved fish scale pattern\u003cbr\u003eOverall length: 7.5 inches open\u003cbr\u003eIncludes: Top grain cowhide leather sheath\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"5\"\u003eWhat Is Wenge Wood?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAn African hardwood from the Congo basin, among the darkest timbers in commercial use and one of the most distinctive to look at.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eColour runs deep chocolate brown through near black, crossed by fine pale lines that follow the grain. The contrast is natural rather than dyed, which separates wenge from the stained woods that imitate it. Density sits high, around 870 kilograms per cubic metre, so a wenge handle is noticeably heavier and harder than walnut or oak at the same size.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eWhat makes it unusual among dark woods is the open grain. Most very dark timbers are tight and closed. Wenge keeps visible pores running the length of the board, so the surface has texture to it rather than reading as a flat dark panel, and the hand registers against it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eTwo honest notes. Wenge is difficult to work, dulls tools quickly, and splinters sharply enough that woodworkers treat it with caution, so a well finished wenge handle represents more effort than the material cost suggests. And while the species carries no trade restriction, it is assessed as endangered in the wild, which is worth knowing when buying anything made from it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eOther handle woods sit in the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/collections\/buy-pocket-knives\"\u003epocket knives collection\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"5\"\u003eWhat Is Fish Scale Engraving?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eRows of overlapping arcs cut into the bolster, each one sitting over the row below the way scales lie on a fish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe pattern is ancient and crosses cultures. Japanese design knows it as \u003cem\u003eseigaiha\u003c\/em\u003e, originally representing waves, and the same overlapping arc appears in Roman mosaic, medieval armour, and roof tiling. Everywhere it shows up, it is doing the same job: covering a surface with a repeating unit that reads as texture from a distance and as individual pieces up close.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eEngraving it is exacting work for an unglamorous reason. Each arc has to sit at the same depth and the same spacing as every other, because the eye reads a grid instantly and one scale out of line is visible immediately. Scroll forgives a wandering cut. Repeating geometry does not.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eLight is what the pattern is for. Each scale catches at a slightly different angle, so the bolster shifts as the knife turns rather than holding one flat reflection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eOur \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/products\/owl-pocket-knife-carved-bolster-bone\"\u003eowl folder\u003c\/a\u003e carries figural bolster work if you prefer a subject to a pattern.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"5\"\u003eWhat Is a Sabre Grind?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe bevel starts partway down the blade rather than at the spine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThree main options exist. A full flat grind tapers from the spine all the way to the edge, producing the thinnest, best slicing blade and the weakest spine. A hollow grind cuts a concave bevel, keenest of all and the most fragile. A sabre grind starts the bevel around halfway down, leaving the stock above it at full thickness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eWhat that buys is strength. The upper half of the blade stays thick, so the knife resists lateral force and impact far better than a full flat grind does. What it costs is slicing performance, because a thicker blade wedges more as it passes through material.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor a folding knife expected to handle camping, hunting, and general outdoor work rather than kitchen slicing, sabre is the sensible compromise and the reason it dominates field knives. Our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/blogs\/blog-posts\/what-is-the-best-steel-for-knives\"\u003esteel comparison\u003c\/a\u003e covers the material side of the same question.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"5\"\u003eWhat Does 156 Layers Mean?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eLayer count describes how many times the billet was folded, not how good the steel is, and the distinction matters because layer counts get used as marketing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eDamascus begins as alternating sheets of two steels forge welded together. Each fold doubles the count, so numbers climb quickly, and a very high count produces a fine, tight pattern while a low count produces a bold one. Neither is better. They look different.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eWhat actually determines performance is the steels chosen and the heat treatment. Here that is 1095, a simple high carbon steel that hardens well and takes a keen edge, paired with 15N20, a nickel-bearing steel that resists the acid etch and leaves the bright lines that make the pattern visible. At 58 to 60 HRC the blade sits where most knifemakers put a working folder.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA specific figure like 156 rather than a rounded “over 200” is a reasonable sign the maker counted rather than estimated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"5\"\u003eHow Should You Care for Wenge and Damascus?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eOpen grain is the thing to think about on the handle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eWenge has visible pores running through it, and pores take up what they are given. Oil feeds them and keeps the wood stable. Water sits in them and eventually works the surface loose. So wipe the handle rather than rinsing it, keep it out of dishwashers and prolonged soaking, and give it a wipe of mineral oil or a wood conditioner every few months. The oil darkens wenge slightly, which most owners consider an improvement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe blade is forged carbon Damascus with little corrosion resistance. Wipe dry after every use, keep a thin coat of mineral oil or dedicated blade oil on it between uses, and avoid cooking oils such as olive or vegetable, which oxidise and turn rancid against steel. Grey patina on the blade is normal and protective. Orange rust is not, and comes off with oil and a non-abrasive cloth before it pits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eLeave the fish scale bolster to a dry cloth. Polish settles in the cut arcs and flattens the pattern, which is the one thing that cannot be undone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eOne drop of light oil at the pivot. Sharpening follows the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/blogs\/blog-posts\/best-way-to-sharpen-a-knife\"\u003eknife sharpening guide\u003c\/a\u003e. A sabre grind is straightforward on a stone, since the bevel is wide enough to register flat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"5\"\u003eWho Is the Knife For?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eHunters, campers, and hikers who want a folder built for field work rather than for slicing, which is what the sabre grind says about it. Collectors of natural handle materials who want a timber almost nobody uses. Anyone drawn to repeating geometric engraving over scroll.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eGift buyers for Father’s Day, birthdays, or a retirement, where a dark handled knife with visible hand work reads as considered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eBuyers wanting a thinner slicing blade should look at a full flat ground folder, and lighter carry options sit in the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/collections\/buy-edc-pocket-knives\"\u003eEDC pocket knives collection\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"5\"\u003eWhy Choose the Wenge Wood Folding Knife?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA timber rarely used for knife handles and difficult to work when it is, a fish scale bolster cut row by row, a 156 layer forged Damascus blade at 58 to 60 HRC, a sabre grind built for field work, and a top grain cowhide sheath.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eEvery knife is forged and finished by hand, and we have been making knives since 2001.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Stag Steel Knives","offers":[{"title":"Knife without Engraving","offer_id":67852457771171,"sku":"0505","price":160.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Knife with Engraving","offer_id":67852457803939,"sku":"0505-1","price":180.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0724\/4621\/4332\/files\/Wenge_Wood_Folding_Knife_with_Fish_Scale_Bolster.jpg?v=1793690424","url":"https:\/\/www.stagsteelknives.com\/products\/wenge-wood-folding-knife-engraved-bolster","provider":"Stag Steel Knives","version":"1.0","type":"link"}