Custom damascus knife has very thin spine, should I keep it?

Clinging To Christ

Clinging To Christ

Joined
Dec 28, 2020
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11
I just received a handmade damascus from Bobcat knives:

I love the handle and the damascus looks great. Edge is not super sharp but I can fix that. My concern is that it has the thinnest spine I've ever seen on a knife. It is .080" at the thickest part, going down to .040" at the thinnest. The middle is thicker but the spine is very narrow. Is this a particular design I'm not familiar with? I like the knife but the spine concerns me since I plan to use this knife for gutting deer. Any help that anyone can provide is greatly appreciated, thanks.
 
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Welcome to Bladeforums!

I had never heard of Bobcat Knives until your post, so I can't say anything about their quality. I also don't know your deer gutting technique. That being said, generally speaking, steel is hard and tough stuff, and unless you plan to do hard prying with it, I think you should be fine. Knives that are thin cut better that knives that are thick.

Also, I realize the link you posted shows the item is not currently available, but you still need to be careful to post only links that are permitted.

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Shouldn’t be a problem if the heat treatment is correct and you use it like a knife is supposed to be used....to cut with, not as a pry bar....welcome to BF
 
Google gave me this. I am VERY suspicious of the USA-made claims. This is typical foreign translation to English....

"About BOBCAT KNIVES

Bobcat Knives is Brand of USA. Bobcat Knives is devoted to build the optimum quality knives. Bobcat Knives is joint venture of custom knife makers.

They are dedicated to build High Quality knives for BOBCAT KNIVES USA brand only. All of the knives & tools made under Bobcat Knives Brand are 100% hand crafted & guaranteed. Our maker’s mission is to build high quality custom blades at fair prices. So, that every enthusiastic knife men get a chance to use a Real custom knife.

We only use the finest materials to make sure the life time durability of our knives. The handle materials, blade steels, leather sheaths are made professionally with expert hands. Soldiers, hunters, scouts and survivalists can use our knives for any excursion. It’s more than a brand name on a knife.

A tough tool, for tough people, needing tough equipment."

"So, that every enthusiastic knife men get a chance to use a Real custom knife."

Historically knives made overseas (Middle East?) vary in quality. Only .080" thick? For a chef's knife, yes. For a sturdy hunter? Not for me.
 
SharpByCoop said:
"About BOBCAT KNIVES

Bobcat Knives is Brand of USA. Bobcat Knives is devoted to build the optimum quality knives. Bobcat Knives is joint venture of custom knife makers.

They are dedicated to build High Quality knives for BOBCAT KNIVES USA brand only. All of the knives & tools made under Bobcat Knives Brand are 100% hand crafted & guaranteed. Our maker’s mission is to build high quality custom blades at fair prices. So, that every enthusiastic knife men get a chance to use a Real custom knife.

We only use the finest materials to make sure the life time durability of our knives. The handle materials, blade steels, leather sheaths are made professionally with expert hands. Soldiers, hunters, scouts and survivalists can use our knives for any excursion. It’s more than a brand name on a knife.

A tough tool, for tough people, needing tough equipment."

"So, that every enthusiastic knife men get a chance to use a Real custom knife."
Click to expand...

Well if they can't speak English, at least they speak in glitch. :rolleyes:
 
SharpByCoop said:
Google gave me this. I am VERY suspicious of the USA-made claims. This is typical foreign translation to English....

"About BOBCAT KNIVES

Bobcat Knives is Brand of USA. Bobcat Knives is devoted to build the optimum quality knives. Bobcat Knives is joint venture of custom knife makers.

They are dedicated to build High Quality knives for BOBCAT KNIVES USA brand only. All of the knives & tools made under Bobcat Knives Brand are 100% hand crafted & guaranteed. Our maker’s mission is to build high quality custom blades at fair prices. So, that every enthusiastic knife men get a chance to use a Real custom knife.

We only use the finest materials to make sure the life time durability of our knives. The handle materials, blade steels, leather sheaths are made professionally with expert hands. Soldiers, hunters, scouts and survivalists can use our knives for any excursion. It’s more than a brand name on a knife.

A tough tool, for tough people, needing tough equipment."

"So, that every enthusiastic knife men get a chance to use a Real custom knife."

Historically knives made overseas (Middle East?) vary in quality. Only .080" thick? For a chef's knife, yes. For a sturdy hunter? Not for me.
Click to expand...

Bobcat Knives is Brand of USA Read in Borat voice.
 
LMBO. I bought it off of Amazon with free returns so I figured it was worth a shot. I just started watching Forged in Fire and I had to get something forged! I'm thinking they may have forged it out too thin and sold it instead of scrapping it. Rest of the knife is beautiful
 
congrats on becoming a Knife Men!
 
I carry and use a .07 or so scandi/convex ground puko style knife,made by me out of 15n20. I need ro measure it wirh my calipers but I believe it is less than .08 if i remember the stock thickness I started from, plus the removal of decarb.

I promise you that knife is thick enough to gut and skin a deer.

I've used it to whittle hickory, and have batoned it through wood. (Had to test it....) held up fine.


Now, reading that ad copy, I can promise your knife was not made in the USA....

Id expect packistsn or China. I have somw very lovely and useful knives made in China. But they are from companies who have quality control standards, and can afford to have a native English speaker at least look at their descriptions.


Hopefully it serves you well!
 
I agree with COOP - definitely foreign made.
 
Can ya post some pics? And price will generally be a big hint as well. I built this knife for the wife. Besides building knives and leather goods we have a cattle ranch. She was looking for a little longer blade for castrating calves than her normal EDC. The spine measures .073, in front of the bolster.

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It has proven to be pretty darn durable in the rough and tumble/hustle and bustle of a branding pen on a cattle ranch. Whoever is cutting right then, just carries it in their back pocket and its ready to go to work. Me:

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My daughter:

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The wife:

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Young Miss Emma learning how to cut her first calf:

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Anyhoo the point being, the knife has handled this job very well for bout two years now. Its a slicer and a dicer for sure but definitely not for opening a paint can, or popping a joint on an elk! I got a screwdriver and I got a hatchet.

That being said my daughter in law and her sister just field dressed a cow elk my son had down using a very small and thin knife:

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They got er done.
 
Thanks to everyone who contributed their wisdom. After much researching I've discovered what all you veterans already knew: cheap damascus comes mostly out of pakistan and the steels as well as heat treats are garbage. They look great but I just took a bastard file to them and I could have filed the knife down to nothing! Super soft. I will save up and buy an american made pattern welded steel knife later. I love knives! Like probably more than is healthy. I've only recently started learning about them in the last year though. So I look forward to learning from you pros for years to come. I've got my Bark River Cub coming any day in walnut with leather liners and natural pins. I can't wait! I'll post pics if that's allowed. I'll go back and read the rules. I'm definitely interested in getting connected with some knife makers on here.
 
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