BIGCAT ROAR Handmade Damascus Hunting Knife - Fixed Blade Hunting Knife with Sheath and Walnut Wood Handle - 12″ Outdoor Knife - Leopard Hunter

This knife is equal to one of high name-brand pedigree, though it’s probably made by some anonymous craftsman laboring in a smoky shop somewhere in India, Pakistan, Longquan Province (China) or Spain, where there is a strong tradition of fine hand workmanship in metals.It may not be immediately apparent at a casual glance, but there are some subtle and unusual things going on with this knife. Note how the centerline of the blade and the centerline of the handle are not parallel, as is typically the case. By being cranked slightly downward at about 2° or 3° (see photos), the handle is better positioned to leverage force for chopping or power-slicing than were it aligned with the blade at 180°. Notice, also, how the cross-guard is set slightly off the perpendicular with both the blade and the handle, a nuanced feature that visually resolves the problematic juncture of the non-coincident centerlines. Now note how the cross guard fairs into the handle with a seamless radius, a design element that pleases the eye and that is pleases the touch even more. And try holding this knife by hooking your forefinger around the guard to engage the hollow in the blade on the other side. How does that feel? And if you’re mindful of the edge, you can caress and fondle this knife while reading your Patrick O’Brien or watching past episodes of “Yellowstone.” You don’t have to be a twisted blade-perv to appreciate this.Moving down to the blade itself, which is 9 in. long, has a spine thickness of about .170-.175 in. thick and a maximum width of 1.70 in., you’ll see how (unlike other Bowie’s) the blade’s silhouette or outline is entirely curvilinear without any angular junctures along the spine as with conventional clip-point Bowie’s, as shown in the photo. The blade’s polygonal cross-sectional shape is unusual, too.Some Damascus steel is crumbly and brittle, suffering from a variety of forging errors, carelessness and inexperience. Not so this steel. It takes and holds an edge, and I would guess by the way it behaves on my hard Arkansas stone that it’s somewhere around 58-59 on the Rockwell hardness scale. It was sharp out of the box, but not shaving sharp. It it didn’t take much work to get it that way. On my belt grinder, I steepened the honing bevel a bit to make the cutting angle more acute, and despite this, the edge holds up nicely under normal use. But curiously, the razor edge I strop on today seems to evanesce by tomorrow. A few laps on the leather seems to restore it, but I swear that difference between sharp and razor sharp seems to disappear overnight. Could it be that those few molecules out there on the edge just evaporate in the evening air? Seems like a case for Mr. Holmes or Ms. Poirot.One other thing in the odd-phenomenon dept. I still can’t figure out why the blade is so light weight, as other reviewers have also noted. Maybe this is related to the disappearing-edge mystery. Anyway, despite all this, the steel is true Damascus. One reviewer wondered why the layering of the steel on the spine of the blade isn’t visible on the polished tang. Well, Damascus when ground on edge and then left alone in this state (not acid etched) will not show it’s layers. An experiment with a knife-blank billet of Damascus will show this.One reviewer complained that some parts were loose and that others fit poorly. The knife I received has a high level of integrity, meaning everything is integral with everything else. Nothing is loose, no seams mismatched, everything is just as it should be. Flawless.This knife seems to sell out fast because the supply is probably limited, it being a hand-made item and not a factory-run product. So I’d recommend without reservation that you buy one of these now. The many photos of it on the Amazon site are true, trustworthy representations. Why wait til they run out of stock again?

I'm not an avid collector, but rather like to buy a few good knives for gifts to younger relatives. But, I do know a lot about what is good and bad. These knives are a great value and are hand crafted with quite a lot of skill and concern for the final product. After receiving these (I bought more than one) and having the opportunity to look closer, I was very pleased with all aspects of the knives. Very nice patterns on the steel, well shaped, thickness, weight and balance nice, grip very ergonomic and comfortable. Nice piece of walnut, with ample grain visible. Makes for an excellent gift or keeper for your own collection. Another note worth mentioning, they apply a rust preventative to the entire knife, wrap several times to keep air tight, and place in a nice box (better for gifting) and then wrap that box air tight. So, what you receive is an unmarked white wrapped box with a bar-code. Very nice and discrete. I haven't received a nicer package from any knife manufacturer. Heck, the sheath alone is worth the price they sell the entire package for, it is a very nice sheath, thick, sturdy, large belt slot, heavy duty snaps, removable decor. Well done ! My only comment to the manufacturer would be to improve upon the images on Amazon - they need more angles, closeups, show craftsmanship, as well as sheath quality.

UPDATE: (10/27/19) so I used it a bit today. Chopped some small branches just to test the edge and it held up nicely. Then I reapplies some oil and noticed slight delamination. I don’t know if it was the result of chopping but it’s slight. As such, I’m under no impression that this is an heirloom piece. It’s strictly a daily use wear and tear knife that will definitely see some abuse. Found another knife that’s $130 that’s a feather Damascus. Will be ordering that shortly to add to my collection.Two things I’m gonna touch up on as these two things were the questions I had when buying this knife:1.) Is it true Damascus or is it acid etched? It is true Damascus. You can see the layerings and as you feel the blade, you can feel the layers especially when running your fingers against the grain.2.) Is it full tang or rat tail. This I’m not 100% sure about. There’s steel that goes full on thru the handle and at the but end there’s not evidence of a rat tail. The steel itself is polished out so I can’t tell if it’s Damascus. I wish they would have acid etched the steel in the handle to show the lines but it doesn’t. I might try to acid wash it but not gonna do it until I figure out how that will affect the wooden handle.Just got it tonight and the knife feels great. The balance is right above the guard on the knife. At 9.25” in blade length, this is a pretty substantial knife. Compared to my Ka-Bar, this is over two inches longer (7” vs 9.25”).Only gripe is that I wish the handle was better designed with design elements. I would pay more than the $60 I paid for this if the handle was ornate better.As is, this is a great daily use knife that I’m sure can take some abuse. Will get back and update once I’ve taken it outdoors.

I have two Big Cat sheath knives, a smaller hunting type and this one, much bigger Bowie style knife. Very attractive Damascus type patterned steel. Very sharp. I've already broken down many Amazon boxes w/ the larger knife and it has held its edge. There are a few small pits on the side of the blade that are almost hidden by the beautiful Damascus pattern. I have a medium sized hand and the handle feels comfortable and just below the border of being too large. The smaller knife is extremely light so I worry about strength, this one feels stronger and heavier but is no means heavy. When winter is done I'll have more chores for the knife. All in all, I think its a great knife for the price, it looks like it could sell for almost twice the price. Durability, still unknown.