Gorgeous Chinese made Damascus skiving knife. I have very little experience with Japanese or American Damascus hence i’m not sure how this Chinese made Damascus steel compares, no clue about the carbon content and the metallurgy specifics either. But from a lay-man perspective the hand-feel of the knife is brilliant. The ergonomics and finishing is meticulous with no rough edges resulting in a very comfortable knife to wield, plus the weight keeps it feeling sturdy but not tiring. The “patterned” brass pins to hold the wooden handles to the blade is a nice touch too. The blade is bevelled on both sides and sharpened relatively well out of the box. It cuts through 5mm natural veg tan hide with relative ease. However i do not like a double bevelled blade and will be changing the blade profile to a single bevel soon. Once that is done and i’ve had more time with the knife i’ll update how well it holds an edge. Damascus steel defined : Steel given a wavy pattern by hammer-welding strips of steel and iron followed by repeated heating and forging, used chiefly for knife and sword blades. These blades were characterized by distinctive patterns of banding and mottling reminiscent of flowing water. Such blades were reputed to be tough, resistant to shattering and capable of being honed to a sharp, resilient edge. The steel is named after Damascus, a city in Syria. It may either refer to swords made or sold in Damascus directly, or it may just refer to the aspect of the typical patterns, by comparison with Damask fabrics (which are in turn named after Damascus). #leathercraft #leatherwork #toolsofthetrade #heicrafted #skivingknife #damascus #handcrafted #knives #skiver #sgmakers #sgcrafters #thosewhomake