# damascus skinner



## hellize (Dec 8, 2017)

12 February 1911
The crowns of trees slowly started to merge together. The shrubs and bushes were transformed into fantastic formations and otherworldly shapes as the equatorial night suddenly engulfed the land.
Fine quartz debris covered the scorched ground which gathered the faint moon's light. The gargantuan giraffe cadaver blotted a great deal out of the shimmering. Throngs of blowflies forced their way out of the festering corpse just to be devoured themselves by the hordes of bats and nightjars orbiting above.
A weird something approached the carrion, without a sound like a ghost. What could it be? Maybe a fabled, bearded figure emerged from my sweet, distant childhood tales? A cheerful dwarf strolls around?
After a moment the apparition got closer to us, the initial gloom dissipated, and through my spyglass clearly unfolded the vast shape of the old gentleman. His long black mane glittered among the quartz dust. It was an excellent sight!
I almost forgot the rifle, a MannlicherSchönauer, laying on my knee as I watched the old gentleman's every move like a jackal. He circled the cadaver with refined elegance, took a glance at out direction, but our improvised hunting hideout among the branches of the nearby acacia, proved to be invisible for him.
With a quiet growl, started his feast. My native gun carrier, Sindano, winced to the fearful sound from its shallow sleep and on a low, frightened tone said:

"Bwana Mze" - ancient Lord

I put away my field glasses and slowly, gently lifted my rifle, but the thick clouds hindered my efforts, I couldn't get a clear shot.
After a while in front of me in the west, somewhere above the Victoria Nyanza heavy storms rushed the skies with fervent lightnings constantly illuminating the landscape, bringing day into night. I suddenly touched the trigger, a jet of fire leaved the barrel and to the bang a short, grumbler growl was the answer. I knew I hit the target.
The bullet penetrated its nape, delivering an instant death.
Finally the morning came, just as abruptly as its counterpart before. We leaved our cover with benumbed limbs to observe what Diana gave us in her mercy. A magnificent great cat. His beauteous mane, like molten gold at its front and silk dipped into India ink at the back. The great prize!.
My short, razor sharp flaying knife runed through the old gentleman's hide, straight as an arrow.

High layered full tang damascus knife, with iron bolster and oak crosscut handle for today.
Hope you guys like it


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## Dave Martell (Dec 11, 2017)

Do you make kitchen knives?


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## hellize (Dec 12, 2017)

Dave Martell said:


> Do you make kitchen knives?




Yeah, sometimes I do  Here are a few kitchen-esque ones.


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## milkbaby (Dec 12, 2017)

I really like the simple suminigashi look of this pattern, nice job. :doublethumbsup:

Are the crosscut scales stabilized with resin? They often look beautiful, but I've always been afraid to use them due to all the things I've read about them failing, even stabilized wood. Maybe in the future a knife for myself because I'd baby it but too scaredycat for a knife going to somebody else...


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## hellize (Dec 13, 2017)

milkbaby said:


> I really like the simple suminigashi look of this pattern, nice job. :doublethumbsup:
> 
> Are the crosscut scales stabilized with resin? They often look beautiful, but I've always been afraid to use them due to all the things I've read about them failing, even stabilized wood. Maybe in the future a knife for myself because I'd baby it but too scaredycat for a knife going to somebody else...



Thanks!  I simply call it wild pattern 
No, they aren't stabilized. And yes, I understand your fear. The ruse is that you have to use really old pieces of wood. This one is at least 50 years old, it had plenty of time to dry out. But of course it still remains an organic material so there always be a slight chance that it will crack with time. If it does, than c'est la vie, I'll change it with another scale. 
Btw, It never happened so far!


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## merlijny2k (Dec 17, 2017)

Nice knife. Don't think i'll ever get the point of killing big cats though.


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## Salty dog (Dec 18, 2017)

What the ****?


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## hellize (Dec 18, 2017)

merlijny2k said:


> Nice knife. Don't think i'll ever get the point of killing big cats though.



Thanks  
You may never know...


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## hellize (Dec 18, 2017)

Salty dog said:


> What the ****?



Meaning...?


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## Salty dog (Dec 18, 2017)

hellize said:


> Meaning...?



The intro. 
I'll leave it at that.


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## merlijny2k (Dec 23, 2017)

Salty dog said:


> What the ****?



Exactly my first thoughts on it.


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## hellize (Dec 24, 2017)

merlijny2k said:


> Exactly my first thoughts on it.



Just like at a joke. If you don't understand it, then there is nothing to explain.


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