BIGCAT ROAR Leopard Hunter - Handmade Damascus Steel Fixed Blade Hunting Knife 12" - Walnut Wood Handle & Leather Sheath - Hunting Outdoor Survival Bushcraft EDC Long Knife - Collector Gifts for Men

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 don't write many reviews but this knife blew me away. So, i felt compelled to say something! Delivery was ahead of promised date. As noted in other reviews, the packaging was nearly bullet-proof. I must admit that it was so good, it took me a while to get through it all. Once inside I found the sheath to be very nice and durable -- as depicted. Good quality leather and an attractive design. The knife itself is flawless. Kid you not. Fit and finish are excellent. Materials and workmanship are befitting a custom knife. The blade is beautiful and razor-sharp. Just gave it a cursory strop to smooth it a bit, and brighten it. I could not be happier with this knife, and will likely repurchase it as a gift for friends. Thanks, Bobcat. Addendum: This is the first carbon steel knife I have had in some time. And, I noticed some corrosion starting a few days after I removed the protective coating the blade was stored and shipped with. The rust cleaned up quickly with a very light application of simichrome paste/polish. But it was a good heads-up -- I probably don't need to say so to most, but I was reminded that carbon steel blades need to be kept with a light coating of oil on the blade to prevent rusting. I used mineral oil, which I have on hand for my oil stones. There are food-grade mineral oils available, too, if this knife is used for food prep. (not sure if you would use it for food prep. But, I suppose it would make quite and impression for carving the Christmas turkey :) )

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.

First time I purchase a knife on Amazon so not sure what I was expecting. On the pictures it looked nice and the reviews were good so I took a chance. I was expecting a bit of a "work of art" with soft quality leather and no imperfections but I was probably dreaming for the price :). What I got instead was a really "honest knife", the blade is excellent damascus craftsmanship (the pattern is unique than the manufacturer's pictures or other people's pictures), the walnut handle is amazingly soft, detailed, beautiful EXCEPT for a small "knick" on one side that made me a bit sad. So the knife itself is great, well balanced, comfortable to hold, single sharp (not back bite), full tang and solid. The leather scabbard on the other hand is made of "functional leather". By this I mean, it's not a great quality leather but it's the kind of leather medieval sword makers probably used back then. So a bit hard, a bit cheap but solid and well stitched. For the price, you can't go wrong if you want a cool looking and functional bowie knife. It feels like it's something I could carry hunting and not feel like it would break on me; I just wished they made a "premium" version a bit more expensive that would truly be top craftsmanship because the design of this knife is truly awesome.

Awesome knife. The Damascus pattern is beautiful.

very detailed review posted b4 I bought this knife was spot on. great custom, REAL Damascus steel & finely crafted. beautiful & functional, well balanced, oiled & nicely packaged for undamaged shipping. the sheath is actually leather, and a quality piece as well- watch out though, as the other reviewer said, the black edges WILL rub off on anything & everything at first- I washed mine in warm soapy water, dried thoroughly & rubbed with leather oil, problem solved. the black is from the inner rubber?material layer that i'm assuming is intended to preserve the sharpness of the blade at the same time as protecting the sheath- anyway, beautiful, custom, hand made and promo priced- love the D-steel! nice job bobcat- two thumbs up! thank you!!

Hello. I just wanted to write a quick review. I purchased this knife after reading several of the reviews believing that this was a quality knife. I do believe it is constructed quite well in terms of heat treatment and design. It's really a beautiful piece. However the blade was not very sharp. I am a new knife owner and I have little experience with them, but I could barely cut anything with it. I found myself having to saw through things. I don't think this is how a knife should perform. I attempted to sharpen the knife and I think i only made it worse. I've sharpened a few knives in the past without issue, so either my technique for this particular knife isn't working or i am missing something else. Regardless it didn't have the effect on the knife. It could have something to do with the profile of the edge being much wider than many knives I've owned or the type of steel that is used (1080 N25...) Hope this is useful for some people to get a better sense of what to expect. Again it's a great looking piece, but not functional out of the box.

This is an absolutely beautiful knife. The fact of its handmade and not mass produced is a plus to me. I guess I'm lucky, mine doesn't appear to have any flaws in the blade as others have reportednd. It is wicked sharp right out of the box as well. Damascus steel production is pretty much a lost art nowadays. I wanted something both nice and functional, as I live in a remote cabin in Florida swamplands. Having a reliable blade at your side is a must. After a few tests on some light brush and some old wild game skins. The knife does live up to the name. So, I give the knife 5 stars.. Worth every penny. I only gave the ergonomic factor 3 stars because as other Reviewers have stated. It's a left handed sheath or crossdraw. It does redeem itself as you can "scout mount" the sheath as a right handed person, behind your back. Fine for hiking, camping or even horseback riding and, you're carrying a sidearm. However, that makes it very difficult to drive or sit in a chair with the knife on your belt. Anyway, you'll be very pleased with this product what artisan can sell under a $100 still make money I don't know..