The Sonoran Skinner is 8 inches overall, with a blade length of 3 1/2 inches. This knife was designed for big game hunting and field dressing use. The blade is flat ground from A2 Tool Steel, that has been heat treated to 62 Rockwell hardness. The blade has also been cryo tempered for enhanced performance and is satin finished. This heat treatment procedure produces a knife with excellent edge holding ability and toughness. This is a field proven and tested design. This knife will not disappoint you under tough conditions. Loveless Bolts secure the handles on the Sonoran Skinner. We use Loveless Bolts because they provide a very secure and strong mechanical handle attachment. It also comes standard with a lanyard hole and leather thong. An Oil Tan Slotted Sheath is included in the price.
Merino Sheep Horn is a very durable handle material and has magnificent texture. It is lighter in color than the Himalayan Sheep Horn.
Elk Horn is the premium Antler material. Known for its hardness, density and superior color. This handle material comes from sheds, not hunted animals.
Exhibition Grade Turkish Walnut is the highest grade of this walnut available. This wood is sourced from a custom gunmaker whose rifles start in the 5 figures and often go into six figures! Turkish walnut is highly figured and produces a very rich, beautiful and durable handle.
Rosewood is an exotic wood from around the world. It is hard, dense and takes an excellent polish. Rosewood exhibits a varied color and grain pattern.
Sourced from an ancient grove here in California, this Olivewood species is noted for its density and high figure. This wood is sealed and finished with several coats of oil and wax.
Our Ironwood is sourced from the Desert along the California-Mexican border. Considered by many to be the perfect knife handle material, because of it's extreme stability and durability. It is a very beautiful wood with deep depth of color.
Mexican Cocobolo is one of the finest knife handle materials available. It is colored deep red with black grain highlights. Each piece is completely different and unique. Cocobolo is a very durable, hard and dense wood that is perfect for knife handles.
Bocote is a rare, tropical hard wood seldom seen in North America. It comes from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Bocote wood has a deep, golden yellow color with dark brown grain.
Corby bolts work in the same way as a Loveless bolt. A step drill is used to make a shelf with in the bolt hole that securely attaches the handle material to the knife. Once the Corby bolts are assembled in the handle all excess is ground flush with the handle material. This yields a solid looking nickel silver pin look. However, what appears to be a pin is actually the nut head with the screw slot ground off. We use these bolts on our larger hunting skinning knives to create a knife that will stand up to extreme conditions.
Developed by legendary custom knife maker Bob Loveless, these bolts provide an absolutely strong mechanical system of attachment that will not come undone. Brass nuts on a stainless bolt provide an interesting “birdseye” contrast when ground flush with the handle material. A step rivet drill bit is used to make a counter sunk hole and it is this shelf with in the hole that provides the nuts with their attachment strength. We use these bolts on our larger hunting skinning knives to create a knife that will stand up to extreme conditions.
A bolster is a metal section between the handle material and the blade. Nickel Silver resists tarnish and stays polished longer than Brass. Nickel Silver is also harder and resists scratches better. The bolster has several practical aspects that it can lend to a knife. It can protect the handle material from impact and damage, particularly when the knife is dropped. More importantly, due to how the bolster is attached to a blade, it provides an extremely effective seal. The weak part of any knife handle construction is the joint between the handle and the blade. A bolster eliminates this weakness and is very suitable for a knife destined for hard use. Another practical reason for a bolster, is that it balances the weight of the knife in your hand, making the knife neither blade heavy or handle heavy. Our bolsters come with mosaic pins.
A Spacer is a colored fiber piece between the bolster and the handle material. Spacers not only add a splash of color to your Horsewright knife, but they also provide a buffer zone between the handle and bolster. The Spacers help to stabilize any movements made by the natural handle materials.
The Slotted Sheath is an ideal sheath for riding. It is designed to be carried in the front in a cross draw fashion, whether your right handed or left handed. The sheath may also be worn behind the hip. The great advantage to this sheath, is that it can be worn 360 degrees on the belt. The Slotted sheath is worn under the belt for added security and comfort. This sheath cannot be tooled. All Horsewright sheaths are done in an Oil Tan finish.
Our Slot & Loop Sheath design is an excellent way of carrying a larger fixed blade knife. It allows considerable versatility in placing the sheath on the belt. A loop on the back provides two points of attachment keeping the sheath in close to the body. While primarily designed to be worn on the right hip the sheath can be turned over and worn under the belt on the left side for added versatility. This enables the wearer to decide where to wear the sheath based on circumstances and comfort. All Horsewright sheaths are done in an Oil Tan finish.
The Pancake Sheath is designed to be carried in the front, on the hip, or in the small of the back ("SOB"Style). All Horsewright sheaths are done in an Oil Tan finish. The Pancake sheath can be tooled with your initials or brand.