Sawthane Hand Forged Damascus Sawback Sword | 25 Inch Overall Length | Serrated Spine and Knotwork Guard with Black Leather Sheath | Collector Bowie Gift | RK-1923

The Sawthane is a very large Damascus bowie, close to short sword length, with a deep clipped point, a row of saw teeth cut along the upper spine, a curved crossguard carrying a small interlace band, a black grip and a domed pommel with cut knotwork on its face. It ships with a black leather sheath with a steel chape and an embossed triquetra on the belt strap.

Let us be straight about the sawback, because the marketing around them is usually nonsense. A row of teeth on the spine of a thick knife blade is a poor woodsaw. Real saw teeth need set, meaning alternate teeth bent outward so the kerf is wider than the blade, otherwise the blade binds after half an inch of cut. A sawback ground into a quarter inch spine has no set and will jam in green wood. What it genuinely does well is rasp and tear: notching, stripping bark, scoring rope or plastic, roughing a groove. It is also, honestly, a look, and it is a look with real military lineage going back to nineteenth century pioneer sidearms. Forged, ground, heat treated, etched and hilted in the Czech Republic.

Specifications

The clip point, and what the clip is actually for

The long concave sweep taken out of the top of the blade near the tip is the clip, and it is the defining feature of a bowie. It exists to move the point. On a straight backed blade the tip sits high, in line with the spine, well above the centre of the blade. Cutting the clip drops the tip closer to the centre line, which means the point goes where you are aiming instead of riding high, and it thins the last few inches so the blade penetrates instead of wedging.

On a blade this long the clip does a second job. It removes a lot of steel from the far end of the blade, which pulls the balance back towards the hand. Without it a nineteen inch blade of this width would be intolerably nose heavy. The Sawthane balances about four inches ahead of the guard, which is manageable for a single hand blade of this size.

The steel and the pattern

The blade is pattern welded from 1095 high carbon steel and 15N20. The two are welded in alternating layers, drawn out, folded and welded again, and the finished blade is etched so the 1095 darkens and the nickel bearing 15N20 stays bright. The pattern is structural, running the full thickness of the blade, so it cannot wear off and it will still be there after decades of sharpening.

Hardness is 58 to 60 HRC after tempering. That is on the harder side, which is correct for a heavy chopping blade with a thick spine, because the geometry provides the toughness and the hardness buys edge retention through a long cut. The saw teeth are cut before hardening and left unsharpened, since sharpened saw teeth on a spine are a hazard to your own forearm and cut no better.

Engraving, runes and your own design

Use the rune converter on this page to turn a name, a date or a short phrase into Elder Futhark and we will cut it into the steel, the leather or the wood. If you would rather have a Viking pattern than a rune line, choose your own design in the engraving option above the add to cart button and tell us where it goes. Where a piece already carries an engraved design, your chosen engraving replaces it rather than sitting alongside it. On this piece the pommel face and the sheath strap both already carry work, so tell us which one you want changed. See the engraving page.

Handling and balance

This is a two hand length blade with a one hand grip, which is an unusual combination and it takes a moment to adjust to. Hold it well back, with the pommel against the heel of the hand, and let the mass swing. Trying to control it from up under the guard will tire your wrist quickly.

Keep the sawback in mind at all times. On a normal knife you can rest a thumb on the spine for control. On this one you cannot. The main edge is sharp on arrival and the teeth, while not sharpened, will still tear skin. This is a collector and display piece and a capable heavy chopper, not for sparring.

Care

Oil the blade after handling, and pay particular attention to the roots of the saw teeth, which trap moisture and debris and are the first place rust appears. A stiff nylon brush and a little oil clears them. Wipe the rest of the blade with a light film of blade oil. Feed the black leather sheath with a neutral balm once or twice a year and never store the blade in it long term. More on steel care is on the site.

Made in the Czech Republic

Every piece we sell is made by hand in the Czech Republic. The smiths there work the way the trade has been worked for a long time, heating and hammering the steel, taking the bevels down by eye, and fitting the handle and the leather one at a time. There is no automated line anywhere in it, so small differences from one piece to the next are normal and expected.

Ransack Viking is a United States company based in Memphis, Tennessee. We bring the pieces in ourselves, inspect them on arrival and ship them from our own warehouse. If you add engraving, that is carried out here in the United States before your order goes out.

A note on handmade variation

Each Sawthane is hand made rather than machine made or bulk produced, so what arrives will not be a pixel for pixel copy of the photograph. The Damascus pattern is unique to every billet. Tooth spacing along the spine is set by hand and varies by a fraction from one blade to the next. Leather takes dye and embossing differently from hide to hide. The dimensions, the material and the build are the same every time. The character is not.

Frequently asked questions

Will the sawback actually cut wood?

It will rasp and notch, and it will get through small green stems. It is not a substitute for a folding saw, because the teeth have no set and will bind in anything thick. We would rather tell you that up front.

Is this a knife or a sword?

Legally and practically it sits between the two. Nineteen inches of blade is well past knife territory in most places, so please check your local law before ordering.

Is the main edge sharp?

Yes, shaving sharp. The saw teeth are deliberately left unsharpened.

Can I use it for chopping?

Yes. The mass and the hardness suit it and it will take down small limbs cleanly. Avoid twisting the blade in a cut, which is how any long blade gets damaged.

Does the sheath have a belt loop?

Yes, a strap with an embossed triquetra and a stud closure. It is sized for a standard belt.

How long until it ships?

One to two weeks to forge and finish, then free shipping inside the United States.

What is in the box

• One Sawthane Damascus sawback blade, 25 inches overall
• Black leather sheath with a steel chape and an embossed triquetra strap
• Care card covering oiling and cleaning the saw teeth
• Lifetime warranty against defects in forging, grind, heat treat and fittings
• Forged and finished in the Czech Republic

Explore the range

See more in bowie knives, short swords and Damascus swords, or read the guides.