Most knife handles are seasoned in months; this one spent more than a century underwater. The new Best Made Co. Sailor’s Knife uses Cumarú recovered from the bottom of the Panama Canal, where the hardwood had remained submerged since the waterway was created in 1913.

That provenance is functional rather than ornamental. Long submersion protected the Brazilian teak from rot and insects while increasing its dimensional stability—useful qualities for a handle expected to meet wet hands and salt air. Brass rivets and an oversized brass lanyard tube secure the full-tang construction, and a cowhide sheath provides a simple carrying solution. The 5.5-inch blade brings total length to 9.5 inches.

Robert Herder’s Solingen workshop makes the drop-point blade from German 1.4197.02 stainless steel, a niobium-alloyed member of the Niolox family. A convex grind favors edge strength and repeated working cuts, while the alloy’s fine grain is intended to resist chipping, wear, and corrosion. It is a handsome object, but its design logic belongs with durable outdoor tools: every material addresses water, leverage, or maintenance. The wood’s dark figure and developing brass patina simply make that logic visible.

The Sailor’s Knife is priced at $320 and listed as a new release on Best Made Co.’s U.S. store. It is made in Germany and includes the fitted leather sheath; availability may fluctuate with small-batch stock.