You don’t have to be the biggest force in the woods. You just have to know the woods better than anyone else.

That was the advantage of Francis Marion, the Revolutionary War commander whose small band of men struck quickly, disappeared into the South Carolina backcountry, and repeatedly frustrated a much larger British force.

His ability to use the swamps, forests and hidden trails of the Lowcountry to his advantage earned him a name that stuck: The Swamp Fox.

The knife that carries his name is an 8-inch Woody handmade Woodsman-style knife, built around a striking Alabama Buckshot Damascus blade. The distinctive circular pattern of the steel seems particularly fitting for a knife inspired by a man who was notoriously difficult to pin down.

Python Micarta scales are set over Old Glory Red, White & Blue liners, with brass hardware and a patriotic mosaic pin completing the handle.

Each Swamp Fox comes with a handmade top-grain leather sheath by Lonnie Hyatt Leatherworks of Salem, South Carolina.

A compact American woods knife named for a man who understood something important about surviving against the odds:

Know your ground. Use it well. And don’t be where they expect you to be.

One of 250 knives. 50 states. 1 nation.

Every America 250 • Bi-and-a-Half knife is made to order, one at a time, just for you. No two will be exactly alike — and we wouldn't have it any other way. Please give me and the boys in the Woody Shop up to 60 days to make yours. It may not take that long, but we certainly appreciate the time.

And by the way, the one pictured here started this story. Yours will carry it on, faithfully following the original pattern.