Wondering what I have?

The coating was probably applied to prevent rust. If you remove it, you'll have to put something on in its place, or store it in a clean, dry place out of the sheath. Automobile paste wax works well to keep a blade from rusting.

The steel looks like good Damascus, and the handle treatment is well done; the sheath seems sturdy enough. I'm unhappy about those gut hooks on the blade; the one on the top of the blade seems to be facing the wrong way for a hunter's gut hook. Is the one on the bottom a line cutting notch of some sort? I'd have wished for a blade unadorned by such frippery, but it was an auction, and you take what you get.

There seems to be some sort of maker's mark on the sheath, on the snap. What does it say?

Any maker who would make a knife from quality damascus is going to mark the blade with his name , logo or initials for sure. Are there no markings on it at all ?

One can not "look" at damascus and determine if it is good or not.

Quality damascus will run you $15 - $30 an inch on average for 1 1/2 wide by 5/32 thick. The fancy stuff like raindrop and fireball will be more.

I'm thinking the weird "gut-hooks that aren't" are either a 3rd world fashion statement?

Or an attempt to salvage a sub-par Damascus blade with bad welds or slag inclusions by just grinding them out with a cut-off wheel.

rc

Agree. IF that knife came from Spain, it got there by way of Pakistan.

Not trying to be rude, but it looks to me like a pretty fancy bottle opener.

I don't think I'd be tempted to try and use it as a knife .... in fact I'd be inclined to make sure the edges aren't sharp at all.