KNIVES FOR HUNTING

[watchmaker]

KNIVES FOR HUNTING

Many of us hunters of long have a love affair with the tool of a successful hunt; the knife.
In our minds, we have this idea of the perfect knife that will fit our hand like a glove; that will perform surgery like a scalpel; that will not need to be sharpened ever, and will remove a cape as well as field dress and skin anything from a deer to a moose.

In our search for the perfect blade, we accumulate many of them that are probably as good as the best knife ever made, but in our search for Nirvana we keep adding new blades and hoping to do enough hunting to test all of them on game.

On the other hand, some hunters are not interested at all in the tool. My friend Frank that has probably field dressed at least fifty deer with the same Buck hunter knife in the last 20 years removes it from the pack once every year in hunting season to field dress a deer or two, and the blade goes back into the same pack to wait for next year’s job.
Perhaps his father being a butcher has something to do with it.  He was taught how to field dress a deer early in life, and to him it is just a necessary job that has to be performed.  To others like me it is a culmination of all our efforts and should be done as elegantly and as clean and bloodless as possible and with the most effective of tools.

I have found in my long search for the perfect blade that many of today’s knives in the market qualify as superb blades for the job.  A good knife blade of 3 ½ to 4 inches will be plenty for most chores.  Preferences in my case are for the drop-point blades, but I have had good service from clip points or other shapes.

Some of us like a fancy wood or antler handle or perhaps some engraving on the blade. Those I label dress knives and are a great way to stir a conversation between fellow hunters. I am one with that type of taste and will always appear at camp with a fancy blade. The truth is that I perform all of my field dressings with a plain one that I keep hidden in my pack.

Here is one of my fancy blades, the Browning model 122 one of one thousand, and the one that does the actual field dressing, a Buck 192 Vanguard.



Best wishes

Watchmaker

[Michelle_Nelson]

I have only ever used 1 brand of knife for field dressing, skinning, gutting, quartering, capping, and rough fleshing game.  I use a Dexter Russel 6 1/2 de-boneing knife.  I have probably skinned and gutted over 750 deer with this type knife.  Maybe quartered 50 or so.  It's a great multi purpose knife.   

[littletoes]

I use a Dexter/Russel sheep skinner in a combo pack with a 8" *censored* (couldn't find a 6" at the time!), with a small D/R thrown in for caping, if I EVER shoot one worth it, just in case.....picked 'em all up seperatly, had a friend sew the pack.

Hey Michelle, mine have the "soft-grip" handles, white. How 'bout yours?

[Hunting Cowboy]

I really prefer a Case XX 2159 LSP Lock Blade Knife. The one I use and swear by was produced in the 80's and I have given one to each of my boys and son in law. I have field dressed, caped and quartered many Blacktails, Mule Deer, Black Bear, and Elk. Also a few whitetail and caribou. These knives look a lot like the buck 110 but make no mistake, they hold a better edge and are a better designed blade. I carry one in my truck, in my pack, and on my belt if out hunting, trail riding, or around the farm. I can't say enough good things about this particular brand and style. At first glance you might think these are just like a Buck 110, but I can assure you they are not. Just my opinion. I know everyone has their own ways of evaluating and choosing their own gear. If you can find one give it a try, you won't be sorry.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Hey Michelle, mine have the "soft-grip" handles, white. How 'bout yours?

Yep,  I have had both kinds.  The hard handle and the soft.  I like both of them.  Rather have the soft grip though.  Since I moved here I havn't been able to find them.  I am sure they sell the Dextar Russels some where.

[littletoes]

Grainger has 'em for about $12 each, that should make the knife pureist's scream....but hey, I got my share of expensive knives too. Mostly they sit in storage these days. Butcher knives for "Butchering"? Novel idea! 

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/productIndex.shtml?originalValue=Dexter-Russell&operator=viewAllResultsSearch&searchIndexId=0

[watchmaker]

Years ago I was invited to join a German hunting club in the Catskills, which had access to huge woods and was managed for quality deer. The members hunted from hotchsits and performed the "last meal" ceremony in the deer they got, all very proper and traditional Teutonic customs.

To "fit" in I dusted off my Mannlicher style Mauser 30-06 rifle and bought a White Hunter II Puma knife.

Here is it.



Best


Watchmaker

[Coasthunterjay]

My knife of chice would have to be my dads Cutco Serrated sportsmans knife. The one with the hunters Orange handle is my favorite (drop point i believe). Great knifes and easy to find in the dark when your skinning late at night. I have cut so many deer, elk, beer. Well my finger a couple times and pretty much what ever i could get my hands on.


Great quality and stays sharp forever........

[Hunting Cowboy]

I'm going to try to post a pic...... Case 2159 Lssp Lockback knife. They're old but I love em.

[reddog132]

I want to get this one but for 250 bones I know I would loose it!

[addicted]

i have the kershaw interchangable blade kit. the guthook is big enough for a rhino but the blade hold an edge quite well and the bone saw works well with the comfy handle. just got the kit this summer and it took apart my unkle's lead cow a couple weeks a ago in oregon without any problems.

[jackelope]

i like the kershaw knives...have 1 in my pocket right now. that said... i hate the blade trader and can't wait to get a new knife...with one blade. i thought it'd be a great idea, i learned it'sjust agiant pain in the butt for me to trade the blades out, i lost one, they don't hold an edge very well, etc.
i hope you feel different and learn otherwise, but i did not end up liking what i thought would be a great idea.

[addicted]

i like the kershaw knives...have 1 in my pocket right now. that said... i hate the blade trader and can't wait to get a new knife...with one blade. i thought it'd be a great idea, i learned it'sjust agiant pain in the butt for me to trade the blades out, i lost one, they don't hold an edge very well, etc.
i hope you feel different and learn otherwise, but i did not end up liking what i thought would be a great idea.

very well may be.  only dressed a couple of animals so far.

[Intruder]

My primary hunting knife is a fixed blade Benchmade.  However I use Gerber and even an old "Old Timer" folding lock blade at times.  Even used my Leather blade last year to gut an antelope.

I'd like to get some of the Knives of Alaska brand knives.  I've heard nothin but good things about em.

[coonhound]

The Blade Tech knives are amazing, they use S30V steel in their blades and it is not a gimmick, they hold an edge like nothing I've ever seen but they don't take an act of congress to sharpen.  I have boned elk with 2 of my hunting partners, me with my Gerber and them with their Blade Tech's and there was no comparison.

I however am not to keen on the $250.00 price tag, I've been doing a little research and have found a few other brands that use S30V steel that aren't quite so spendy.  I've also read several reviews that rank D2 steel as a very close second.

Coon