Hunting Knife Thread, Show your knife

J

JDW

Well-Known Member
While commenting on another Dogs thread, I got to thinking about the style of hunting knives that I like, and why. I am a deer hunter, and that is all the big game that I have had the opportunity to hunt. Every year it is a 11 day Holiday in November around here. If you are a hunter, your knife is with you for a quite a bit of time each year, and if you are a knifemaker and hunter, you tend to think about what makes a good style hunting knife, things like thick or thin, carbon or stainless, wide blade or narrow, drop point or clip point, or other point styles. I use to grab any knife that was "kinda sharp", now , after making knives for 6 or so years, I have my favorite, yes it has changed over the years, and it better be sharp.
This is not intended to open any can of worms, about whos style is better, just an exchange of ideas on designs and materials.

So, what style of knife do you use for various big game? Handle materials, steel, and any other features.

My old favorite is a clip point, 4-5/8" blade of 5/32 O1, hollow ground to .030 for strength at the edge. It has served me well for field dressing and skinning, the handle is Desert Ironwood.
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Then two years ago I used one of my drop points and liked it, but the blade was a little short, so I made another one this spring, with a 4" drop point, 1/8" thick D2, 1-3/16" wide, full flat grind to .020 thick at the edge, and Bocote scales, this is a test knife, to test D2, and the design. It will be used for field dressing and skinning this season, so far I like it in the kitchen.
=http://s97.photobucket.com/albums/l228/dwknives/knives/?action=view&current=100_2560.jpg]
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What do rest of you Knife Dogs use?
 
There are several. I was able to test many knives last year . I used a Bill Coye Ridgeback on my sons deer and My elk and a Les George Prototype on one of my deer and One of my own on a deer . here are some pictures.
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The orange handled Knife that I made with the textured grip and 9 1/2" long 01 tool steel really worked well it makes a great all around knife...Bill Coyes knife did a great job and is the smallest of them all but is the best carry knife out of all of them. Les Georges knife was an honor to use. it is very well balanced and cut like a dream and held an edge like no other the only bad thing about it was I had to give it back it was a pass around knife....
 
Made this as my first knife after the season ended, it's the first knife I made, it'll be going out with me this year.

ATS 34 steel with brown micarta handles

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Here is my go to personal hunting knife during deer season. I made this knife in 05 to show my work and get my signatures for the Knifemakers Guild.

Mike Carter took it last year and shot some photos of it after 5 seasons of use.
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Here's my hunting knife. It ain't much to look at but it has been done the job.

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This is my hunting partners favorite knife. I made this as a joke because he always puts his finger down the spine. He loves it and I must admit it is very handy for field dressing.

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Squawsatch, that Badfinger is certainly unorthodox but it looks very comfortable to use. As if the user doesn't so much have a knife in his hand, just a sharp edge added to his finger. (Yup, I've always liked the old Sharpfinger style... that design seems like a further step in the same direction) Way to think outside the box!

Thanks to all for sharing, I love seeing how different folks approach the same general idea.
 
Neat little knife, I can see that little guy being very handy opening one up field dressing and skinning but that small pointy handle might be a little rough on the hands trying to bust a pelvic bone or split the rib cage.

This leads me to a question, do most people not do this when field dressing? I've had guys show me the knives they like to field dress with and when I ask them how they go about doing that part they look at me kinda funny and many are surprised when they find out I cut them open from bottom all the way to the throat.
 
I split my deer also but my friend is a horn hunter and only shoots deer that are going to be mounted. He opens them to the rib cage and reaches in when field dressing. I lay them open like a taco.
 
Cliff, I do my deer, like you do, but I do use a hachet to split the pelvis bone. I have a buddy that cuts against the inside of the pelvis bone, and pulls everything back into the cavity, if that makes since. Nice knife buy the way.
Squawsach, those are both good looking knives, I really like the "Finger Extender" looks handy for skinning too.
Dogs, I like the action shots of a knife in use.
Dale
 
I eat my venison bloody rare, and I'm a bit of a clean freak. I clean my deer the way my step father taught me (mostly), the way he learned to process pigs on a farm.

I normally take a head shot if I can get it. I drag it up to the trail then walk the 1/4 mile or so back up to the house and get the tractor and then drive down and pick it up.

I take it back up to the house where I have a work table, a hose and a chum bucket. I hoist it up on hooks and cut down the legs and belly, only the skin. This is done with the blade edge out. A drop point is important for this or I nick meat. I then unpeel the deer, using the knife very little. I do cut around the genitals and anus and lop off the tail.

I cut around the anus and reproductive bits, pull it out a little ways and tie it off with string. Only at this point to I open the abdominal cavity, taking care not to cut or puncture anything. I open it down to the rib cage. If I opt to split the ribcage I do it with an old knife and a hammer. I haven't been splitting it recently. I let fall into the chum bucket except the organs up in the rib cage.

The intestines have not been cut or broken and are still attached in the pelvis and in a few points inside the cavity. I take my knife and hold it with the end in my palm and the blade sticking out along my index finger like an extension of my finger and reach up into the pelvis and disconnect (but not cutting into) the intestines and other bits that are attaching up inside the pelvis and pull it though, still tied off with string. I then finish pulling most stuff into the bucket.

At this point I have a clean carcass skinned up to the neck hanging upside down on a tractor. It takes me about 15 minutes to do this, but I'm rewarded with very clean meat. If I'm careful there isn't even any hair on it. I then pull off the front legs at the shoulder. I peal off the back straps (here the knife touches bone a lot, so edge stability is important) I pull out the loins and finally I disconnect the hams at the pelvis joint. The pelvis is not split and is discarded with the chum. I use a saw to cut the legs off at the shin before they go in the cooler.

When I'm finished there is very little bacteria introduced to the meat, so I can usually age it three weeks in the refrigerator in my shop without spoiling. I'm rewarded with tasty tender venison that I enjoy bloody rare. No odd smells expect acorn if they've been eating a lot of that. Even my mother will eat it. Tender.... mmmmm.

I like my skinning knife to work in a pinch grip and while holding it along my index finger. My personal skinning knife was hollow ground like a straight razor with a belly on it. .010" thickness before sharpening, though .015" is a more common thickness. It is narrow to fit up in the pelvis, but has a good little belly on the very end, so it is almost like a tanto in that regard. It is a drop point. I use D2 at HRC 61-63 with a HT optimized to minimize RA. As a side effect it also has a bit more free chrome.

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Cliff Fendley said:
Neat little knife, I can see that little guy being very handy opening one up field dressing and skinning but that small pointy handle might be a little rough on the hands trying to bust a pelvic bone or split the rib cage.

This leads me to a question, do most people not do this when field dressing? I've had guys show me the knives they like to field dress with and when I ask them how they go about doing that part they look at me kinda funny and many are surprised when they find out I cut them open from bottom all the way to the throat.
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I usually cut the pelvis with a saw, though I've batoned one through with a Buck 110 before. I can go either way with cutting the ribs. I think it's easier in the field to remove the trachea/lungs/heart, but makes it more difficult to skin out the chest and shoulders later.
 
Ok for anyone interested here is the way I field dress a deer and believe me there is not a quicker cleaner way but it does take a good knife to do this repeatedly.

The reason my hunting knives have a blunt end to their handle is so I can hit the end of the handle with my hand and drive it into the pelvic bone. There is a hump on the pelvic bone that is where there is like a seem in it. If you get the point of your knife in just the right spot (and it's a heavy enough knife for the job of course) you can pop it into the pelvic bone and by pushing the tip into it roll the knife toward the anus and bust it open. On an old deer it can require pounding the tip in a few spots to weaken it but nothing a good knife can't handle. Even on an older deer I can do it faster than cut and pull up through the pelvis.

After this grab the pelvic bone and pry it open and then open the deer up all the way to the throat. Zip it up to the ribcage and then stand straddle of the deer and grab your knife with both hands if necessary and a couple yanks cut through the ribs and all the way to the throat. Cut around the diaphragm, cut the windpipe and esophagus. Insert your middle finger of one hand into the windpipe and use the other hand under the lungs and stomach. One steady pull and everything slides right out between the hind legs in one pile leaving the deer clean inside. Never cut an organ.

Then spread the ribs open and lodge a stick to hold the deer open and it cools out quickly. Return to stand and wait for another deer.:biggrin:
 
Thats about how I do it too Cliff. I always have several knives with me , seems like one of every one listed here. A deep bellied one for skinning , a drop point for opening them up and a small caping knife if someone wants to do that.
 
9 1/2" blade of 01. Tapered tang, distal tapered blade. Very lightweight for the size. I have dressed and quartered 6 or more deer with it, although a smaller dropped point knife is my normal deer worker, but this I carry always when hunting.

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"9 1/2" blade of 01....."

Wow. That's one beautiful blade, and the sheath ain't too shabby neither. Very very nice.

I was big into blacksmithing and buckskinning for a long time. There's something about our interpretation of period pieces that really strikes a chord with me.

Just checked out your website. That antler powder measure is going to be mine. Very nice website, but I can see that it's going to cost me.....
 
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