I second this. Or if knife laws require a folder, the benchmade griptilian is tough for the $$$. There are folks that insist on full tang fixed blades, because they insist any knife must be able to be used as a hatchet. I have those kinds of knives, but they really aren't necessary for this purpose.
hunting knife questions
- Thread starter Readyrod
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I second this. Or if knife laws require a folder, the benchmade griptilian is tough for the $$$. There are folks that insist on full tang fixed blades, because they insist any knife must be able to be used as a hatchet. I have those kinds of knives, but they really aren't necessary for this purpose.
Readyrod
Member
I'm definitely going to use my Mora and I'll carry a spare.(maybe that Gerber maybe another Mora) I'm still not sure about caping Knives. I like custom knives a lot but if my kids get into hunting I'll need to think economy.
I have an axe and I'm going to get a hatchet or short machete too.
Dr Tad and Flintknapper, those Knives of Alaska Muskrat knives look interesting. Why do you like them?
What do you guys think of game saws?
I have an axe and I'm going to get a hatchet or short machete too.
Dr Tad and Flintknapper, those Knives of Alaska Muskrat knives look interesting. Why do you like them?
What do you guys think of game saws?
redneck2
Member
Gut hooks are REALLY nice, at least for white tail. As noted, it keeps the hair off the meat and eliminates popping the innards.
I'd agreed with most everyone else that anything longer than maybe 4" is a PITA. I've used regular pocket knives for a number of deer. Now I use a folder because that's what I have. Used to use a straight blade until I lost it.
You're really not doing a lot of cutting. Split open the middle, cut the wind pipe, and cut out the rear.
Everything else is done with a butcher knife and/or saw
For sharpening, I use a ceramic V stick. Easy, fast, and razor sharp.
I'd agreed with most everyone else that anything longer than maybe 4" is a PITA. I've used regular pocket knives for a number of deer. Now I use a folder because that's what I have. Used to use a straight blade until I lost it.
You're really not doing a lot of cutting. Split open the middle, cut the wind pipe, and cut out the rear.
Everything else is done with a butcher knife and/or saw
For sharpening, I use a ceramic V stick. Easy, fast, and razor sharp.
My old favorite is the Puma, my new favorite is the Buck. They both have 3" blades, I think that is the perfect length for fine work...whatever the size of the animal. The Puma has cleaned a lot of deer and hog. I will probably have a custom knife made like the Buck but with a bigger handle and a little more of a drop point.
I really like the ceramic sticks for sharpening.
I really like the ceramic sticks for sharpening.
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Readyrod-- I like the curved blade because it lets me get up under the hide (and abdominal muscles) and cut upwards. The blunt tip helps avoid punctures. I use that blade for all hide cutting. That blunt tip just plows along between the muscle and hide on the legs. Victorinox now makes a Hunter model with a short curved blade on the opposite end from the regular blade. The only thing that bothers me is that it is serrated. That would be harder to sharpen.
7X57chilmau
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OP asked about dressing smaller animals.... As far as I'm concerned, any decent hunting blade between 2.5 and 4" is adequate for anything from rabbit to moose. I like a moderate clip point with lots of deep belly and a plain edge.
Nothin' much to it, really...
J
Nothin' much to it, really...
J
GJgo
Member
+1 on a blade as long as your palm is wide, that's what I use for Elk. I take 2 good knives and a simple draw through sharpener when I go hunting, gets the job done.
moooose102
Member
SHARP is way more important than size! basicly, you need one that is SHARP, holds an edge well, and has a non-slip handle on it. other than that, it is pretty much up to your tastes in apearance.
I once ran into a guy out in the bush with a big moose down. He could drive right up to it with a suburban so I helped him with it and since he had fired of 5 shots at the thing I went back to camp with him. He was amazed that I could skin the moose out with a Buck stock knife I carry in a belt sheath. Of course he had 2 or 3 bigger knives dull enough to ride to China on and nothing to shapen them with.
Readyrod
Member
Ok, sharp, I got it. I promise I will learn to sharpen a knife properly. That will be my big project for the fall. I already ordered some diamond sharpeners and scouted out some ceramic sharpeners at the local homecenter. I found a local second hand shop that has beater knives to practice on and I will scout out Kapabashi, the kitchen supply area in Tokyo. I also have about six to a dozen kitchen and other knives to work on at home. I'm stoked.
Now what about those caping knives. And those larger curved skinning knives. Any info on those.
Now what about those caping knives. And those larger curved skinning knives. Any info on those.
I've become quite the fan of the "Winchester" small hunter. It's probably cheap Chi-com steel for all I know, but it takes and holds an edge well. It is also heavy enough to easily split the sternum on a whitetail, yet handy enough to do delicate work. It will usually make it through the entire processing of a deer without having to hit it on a steel.
exbiologist
Member
My favorite combination is 4 inch fixed blade and a small hatchet. Beats the heck out of the effort a bone saw requires. I don't really care for gut hooks. One other thing, don't cut across the grain of the hair, your knife will stay sharper longer. Shouldn't be an in issue while gutting, but can be sometimes when skinning.
stevelyn
Member
No. A moose can be completely disassembled with a a 4-5" fixed blade. It's all a matter of knowing where and what to cut.
I know some old Athabascan ladies that can do it with a mahahn'dinee (Athabascan for ulu).
For general use on big game I use one of these.
For skinning, i.e. removing the hide from dressed game, I use one of these.
The big curved belly allows a natural cutting motion that really peels the hide off.
I tried a guthook once. It was terrific for opening up the animal, but once I tried to clean it, the hook got caught up on something on every reverse stroke. Got rid of it. It's not that hard to open up with a regular blade.
For skinning, i.e. removing the hide from dressed game, I use one of these.
The big curved belly allows a natural cutting motion that really peels the hide off.
I tried a guthook once. It was terrific for opening up the animal, but once I tried to clean it, the hook got caught up on something on every reverse stroke. Got rid of it. It's not that hard to open up with a regular blade.
Readyrod
Member
Hey natman whats the advantage of the thick blade on the skinner? How long is the blade? Cool looking knife btw.
exbiologist, I like the idea of a hatchet cause I just like to have one around for general bushcraft.(tho I've been thinking of getting a 12" machete for the same purposes lately) What size hatchet should I look for? Have you seen the Timberline hatchets? They're a little expensive but they look tough. I'd be tempted to go cheaper but sometimes its worth it to buy quality.
stevelyn, thanks, that's what I wanted to know.(about the moose that is) Those ulus look cool. What are they used for usually? And are they much better than an ordinary knife at anything?
exbiologist, I like the idea of a hatchet cause I just like to have one around for general bushcraft.(tho I've been thinking of getting a 12" machete for the same purposes lately) What size hatchet should I look for? Have you seen the Timberline hatchets? They're a little expensive but they look tough. I'd be tempted to go cheaper but sometimes its worth it to buy quality.
stevelyn, thanks, that's what I wanted to know.(about the moose that is) Those ulus look cool. What are they used for usually? And are they much better than an ordinary knife at anything?
Coyote3855
Member
It's not really about the thickness, it's about maximizing the curve of the blade, exposing the longest (around the curve) sharp edge to the skinning process without the risk of puncturing the hide. My hunting hatchet is either the small version of the Estwing or a Gransfor Bruks.
I hadn't thought about the thickness, but I suspect it is so the knife acts as a wedge between the hide and body, forcing them apart. The blade is roughly 3 inches long. The real secret is the shape of the blade. The deep belly lets you separate hide from body with one smooth motion.
HoosierQ
Member
From where I sit, the Frosts/Mora series of knives are absolutley the best all all worlds. None sharper, cheaper, well made. You can buy 10 of them for $100 and wear each one out in turn without feeling bad about ruining a "good" knife...even though they are really good knives.
I'll speak from the standpoint of a butcher and a meat cutter that has done a lot of hunting, including Africa.
First, let's look at butchering, as that seems to be the main interest in this article. The most important thing in a knife is the handle, one that is comfortable to your hand. If the handle is comfortable to you, you're better than half way home. Now the blade. For butchering, i.e. removing the hide then evicerating, think about how much blade you actually use, the amount actually cutting. A skilled butcher might use 3" of the blade on some, but not all cuts, so much more blade than that is wasted. The size of the critter means little to nothing (though I haven't worked on an elephant or a whale).
Skinning knives have a significantly swept curved blade, no sharp point, to maximize size of cut and control. Most of the cutting is on the "belly" of the curve. While I like folding knives for carrying while hunting, folders aren't conducive to a good skinning blade. Consequently, I generally carry a fixed blade skinner in my pack. A skinning knife also works very well for removing the lower legs if you know where to do it, and the knife also works well for opening the body cavity after the skinning is complete. Also, I should point out that contrary to what most have said, one does NOT want a super sharp knife when skinning. Sharp, yes, but not shaving sharp. That will only lead to hide cuts, which generally aren't a concern on game (unless you want the hide or are getting a mount), but one will find a medium sharp skinner to work much better. Oftentimes in the plant we have to take the knives of eager new or young butchers and actually dull them a bit. You don't want burrs or knicks, but you don't want it razor sharp, either.
Now the butchering is done and we come to the meat cutting. Again, the most important part is a comfortable handle. The majority of the cutting is done at home, but often it is necessary to do some priliminary work in the field, i.e. boning out the critter for packing out. The wide sweeping curve of the skinner is not your friend here. You need a somewhat longer, straighter blade, and now you do want that mother sharp. It cannot be too sharp. To keep it that way, you obviously want to avoid directly hitting bone. Fillet the meat off the bones, don't cut into them. A steel is a great aid in keeping a sharp knife sharp during use, indeed, that's what it's for.
As to blade length, again, consider how much blade is actually working. You may want a bit of length to reach in deeper on some cuts, but never will a blade longer than 6" be anything but a hinderance (we're not talking slicing steaks here). So, while out hunting do we need two knives--one for butchering and one for cutting/boning? Ideally, yes, but in reallity one can get by quite adequately with a good skinner if you don't choose to pack two. If you only have one, a skinner would be much preferred over a boning knife (the proper name of these longer straighter blade knives). That Gerber that was pictured by Mr McGunner is a real good compromise (prividing that the handle is comfortable to you). What is called a legging knife in the trade is a real nice compromise also, and indeed, resembles the illustrated Gerber quite a bit.
The relatively small folding bone saws (Gerber) are excellent for splitting pelvis and brisket, and worth carrying in my opinion. I think it's industrial strength dumb to not carry a small stone for touch-ups.
Cheers guys, and good luck to you. Hope you need those knives!
Oh, as to Africa. Fact is, as a hunter there, that's about all you are. You don't do the butchering or the meat cutting. If you did, the same knives would be called for, elephant being one I can't talk to, though.
First, let's look at butchering, as that seems to be the main interest in this article. The most important thing in a knife is the handle, one that is comfortable to your hand. If the handle is comfortable to you, you're better than half way home. Now the blade. For butchering, i.e. removing the hide then evicerating, think about how much blade you actually use, the amount actually cutting. A skilled butcher might use 3" of the blade on some, but not all cuts, so much more blade than that is wasted. The size of the critter means little to nothing (though I haven't worked on an elephant or a whale).
Skinning knives have a significantly swept curved blade, no sharp point, to maximize size of cut and control. Most of the cutting is on the "belly" of the curve. While I like folding knives for carrying while hunting, folders aren't conducive to a good skinning blade. Consequently, I generally carry a fixed blade skinner in my pack. A skinning knife also works very well for removing the lower legs if you know where to do it, and the knife also works well for opening the body cavity after the skinning is complete. Also, I should point out that contrary to what most have said, one does NOT want a super sharp knife when skinning. Sharp, yes, but not shaving sharp. That will only lead to hide cuts, which generally aren't a concern on game (unless you want the hide or are getting a mount), but one will find a medium sharp skinner to work much better. Oftentimes in the plant we have to take the knives of eager new or young butchers and actually dull them a bit. You don't want burrs or knicks, but you don't want it razor sharp, either.
Now the butchering is done and we come to the meat cutting. Again, the most important part is a comfortable handle. The majority of the cutting is done at home, but often it is necessary to do some priliminary work in the field, i.e. boning out the critter for packing out. The wide sweeping curve of the skinner is not your friend here. You need a somewhat longer, straighter blade, and now you do want that mother sharp. It cannot be too sharp. To keep it that way, you obviously want to avoid directly hitting bone. Fillet the meat off the bones, don't cut into them. A steel is a great aid in keeping a sharp knife sharp during use, indeed, that's what it's for.
As to blade length, again, consider how much blade is actually working. You may want a bit of length to reach in deeper on some cuts, but never will a blade longer than 6" be anything but a hinderance (we're not talking slicing steaks here). So, while out hunting do we need two knives--one for butchering and one for cutting/boning? Ideally, yes, but in reallity one can get by quite adequately with a good skinner if you don't choose to pack two. If you only have one, a skinner would be much preferred over a boning knife (the proper name of these longer straighter blade knives). That Gerber that was pictured by Mr McGunner is a real good compromise (prividing that the handle is comfortable to you). What is called a legging knife in the trade is a real nice compromise also, and indeed, resembles the illustrated Gerber quite a bit.
The relatively small folding bone saws (Gerber) are excellent for splitting pelvis and brisket, and worth carrying in my opinion. I think it's industrial strength dumb to not carry a small stone for touch-ups.
Cheers guys, and good luck to you. Hope you need those knives!
Oh, as to Africa. Fact is, as a hunter there, that's about all you are. You don't do the butchering or the meat cutting. If you did, the same knives would be called for, elephant being one I can't talk to, though.
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usmc1371
Member
I have to agree with moosehunt in that a razor sharp knife is NOT what you want for skinning unless you like lots of hide cuts. I have a couple spyderco Mules to try this year, one in S90V and one in zdp-189, I can't wait to see how they hold an edge compared to the knives of alaska that my little bro swears by. I have taken quite a few elk and deer apart with just a buck folder and knowing what you are doing is far more important than what kind of knife you are using.
Very true. Knowing where to cut is pretty damn important. What is easy for me is pretty tough, leading to a lot of wasted meat, for most people. One can learn quite a lot from someone who knows, but in reality, if you aren't a trained meat cutter, you aren't going to get truly meat cutter results. That's life! I'm not a computer guy--I don't get real good computer results, though by learning from others, I do OK. Same with the meat cutting--even the butchering. Like anything, it's a matter of learning. Using the right knife (comfortable) is a major step one. Then it's experience. You do a few game animals a year. I learned doing a few hundred cattle, hogs, or sheep a day--every day for years! I'm both a butcher and a meat cutter--that tells my age a little--now days most people are trained as either or, not many trained as both any more. But hopefully I can help you in selecting a good knife. Good luck!
Larger knives are harder to manipulate during the gutting/skinning process of an elk or moose. A smaller knife, nonserrated, but sharp as hell works better. Always good to have a small sharpening stone handy in the field. Trust me. Have read articles of hunters dying in the field, after slicing their femerol artery, while gutting an elk. It happens more often than you think. Large knives are not your friend in this case.
Readyrod
Member
Thanks guys, great info.The other day I talked to a coworker who trained and worked as a chef. When I asked him about knives the first thing he said (like moosehunt) was get a knife with a good handle. He said it was important for grip and for long life. He said to go for full tang.
As for too sharp I sort of agree. A friend of mine here in Japan showed me a family heirloom knife passed down from the samurai times. It was a small dagger/suicide knife. It was scary sharp. I almost didn't even want to touch it. Certainly it would be tricky for work, you really don't want to make a mistake. Some of the katanas I see in the museums here are the same.
As for skill, yes I'll have to learn that in the field, and I can't wait.
I ordered another Frost knife, at $10 I can use it as a steak knife if I don't use it for hunting. Right now I'm looking at a Boker skinner as a maybe, tho it may be a little long.
As for too sharp I sort of agree. A friend of mine here in Japan showed me a family heirloom knife passed down from the samurai times. It was a small dagger/suicide knife. It was scary sharp. I almost didn't even want to touch it. Certainly it would be tricky for work, you really don't want to make a mistake. Some of the katanas I see in the museums here are the same.
As for skill, yes I'll have to learn that in the field, and I can't wait.
I ordered another Frost knife, at $10 I can use it as a steak knife if I don't use it for hunting. Right now I'm looking at a Boker skinner as a maybe, tho it may be a little long.
UniversalFrost
Member
me, i used to always go with the bigger is better motto, but once i foregot to bring my huge buck 120 general (one of the first made of this model and this is a made in the USA version). instead i was left with just my CRKT casper. I ended up baggin a nice buck and used that to field dress, skin and quarter the buck. I was amazed how this little semi serrated knife worked so much easier than my larger knives. The CRKT casper is my mianstay, ubt I also have grown fond of my browning RMEF skinning knife and a schrade old timer guthook skinner with semi serrated blade.
make sure your knife is medium size, has quaity steel and a sharp blade. I like to bring along a pocket sharpener as well.
make sure your knife is medium size, has quaity steel and a sharp blade. I like to bring along a pocket sharpener as well.
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