hunting knife questions

[ArfinGreebly]

EKA/Outdoor Edge

I'm curious to know if any of you have used the EKA/Outdoor Edge "Swing Blade" knife.

The original design is the [post=5020009]Eka Kombi[/post] (first two attached pix), licensed by Outdoor Edge as the (black) Swing Blade and the (orange) [post=4807547]Swing Blaze[/post] (second two attached pix).

I haven't had an opportunity to use them in the field.

Anyone done any field work with one of these?

 

[.45Guy]

I wish Cosmoline still posted, as he had a source for the Finnish Pukka knives. I'd like to give one a shot.

 

[.45Guy]

Here is a picture of the Chi-com wonder. It suits me really well.

 

[moosehunt]

Mr. Arfingreebly--the blades on the top pictured knives of the left hand 2 look like they would be good skinners--I can't judge a handle by a picture, but they look OK. The top pictured Knives in the 2 pictures to the right wouldn't be bad, but those on the left appear better (for skinners). What in the world are those reverse hooked looking things for?

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Splitters

The concave edged "hook" is actually called a "splitter."

It's basically a more refined gut-hook. No point = doesn't puncture innards; cuts from the inside, kinda like a zipper.

I'm hoping someone has actually used one of these, and can share what they found.

 

[Barny]

http://www.ragweedforge.com/ The best source for scandi knives..

 

[atomchaser]

I purchased one of the swing blades sometime ago but haven't used it yet. The quality of the knife is reasonably good. It's AUS8 steel and came very sharp out of the box. I used my Fallkniven H1 last year year and that made short work of a deer. I'm always looking for a better mouse trap, though.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Ragnar

Received an email from Ragnar yesterday.

He no longer stocks the Kombi or Swing Blade patterns. They were selling too slowly, so he wholesaled them to a fellow in Australia.

He's also apprehensive about his EKA supply line, as it seems EKA may send some or all of its production overseas. You know, "overseas."

This did not make my day.

Did funny things to my tummy.

 

[pfrnkln]

Not an expert at all, but my .02, for what its worth.

I carry several knives while hunting. Always have my spring assist S&W SWAT folder in by pocket (hunting or not), I have a Buck 110 folder in my pack, and a Buck fixed blade 6 inch drop point hunter in a sheath on my belt. I also got the gerber saw a couple years ago and carry that in the pack with the wood blade and bone blade.

Needless to say I keep them SHARP and carry a stone with me.

I dont generally skin 'em out in the field and have a skinner back at the camp if need be.

Generally the only big game I hunt is whitetail up here in NYS but some things seem to apply accross the board.

I'll be going out to hunt other big game in the future and I suspect that this will still cover all the bases then too.

 

[Readyrod]

What do you guys think about using a short, say 12", machete instead of a saw or hatchet?

 

[moosehunt]

The light weight Gerber folding saw (with the pull cut blade) is much more logical (and lighter weight). For the most part, a machete is just a big, heavy, unhandy knife. I've seen that folks can really make a mess of a critter with one!

 

[Readyrod]

Thanks Moosehunt.

 

[nathan]

Mora knives of Sweden is hard to beat . super sharp and easy to sharpen. i have the one in stainless sandvik and carbon steel.

 

[dmazur]

I just got one of these, and it looks like it will work well. Previously I used a similar length knife with less of a "drop" to the point. It worked, but you had to be careful when field dressing not to nick something you didn't want to...

http://www.knifeworks.com/browseproducts/Benchmade-Activator-Plus--D2-Steel--Winewood-Handle--Plain-Edge.HTML

The one I got has a laminated wood handle instead of the "Winewood" that is described, but it looks serviceable enough. One of the lowest prices I've seen for a knife made with D2.

 

[JEB]

surprised i havent heard more about it here but my all time go-to knife is a buck 119. it is attractive thick eanough to be very strong, just the right size (for me), and it stays razor sharp. i have cleaned 3-4 deer in an afternoon and never needed to re-sharpen. i also accompany it with a buck 110 folder for the more delicate tasks. i would like to get a new knife but i have never found anything that would even come close to making me lay down my buck knives

 

[T.R.]

I like to have a good KaBar on my belt when heading into rough country. I've used it to cut limbs for an overnite shelter, split wood for fire, and skinned a few mulies with as well.



This is my new BOKER Safari knife. I haven't taken it hunting yet, but it is balanced nicely.



This is the Schrade Golden Spike model. It's been a favorite for couple decades. Overall length is same a large folder but a lot easier to clean. Schrade sold their company to a Chinese firm and pricing has dropped considerably but quality is same.



This the Finn model by COLD STEEL. It's a good copy of popular Scandanavian knives. Very light with excellent steel.



This is my everyday pocket knife. I always carry one. The all steel scout knife is an older Camillus that was issued to me while serving in USAF. You find a good one on eBay for about $20.00

TR

 

[red rick]

I just bought a Buck Mini Alpha Hunter, I hope to try it out this hunting season. I had been using a 110 but I want to try a shorter drop point blade.

 

[Readyrod]

Hey TR, I have the same knife as your Camillus except it's an sak. I've used it on and off as my pocket knife since high school. Those KaBar and Boker knives look a lot like the Buck 119. I like the style and looks but my impression was that they were more camp knives (not being critical) than game knives. Are they ok for skinning?

 

[gga357]

Maybe something like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180412009573&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

 

[giggitygiggity]

3-4 inches is good for deer. Anything larger makes it difficult to reach up and cut the windpipe and clear out other tight spaces. More important than length is sharpness. I have a Benchmade Griptilian made with D2 steel (a Cabela's exclusive). It is great and works well on deer. Check it out.

 

[atomchaser]

I had the chance to try the "Swingblade" out on a deer this year. The gutting blade worked very well. I opened the main body cavity in a matter of seconds with no need to push the guts out of the way. The deer had a good layer of fat under the skin and the blade went right through with minimal build-up on the blade. I found geometry on the regular blade to be less than ideal, however. I would have preferred a blade with less belly for the cuts around the rear orifices and for cutting the windpipe off. I didn't skin the deer (my brother shot it, and I offered to field dress it just to try the knife out) but suspect the main blade might work well for that purpose. I have the orange handled model and that made it very easy to pick the knife out layed down on the snow or leaves. Overall, the knife did an excellent job in the limited test. I may have the main blade ground down somewhat to better fit my preferences.

 

[schlockinz]

gerber gator grip with about a 3" blade, works well, keeps a pretty good edge. And very important, the grip that it has doesn't get slick in the mud and the blood.

Another thing that I use is a broad flat bladed knife with a gut hook. Its nice to zip things open, and also for working under the hide.

 

[The Bushmaster]

I've been using a Buck #118 (Personal) sense I can remember for deer, elk, trout, steelhead and salmon. Can't think of a better knife for all around use. I do have a Buck #110 (Special) for those days that I just wonder the mountains for fun.

 

[Remedyman]

I was wondering about using a fillet knife. I have one, but I haven't tried it. I can see the challenge of using it for skinning with the length.

 

[amprecon]

I've had the Buck Special forever and it is a bit unwieldy for cleaning deer having 6" blade. I just bought a SOG Field Pup with the 4" blade and have yet to use it for cleaning a deer, but I predict it'll be alot easier to use than the Buck Special.
http://sogknives.com/store/FP-3.html