Thanks for all the great replies and helpful advice. If nothing else it is starting to make me think about what I am looking for.
Ruari
, a SOG Seal Pup is not one that I considered before. We don’t seem to see a lot of SOG’s in general over here; they seem to be unrepresented. Yes the Seal Pup looks reasonable but I would probably opt for the Elite as I am not that keen on serrations along the cutting edge plus I would have to handle one to see what I think of the handle, but more on that later.
And
Wild Willie
, you are right. Svord has knives that I have used before and are good for butchering animals. The night that I decided I needed to upgrade my knife I was using a Victory knife, also New Zealand owned and made. Their selection is very similar to Svord. I was on the side of a hill at 10:30 pm at night with impending rain and sleet. I didn’t have a lot of time available to me and I had just shot two deer. Dressing them out was not an issue but because of the wet boggy conditions I needed to fashion some poles to get them off the hill. The Victory skinner that I had didn’t make the grade. Sharon came through with her Bacho (Mora Companion made under licence). It did the job surprisingly well but I knew other blades would have done it faster and with more command. Hence my search for a knife with a dual purpose to dress out animals and also can do some basic bushcraft.
A
Alberta Ed
, good to know that you have used the SRK for dressing out animals and that it works. Yes, the Master Hunter is in contention but I have the SRK at this time and will put it through its paces before buying any more knives - definitely helps preserve harmony within the marriage.
chevyrulez1
, yes a grippy handle is one of the reasons that I am looking at the SRK. Drop points I agree, and I prefer them though I can see some possible advantages in a clip point. I can only give it a whirl and see what I think.
D
DMG
, and
DocJD
a Master Hunter does look to have most of what I am looking for though at this time it seems that one in 3V steel is hard to come by and I am not sure how the San Mai III compares. Plus if the SRK-C does what I want it is a great saving. Not sure why people think the SRK-C is too thick. The Master Hunter is 4.76 mm and the SRK-C is only 4.0 mm. Perhaps it is the grind? The Pendleton is also one that I have considered but I think the blade may be too short to my liking.
Anyway, a bit of background may be of help. I have got by mostly with purpose made skinners made for abattoirs and farmers, produced here in New Zealand. They are excellent for dressing out animals but not so much in the field though they are still used a lot by hunters. I have used the Bacho extensively and can’t fault it except that is not the fit for me. Sharon, my wife, just loves them….different sized hands and tastes I guess.
Some knives that I have.
The top knife is a Pergasi. Comes out of China and no doubt is a copy of something though I don’t know knives well enough to place it. I saw this knife on Aliexpress and made a passing comment to Sharon that I liked it and before I knew it, she purchased it for me. USD $13, can’t go too far with that. It is 9CR18Mov steel, if you can believe them. Lovely blade, holds a very good edge and a good size. Two things are wrong with it for me. Too heavy, 8.6 oz, and too bulky for me, plus I find the handle too slippery when it gets blood on it. Middle knife is of course the SRK-C. Love the handle, weight and bulk is nice, clip point I am not to fust on but it may come in handy. Bottom knife is a Duoclang, also out of China and a blatant copy of the F1 right down to the same dimensions and weight. Trying it to see if we like it. If so we will purchase the real thing though not so sure on the convex grind. This copy is a flat grind. Sharon loves it as it fits her hand nicely. I like the blade but prefer the handle of SRK-C. At this time we are putting them through their paces. If Sharon likes the Duoclang we will get her an F1. If I like the SRK-C I will look no further. If not I will start to look at the Master Hunter.
Anyway, that’s just where I am at and the reasons for my original post. Thanks one and all for taking the time to reply and share your thoughts. I will post further as we go down this decision path. Still open to suggestions of possible alternatives though.
Cheers
Phil