caping knives

R

RGraff

Joined
Nov 6, 2006
Messages
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I don't have access to the search function so I thought I'd ask if there might be some here willing to share pics of their favorite caping knives.

Thanks in advance.
 
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Mr George,

While that is a glorious knife indeed, it appears to be to be a skinning knife, not a caping knife. Or am I confused (again).
 
Forgive the mess, I literally just pulled this out of heat treat.

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http://nathan.broadtime.com/DSCN2161.JPG

I designed this with deer processing in mind. The skinning part is really fairly simple, you pretty much just pull the skin off.

When I process a deer, I hike it up with a tractor. I cut around the anus and reproductive "bits", tie them off, and once I open the cavity I pull them through the pelvis. This is where a fat wide skinner fails, reaching up into the pelvis to detach the "stuff" from the walls while pulling them down. So I designed this knife to have a somewhat narrow tip, for working around inside the pelvis without cutting something unintentionally.

I do this to keep the meat clean. With the intestines and bladder tied off from the beginning, and taking care not to rupture anything, the meat is never contaminated.

Anyway, I also designed this knife with a drop point to avoid nicking the meat when opening up the skin (I don't like gut hooks, I prefer to simply run my blade, edge out, along the skin). It has a bit of a belly to aid skinning (this can be over done IMO). And the narrow tip lends itself to precision working inside.

This isn't really a caping knife, but more of a general purpose deer knife for people who process their deer like I do, but I think you could use it for caping pretty well too.

Anyway, I don't have a favorite design, but I am rather fond of the lines on this design. (It'll look a little better cleaned up)
 
Good looking knives, Nathan I realy like that profile, looks like it'd make a dandy bird and trout knife as well.
 
Ok I have not hunted in years but my Dad loves this Cape Skinner I made him. I however do not think he has used it yet I have another variation of this with a different blade that the long under the handle one. (I have not made the second one yet)

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This isn't necessarily a caping knife either. More of a general deer knife. Of very similar design to Nathan's.

I just finished this several weeks ago.

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Mike L.
 
Thanks to all...those are some beautiful creations. I appreciate you sharing with me.

The reason I asked for the pics is that I am an avid predator hunter and the skinning knives I currently use aren't very well suited for the small game I skin (coyote, bobcat, cougar). A friend suggested a caping knife due to the relatively smaller size.

Please rest assured that before I make one for myself I will contact the maker of the design I decide on and ask permission. In hindsight I should have mentioned the reason for my request in my original post.
 
724wd said:
logem, is that snake or palm? beautiful, either way!
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724wd,

Thank you for the complement. It's the third knife I've ever made, and I gave it to my uncle several weeks ago. He assisted me financially, years ago when I was in college.

It's snakewood with a ~4-1/8" ATS-34 blade. The other's that I have made have been of the same design, with minor variations on the handle material, spacers, steel, etc.

There's more photos of this knife located HERE. (Click on the photos on that page to see more images)

I have one more that I completed last week, and I believe it is the best of them all. I'll be posting photos of it this weekend.

Mike L.
 
RGraff said:
Thanks to all...those are some beautiful creations. I appreciate you sharing with me.

The reason I asked for the pics is that I am an avid predator hunter and the skinning knives I currently use aren't very well suited for the small game I skin (coyote, bobcat, cougar). A friend suggested a caping knife due to the relatively smaller size.

Please rest assured that before I make one for myself I will contact the maker of the design I decide on and ask permission. In hindsight I should have mentioned the reason for my request in my original post.
Click to expand...

If you would like I can scan a profile drawing for you and send it to your email with dimensions. Just shoot me an email if you want. The knives in the picture are much smaller than they appear...Blade length right @3" and oal length just a hair over 6". In my opinion anything bigger borders on a skinning/hunting knife and doesn't really do a bang up job on what you want.
Matt
 
There is always so much good information here!

I consider 'capping' a trophy one of the hardest parts of field dressing deer and elk. Before I found this site, as it sparked making knives. I used a plain ol Trident parring knife that I had made a sheath for and carried it in my day pack.

It's been mentioned that skinning is fairly straight forward, I find that skinning down into the head, around the ears, antlers, eyes and down into the gums and teeth slow work especially if the mount gets frozen.

Just my $0.02 cents worth, when you get bogged down trying to give a taxidermist a good hide to work with, you get thoughts that having an Surgeons scapple would help. Cappers should be small with a good working tip, or a the tip of a hunter should consider it.

Trident.jpg


Here is a stock photo from Trident, the type I have used when the cape is down too the antlers/ears.
 
logem said:
This isn't necessarily a caping knife either. More of a general deer knife. Of very similar design to Nathan's.

I just finished this several weeks ago.

knife0003-1193_small.jpg


Mike L.
Click to expand...

knife0003-1188_small.jpg


That's a fine little hunter you have there Logem. That's the style of blade I prefer when working on a deer, though I've never had one so dressy.
 
RGraff
Sent you an email today with a scanned copy of a profile. You may or may not need to open up the finger groove a bit.
Hope this helps, and you owe me pics of the finished piece!:D
Matt
 
mdoyle said:
If you would like I can scan a profile drawing for you and send it to your email with dimensions. Just shoot me an email if you want. The knives in the picture are much smaller than they appear...Blade length right @3" and oal length just a hair over 6". In my opinion anything bigger borders on a skinning/hunting knife and doesn't really do a bang up job on what you want.
Matt
Click to expand...

can I get a copy of that as well the knives are beautiful. also where do you purchase the Mosaic pins from or do you make them?
 
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