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Deer Skinner/field Dressing Knife ?
- Thread starter FOG2
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2006
- Messages
- 19,374
The size and length is a personal thing.. My preference is for a drop point style blade and the blade doesn't need to be very long. I would say around 4" max. If the knife is to big, it makes it harder to control and feel your work.. ..Deer are a small animal and I usually just use a pocket knife. To me, its more important how the knife fits my hands and how well it holds an edge..
Beautiful knives but I don't want a sharpened spine.When I open the stomach,I hold the blade with the edge up and my index finger barely covering the tip,so I can zip it open without getting in the intestines.I also want a blade that isn't too wide to ream around the anus so I can take the intestine out intact without spilling anything into the body cavity.
Sorry, an aside:
Halbie, after seeing the top knife in your pictures (which looks beautiful, unique, and expertly designed) I went to Keith Ouye's website and found many great looking knives. I want to try and save up for one, should take about 10yrs. (very pricey).
Halbie, after seeing the top knife in your pictures (which looks beautiful, unique, and expertly designed) I went to Keith Ouye's website and found many great looking knives. I want to try and save up for one, should take about 10yrs. (very pricey).
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2007
- Messages
- 2,412
The 1st design i came up with looks very much like the SWAMP RAT MWT
shown. With the exception that the blade is curved along the entire length.Making it a dedicated skinner IMO.
I think the blade needs to have a straight portion at the handle end to make it usable for field dressing as well. ( that seems to be how the blades i see posted are shaped )
Would you folks agree ?
shown. With the exception that the blade is curved along the entire length.Making it a dedicated skinner IMO.
I think the blade needs to have a straight portion at the handle end to make it usable for field dressing as well. ( that seems to be how the blades i see posted are shaped )
Would you folks agree ?
Guyon, how do you ever decide which knife to take out hunting with you ?
i too have way more Hunters than i can ever use and get caught "dickin around", wasting time, trying to decide which of the 40 (?) i should take.
that said i have often used my Schrade 152OT (SharpFinger) and it works very well on deer.
the sharp thin point is excellent for the initail cutting around the anus as well as for reaching in the opened abdominal cavity to cut through the diaphragm and freeing up the posterior wall attachments. (short shank it and have index finger on spine at tip).
the upswept tip skins well too, although most of skinning is best done by pulling on the hide and doing "blunt dissection" with your fist.
so FOG2, that is a pattern for a hunter that i have found very effective.
make it in a steel that edge holds longer than 1095 and you'll have a fine Hunter knife.
roland
i too have way more Hunters than i can ever use and get caught "dickin around", wasting time, trying to decide which of the 40 (?) i should take.
that said i have often used my Schrade 152OT (SharpFinger) and it works very well on deer.
the sharp thin point is excellent for the initail cutting around the anus as well as for reaching in the opened abdominal cavity to cut through the diaphragm and freeing up the posterior wall attachments. (short shank it and have index finger on spine at tip).
the upswept tip skins well too, although most of skinning is best done by pulling on the hide and doing "blunt dissection" with your fist.
so FOG2, that is a pattern for a hunter that i have found very effective.
make it in a steel that edge holds longer than 1095 and you'll have a fine Hunter knife.
roland
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2007
- Messages
- 1,389
I carried and used a lot of different blade styles and sizes until I finally settled on this one about 10 years ago. I had a very good friend who was one of the best makers I have known and he helped me with the design and made the one I still carry. He has since passed away and I now make this pattern.
It's small enough not to get in the way while I'm hunting yet big enough to do whatever I need it to. It has plenty of belly for skinning but still has a bit of a point when needed.
This is what works for me.
On a side note, I think you can usually tell the experience level of a hunter by the size of knife he carries. A younger hunter often has a Crocodile Dundee type knife strapped on somewhere whereas an older hunter may be down to some sort of Case pocket knife. It seems like the older I get the less gear I feel I need to carry with me.
Good luck in finding what works for you.
SDS
It's small enough not to get in the way while I'm hunting yet big enough to do whatever I need it to. It has plenty of belly for skinning but still has a bit of a point when needed.
This is what works for me.
On a side note, I think you can usually tell the experience level of a hunter by the size of knife he carries. A younger hunter often has a Crocodile Dundee type knife strapped on somewhere whereas an older hunter may be down to some sort of Case pocket knife. It seems like the older I get the less gear I feel I need to carry with me.
Good luck in finding what works for you.
SDS
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- Joined
- Mar 15, 2000
- Messages
- 45,835
One of my favorites is the Buck Vanguard with the rubberized handle. Good design and length. Good grip. Good hand guard. Mine is in ATS-34 instead of the normal 420HC.
At Blade this next year, I'm going to the Dozier table first and will be picking up one of his hunters.
Third knife from left:
At Blade this next year, I'm going to the Dozier table first and will be picking up one of his hunters.
Third knife from left:
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2004
- Messages
- 1,477
My personal favorite knife for field dressing deer is a plain old Buck 102.
4" clip point blade is about perfect IMO.
I know that it is also only 420HC, but that is all you need for this type of knife if you want to be realistic. At most you might gut out what 2 deer while you are out in the field before you are back sitting at home or in camp where you could resharpen if need be? 420HC with Buck's heat treat will handle this duty no problem. I use it pretty much exclusively for field dressing though, and usually have another knife in pocket for whatever else. Your mileage may very.
4" clip point blade is about perfect IMO.
I know that it is also only 420HC, but that is all you need for this type of knife if you want to be realistic. At most you might gut out what 2 deer while you are out in the field before you are back sitting at home or in camp where you could resharpen if need be? 420HC with Buck's heat treat will handle this duty no problem. I use it pretty much exclusively for field dressing though, and usually have another knife in pocket for whatever else. Your mileage may very.
One of my favorites is the Buck Vanguard with the rubberized handle. Good design and length. Good grip. Good hand guard. Mine is in ATS-34 instead of the normal 420HC.
Third knife from left:
+1 on the Vanguard.
i mean the upswept tip as on the Schrade 152OT. ya, i know, it's not a custom, i've got a few of those too. but i think Henry Baer just nailed it when he put out this blade pattern, it just works so well on deer, especially if you only want to carry 1 knife.
but it is not the only blade pattern that works well.
i think this will work well too:
i'm bow hunting every evening, so when i get one, i'll find out.
and this little guy at 6" OAL might just be a bit slippy in a greasy hand, but otherwise, i bet it'll do a quick easy job too (for deer #2)
roland
but it is not the only blade pattern that works well.
i think this will work well too:
i'm bow hunting every evening, so when i get one, i'll find out.
and this little guy at 6" OAL might just be a bit slippy in a greasy hand, but otherwise, i bet it'll do a quick easy job too (for deer #2)
roland
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2007
- Messages
- 2,412
The blade on this knife looks very much like the blank ive cut out..
OPINIONS????? PLZ
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=583383
OPINIONS????? PLZ
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=583383