Did I Just Make a Hunting Knife?

redsquid2

redsquid2

Free-Range Cheese Baby
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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I am not a hunter, but I just wanted to make a hunting knife. I went on youtube and I watched people dressing and butchering deer. Then I said to myself, OK, a "hunting" knife looks like "this," because "this" is what they are using. Then I took pencil and paper, and tried to come up with a profile that was the average shape and size of all these different knives.

Anyways, here is what I came up with. I think I will give it a spacious ricasso, and blade length to the scales would be about 4 1/4", cutting edge about 3 5/8". It has already been heat treated, so I can't change it now.

I forgot to mention, it is 1/8" A2 steel, with flat-ground bevels.

8517647509_cb35dac793_b.jpg


What do you all think? Is it useful for hunting? If not, then for chopping up potatoes and carrots, etc.? I appreciate feedback.

--Andy
 
Don't worry about not being able to change it....you've got nothing to change :thumbup:
 
It could definitely be used as a hunter but it also has a nice blade shape for utility/EDC cutting.

Nice work. :thumbup:
 
I like it. Speaking as a deer hunter, the handle is more bulbous then I normally use but the blade shape is dead on.
 
I'd use that knife in a heartbeat for field dressing and skinning. Great multi-purpose hunting design. Very versatile blade length, shape, and grind too. Plus, A2 is good in the field.
 
Looks like it would be a fine hunting knife. Blade has a great shape, it is nice and thin, and is the perfect length.
 
Thanks for all the feedback, everybody. Nice to know!

:)

Andy
 
Overall, that looks like a good design for big game to me. I don't think the handle is too bulbous, it looks like it would give good control. I do think slightly shorter width will make getting into the cavities a little easier. For an "all around" knife with a focus on big game, it looks pretty good. It might be a little too big for smaller game. If you want to focus purely on a skinning knife, I've skinned a deer with a plain ole Case Sodbuster. My father in law mostly uses a Leatherman wave or Buck 110 on deer. This includes quartering...... fixed blades are much prefered for butchering though. That knife looks like it would be great for skinning, cleaning, and quartering venison. Add a filet knife and it would be great for butchering the deer.


Edit: By shorter width, I mean the distance from the spine to the cutting edge.
 
There are not really many requirements for a hunting knife other than strong (for breaking the pelvis in a deer and cracking the chest cavity), sharp and holds an edge enough to gut and skin a deer.

So, a hunter might have a slightly thicker blade and be made of good steel. I think 4" +/- 0.5 is a good blade length for a hunter.

Looks like a solid design to me.
 
Looks good! Would work great on a PA white tail. Make some nice micarta or wood scales and your set. A classic leather sheath with some tooling would be great. Nothing better than a nice weather aged, blood stained hunting knife sheath. Show off it history and use. Only thig I wodl do is round off the hilt aera a bit more the more square sharper edges could poke you when your climbing in your tree stand or crawling in some the luarls if your a PA hunter.
 
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