Dozier knives as survival knives

B

backpacker

Joined
Oct 2, 2000
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201
I purchased a pair of Dozier knives for hunting (k2 & k6). They appear to be just what the doctor ordered for skinning and boning out deer. My question is, how well will these knives hold up as a survival knife to make figer 4 traps, ect...?
I am worried about the thin hollow ground blade. Will the edge chip or roll easy?
 
No, your Dozier Companion and General Purpose Hunting Knife shouldn't chip or roll Backpacker. None of my three Dozier's have: Agent, Neck Knife & New York Special. The New York Special is a much thinner blade too.




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I'm a user and do not accept benefits as a result of my posts.
 
I've ordered a Dozier K-1, and I'll let you know what I think after I've used it over this next season, but I've wondered about that marvelous Dozier edge and how it would stand up to something rougher than food preparation, skinning, etc.

Bob D. does make a line of "survival" knives. They are longer than his hunting/utility collection, in the 5" range instead of 3"-3.5". Of course they are more expensive too. I don't think a 3.5" blade is long enough for some camp chores, particularly wood splitting, but I'll find out. Normally I prefer something in the 5"-6" range for camp. While still not long enough for effective chopping, it can be driven through wood with another log to pound it. I suspect even the smaller Dozier would stand up to this treatment for a while, but given the cost of the knife, I don't know if I'd want to subject it to such treatment unless I had no choice. As it is, I have lots of other choices, from a $26 Mora 2000, to my Livesay 131 Air Assault. I can go bigger too, but real chopping and brush clearing is not something I seem to do enough to justify carrying the weight.
 
backpacker,
I don't think you have much to worry about. For one thing, Bob Dozier is a master craftsman so you have a well-made tool by a person who has many years of experience and is admired by his peers. Second, I've never heard of any complaints about Bob's knives breaking. True, the hunter line is hollow ground but if you use common sense and don't abuse them, I think they will work hard for you. But I'm not really speaking from a lot of experience. I have 3 of his blades now and I really haven't put them to hard use. I cleaned a couple squirrels with the my General Utility (I have so many squirrels and rabbits in my back yard, I don't even have to hunt them in the woods. It's like a wild meat locker back there.
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) and used it to cut the paws off. Small bones didn't phase the edge.

True, his hunting blades are not for prying but Brian Jones has used Bob's Arkansas Toothpick for prying. Right tool for the right job. As for whittling, Bob's hunting line excels. I've used my General Utility for whittling on big hardwood dowels this past winter when I was making a roof rake to rake the snow off my roof and it worked well. It was still shaving sharp when I finished too. If making snare triggers is what concerns you, you don't have a thing to worry about. That's not something that should seriously stress your Dozier knives.

I can't say how the hunting line would take to a baton. The Professional Guides Knife is probably the most robust of the line and I'm guessing that it will probably take a beating (Bob is a master at the heat treat) but I'm reluctant to do any heavy prying with it. In general, most knives aren't designed for prying. There are a few out there that excel at it. It's always a tradeoff though. Do you want a knife that will fillet a fish or dig wood out of a stump? That's why two knives are always better than one.
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And three are better than two. And four are...well, you get the picture.
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When I dig for wild roots I always use a screwdriver. You just have to match the tool to the job.
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A nice stout screwdriver isn't glamorous but when I'm foraging, it's what I take for prying. I prefer SnapOn myself.
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Hoodoo

I get some pleasure from finding a relentlessly peaceful use for a combative looking knife.
JKM
 
I've handled Dozier's knives and they seem well and worth the money. However, I've not had experience with D2 steel. How does it compare to others when used in the field, or in terms of sharpening and stain-resistance? Is there a noticible edgeholding advantage over the likes of ATS34?

One reservation I have is would it be hard to sharpen D-2 steel hardened to 60-61 HRC?



[This message has been edited by tallwingedgoat (edited 04-09-2001).]
 
I sharpened my Companion model Dozier today. It took along time to rebevel the edge with the stardard Lansky sharpener, alot longer. But, when I was done, the edge was scary. The D2 steel on my knife was even sharper than the edge I put on my Cold Steel Master Hunter. I did not think any of my knifes could be that sharp.

I hope the knife will hold an egde for a long time. It would not be fun to sharpen in the feild with-out a set of good diamond stones.
 
A small DMT diamond hone should reduce your shapening time considerably. One can be carried in the field easily.

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Hoodoo

I get some pleasure from finding a relentlessly peaceful use for a combative looking knife.
JKM
 
Hands-down, Bob Dozier knives are my favorite out-door, hard use, survival tools. So far I have never had a problem of any kind after eight years of HARD use. I own a total of 17 Dozier knives ( fixed blade and folders ) and use them as often as I can in urban and wilderness settings. Are there other knives just as good ? Without question there are. It is a personal preference thing for excellence in heat treat, D2 steel and a knife maker I admire.

Not sure, but I believe Mr. Dozier once mentioned using an EZE Lap diamond hone, Model "M'. I use this media to sharpen/hone his knives and it works well for me. I do not let the blade go all the way down to, say, dull. Rather, I hone D2 and other steels often, just works better for me. The model "M" comes with a good leather sheath containing a belt loop and snap-down cover. I waterproof the leather and secure it to Bob's kydex sheath using two (wide ) plastic cable ties. It becomes a built-in knife sharpener on Kydex. I have used the DMT products also and are they nice! I am not a knife/steel expert so I only suggest that if you experience "difficulty" in sharpening any D2 steel it may be because of the hight chrome content in the alloy matrix...as opposed to 1095 steel which has no chrome, is "softer", easy to sharpen and holds an edge for a shorter period of time when cutting the same material as D2. Anyway you " cut-it", I like both of these steels.

 
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