first post-hunting/field knife question

Z

zcostilla

Joined
Dec 20, 2005
Messages
79
Hello. I've been lurking aroung for two days reading and getting information and I have learned the following things
1. I don't know diddly about knives
2. I really screwed up the edges of my kitchen knives with a v-sharpener (I will save up for an EdgePro!)
3. You guys are pretty informative.

In most forums, the newbie jumps on and asks a general "which one" question which can get a broad range of answers, and I wish I could say I am not that newbie, but I will try to narrow things down as I ask.

I just moved to Alaska this year, and in preparation for a spring bear hunt (and hopefully a fall mosse and caribou hunt) I am looking for a good knive for both hunting and field/camp situations. I have a limited budget (I know this usually means a limited quality, and I can accept a little compromise). I was looking at the SOG Field Pup (4" blade/.130 thick AUS8) or a Black K-BAR Short unserrated (5 1/4" blade/1095). A couple questions:
1. What benefit does the outward curve of the blade give for the Field Pup design?
2. Which would do better on heavy joints for moose or bear? (I have a Gerber Gator that I am having a friend modify the blade for caping)
3. What other questions should I be asking to make an informed decision?
4. Any other decent alternatives in the under $50 range?
5. What exactly is "hollow ground"? I read that it gives a better slicing edge but how?

I'm ignorant but willing to learn.

Zac
 
Kershaw Echo & Black Horse II are great.
Ya want some "belly" on a small skinner & a fixed blade is safer to use.
A nice clip-point folder for getting cuts started for skinning is handy & caping work too.
Keep 'em razor-sharp & you'll be done in no time.
 
Welcome zcostilla, glad you made it here.

I've had a Ka-bar shorty for years as my field knife and have also used it to dress whitetail deer. Not the best choice for that maybe, but it works. Gets sharp, stays sharp, overall fairly tough, not too heavy. One downside is the sharpened clip, you have to be careful when working inside or it will cut something you didn't expect. A little more belly in the front half would be nice, too. Otherwise, it's a decent knife. I've never used a Seal Pup, but fwiw I've read the edge is a little thick and handle does not give the best grip, not good when field dressing.

1. Belly is nice on a draw cut, such as when slicing through meat or skinning and it helps keep the tip out of the way.
2. No experience there, sorry. But I think a small axe/hatchet would be handy for that kind of work.
3. Your needs seem clear, others will be asking for more specifics I'm sure.
4. Cold Steel Master Hunter would be a good alternate in that price range. If you find you can swing a little more, take a good look at Bark River. They know about hunting/outdoor knives.
5. If you look at a cross section of the blade, a hollow ground profile is concave on both sides, not flat. It thins the blade behind the edge to reduce drag as you slice. Some people find that once the cut gets deep enough to get past the concave part the blade will start to bind, but if the blade is not too thick along the spine I haven't found this to be a problem.

Hope this helps, good luck.
 
I use a puukko for deer ($25 or so at www.kellamknives.com, or ragweegforge.com). Carbon steel, nice handle -- I've never had a problem even when I'm up to the elbows (sometimes shoulder) inside a deer. Stays sharp, takes a wicked edge, and excellent for camp use as well.

You can't go wrong.
Peace.
 
Z-

Welcome to the forum, I'm glad you stopped lurking and came out of the closet so to speak!

I would suggest you take a look at the Bark River Knives located in the great north woods of Michigan (no comparision of course to the great north woods of Alaska). I think Bark River is geared towards hunters/campers who really need to use a good knife. Very tough and sharp and nice folks to deal with. Just be sure to get one with a blade guard. You would never want your fingers to get friendly with their convex edges. They hand grind a wicked "convex edge" on them. There are edges and there ARE edges like their convex. I'm very careful handling mine, they are that sharp.

If I were in your shoes (let me know if you need another in your hunting party hee hee!) I would suggest you carry two fixed blade knives, a good folder, and a small bow saw for bones and quartering. You don't want to have to stop and resharpen and you are talking about some really big game, not a puny little whitetail.

http://www.barkriverknives.com/huntsman.html

They are an "interesting group" who seems to enjoy their business of turning out a first class knife for people who really use their knives.

http://www.barkriverknives.com/

A hollow grind is what happens when you put a blade on a grinding wheel. The stone wheel sort of hollows out the blade making it lighter. You can find all kinds of discussions about grinds and which is better than the other. Here are some good basic tips on knives from guys who are the true wizards in the knife industry. I starting making notes years ago when I realized how little I really knew about knives and their design. I would suggest you checkout the KF forum for knife sharpening, etc. I think it is very interesting and they have folks who sharpen knives all day for a living that know more about steel and knife sharpeing than I will if I live to be 100. You can ask any question and get an intelligent answer.

Mr. Joe Talmadge

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=368828

The Swiss Army
http://www.mhcable.com/~yocraft/sosak/convex.htm

Great sharpening info with pictures

http://forums.egullet.com/index.php?showtopic=26036

Mr. Allen Elishewitz

http://knifeart.com/geomofcutedb.html

I'll shutup now. Didn't realize how carried away I got!
 
1. The outward curve on the blade slightly concentrates force when you use a drawing or sawing motion with your blade. It also can help when you are peeling apart layers of tissue to get in between and nudge them apart.

2. Non-stainless steel like 1095 will be tougher than stainless like AUS-8. If you have to split joints the 1095 is a better choice. If I got the Kabar for this purpose I would cut off the thumb-side of the guard and would dull the backside of the blade with a file. This make the knife easier to use.

3. Since you gave your application I don't think you need to ask more questions.

4. I'll have to think about other choices. Your choices go up when you get closer to $100.

5. Hollow grind is a concave grind behind your edge. It is what you get when you use a grinding wheel to shape the edge bevel and allow the curve of the wheel to be reflected in the finished surface countour. It makes the area behind the edge thinner so that there is less material to remove when you sharpen. It makes it easier to sharpen at a low angle and hence get an edge that cuts well. It is not as strong as a flat grind because of this thinness.
 
Welcome to Bladeforums!

Just to show you a couple of different styles of good knives:

As puukkoman said, a puukko! a Finnish knife, here in combination with a leuku, the Lappland version of a camp knife. Puukko and Leuku Combination (page down to it and click on the picture)

And as Blue Sky suggested, the Cold Steel Master Hunter -- which would probably be as good an all-in-one blade as you would need, in that price range.

If you want a camp knife, like the leuku, to go with the Master Hunter, look at the extremely basic and economical Bushman.

Go for carbon steel for sharpness and strength. You won't have to worry about rust as long as you clean the blades after use, and oil them before storage.
 
I would suggest this hunting knife, it has moose written all over it.

http://www.grohmannknives.com/pages/r4s.html

It'll be in Canadian dollars and within or close to your budget depending on what features you order. You can choose high carbon or stainless, handle material and even sheat style.. I own one and have used it in/on everything from moose, elk to deer.. Beefy enough for camp stuff but not too big for field dressing.. I have a high carbon with water buffalo horn handle and an overlap sheath and I love it.. Not tactical, but then again neither am I..

Cheers.
 
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