Further testing of the field knife

rodriguez7

rodriguez7

Gila wilderness knife works
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
Messages
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So I just got back from my cousins elk hunt, we got 2 cows. So I did get some good testing in on this field knife. I'll try to update and add pics tomorrow if I get a chance. I finally got some good pictures of the knife in action. The only thing I'll say right now, is this is the only knife that did not need a touch up, and finished both elk no problem. My dad has a bark river in cpm4v, my cousin used his kabar, and my buddy used a d2 skinner custom I got off the exchange. The field knife beat them all rather easily.
 
I'm looking forward to the pictures and the rest of your thoughts. I must say that I'm not at all surprised that it performed so well, after my own experience with the fk and about a half dozen other blades for comparison this fall. Thanks for the update and for taking time to document it.
 
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
For your viewing pleasure. I finally got an iPhone, and got some really good pics. Enjoy
 
So, after all this testing so far, this knife in this steel with Nathan's heat treat is about the best performing knife I have tested. I makes a big difference when your out in the cold, and want to get your animal done in the shortest time possible, I don't care much to stop and resharpen in the middle of field dressing. With this knife I never had to. And at the end, all I did was take it to a smooth ceramic, and was good to go again for another elk. Cpm3v is very good in this role, cutting around bone, taking down joints. No damage was done to the edge, and it kept chewing through flesh and sinew no problem. Thanks Nate for building the knife, and justin for selling it to me to try out.
 
This next weekend I'll be butchering my two pigs, and will continue the testing. The only other knife I have that will hold up is a custom done by hunter Martin in z-wear, heat treated by peters. It has held up best to the pigs so far. We shall see how the field knife does.
 
My pleasure and glad to help. Thanks for taking the time to take those pics.

Of course I'm glad to hear it worked so well.
 
Thanks for the follow up pictures!! One thing I still can't quite wrap my mind around is how readily the D3V accepts the resharpened edge. I went a little farther with the resharp than you did: I ran it across my Norton India stone for a few licks, and then onto the hard Arkansas stone and finally a few passes on the strop, loaded with green compound. I know I didn't spend more than about three minutes and it was back to ridiculous sharp. This was after the job on the two muledeer bucks back-to-back.

Gutting and skinning a couple deer isn't really too hard on a blade, but we also cut through and busted off the lower legs and heads at the neck joint, and I know from past experience that kind of bone contact is hard on an edge. Although I don't understand all of it, I believe this is where we're seeing the 'edge stability' shine. Thanks again, and keep the reviews coming!

Oh, and congrats on a successful hunt!! :thumbup:
 
Thanks man, yeah the resharpen was just a field touch up after the 2nd elk. When I got home I sharpened it back up on my worksharp with the higher grit belts. Nothing major, but just getting it ready for the pigs this coming weekend. I'll usually hit it with the smooth rods on my sharpmaker after I'm done with most things. 2 elk plus some camp chores is a little rough on any blade. I really wonder how well nates d2 would compare, that would be interesting.
 
Ohhhh nice. I'm hungry now.

So glad to see that knife getting miles on it.

I wish I had 4 arms, so I could give you four thumbs up!!
 
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