Getting annoying...knife I pick has something wrong!

pitdog said:
A little off topic but why do people keep talking about enclosed tang knives for really cold weather. If it's that cold do ya not wear gloves anyway?
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I've found a piece of steel in the cold... Really cold... will suck the heat right through my gloves. But then again, my location should be a lot warmer than yours, so you should know better than I.

Plus... gutting, skinning, etc... I find I don't like to wear thick gloves then.
 
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Has anyone on here done a deer/elk or moose with a essse-5? Blade to thick or ok for this?

For doing an animal even in very cold weather I only wear latex gloves (the big ones that to go your shoulder like they have for going inside a cows butt on farms) and the animal is so war that it isn’t usually a problem. I also leave little pockets between the skin and fat tissue that I use as hand warmers. I’m more concerned about the steel being -40 one instant and then body temp the next. I’m also concerned about taking a -40 knife and whacking it with a stick to help me do a moose.

I was also wondering if it is possible to take a belt sander and grind the handles down on micarta scales to make them fit your hand better or will do this cause them to fray or something of that sort?

For wood work do you folks prefer a V grind or convex? What makes nicer fuzz sticks in your opinion and nicer spoons etc (finer camp crafts). The esse5 looks kind of big (I’m not sure I realized how big and thick it was) so I’m just wondering if camp chores (more delicate ones) can be done with it.
 
kman300 said:
Has anyone on here done a deer/elk or moose with a essse-5? Blade to thick or ok for this?

For doing an animal even in very cold weather I only wear latex gloves (the big ones that to go your shoulder like they have for going inside a cows butt on farms) and the animal is so war that it isn’t usually a problem. I also leave little pockets between the skin and fat tissue that I use as hand warmers. I’m more concerned about the steel being -40 one instant and then body temp the next. I’m also concerned about taking a -40 knife and whacking it with a stick to help me do a moose.

I was also wondering if it is possible to take a belt sander and grind the handles down on micarta scales to make them fit your hand better or will do this cause them to fray or something of that sort?

For wood work do you folks prefer a V grind or convex? What makes nicer fuzz sticks in your opinion and nicer spoons etc (finer camp crafts). The esse5 looks kind of big (I’m not sure I realized how big and thick it was) so I’m just wondering if camp chores (more delicate ones) can be done with it.
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The ESEE 5 is very thick, that is why I suggested the slightly thinner but still super strong Swamprat Ratmandu and Scrapyard Scrapper5. The new Doug Ritter/ Becker would also likely be great for your needs !
 
My wife's grandfather was a professional woodworker, born in Germany and brought over to the U.S. by the Pullman Car Company. He built fine inlaid furniture and masterful inlaid panels for Pullman railroad cars for the wealthy in the "Gilded Age." He also made furniture for their homes.

He free-hand sharpened his carving knives. I have several. They all have a flat primary grind and a convex edge on a blade about 2.5" long and under 1/8" thick. They are all simple knives with, oval cross-section wooden handles - not greatly removed from the "pairing knife" of that time, except that the carbon steel blades are much harder than a typical kitchen knife. Some are from Germany and some from the U.S. Most are not marked - at least so far as one can see now.

He also hunted, and he dressed out and butchered the results. He left behind quite a collection of deer antlers. I have one sheath knife I am told he used to "cut up" deer. It is a short (4.5") version of the "butcher" pattern still sold under the "Russell" and "Old Hickory" brands today. Someone today would call it a "Nessmuk."

I often wonder what he would have thought of our discussions of things knifely.
 
pitdog said:
The ESEE 5 is very thick, that is why I suggested the slightly thinner but still super strong Swamprat Ratmandu and Scrapyard Scrapper5. The new Doug Ritter/ Becker would also likely be great for your needs !
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Where can one find these knives for sale?
 
kman300 said:
Where can one find these knives for sale?
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knife works has the Ritter/Becker as an exclusive.
The ESEE 5 is available at a multitude of dealers.
The ESEE 5 will do camp chores - but a smaller blade will do fine jobs easier.
just about any blade going from -40 to +37c has a chance of breaking from thermal shock if there are any internal flaws. I don't know of anyone who will unconditionally guarantee that their blade won't crack when subjected to that kind of shock, but the 3 you mention should honor their replacement warranties if it happens.
best of luck with your choices!
 
A 10 dollar Mora is a nice compliment the the beefy 5. And its so light you won't even notice it.
 
kman300 said:
I’m more concerned about the steel being -40 one instant and then body temp the next. I’m also concerned about taking a -40 knife and whacking it with a stick to help me do a moose.
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Im not a scientist but I dont think you have anything to worry about
with the first part.
Its the rate of temperature change that I believe is what
causes issues with cracking. Going from -40 to 100
inside a carcass is going to take a few minutes at least.
Your transferring the cold of the steel to the meat.
Now if you stuck the -40 knife in a 5000 degree blast furnace,
the rate of temp change would be something to worry about
(provided you looked at it before it melted!)

Ive never cleaned an animal but if you do the inside
work first,the blade should be warmed up enough to take
any concerns about batoning away.
(Im not even sure battoning a -40 "good" blade
into a moose bone would hurt it.

I still like the ratmandu or HRLM howling rat.
 
I don"t know-----I really don't think you need to buy another knife until you try out the ones you have for a season. Get used to them, work with them, hold them in your hand so you have a feel for the knife. I only have one straight knife and I don't need any more. Along with the folders I have I don't have any problems in the bush, woods etc. Good luck to you.
 
Thomas Linton said:
My wife's grandfather was a professional woodworker, born in Germany and brought over to the U.S. by the Pullman Car Company. He built fine inlaid furniture and masterful inlaid panels for Pullman railroad cars for the wealthy in the "Gilded Age." He also made furniture for their homes.

He free-hand sharpened his carving knives. I have several. They all have a flat primary grind and a convex edge on a blade about 2.5" long and under 1/8" thick. They are all simple knives with, oval cross-section wooden handles - not greatly removed from the "pairing knife" of that time, except that the carbon steel blades are much harder than a typical kitchen knife. Some are from Germany and some from the U.S. Most are not marked - at least so far as one can see now.

He also hunted, and he dressed out and butchered the results. He left behind quite a collection of deer antlers. I have one sheath knife I am told he used to "cut up" deer. It is a short (4.5") version of the "butcher" pattern still sold under the "Russell" and "Old Hickory" brands today. Someone today would call it a "Nessmuk."

I often wonder what he would have thought of our discussions of things knifely.
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Very good post :thumbup:

The biggest influence in my outdoors life was my grandfather, who was a true depression era mountain man. He carried a yellow handled kissing crane slip joint, the only fixed blades I ever saw him use were an Old Timer, which is still my go to knife, and butcher knives. We did a lot of camping under a lean to that was made from a tarp and saplings cut with an axe. We spent a lot of time in the woods and accomplished everything needed with those tools.

I think modern knives are a marvel of marketing, convincing people to spend lots of money for performance that is either smoke and mirrors or not needed, I honestly don't need a knife that doubles as a pry bar. Don't get me wrong, beatifully made custom knives are sexy as hell and for the most part worth every dime. However, the do everything bullet/bombproof knives are largely overpriced, overhyped and not practical for anything short of combat. Chris
 
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The F1 is an amazing knife, near perfect for me. If the handle were a little thicker... I'll have to pick up a custom handled one sometime. I can't imagine anyone breaking it.
 
My advice: Less worrying about what people on the internet say about your knives, more going out and using them to build your own opinions of them. :)

That said, I'm guilty of the same thing to some degree, and have to remind myself of that advice I just gave all the time.
 
Never hunted a moose, never even saw one for that matter, but why would you baton through bones? I have butchered my share of game and hogs and have never needed, or had to do that, if I did, a compact bone saw would be in my kit, I would not use my knife. Chris
 
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