Gut Hook Grind

S

Steve Smart

Joined
Jan 3, 1999
Messages
70

Any of you guys ever grind a gut hook?

I'm wondering about the bevels for the hook. The smallest contact wheel for my Burr King is 9/16". I don't think this is small
enough.

Any ideas?

Thanks

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Steve Smart
 
I would think a small round chainsaw file and /or a ceramic rod would work fine. That's what I use to sharpen my wood carving 'bent knife.' I see a lot of these guthook models advertised and in the stores but I've never seen one in a hunting camp. Do these things work or do they ball up with fur when making the opening slit? A drop-point design (Master Hunter) works best for me on deer and moose.
 
I've been hearing good reports about the gut hooks from hunters.

I've been getting lots of request for them.

The chain saw file might work, but it'll take a lot of filing to make those bevels.

I think a dremel might be the answer.

Thanks for the suggestion.


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Steve Smart
 
Gut hooks work but only if they are wide so they don't gum up with the hair and thick hides. Small narrow ones(like on the Buck Zippers) are generally lousy. The best one if you want to see an excellent design is the one on the Finnish made Kuusaamo brand knife.
We have tried them all in our hunting camp and we usually skin 40-50 deer each season and the real wide ones work best.

You also need to sharpen them regularly since they also go dull just like the blade.

Alex Penton(openton@bellsouth.net)
 
I have to agree with Alex, the wide ones do work best.
I've had a complaint of hair and skin balling up on the gut hook of one of my knives, so I've changed the design. I've widened the hook and am now sharpening up to the spine of the blade. This straight cutting edge cuts the hair and the top of the skin, especially when doing shoulder capes on larger animals like eland, kudu and gemsbuck where one has to cut through much thicker skin than the belly side. (The skin on the back of an eland can be up to one inch thick!)
To see an example check the art knife section of my knife catalogue on my website.

http://www.limpopo.co.za/burgerknives.htm

I drill a hole the size of the hook, then cut with a saw up to the edges of the drilled hole. The bevels are ground on a 1 inch wide 12 inch dia. contact wheel (this is quite tricky as you have to swing the blade almost 360 degrees), final shaping is done with a dremel tool, sharpening with wet and dry wrapped around a piece of steel rod.

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Tiaan,

Thanks for the info on the gut hook.

I went to your website and sent you and e-mail with another question.

steve
 
Steve, if you want to see a good example of a proper gut hook design go to:

http://www.kellamknives.com/home.html
Go to the catalog section and click through
the pages until you get to the page titled
"Sportsman Line".

Take a look at the gut hook skinner and that is the same approximate size and shape as the one on the Kuusamo knife I use. The Finns skin lots of moose and reindeer and I think they got their design down pat. It works great on whitetails and mule deer from my experience. Make sure the edge bevel is very shallow and as sharp as you can make it since you won't be cutting through any bones with the gut hook.

Alex Penton

[This message has been edited by alex (edited 13 January 1999).]
 
Alex, thanks for the tip. I checked out the the web page. Their gut hook does look like a great design.
Thanks

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Steve Smart
 
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