gut hook shape?

[NickWheeler]

Almost everyone I know says that a gut-hook isn't neccessary, but I have a guy that thinks they are the best thing since sliced bread.

I read somewhere that the hook is actually quite useful. However, it is useless on blades where the curve of the hook does not match the curve of the spine of the blade.

So, can anyone tell me how to figure out the shape?

I make a small camp/utility that looks a great deal like A.T. Barr's camp/combat knife that was featured in Knives '98 "In Search of Our Holy Grail." This customer wants that blade with a gut-hook.

Also, what's the best way to sharpen it? Do I file it to shape before heat-treat and then use an emery-wrapped rod to sharpen it post heat-treat? (I know that kind of ties into Copper's last post).

I'm not sure if that's feasable or not. Any help and suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Nick

[This message has been edited by NickWheeler (edited 05-26-2000).]

 

[Kit Carson]

I think Outdoor Edge has one of the best gut hooks on the market. Go to their web site and study it.

To work effectively, the gut hook needs to be hollow ground. I use a .250 x 3" abrasive type cutoff wheel and mount the blade in the old 1951 Sharp knee mill (see, Tom, no CNC mill for me) and grind in to a center line on one side and move it to the other side and do the same thing. The "hook" needs to be smooth shaped with no sharp edges. The .250 is wide enough for the hide and the hollow grind can be sharpened quite good.
As far as the shape of it, most any drop point style blade can be made into a gut hook. You just have to saw and grind away the area for the gut hook. It just takes alot of hand work to get it right.

 

[ckknives]

I do not do many gut hooks, but when needed, I use a 1/2 inch cylindrical (round cross section) file to rough the basic notch perpendicular to the blade. Next the file is laid over at about a 30 degree angle and the edge is filed in before heat treating. All my blades' bevels are done with files as I have no grinder. The hardest part is to get the gut hook even on both sides. After heat treating, I wrap sand paper around the file and finish the final guthook edge. Here is one knife a client designed recently. Generally, I do not have a large top above the hook like this, but he wanted one "just like a friend's blade". Steel is 1084 and handle is Bocote.

The hard part comes in making the knife fit snugly in a pouch style sheath. You have to take into consideration the extra width above the hook.

Charles Kasicki
ckknives

[This message has been edited by ckknives (edited 05-26-2000).]