Help me decide

N

Neo

Joined
Sep 12, 2002
Messages
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hattori bird & trout knife (second on picture)

HATTORIBANDT.jpg



Or Fallkniven micarta F1

fallkniven_figm_l_1.jpg


I gues you all know the specs
 
This is the first time I've heard of Hattori knives, but they look cool. You definitely can't go wrong with the Fallkniven. I'd like tohear more about the Hattoris and how they compare.
 
Ok here are the specs

Fallkniven:
blade 3.8" total 8.3"
Lamminated VG10, edge 59HRC
Convex grind

Hattori
blade 4" total 8"
VG10 at 60-61HRC
Ebonywood handle with brass hilt and butt
Flat grind ????? (probably hollow ground)
 
Of the knives pictured I like the Hattori best because of the clip point blade which I prefer over a drop point on a bird/fish knife because it seems to make that initial cut through the skin easier. The thing I don't like about the Hattori as a field "using" knife is the bright brass finish on the butt cap. As someone who prefers to wear his hunting knife in a sheath on his belt it seems dumb to hunt wary game with a bright reflective butt cap showing. If I owned that knife I would dull the brass.

These knives are both larger than my ideal "bird and trout" knife would be here in central Texas. The perfect bird/trout knife for me would be a relatively thin 2-2.5" high quality stainless (like VG-10) that could be used to clean dove and quail. If you define "bird" as goose/duck/pheasant the 4" blade is probably appropriate.

I have a slight preference for stainless because it cleans up so quickly with water and doesn't rust or stain. A little less maintenance is always a good thing. Your hardest cutting task on dove/quail is probably removing the wings because you are required to cut through cartilage and tendon. People without good knifes just twist them off ;).

On steelhead and salmon a larger knife is sometimes useful for removing the head and tail but again the smaller knife would work just fine for opening the belly and removing the entrails. Small trout I usually butterfly for cooking so the 2-2.5" blade is just fine for that. A 4" blade is no substitute for a really sharp filet knife on a big fish like a steelhead or salmon IMO. A 4" blade would probably be fine on many largemouth bass though. For panfish I'd want that 2-2.5" blade.

I'm still looking for my perfect bird/trout knife btw. I own a Randall bird and trout knife and while it is beautful to behold it simply is not that useful for the smallish birds I hunt and the (few) trout I catch to eat. Good luck with your new knife.
 
When you have to make a choice between two different knives and one of them is a Fallkniven, then for me it always goes to the Fallkniven. I have NO experience with Hattori but lots of experience with the Fallkniven knives( I must have somewhere over a dozen of their models). Fallkniven knives do just what knives are supposed to do and they have a model to fit just about anyones needs for a blade.

Yeah, I like Fallknivens

Ciao
Ron
:eek: :D
 
Ron I've 9 Fallknivens the 10th comming soon (wm1/3g) but no Hattori :p
Maybe I should try to get the Hattori instead of the 11th Fallkniven.
I've even more barkies, so the convex compartment is quite present.
Does anyone know what grind this hattori has?
 
The PSK (middle) has the correct blade size (but not shape, and isn't vg10, although mikes 12c27 heattread is very good)

Copy_of_PSK_2.jpg
 
Why stainless only? IMHO carbon steel is perfectly fine for fixed blade (or more likely better choice for FB).
And in this price range, have you considered e.g. Bark River (those with A2)?
 
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