I am truly touched to see how many of you care about me. I feel loved...
You wouldn't get much money from my knife collection. I only own two knives. Well, maybe you guys'd pay real high prices, on account of sentimental feelings for you old pal.
As to wrestling boar, well I had some sucess and some failure.
I found one(small, maybe 20" at the shoulder) I wrestled it, and it got away. I didn't do my usualy trick with the arrow. The idea was to run it into the water instead. Which has worked in the past, but not this time. I wouldn't want to do this on a big animal. That much I've learned. I may try again.
Yeah, I've been doing this awhile too. Trying to get in touch with my ancestral predatory roots. To learn more about myself and what it was like for early humans. Yup. I've got a scar.
Mostly it's not a big deal though. Just small cuts and scratches that heal well. Once I've got their hind legs/on their back it's over pretty quick. While the hunt must be primitive, it must not be cruel.
The Project 1 isn't big at all for a job like this, in fact I wish it was a bit longer. Remember, you can't legally shoot aligators;
To get one you must first harpoon it, let it wear itself out and get tangled up in your line(preferable with a stainless steel cable leader of at least 15-20ft, which is affixed to a bouy with has a rope that is attached to your boat, or a tree if you're hunting from the shore), drag it to the surface, get it's jaws shut and ducktape them, and then cut it's spinal cord. Quite an ordeal. I've fallen into the water a few times. A harrowing experience to say the least...
Anyway, the knife splits the spinal cord, it has to have some size. A2 is good steel. At various times I've used most every tool and carbon steel, and probably some 4xx stainless too. The main thing is you need a stout knife that can be sharpened.
Speaking of which, I sharpen on a six-inch long diamond stone of unknown manufacture. I bought it a year ago in a backwards town outside Altoona in Ace Hardware on my way to the gun range in Ocala Park while living in Orlando. I got it for my folder really, I like a stone as big or bigger than the blade for sharpening. I was still using an Arkansas stone, but wanted to try diamond because they are obviously tougher. I stripped off the wooden base to make it thin too. I tried ceramic, of of the SpyderCo jobs, but I broke it the first time out with it. I don't know how. It happened while still in my pack. Note that I subject my gear to harsh treatment as a matter of course, it'd probably be strong enough for regular use.
I don't really do anything special to the edge. Just make it "shaving sharp". The knife is definately in need of resharpening after doing a thousand-pound+ gator. It's not so bad on a smaller one though. Just needs a little touching up.
Somebody mentioned skinning with machetes. Yeah, I think you could use anything if you wanted to make it work. There's an outfit in Miami that makes high-end machetes. I have wanted to check them out and maybe get one for some time now, but only recently scraped the money together. I hear they're having legal trouble nowadays, Busch beer trying to sue them out of existance over some stupid ad art issue. Oh well. I do want to get a good machete someday. I don't really like the asthetics of the Ontario ones. I really like cocobolo, maybe if I rehandled... Anyway, it'd round out my collection; pocket-length, belt-length, sword-length. Besides, it'd be real handy.
