knives of alaska

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banditele

SPAM I am, Banned I am, Green eggs and ham.
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Hello guys,
I am considering a kinfe of Alaska cub bear in D- 2 steel. Does anyone have one of these knives ? Does it hold an edge well ?
Thanks again,
Jay
 
I got to play with some of those for a product review, and I liked them. Nothing fancy, but they are super sharp and built for what they're designed for -- hunting knives. If I took a trip for big game, I wouldn't have any qualms about taking one of their hunting sets.
 
I have a few KOA knives, including the light hunter combo and brown bear skinner/cleaver.

IMO they are well made, super tough, all business knives, built primarily for the requirements of PH guides and avid hunters. The suregrip or stag handles grip well wet or dry, the blades are finished well with a keen edge. The D2 cub bear is fairly small, but might be the best all around caping and fine skinning knife you could ask for.

I haven't used my cub bear enough to get it dull, but from what I've read and based on D2's reputation it should hold an edge well.

For working knives, the KOA selection is top notch. You don't hear much about them here but they do seem to have a following in the big game hunting community.
 
I haven't used my cub bear enough to get it dull,

My CB is actually the AUS8 PE version. My LH and BB cleavers are D2. The partial serrated D2 cub bear looks to be a great little fixed blade slicer.
 
I've never been to Alaska, so all of my opinions are suspect. I have read lots of articles about hunting in Alaska, and an elder of my church recently returned from a caribou hunt in Nova Scotia.

The big word is corrosion. Just about everything gets wets continually. Perhaps a hunt of a week or two might not generate major rust, and a fantasic trip like that might warrant a rusty knife you can throw away, but that's not the point.

A rusty edge is dull. A frozen bolt in a Browning BAR causes stoppages. A slippery handle on a skinning/caping knife is a danger.

Consider those elements.
 
I've got the brown bear combo and no complaints. The biggest thing I've used them on is a mule deer, and the set took care of him like a champ.
 
IP,
Not to be a PITA, but the thread starter didn't specify any inent to actually use the knife IN Alaska. You do have a point regarding corrosion..

IMO folks who don't wish to spend time taking care of their knives should seek stainless steel, but tool steel rewards proper maintenance with typically better cutting performance. If you have the time to shave and brush your teeth, you have the time to clean and lube your blades. It's mostly about prioritization, not necessarily the elements.

These are the knives we're discussing, to explain the "Alaska" reference...

Knives Of Alaska
 
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