Let’s talk hunting knives. (Traditional)

[Horsewright]

If ya haven't worked the wood ya can't imagine how yellow the sawdust is:

 

[sunknife]

That is gorgeous. Funny that such a beautiful wood is used as fence posts through much of its range.

Thanks, Dave, much appreciated compliment from a craftsman such as you.
Funny the first dozen or so bows I made some 25 years ago were made from salvaged osage fence post that had been in the ground for 65 years. Tough, rot resistant wood but once I removed a 1/2" of the outside weathered surface with the drawknife I found sound yellow/orange wood underneath.It was the start of an obsession for me.

That is a beautiful bow sir.

I'm mostly a flintlock hunter, but I do want to get into stick bows for deer hunting at some point. I was curious who the maker was, didn't expect to be speaking with the artisan himself!

Did you manage to notch your tag mate?

I've always admired flintlock hunters but have never experienced it myself, one of those things were a man has too many hobbies and not enough time or resources to pursue all that interests him. My bow tag is still unfilled, going through a dry spell this year but not from lack of trying.

 

[lambertiana]

That is gorgeous. Funny that such a beautiful wood is used as fence posts through much of its range.

Thanks, Dave, much appreciated compliment from a craftsman such as you.
Funny the first dozen or so bows I made some 25 years ago were made from salvaged osage fence post that had been in the ground for 65 years. Tough, rot resistant wood but once I removed a 1/2" of the outside weathered surface with the drawknife I found sound yellow/orange wood underneath.It was the start of an obsession for me.


I've always admired flintlock hunters but have never experienced it myself, one of those things were a man has too many hobbies and not enough time or resources to pursue all that interests him. My bow tag is still unfilled, going through a dry spell this year but not from lack of trying.

Osage has incredible weather resistance, I have heard of hundred year old fence posts still being solid.

Beautiful wood that starts bright yellow and ages to a warm honey color with very nice grain.

When I lived in St Louis there was a row of mature Osage on the property line at the edge of our back yard. Interesting fruit, too. Terrible thorns.

 

[afishhunter]

put this hunting knife on my belt.
(offshore) Old Timer 25OT two blade slipjoint folding hunter.
View attachment 2444143

 

[Horsewright]

This one was in for some rehab lately. This is a Vaquero model with rams horn handle and a roughout crossdraw Horizontal sheath. The tip was damaged skinning the paw of a mountain lion:

Ready to hit the field again:

 

[Hatchet_Jack]

This one was in for some rehab lately. This is a Vaquero model with rams horn handle and a roughout crossdraw Horizontal sheath. The tip was damaged skinning the paw of a mountain lion:

Ready to hit the field again:

Did the knife slip through and strike a rock or something?

It’s a beauty at any rate.

 

[Horsewright]

Did the knife slip through and strike a rock or something?

It’s a beauty at any rate.

I'm not sure, I didn't talk to him directly. So thats all I know. However, there is usually one culprit for a broken tip. I did have one hunting guide watching for the deer sitting on a rocky out cropping. He was fiddling with his knife and dropped it clattering amongst some boulders far below. It ended up with a broken tip so slicing through and hitting a rock is a possibility I guess. Usual culprit would be prying. Thanks.

 

[Bushleague270]

First off, the most unique Mora that I've run across. The spine must be 3/16" thick, and it originaly had a very dramatic upswept skinner point when I found it at a garage sale. I re-profiled the tip for a better field dressing knife, and there is still plenty of belly for skinning. To date I have never even been able to find a picture on the internet of a Mora like this one, so altering it might have been a mistake. On a practical level though, If you wanted a single knife for both hunting and bushcraft, this knife in its current form is tough to beat.

RIMG0066 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/153108294@N08/, on Flickr

A few old favorites, the 112 which is still probably my second favorite hunting knife, a big Western knife that belonged to my grandfather, and a USA Sharpfinger which was my first hunting knife. The Sharpfinger was basically an EDC on any trip involving high adventure, and has been everywhere from Panama to Alaska. Due to its sentimental value I dont use it in the field any more, but I was a Jr. partner on a trapline for a few season, and it was my favorite knife for processing fur.

RIMG0068 by, on Flickr

And a little better picture of the Grohmann No1, as well as a "Moose and Deer" model that my wife bought me. The No1 is all the best features of a drop point and a clip point in one knife. The curved edge is good for skinning, the fine point is good for detailed work, and the curved spine keeps that sharp tip away from anything you dont want to cut. The handle would be a little slim for bushcraft type work, but for all the odd ways that a knife is held while processing an animal it is very comfortable. The Moose/ Deer is way too big for dressing, but if you are breaking an animal down "guttless" its pretty good. I mostly use it as a HD bushcraft knife.

RIMG0067 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/153108294@N08/, on Flickr

 

[the-accumulator]

For moose hunting, I presume.

View attachment 2439467

So that's what the W49 is for!! I've owned the newer one for a few years and the older one for many years and never found any real use for either one:



But the little knife in the photo is the fixed blade in my collection on which I have put the most EDC miles. I purchased it about 45 years ago second hand. Some guy had bought all the parts to make the knife and sheath, but right after he completed it, he sold it back to the shop from which he had acquired the parts. Apparently he was short on cash. As I recall, I paid about $2 more than cost of the parts!




It feels great in the hand, but it should, as chunky as it is. The guard gets in the way for some tasks, but it sharpens easily and holds an edge well. The sheath protects both the knife and the one who carries it very nicely, and it'll never fall out accidentally. But, for clearing trails or moose hunting, I'd definitely prefer a W49! Thanks for watching. T-A

 

[screened porch]

So that's what the W49 is for!!

And whacking grape vines off your trees.

 

[Old Hunter]

This one was in for some rehab lately. This is a Vaquero model with rams horn handle and a roughout crossdraw Horizontal sheath. The tip was damaged skinning the paw of a mountain lion:

Ready to hit the field again:

Nice rehab job, you'd never know it had been tipped. OH

 

[lambertiana]

For those of you with a lot of large game hunting experience I have a knife question. I have only hunted upland birds, so I don't have any experience with large game.

How well does a Scandi grind work for processing large game? I ask because I have been watching Life Below Zero, and twice now I have seen people on that show use a Scandi grind knife to do serious work on moose. The first was a native woman who uses what appears to be a Kellam Wildwood, only 3.75" blade, for all kinds of game, from grouse to moose. In one episode she used it to remove the head from a moose. The second was a white guy who is married to a native woman; he used a Condor Bushlore to remove the lower legs of a moose and then quarter it. Interestingly, his wife and daughters usually use an ulu to process what he brings home, including seal.

I would have thought that a Scandi grind's geometry would not be the greatest for processing game animals, but these people are using them for all kinds of game.

 

[JJ_Colt45]

For those of you with a lot of large game hunting experience I have a knife question. I have only hunted upland birds, so I don't have any experience with large game.

How well does a Scandi grind work for processing large game? I ask because I have been watching Life Below Zero, and twice now I have seen people on that show use a Scandi grind knife to do serious work on moose. The first was a native woman who uses what appears to be a Kellam Wildwood, only 3.75" blade, for all kinds of game, from grouse to moose. In one episode she used it to remove the head from a moose. The second was a white guy who is married to a native woman; he used a Condor Bushlore to remove the lower legs of a moose and then quarter it. Interestingly, his wife and daughters usually use an ulu to process what he brings home, including seal.

I would have thought that a Scandi grind's geometry would not be the greatest for processing game animals, but these people are using them for all kinds of game.

Simple, quick answer. It's not my first choice and doesn't work nearly as well as a hollow grind or full flat, but if the edge is sharp you can use most anything and get the job done. A thin full flat or hollow gound blade will cut without near the resistance a scandi will have.

 

[Horsewright]

Nice rehab job, you'd never know it had been tipped. OH

Thank you sir!

 

[JM2]

Those folks that live and hunt in Alaska probably use their knife 90% of the time for things other than game, and just like everyone else, they probably make do with whatever knife they have with them when the task at hand must be completed. Not to mention, that most of those folks (just like most folks everywhere) probably aren't knife people, and as long as the knife cuts the critter up they don't know the difference between one grind or another.

 

[Bushleague270]

For those of you with a lot of large game hunting experience I have a knife question. I have only hunted upland birds, so I don't have any experience with large game.

How well does a Scandi grind work for processing large game? I ask because I have been watching Life Below Zero, and twice now I have seen people on that show use a Scandi grind knife to do serious work on moose. The first was a native woman who uses what appears to be a Kellam Wildwood, only 3.75" blade, for all kinds of game, from grouse to moose. In one episode she used it to remove the head from a moose. The second was a white guy who is married to a native woman; he used a Condor Bushlore to remove the lower legs of a moose and then quarter it. Interestingly, his wife and daughters usually use an ulu to process what he brings home, including seal.

I would have thought that a Scandi grind's geometry would not be the greatest for processing game animals, but these people are using them for all kinds of game.

Scandi grinds work fine for processing game, but they are harder to touch up and re-sharpen in the field, so that is a consideration for me. In the short term you can make a small secondary bevel, but the longer you use the knife like this, the more work restoring the Scandi edge will eventually be. I've got no problem using a Mora to process game, but if its a backcountry hunt with multiple tags involved it wouldn't be my first choice.

 

[JM2]

I doubt seriously that normal people sharpen a scandi grind blade any different than they do their buck 110. I always sharpen them with a secondary grind.

 

[Bushleague270]

I doubt seriously that normal people sharpen a scandi grind blade any different than they do their buck 110. I always sharpen them with a secondary grind.

Seems like, given much use, a Scandi blade routinely sharpened in this manner would need to be re-profiled much more quickly than a hollow or flat grind. Thus my reluctance to use them that way for any length of time. I enjoy sharpening so long as the jobs are kept frequent and minor, time warping a more significant headache into my future is something I generally try to avoid. I suppose that makes me "Abnormal"?

 

[oldmanwilly]

Simple, quick answer. It's not my first choice and doesn't work nearly as well as a hollow grind or full flat, but if the edge is sharp you can use most anything and get the job done. A thin full flat or hollow gound blade will cut without near the resistance a scandi will have.

I concur. A scandi edge will work, but it's not the optimal choice. I'm sure those people use what's available and sturdy enough for the 90% of other cutting and utility tasks that can also handle the 10% of processing game.

Now, I wonder what the Sami might say as they are renowned for using a scandi ground Leuku for nearly everything.

 

[afishhunter]

Scandi grinds work fine for processing game, but they are harder to touch up and re-sharpen in the field

??? To sharpen a Scandi 2 the factory/maker's edge angle u simply lay the bevel on the stone; same as sharpening a chisle.
Yes, depending n the grit, it can scratch the bevel, and remove any patina from the bevel. So ...??? Knives get scratched in use anyway. "Big Whoops" ... who and/or y care?
Stropping is the same; bevel against the strop.
(A lot of the times it is only necessary to strop to restore the working edge, regardless of grind.)
Unless really dull or the edge is damaged, a few push swipes on each side has it good to go.

How is that more difficult/harder than freehand sharpening when you need to manually hold the blade at "x" angle against the stone?

My Scandi's (or faux Scandi that are hollow ground, like the CS "FINN BEAR") are the easiest knives I have to sharpen freehand, be it in the field or at home.