Looking for a GOOD caping knife

M

Moose308

Joined
Jul 24, 2000
Messages
6
Subject line should say it all. I need a good caping knife for hunting. Now, of course, my definition of "good" may differ from yours. In this instance, "good" means effective, practical, inexpensive, and pretty, in that order.

I am not really looking for a custom $1000 caper, since I would frankly not take that a field, especially since I suspect it would not really cape any better than a $100 caper. I am looking primarily for something that capes really well, and if it is cheap and looks good, all the better.

Looking through local catalogs, I have stumbled upon the Outdoor Edge Kodi-caper (which I cannot find serperately, but only in a three pack of knives I don't want). I have also found a "Knives of Alaska" caper which seems about the right price. Does it do a good job though....

Any hints?

 
I've heard of belt knives, and folding knives, and even neck knives, but I didn't know anyone carried knives in their cap.

Wait a minute - - - maybe I misunderstood - are you looking for a knife to cut up caps?

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[This message has been edited by Practical Use (edited 05-19-2001).]
 
Jeff those are very nice, however a similar knife for both small and bigger game would be the Fällkniven.

The VG-10 steel is IMHO a lot better than the AG Russel ones.

For small game this WM-1:
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]

and for somewhat bigger game F1:
f1blue.jpg


Cape on
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[This message has been edited by dePaul (edited 05-20-2001).]
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Mundele:
Okay, I'll ask. What is caping?

--Matt</font>
Click to expand...

I knew someone would ask this question....

Caping is the tail-end (not literally) process of skinning game. After you gut the animal, and do all that nasty work, you will probably want to skin it. This is especially true of any animal that will eventually end up mounted on your wall. Most of the animal will go easily enough, where careful slicing with a moderately large blade is acceptable. However, when you get down to the last part of the skinning process, the facial area, things get much more difficult. For that part, you tend to need/use an ultra sharp, very small, delicate knife. This is especially true when you need to remove the skin around the ears, eyes and lips. The taxidermist will go bonkers if he finds you sliced the heck out of the face. Not good, upsetting your taxidermist that is.

Now, up until now, I have used a plethora of blades, everything from cheap chinese $2 micro pocket knives, larger clip point blades (oy!), even X-Acto blades. The X-Acto solution works pretty good, but I really want something more "professional", or at least sexy looking. Hence the posted question.

 
Hey Moose, you can't go wrong with the A.G. Russell Woodswalker. I've got one and it's a fine knife. The blade is thin and flexible and the handle shape gives you very precise control. The back pocket sheath works well but I can see it going through the washer once in a while
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I'd get one without the sheath and turn it into a neck knife with a kydex sheath. That's a real bargain price too. I couldn't make one that nice for such a modest price.
 
i feild dressed,and caped 4 whitetail with a cammillus talonite talon...never once did i need to sharpen the blade, im sure i could go thru another 4 no problem...if you need a smaller one they also make a mini talon that im sure would fit your bill... belive me talonite rocks when it comes to dressing game... i will never go hunting without it
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I must second the A.G.Russell Bird & Trout knife for caping. It's small and light, easy to carry (even though most caping takes place at the camp), wickedly sharp and easy to keep that way, and inexpensive ($30). As a matter of fact, you need one of these if the closest you ever come to a cape is a Sherlock Holmes movie!

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AKTI Member #A000934
"Always just one knife short of perfection!"
 
I am a newbie custom maker and will be ordering some D2 steel shortly, hopefully this week and will be making some hunters, neck knives, etc with it. Email me if you are interested in a custom knife. in the gallery, I posted pics of some of my work I just completed recently. The prices for the jigged bone models are $75, a little less for micarta, and a little less for a smaller size, those are about 7 to 7.25 OAL.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by MrCas:
Moose308,
You might want to check out the Spyderco Wegner. I is highly praised on the forums.

Shawn</font>
Click to expand...

He beat me to it. Spyderco Wegner all the way.



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Dennis Bible

....Almost here, The Leading Edge....
http://www.theleadingedgeonline.com
 
Moose
I do a bit of hunting and make a few knives. My wife says I do way to much of both. Check out my site for pictures.
I cape 6 to 8 animals every year. IMHO I think your going the wrong way. Go to any local taxidurmist shop and ask them what they use. NO ONE capes more animals than a taxidurmist. If its a functional caper you want NOTHING beats a surgical scalpel with replaceable blades.
When caping you are only using the very end of a very fine blade 75% of the time and that is for the important areas around eyes, glands,inside ears and lips. for the other 25% on the neck just about any 3 inch utility /skining blade will do.
Besides a scalpel handle and a pack of a dozen blades weights about 3 oz. and only costs $20.00 and you don't have to waist time when the suns setting fast resharpening.

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Robert
Flat Land Knife Works
rdblad@telusplanet.net
http://members.tripod.com/knifeworks/index.html
 
Go to Bob Doziers and A.G. Russells (Dozier section) sites and check out the smaller hunting and personal series knives. The sizes are perfect, blade and handle shapes are also perfect veritable extensions of your fingers, not hands, fingers. Dexterity and nimbleness, quick responsive little blades which simply will not give up cutting. Doziers D2 blades and high hollow grinds are without doubt some of the highest quality working cutters available anywhere. But, be forewarned, they are additive. Sort of like the potato chip commercial, you can't have just one!

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"Doing the right thing isn't always easy, but it's always Right!"
 
I have made quite a few caping knives in my life (I am not trying to get you to buy one from me!) and I would recommend that you have one built out of 420V or 52100. The primary requirement for such a knife is EXTREMELY keen edge holding over a long period of time....these two steels fit that requirement to a "t" and stand head and shoulders above all other steels for this purpose....I dont believe you could get a factory knife like this but you wont have to pay $1000 either...I am sure you could find one in the $200-300 range.

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http://www.mayoknives.com
John 1:14
Love is Stronger than Death!
 
You can buy the little Knives of Alaska caping knife seperately. It is made of D2!! It is partly serrated (don't know if you like that or not) in the D2 format, and all plain edge in the AUS-8 format. I can't believe the prices on the D-2 version! Only about $38 for the "santoprine" (plastic substance) handled one. That sounds like the best deal going to me. Also, it comes with a leather sheath.

Looks like a winner to me!
 
Of all the suggestions that I have read so far, using scalpels sounds like the most practical. If you are trying to cut around facial features you really need a thin edge and a fine tip. You also need a short blade. I assume that the suggestion of a Becker Campanion was made tongue-in-cheek.

Although I really like VG-10 I wouldn't use any of the Fallkniven knives, the blades are too thick for this purpose. If you would consider a folding knife the Spyderco Calypso Junior Light Weight is a really good choice. Its blade is short, thin, fine pointed and made out of razor sharp VG-10. The handle is nicely shaped with an anti-slip texturing. The VG-10 holds a razor sharp edge well and yet is surprisingly easy to sharpen.

I don't think you need a super-tough alloy for this application if you are just using the knife for your fine work. Although I suggested ATS-34 in my earlier posting you might do just as well with a razor alloy like AUS-8 or 12C27. You are doing less of a draw cut and more of a push cut when you are caping. You really want a fine alloy. Of course 52100 or 420V will do the job, but I think you'd be paying extra in money and sharpening effort for more edge durability than you really need.

http://www.spyderco.com/online_product_info.asp?sts=5%2F20%2F2001+2%3A59%3A06+PM&pfid=C52BK&deptId=1010&mscssid=6C1A6NS3LH389MBWL040SM245J6M5M24


[This message has been edited by Jeff Clark (edited 05-20-2001).]
 
I agree totally with R. Dockrell in the use of a scalpel. Every taxidermist I have ever seen uses one. I have caped many a whitetail with as small (and pointy) a knife as possible but nothing works better than the scalpel in the instances where I have used one.

The only drawback with the scalpel is that it just isn't as sexy as a good small knife and I am always looking for another excuse to get a new knife.

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Alex Penton
 
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