modified vintage carbon breaking knife

deltablade

deltablade

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I came across an antique buffalo hunters knife case a few months back. the knives were
Russels and no names, all somewhat modified to suit him. Since then, I have been modifying a few of my own.
Here is one, a large carbon breaking or cimeter knife that has a modified tip, ground down from an upswept tip to more of a semi-skinner tip.
Works better for me this way. Plan on using it as a brush clearing and camp knife, carried on my backpack. Have to make a sheath for it next.




 
cimeter? Are you perhaps meaning a scimitar shape? Anyway I would just call that a long breaking knife. DM
 
It is about 1/8" blade thickness, so I am wondering if it will handle camp chores, machete type stuff such as chopping brush or bamboo, without breaking or bending.

This is copied from Wikipedia which is why I used the term cimeter. I thought the comment about Alton Brown ws pretty cool, as I am a big fan.

Cimeter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the medieval sabre that is also referred to as a "cimeter", see Scimitar.
A cimeter or scimitar is a large, curved butcher's knife, with a blade typically 8-14" (20-35 cm) long. It is used primarily for cutting large pieces of meat into retail cuts such as steaks.[1]

These knives are available with and without Granton edge. According to Webstaurant Store, a major supplier to the food industry, "Granton edge knives feature hollowed out sections running along both sides of the blade. When slicing meat, the grooves fill with fat and juices, which permits more contact between the meat and blade. Granton edge knives are often preferred when slicing thin portions of poultry, roasts, or ham."[2]

Chef Alton Brown says that a cimeter is one of only five knives he keeps in his kitchen.[3]
 
I see a few of those each year in meat markets. Which you might can use it in your bush craft activities. Beef is not broken now so, those knives have morphed into a slicer.
I can see it's usefulness as that too. The early buffalo hunters carried that in a 8" form. That length to them would have been discarded as unyeildy to pack. As our machette knives have come into vogue, I can see where that one would be accepted in those activities. DM
 
You used the wording; a breaking knife. This term originated as a 'beef breaking knife'. It is for the purpose of breaking beef. i.e. after the carcass is gutted, skinned and hung.
Beef Was then sold by the 'side of beef'. It arrived to the store as one side of beef or 2 what ever they purchased. A couple of strong men grabbed them off the refrigerated truck and carried it into the meat market. Then they began dissecting off the cuts from this carcass. What they used to do this was a 'beef breaking knife'. It is usually 8-9" but I've also seen long ones like this one your posting wanting information on. This practice of selling a half carcass and the subsequent knowledge & skill required by a meat cutter to break it down to salable cuts is no longer done. DM
 
thanks. I had seen them referred to as breaking knives, yet didn't know what the breaking process was. I would guess mine would have enough lateral strength to be used as a camp knife?
 
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