need help!

[emrhuskers]

Hi everyone im new to the forum but i have been making my own knives for about 8 months no and so i have the general understanding of how to do things and have the tools to do most things i need. Ok now my problem, i have had someone order a knife from me with a gut hook and it has to be able to chop through a deer pelvis and have a antler handle or at least partailly antler. so what im concerned about is how thick of stock should i use and how do i make that gut hook?? i know i could get i water jetted out but id rather not have to because of cost. Thanks in advance!

 

[lonepine]

I've made ugly gut hooks using a round file. The problem is that I didn't make these gut hooks on a blade but a separate piece of steel because I think a gut hook really messes up a knife. My thinking was to make a separate "gut hook tool" in order to leave the knife "unspoiled". That said, I did it by filing a notch into the steel with the round file and then filing bevels on the inside of the notch. As with all things new, don't do this on the knife you're making for the customer until you've tried it out on some scrap steel.

I'm what is commonly known as a "lousy hunter", and so my personal experience with gutting deer happens only every two to four years, so take the following comments with a lot of scepticism. IMHO a knife big enough to chop through a deer pelvis is going to be too large to do a good job of gutting deer. But customers are customers and they want what they want. How large is the rest of the knife? Length? Width? Do you have a design in mind that you could post? I think this would probably impact the decision on stock thickness.

Good luck,

- Paul Meske

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Lonepine's suggestion that the tool be a separate one, perhaps in a pocket on the sheath, and making a solid spine knife in 3/16" steel is good advice.

 

[emrhuskers]

i cant seem to be able to get a picture up but would resemble the boker savannah. its my own personal design but the boker resembles it. and about the antler handles any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[lonepine]

Were you given antler to use or do you need to buy some for the handle? I was surprised at the price of a pair of sambar stag scales (Alpha Knife supply). Elk scales run cheaper.

- Paul Meske

 

[emrhuskers]

yes i was given the antler by the customer he is a taxidermist and has a ton of white tail antlers

 

[12345678910]

Lonepine's suggestion that the tool be a separate one, perhaps in a pocket on the sheath, and making a solid spine knife in 3/16" steel is good advice.

I agree, something like this, simple no handles, or matching with the same antler handle.