Observations - field dressing elk

S

spareparts

Joined
May 12, 2010
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When I'm dressing big game I usually have an assortment of knives. I like to try out different blades, no one blade used exclusively. We just had a recent harvest so I just thought I'd post. My opinions are from several elk, not exclusive to the most recent.

Cold Steel Master Hunter San Mai version (Japanese). Kept a nice edge through the whole process and came back to razor sharp with a strop and green compound. I was impressed how it held up cause I really didn't have much faith in it.

Cold Steel Master Hunter 3V (Italy) edge didn't last as long as the San Mai version. Needed touchups. A little disappointing. It stopped back to sharp and will mostly shave. I'll change up the edge geometry slightly and see how it perform next year. Anyone know the hardness on this one?

Custom knives in 52100 heat treated by Peter's performs awesome. Doesn't seem to care at all about cutting hair and keeps a great edge through a lot of processing. Blade rust quickly and blood wants to etch it if I don't get it cleaned and oiled soon after. If I could only have one knife it would probably be 52100.

Customs in NitroV, steel fro NJ Steel Baron heat treated by Peter's also does an amazing job. Skinners maintain a nice edge and strop back to sharp quickly. Used an 8 inch camp knife version to chop thru dozens of joints and cervical vertebrae on several elk...edge rolls but no chipping, and 85-90% of the visible rolling comes out with a butcher steel and ceramic rod. I'm really liking this stuff.

Benchmade Meatcrafter in S45VN works really well on meat, bites deep and removes backstraps and quarters with minimal slicing. Stays sharp when cutting along bone. Just don't have a wood splitting contest against your friend's Chinese made TikTok crappy knife. Edge chipped in a couple spots chopping thru a wrist sized pine stick (yeah, wrong tool for the job but sometimes you just gotta show up your buddy).
 
Anyone using knives from Chris Reeve or Randall Made for field dressing White Tails, Mule Deer or Elk?
 
Have used/tested many knives over the years on deer/elk and must say that we live in the golden steel age. Magnacut in particular, but also Elmax and S45VN, feel like all I could ever need/want any more from hunting blades. Did 4 deer, 1 antelope, and 1 elk this year with the same 2 knives (small caper and 4" general purpose blade) with just a 30 second strop after each critter... no issues whatsoever and didn't have to sharpen anything till season was over. I also like the 3/4V tool steel knives and appreciate their toughness, but the above stainless blades have been sufficiently tough, hold an edge longer, and are very forgiving with being quality stainless and I didn't have any issues with corrosion or patina. And for butchering, AEBL and whatever Victorinox's steel is work amazing and respond to honing rods well. I've chased performance and tried out so many different hunting knives that it's been an odd year or two where I just used the same ones, they worked, sharpening in field isn't a thing anymore, and frantic post-processing cleaning has diminished to "when convenient within reason".
 
52100 is one of my favorites, I've used it on cows, hogs, deer and goats. Super versatile, from thin razors to larger beaters.
 
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