Offset handles, Game processing, and Blade shapes

[ScarFoot]

Those patterns look great, nice work. I do tend to prefer a slightly slimmer blade for field dressing to get into tight places but the belly line on that second one looks very nice and useful. Keep tinkering and share your thoughts!

I used 1/8” stock on the little drop point and made the scales thin and 3/16” stock on the second one with thicker micarta scales. Both are flat ground. I also have a larger version of the second one in the works. It’s the one on the left and also made with 3/16” stock and a full flat grind.

 

[deerrockknives]

What about a Lamb Skinner type pattern? From what I have read above, am I correct in thinking something like this, but slightly modified to have the cutting edge a little lower (beneath the knuckles), would be ideal?

View attachment 1992095

For what it's worth, I used a vintage Marbles Woodcraft to clean and quarter a few deer last year and think it's almost perfect for the tasks, but for the short handle and point being upswept above the handle.

Yeah I think something like that would work well. Sometimes I feel like guards on a handle prevent you from using more of the edge, and personally find them unnecessary. I think that particular photo the handle could be offset more to allow more clearance

 

[oldmanwilly]

Sometimes I feel like guards on a handle prevent you from using more of the edge, and personally find them unnecessary.

Agreed. Perhaps a Lamb Skinner blade, offset downward from the handle, and with a Perrin style choil/grip would fit the bill?

 

[Alberta Ed]

Have you ever tried a marbles woodcraft style knife? I found it to have too much upsweep to be good as an all around bushcraft knife but thought it would make an excellent field dressing knife while still being pretty good for the rest of the job at home. The woodcraft and Kephart were pivotal influences in my bushcamp knife's design.

It's hard to find a good woodcraft anymore since the brand is now being made in China at budget prices, but there are still some Marbles or copies around. I got my hands on a Buck varient.

View attachment 1992076

I also thought the Hess pioneer shared a lot of the same characteristics, just smaller, and slight clip point, and what ended up being the dealbreaker for me was the shorter than I like handle.

View attachment 1992075

I'd snap one up if Buck made them again. I have a Marble's Fieldcraft in 52100, which is a smaller version of the Woodcraft.

 

[Dav1]

I'm certainly no expert but the meat processing I've done the Nessmuk shape is fine (for me). But an expert could probably do a better job than me with a SAK!

 

[deerrockknives]

I'm certainly no expert but the meat processing I've done the Nessmuk shape is fine (for me). But an expert could probably do a better job than me with a SAK!

Agreed. Some nessmuk patterns look very nice especially with a handle that sweeps up and allows you to get your fingers tucked away more, the taller blade height allows there to be more belly/less acute point. I like this one by Doyle knives

 

[eveled]

I agree. I’ve thought many times that the ideal scenario is to have two knives. One knife for boning/quartering (I find 4” to be a solid length), and one small skinner so you don’t accidentally puncture the hide, guts, or aid in removing the tenderloins (if doing the gutless method).

I agree.

 

[jdswitters]

Interesting topic. Although not an expert I have field dressed more than a dozen elk, a few deer and worked a bit at a wild game butcher shop in trade for getting an elk processed and a bit of knowledge. I butcher my own now and hunt public land so almost all the elk I can remember came out in pieces on my back.

If anything I have a long list of knives I never want to use again, this could also be a testament to how stupid I have been. First up a Ka-bar fighting knife. big, heavy, sucks for the finer work that needs to be done. I was in my early 20s and just out of the Corps so please forgive me. After that was a Remington (found it: Grizzly) folder, 20 years later I still have something caught in the pivot that wont come out that was collected inside of an elk. Useless saw and gut hook, the partial serrated blade and general steel quality was horrible, the grip was good though, hell to clean the knife. Somewhere during this period I started to carry a wyoming saw. Transition to a schrade fixed blade that came with a Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation subscription. Similar to the modern fatboy skinner in handle but longer blade, the perfect junk between the kabar and the remington folder. I also got a skinning knife around this time that I still like, Browning's name is on it, and although there isn't much to say bout the materials it is very ergonomic to me. My hands would cramp up halfway through skinning a deer using big straight handled knives.

Recently I had some money to spend on a good hunting knife and went with a benchmade hidden canyon (nessmuK adjacent pattern?), but so far this season it has stayed in the sheath. I'm keeping the same skinner, it is light and serves a specific purpose. In agreement with the two knives practice.

I also retired my SAK from trout cleaning duty about two years ago and bought a Biwa, nothing fancy but the blade shape and size is point on for a B&T knife. It is nicer than I thought it would be to have a purpose built knife and use it for its intended purpose.

Cheers,

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

Hey folks,

I’ve been wanting to post this thread for quite awhile. In my search of bladeforums there has been some talk of this, but really not as much as I think it deserves.

Let me preface by saying I have field dressed probably more animals than most. I used to work as a wildlife biologist and would perform necropsies on hundreds of deer and elk. This is what lead me down the rabbit hole of what makes a good field dressing knife. I’ve used every kind of blade design imaginable and here are some common themes I’ve noticed. Keep in mind I’m nit picking (but isn’t that what the knife hobby is all about?):

-Drop points: good solid design of course. Have you ever noticed though that when you go to resharpen a drop point, the belly of the knife is always substantially more dull than the flat portion of the blade? This bothered me as I felt like I wasn’t using as much of the sharpened edge as I should be. This lead me to a trailing point…

-Trailing point: more gradual belly line I feel allows you to use more of the edge, and the acute point is advantageous in certain scenarios of dressing game. On the flip side, it also can be disadvantageous to have a pointy tip around the guts, hide, etc….this got me thinking more about the handle relationship to the blade.

- When I field dress, I am rarely holding the handle the way it was meant to be held. I typically end up holding it about halfway back in a pinch grip, so I’m allowed to use more of the full edge while processing.

Basically what I’m saying is this: I feel knives that put your knuckles more in line with the edge are far superior for game processing. Think of the Canadian belt knife pattern, or if you’re a folder guy the spyderco spydiechef chef or Kapara (not saying those would be great game processing knives, they just allow your knuckles more clearance). In my experience though, 95% of the hunting knives out there are not designed like this. Why? I’ve read some stuff where people say that it’s better to have the edge in line with the center of your hand because it’s more controllable, but isn’t that just more for woods task? I’m rarely doing that type of stuff. For me, knives are mostly food prep, or game processing.

Anyway, this is a bit of a rant- and food for thought.

This “rant” is exactly how I feel as well. I’m a pretty avid hunter myself and I’m definitely a pinch gripper when dressing on the ground or hanging. I have more control while skinning and can “feel” what is happening.

My favorite hunting knives have very little straight edge.

Knives that are well suited to these tasks tend not to be the most “beautiful” looking knives to the average knife collector, but man do they work well.

Thanks for your post!! An enjoyable post.

 

[deerrockknives]

Interesting topic. Although not an expert I have field dressed more than a dozen elk, a few deer and worked a bit at a wild game butcher shop in trade for getting an elk processed and a bit of knowledge. I butcher my own now and hunt public land so almost all the elk I can remember came out in pieces on my back.

If anything I have a long list of knives I never want to use again, this could also be a testament to how stupid I have been. First up a Ka-bar fighting knife. big, heavy, sucks for the finer work that needs to be done. I was in my early 20s and just out of the Corps so please forgive me. After that was a Remington (found it: Grizzly) folder, 20 years later I still have something caught in the pivot that wont come out that was collected inside of an elk. Useless saw and gut hook, the partial serrated blade and general steel quality was horrible, the grip was good though, hell to clean the knife. Somewhere during this period I started to carry a wyoming saw. Transition to a schrade fixed blade that came with a Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation subscription. Similar to the modern fatboy skinner in handle but longer blade, the perfect junk between the kabar and the remington folder. I also got a skinning knife around this time that I still like, Browning's name is on it, and although there isn't much to say bout the materials it is very ergonomic to me. My hands would cramp up halfway through skinning a deer using big straight handled knives.

Recently I had some money to spend on a good hunting knife and went with a benchmade hidden canyon (nessmuK adjacent pattern?), but so far this season it has stayed in the sheath. I'm keeping the same skinner, it is light and serves a specific purpose. In agreement with the two knives practice.

I also retired my SAK from trout cleaning duty about two years ago and bought a Biwa, nothing fancy but the blade shape and size is point on for a B&T knife. It is nicer than I thought it would be to have a purpose built knife and use it for its intended purpose.

Cheers,

I’ve tried the hidden canyon hunter and always thought it was a good pattern (I have to say I’ve always been a big fan of most of benchmade’s patterns, but sometimes I wonder about their heat treats as I’ve had some unusual problems with multiple knives from them). I found the blade shape though a little to short for my preference.

 

[oldmanwilly]

(I have to say I’ve always been a big fan of most of benchmade’s patterns, but sometimes I wonder about their heat treats as I’ve had some unusual problems with multiple knives from them).

Ah, so it's not just me. I sold all of mine after I got a couple of lemons.

What's your take on the Schrade Sharpfinger (original model in 1095 and made in USA)? It sounds like it might be ideal but I wish the blade was a little longer, wider and thinner behind the edge.

 

[gadunz]

Svord Sporting Deluxe

Curved Skinner 5 3/4​

Curved Skinner 5 3/4 » Svord Knives Limited

www.svord.com

 

[deerrockknives]

Ah, so it's not just me. I sold all of mine after I got a couple of lemons.

What's your take on the Schrade Sharpfinger (original model in 1095 and made in USA)? It sounds like it might be ideal but I wish the blade was a little longer, wider and thinner behind the edge.

View attachment 1992672

I think the sharp finger is a good pattern. But I completely agree with you on the longer, wider, and thinner. I’ve never been that crazy about the way they look (not that it matters really).

I think that knives titled as “skinners” with the bull type nose and broad blade are a bit much to carry for the back country, and a bit awkward to maneuver around.


I just picked up cold steel’s belt knife pattern just to tinker with. Things I like about:
-nice offset handle to get that knuckle clearance
-gradual belly line throughout the whole blade
-4” blade seems about right for being not too big, packable

Thing I would change:
-probably could bring the tip up a bit more to give you a little more belly
-I’m not a really big fan of the handle ergonomics

I’m gonna cut some patterns out myself eventually and I’ll get them posted up here to see what you all think.

 

[GatorFlash1]

There are many great knives from various countries. For deer you don't really need a large butcher knife to dress the deer in the field. Here is what some serious hunters use:

 

[deerrockknives]

There are many great knives from various countries. For deer you don't really need a large butcher knife to dress the deer in the field. Here is what some serious hunters use:

Yes that’s true, but once you use a longer blade, you won’t go back. I hate those disposable blade knives. I was on an Alaska moose hunt a few years back and my friend shot a big bull, he broke every single one of his disposable blades and was left with no knife. I had to give him one of my fixed blades. Also so much crap gets stuck in them. I do think most fixed blades are overbuilt though.

Keep in mind too that most of these serious hunters are sponsored and paid by these knife companies.

 

[DMG]

Yes that’s true, but once you use a longer blade, you won’t go back. I hate those disposable blade knives. I was on an Alaska moose hunt a few years back and my friend shot a big bull, he broke every single one of his disposable blades and was left with no knife. I had to give him one of my fixed blades. Also so much crap gets stuck in them. I do think most fixed blades are overbuilt though.

Keep in mind too that most of these serious hunters are sponsored and paid by these knife companies.

I skinned and boned out my last deer with this David Mary in LC200n. It is thin and slicy. Stays sharp. I may see if he will remove the gaurd

 

[deerrockknives]

Here’s a pattern I’ve come up with. 4 (ish) inch blade with a gradual swept belly, but slightly dropped tip so the point is not too acute. Handle offset upwards to get the fingers tucked away. I’m excited to finish it out and give er a go.

 

[deerrockknives]

reviving this thread a little as I’m now up and running and have pretty much finalized my pattern and have a little write up here. A lot of this below has been said already but I’ll just repeat…I have some photos explaining what I’m saying better too.

This is my field dressing pattern after about 4 years of thinking about what makes a good field dressing knife. Having processed hundreds of animals I’m pretty happy with it. I think I will name this pattern “Skinner Dan”. I’ve gone through an embarrassing amount of variations of it. This info mostly applies to when the animal is on the ground, and not hanging. So an applicable scenario for most people.
It all started when I thought the classic standard drop point was lacking. I noticed during resharpening, the belly portion of the knife was the dullest part. I wasn’t utilizing the full portion of the edge. Also, I’d end up holding the knife halfway back on the handle to get more reach to try and use more of the edge. So what are ways to open up the edge more?

It mostly comes down to increasing blade height, creating more finger and knuckle clearance, or increasing the tip height (trailing point). I prefer a slimmer blade for processing so increasing blade height only gets you so far. Trailing points are good but often it leads to a more acute tip that can be disadvantages around guts (or the hide).

This lead me to finger clearance. I like to analogize cutting up an animal on the ground to cutting something on a cutting board. You need finger clearance (that’s why kitchen knives are so tall) to allow the edge to reach what you’re cutting. If you don’t you only use the front portion of the edge (see photos).
I eventually landed on offset handles. The classic Canadian belt knife comes to mind. It allows more finger clearance while still remaining light and nimble. Bingo.

Some other notes about my specific design.
-gradual sweeping belly line to follow hand motion
-slight dropped tip for strength, less acuity, and ability to slide along quarters/body to remove hide
-neutral (and slim) handle that’s comfortable in multiple hand positions
-I’m aware that you can pretty much get away with any knife cutting up an animal, but a 4” blade in my experience is much more efficient and enjoyable

If you’ve made it this far the last photo (FD3) is my current pattern


Standard drop point


My pattern


Iterations


“Skinner Dan” I finished up a few days ago with some local oak brush for scales

 

[eveled]

I’m not a fan. Your knife looks like one that has had the belly sharpened out of it. The belly is the most important part of the blade for skinning. Just my opinion.

 

[deerrockknives]

I’m not a fan. Your knife looks like one that has had the belly sharpened out of it. The belly is the most important part of the blade for skinning. Just my opinion.

I guess I’m not quite sure what you mean. This knife hasn’t been sharpened yet, and is sitting at about .006” with a little more meat leading up to the tip