Opinions on a 48 for hunting/fishing purposes

PNWJimbo

PNWJimbo

Joined
Sep 29, 2015
Messages
714
Hey gang,

My knife funds had run dry at the end of the week, but over the weekend I've decided to put a couple of fixed blades up on the exchange in order to fund a new 48 with a bird hook. Can't think of a better backup knife to have on me while out hunting or fishing. I've come down to 2 colors, either the Burnt Orange Wave Jigged Bone or Orange Delrin. Seeing an Orange Derlin on Ebay was what initially got me interested in the knife, but I kinda love the color and continuous jigging on the orange bone. So at the moment I think I'm leaning 60/40 bone/derlin. The real question: Carbon or stainless steel. What do you guys like for hunting tasks? I normally don't worry too much about rust but am not very familiar with having 1095 out in the PNW weather on hunting trips. Still leaning towards 1095 but wanna hear what you guys think about going the 440c route. Here's some pics :)

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I use the 440C for trout fishing duties and haven't had an issue with it. I much prefer 1095, but being able to throw the knife into a vest pocket right after cleaning a fish is kind of a nice practice.

On the flip, 1095 dominates my steel choice for hunting season. The carbon obviously requires more TLC, but it's a labor of love. In the end the knife is a tool and isn't going to explode if it doesn't get cleaned off right after the gutting/skinning process. Usually the steel gets a layer of fat on it which actually seems to protect the blade from any rust forming. I wash the knife with hot water and Dawn soap, oil it and throw it back in the pocket.


P.S.
I would choose 1095 and a natural handle material option such as bone, or stag. The micartas and G-10s are easier to get clean, but there is something to love about aging a hunting knife!
 
Thanks for the insight, Johnny. Your response is having me lean towards 1095 since I want this one specifically with the hook for small game and bird cleaning, and I'll probably end up with a different, more fish specialized traditional in 440c. Know of any cool patterns with blades meant specifically for fishin? :D
 
The Mako looks like a pretty sweet option. I forget the model number right now, but I believe they even come with a hook disgorged and all that goodness. My personal choice is a #12 in elk stag. The slender blade makes life easy on those fish bellies!


 
I'd go with stainless only because out makes washing easier (I love a carbon steel knife for game prep and use carbon fixed blades often for game). If it makes any difference, the game hook is pretty useless. I find with birds I either breast them or if I'm eating the whole bird a finger swipe works great. The game hook never seems to get more than pulling some intestines out that I have to grab with a hand anyway. I'd much prefer a secondary blade and a traditional Trapper has a Spey which works fantastic for skinning and cutting up meat after you've used the clip for the initial gutting.
 
Jimbo Here is my 2 cents for what it's worth. As a hunting/fishing/outdoors knife I like bright colors or a bright lanyard because if you've ever dropped a knife in autumn leaves at dusk you will quickly realize the value of a bright color such as orange. It makes a dropped or even lost knife so much easier to locate. As far as steel, knives that are dedicated to field dressing fish and game I prefer SS because of its resistance to rust and lets face facts anyone that has done much hunting or fishing knows you can't always clean a knife up right after use. Other than wiping it down with a dry cloth or even your shirt tail it could be hours or even days before you can give it a proper cleaning. Again just my opinion because even though looks of a knife are important to me when it comes to what I'll call an outdoors knife I am looking for utility above all else.
 
Thinkin about it, I think stainless makes sense, but with the bone handles that could maybe take some age. I have heard many varying opinions on hooks. Part of this 48's allure is that is has the hook, something I've seen debated and wanted to potentially try for myself. I'm also the kind of guy to have 2-3 knives on him at all time, so having that second spey blade isn't as necessary cause I'll have a different blade with plenty of belly on me. This would be for the immediate dirty task. Anyone else like hooks or am I imagining this :D
 
Personally I tried the orange delrin but didn't much like it on a traditional knife (my case it was a 74 mustang). For me, it felt like a modern knife but minus the easy open features, and modern improved steel, that most of those have, it just didn't gel in my collection. The added visibility wasn't enough to make me like it.
 
I've owned a bird hunters knife for several years, my Dad gave it to me, a Buck 321, - it was his bird knife originally. The hook is used for cleaning the internal organs from the bird while you are hunting - you shoot the bird, retrieve it, and then you insert in the vent, twist, and pull out - the entrails come out and are thrown on the ground - takes a bit of practice to get them all out on the first pull. This keeps the delicate meat of a Bobwhite, etc., sweeter, as the birds go in your jacket pouch while you walk and warm them - they don't cool quickly. I've never used one for cleaning chores at the end of the hunt. I like stainless hunting knives - I use mostly Buck knives for hunting specifically because of the stainless steel (and well made, good designs). Here is my Buck and a Case backup I bought to take when flying to hunts - don't want to risk losing my Dad's old Buck. I think the GEC version is absolutely elegant - an extremely nice bird hunter's knife, whichever steel you prefer. OH

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Case's yellow handled medium Texas toothpick is a classic, stainless, hook disgorger, scaler, and the shield is a small grooved sharpener for your hooks. Also comes in other covers, and in gift tins with a branded lure. Kinda nifty, pretty popular. There are several other outfits that have knives made similarly, but off the top I can't think who they are. Seems like Queen made a hook combo muskrat like the ones above, but I believe some were like a jack, with both blades on one end(or whatever the appropriate model is for comparison). Meant to ask if the type shown by you,OH, are single or double back spring? Been so long since I've handled one I just don't recall. 'Spose it could depend on maker.
Neal
 
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Neal,
This is a picture I took of the backsprings on the Buck before I cleaned them (made by Camillus in the 1970's) - it has two backsprings. I'll have to dig out the Case and take a look - I cannot remember.
OH

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Thank you so much for the story and pictures, Old Hunter. Those 2 pics above of your buck and case are gorgeous. I also appreciate the info about bird hunting. I bought a hunting vest for deer hunting here in WA that has some legal hunter orange on it for deer hunting but the back of it is meant to carry birds. So now you're putting the item description to reality for me. BTW, if you guys can't tell, I'm an East Coast city guy (NYC and Boston) who moved out west and is trying to figure this shit out on his own. No friends or family really, just me and the dog and the great outdoors. I'm loving the gun, knife and outdoors culture and people.

It is really funny actually, I completely forgot I had this knife, a large Case trapper with the classic yellow handles. I bought it at a garage sale on a whim (for VERY cheap) and it's just been hanging out in it's box since. So yeah, I've got my traditional trapper with spey covered. I have a few case knives now, a couple of sod busters large and small, and a seahorse whittler that I regularly carry. I would say my seahorse whittler is my most carried traditional, actually.

EDIT: I've gotta admit, this case trapper I've got is pretty large. I really love the size of your medium pictured. I also wish the spey blade didnt come out the same as the main and didnt have it's nail nick on the same side, so you have to open the clip before you can get the spey out. Probably why it has been sitting in its box since I bought it :rolleyes:

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My dad does a lot of hunting and fishing and I have given him two traditionals that he swears by. Through conversation I was able to elicit that he does not use a fish scaler ( nor do I) and that he prefers a good set of needle nose pliers for removing hooks. This led to my decision to give him the single blade #63 Mako in elk. He loves the 440c and uses the knife whenever he's on or near the water which is at least once a week.



He also will deer hunt in season and hunts hog year round. He uses a #72 LB to skin, gut and de bone hogs regularly. He has nothing but good things to say about 1095 in a hunting setting and likes the added security of the LB when his hands are slippery from the blood. He's not much of a computer or internet guy but I'll see if I can get him to take a few pictures. Hope this is helpful-
 
You are welcome Neal. By the way, just got the Case Knife out of it's storage box, it also has two backsprings and is a stainless model (a Case 3247H SS to be exact).

StoneBeard, that is a nice Mako you gave your Dad - very nice indeed! OH

Ps Hang in there Jimbo - you will be an old hand at hunting eventually - I learn new stuff every season from experience and from folks on websites like this one. I get as much enjoyment out of using my knives for hunting and outdoor tasks as I get in taking, cleaning, and eating the game.
 
Forget stainless vs. Carbon for a minute. The 440C has large carbides which make it MUCH better on fibrous materials like deer hides (and rope and cardboard). The hard carbides do the cutting, protecting the steel matrix supporting them, and you get much longer cutting between sharpenings.

Imagine a large blade made out of concrete mixed with sand alone. It would dull fairly quickly. Now imagine that same "blade" with hard gravel mixed in. The gravel would do the cutting and is much more wear-resistant than the concrete surrounding it. The edge would last longer.

That gravel in concrete is like what carbides do for steel.
 
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