Serrated knives at hunt camp

Slatts

Slatts

Joined
Feb 16, 2005
Messages
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Has anyone had occasion to use a serrated knife like a Spyderco R2 or Calypso or such when butchering game? I've been toying with my new Caly 3 serrated the last couple of days thinking about how it would perform unzipping a deer, skinning and quarterring. I'm thinking that serrated blades would be better at quartering meat than field dressing and skinning game.

Any experiences?
 
Yes I have used a Endura 3 SE on quartering game, it worked well but now and again I got a lil meat stuck in the serrations. When I sliced lightly it zipped through it nicely but with some pressure it was not as good. I like a strait edge better. I have used my Para-mili SE and its serrations were too deep, the endura's worked better. I think the shallow serrations worked better as the deeper serrations are more for rope and self defense. I hope this helps some as I have tried this. I just like a strait edge as its smoother for slicing and doesnt hang. OH by the way I tried to skin with a partially serrated knife once and I didnt like it, I found the serrations(which were a bit deep) hung on the hide and tried to act more as a guthook, while a plain edge sharpened well will just glide through the hide.
 
I used a serrated blade once to do the field and butchering chores and I didn't care for it. Much prefer plain edge.
 
longbow50 said:
I used a serrated blade once to do the field and butchering chores and I didn't care for it. Much prefer plain edge.
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Same here. I wouldn't buy a serrated or partially serrated blade for field use, though I have quite a few of them. They are just a part of my collection, filling out a series of knives. I feel the same way about guthooks on knives. Some swear by them though. I guess that is why so many different styles and blade configuations exist, so everyone can find what they prefer.

Codger
 
There is a question about how serrations cut/saw . With at least some models for it to cut cleanly the teeth may puncture a hair deeper than the cut you require . In other words most people don,t cut with the very tips of the teeth .
Certain times while dressing game you may be cutting very near something you don,t want to cut at all .

Its not a grave issue . I am sure a well maintained serrated blade could do it with care . I have heard of an elk being quartered with a broadhead . The gentleman did not enjoy the job .
 
Where a serrated blade shines, is quick and deep cutting, like seatbelts, rope, etc.
 
Codger_64 said:
Same here. I wouldn't buy a serrated or partially serrated blade for field use, though I have quite a few of them. They are just a part of my collection, filling out a series of knives. I feel the same way about guthooks on knives. Some swear by them though. I guess that is why so many different styles and blade configuations exist, so everyone can find what they prefer.

Codger
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In almost every case I agree with Codger. The only time I carry a serrated Endura is when I am in a boat/canoe/on the water. A serrated blade is great for cutting wet rope. Other than that, I always carry a plain edge.
 
Except for slicing fresh baked bread, serrated edges are the answer to a question nobody asked.

I have yet to need one to cut rope, line, net, seat belts, anything that my SHARP plain edge will not do faster and cleaner.

As far as cleaning game, I use a grinder to make hamburger.
 
I have cleaned over 200 whitetail deer using a SAK Safari with the long blunt-tipped concave skinning blade (non-serrated) to skin and the plain blade to bone out the meat. I haven't tried the recent SAK with the short serrated concave blade.
 
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