smallgame and fishing knife

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
5,944
ws wondering what the right size blade would be for a small game/fishing knife game size ranging from squirrel/quail to rabbit and larger fowl up to turkeys.. any reccomedations?
 
bob dozier makes some great knives for your purposes. most have blades in the 3-4 inch range.

dozierknives.com
 
IMHO....Blade should be around 3" long, 1/2"-5/8" tall, <0.125" thick and have a tall grind. Pointy tip is better.

Handle should have a small guard and a "hook" on the butt (also called bird's head) for ease of use.
 
I would take up bird hunting just for an excuse to buy one of these from Jerry Hossom.

attachment.php
 
check out the a.g. russell woodswalker.... as well as bark river knife and tool... they make a wide variety of knives suitable to your needs....:D
 
For small game I really prefer a smaller knife like the A.G. Russell Woodswalker mentioned above. Big knives always feel clumsy in my hands when trying to dress small game. I have used my deer blade to dress dove, so for sure it can be done with a larger knife, it just doesn't seem very efficient to me. There's a definite size difference between a turkey and a dove though :)

I've been looking for a unique smallish bird and trout blade for awhile and I was fortunate to snag this from one of our BF custom knifemaking artisans just recently: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=451161. The blade width is just a shade more than I like but I think it will work. Mr. Koster's specification is pretty darn close to perfect btw though I have to admit that I don't have any experience with a bird's head butt and as such lack appreciation for this particular feature :).

Good luck with whatever you choose.
 
Ka bar makes some nice little Skinning knives, they used to make a very small guthook model that was perfect for small game but i havent seen it in a while. the knives have nice knurled rubber handles in black or orange and are under 50$

PS Kraz Thats a sweet Knife you got there
 
I have cleaned literally thousands of squirrels, coons, and quail, I have two favorite knives for the job a JA Henckels 3" paring knife with an edge that gillette would be proud of. I also have an old stag handle stockman that has seen a lot of use, I like the spey blade for coons.

I have never seen one of those woodswalkers before the other day but you can bet I am going to get one, it looks a whole lot like my henckels.:thumbup: Chris

EDIT: IMO guthooks are hideous abominations and have no place on a knife.

I reread your post and you also asked about about fishing, that makes things a bit trickier, if you are talking about panfish and trout, the knives I named will work fine, if you are talking about filleting a northern or striper, you got problems, there is no all around knife there is always a compromise.
 
I hunt upland/small game and I turkey hunt. I also do a little catfishing. I use a full sized trapper for these activities more than anything else.
 
For cheap- I love the Cold Steel Bird and Trout for everything including field dressing deer, takes a swipe or two to keep it sharp between deer though.

For nice- Gene Ingram caper D2 or S30V.

Bill
 
How about a Buck "Woodsman". If you want to fillet larger fish try one of the Mora fillet knives.

med_102.jpg


Smaller fixed-blade hunting knife is perfect for small game, as well as fishing or camping activities. Polished aluminum butt and guard. Sheath included.

Category End Use: Hunting, fishing, camping, outdoor use
Weight: 2.5 oz. (71 g.)
Handle Material: Phenolic
Carry System: Black leather sheath
Blade Steel: 420HC
Length Overall: 7 3/4" (19.7 cm.)
Blade Length: 4" (10.2 cm.)
Blade Shape: Clip
Knife Type: None
Catalog #: 2628
 
If it looks like a paring knife, then you are pretty much right on.
 
I'm looking at a woods walker or a cs bird and trout at the moment I'd like something with a flat profile so I can tuck into the elatic shell caddy on the butt of my shotgun (wich lives taken down in a floating case with my collapsible fishing pole) This way I'll add a little fire starter and I'll have a grab and go buffett
 
I have a small western small game knife that i'v ebeen using but I'm not abig fan of the leather wrapped handle...and the sheath has got to go any tips on customizing are welcome
 
I've used a large variety of knives over the years for my small game hunting. Never much got into fishing, so I don't have any idea how well anything I've tried would work for a fish knife. My current favorite squirrel and rabbit knives are the Case 5 Finn and Queen 92, which are very very similiar in size and shape. Four inch slim blades, the Queen is flat ground D2, the Case is hollow ground, and I think it would be 440A, since it was made in 1976. I also occasionally use a big folding hunter, the 5-1/4'' long ones with the four inch blades; the secondary blades are usually very good for small game. Copperhead patterns work OK also, although at 2-3/4" the blades are a tad short for me. The main blade on a trapper, large stockman, or jumbo jack knife will also work quite well. So, my experience and thoughts are about in line with what everyone else has already posted, a fixed blade or folder with a slim and thin blade, clip point or trailing point, about 3'' to 4'' in length. Here's a pic of my favorites; Case 5 Finn, Queen 92, Hen & Rooster by Boker, Queen 39, Queen 28 4-1/2'' farmer jack, and Case 75 large stockman.
FavoriteHuntingKnives002Large.jpg
[/IMG]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top