This year's testing has begun

[Codger_64]

This morning we, here on Codger's Tennessee farm, began our annual Schrade knife testing, Schrade-O-Thon '05. The organic test material, a fine fat spike whitetail buck, fell to my son's .243 Ruger ( his first deer, by the way), and provided the subject of our first test of the season.

First up was the tried and true sharpfinger, the best skinner in my modest fleet. It performed it's job admirably, as it always has, keeping a good edge through the whole skinning process. Next, instead of sharpening the little 152, the new 194OT Trapper went to work on the tenderloins. A bit small for such a lengthy chore, it too held it's edge until the tenderloins, ham to neck, were in their stainless bowl and headed for the kitchen. The third knife up, selected for the heavier duty of quartering and removing the head, legs, etc., was the 140OT Trail Boss TPR. And yes, the Safe-T-Grip handle is non-slip when wet. Only the 194OT needs no resharpening at all, and the other two could perform their tasks again without touchup, but they will get a light sharpening and stropping, as much because I enjoy it as for their needing it.

This evening, it will be my daughter's turn at bat using the same .243. Hopefully she will give me a chance to try out some of the X-Timers. I'm thinking of carrying the XT7B for field chores, and then going to the XT2B, XT3B, and maybe SG8 for the "homework".

I'll let you know how the evening's hunt turns out. Incidentally, both son and daughter are 14, 2004 Hunter's Education graduates, and like knives.. (Schrades are all they have access to, afterall, a good parent does not let their child play with chinee knives!)

Codger

 

[redshanks]

What could be better than to have experiences like that with your kids!

Codger, I have all four of the XT knives, and of them, I think the XT3B is the ugliest, but may be redeemed by having the best blade design for skinning an animal. If you try yours, I would be very interested in knowing whether or not this particular knife is as useful as it is ugly. I would love this knife if it didn't have the gut hook.

 

[Codger_64]

......I would love this knife if it didn't have the gut hook.

Yes, that is my thought about it as well. but the big skinner belly on the knife does look like it is a user. I have several guthook design knives, and as a matter of personal preference, never use that feature. Some people love it. I prefer to "unzip" game the old fashioned way using two fingers as a guide and depth guage with the blade inverted. It is just the way I was taught to do it without loosening hair. Nothing spoils a good venison meal quicker than picking hair out of my teeth.

We'll see how Jennifer does with the Win 70 .270, since Terry has decided to give it another go with the Ruger .243 this evening. I might be up a while this evening if both score. Hopefully neither will double or triple. They are allowed three deer each for this weekend's juvinile hunt. And Muzzleloader season opens next weekend. Both have shown interest, and my Rem 700ML is very much like the bolt guns both are familiar with.

Codger

 

[orvet]

Wish your kids good luck on their hunts. I can almost smell the backstrap frying!
It reminds me of hunting with my Dad and skinning a deer with his 225OT. He liked it because if one blade got dull he could switch to the other blade. He has since given the knife to me and it is one of my prize Schrades along with a 33OT his father used to make Maple burl clocks.

Ahh.........the fine Schrade memories of Autum!

 

[muskrat man]

This morning we, here on Codger's Tennessee farm, began our annual Schrade knife testing, Schrade-O-Thon '05. The organic test material, a fine fat spike whitetail buck, fell to my son's .243 Ruger ( his first deer, by the way), and provided the subject of our first test of the season.

First up was the tried and true sharpfinger, the best skinner in my modest fleet. It performed it's job admirably, as it always has, keeping a good edge through the whole skinning process. Next, instead of sharpening the little 152, the new 194OT Trapper went to work on the tenderloins. A bit small for such a lengthy chore, it too held it's edge until the tenderloins, ham to neck, were in their stainless bowl and headed for the kitchen. The third knife up, selected for the heavier duty of quartering and removing the head, legs, etc., was the 140OT Trail Boss TPR. And yes, the Safe-T-Grip handle is non-slip when wet. Only the 194OT needs no resharpening at all, and the other two could perform their tasks again without touchup, but they will get a light sharpening and stropping, as much because I enjoy it as for their needing it.

This evening, it will be my daughter's turn at bat using the same .243. Hopefully she will give me a chance to try out some of the X-Timers. I'm thinking of carrying the XT7B for field chores, and then going to the XT2B, XT3B, and maybe SG8 for the "homework".

I'll let you know how the evening's hunt turns out. Incidentally, both son and daughter are 14, 2004 Hunter's Education graduates, and like knives.. (Schrades are all they have access to, afterall, a good parent does not let their child play with chinee knives!)

Codger

tell him I said congrats! aint nuttin like your first deer! he'll remember it for the rest of his life!

 

[Codger_64]

I'll do it. Both youngsters got skunked this evening, now we are bow til next weekends muzzleloader opening.

Codger

 

[Guyon]

Congratulations to your son on his first deer.

I envy you all. I was able to get outdoors and hike a little today, but I won't get to do any hunting till closer to Thanksgiving.

FWIW, I picked up a 153UH I want to try out on a deer this fall.

 

[OTguy]

Congrats to the young hunters and to you for teaching them, my turn is coming up in a few very short years. My daughter can hunt at 12 and she's 10 now, but she already has her own .22 and is becoming a better shot each time we go to the range. Its also great that you are teaching them to butcher game at home, that adds alot to the hunt to turn your game into meat for the table yourself.

I'm thinking about giving my daughter a 152UH Wolverine for her first fixed blade, it seems like a good choice. I like the idea of stainless to start, until she learns the importance of taking care of carbon after the hunt.

 

[textoothpk]

Congrats to your son, Mike. Nice choice of caliber as well. Good luck to all of you folks.

I've been skunked so far (bow hunting), but the squirrel hunting has been fantastic. Sorry, no Schrade used there... been using Game Shears. Imagine my horror the other night, in my tree stand, when I remembered I hadn't strapped my Imperial Frontier 422 drop point to my belt! I did have a Gerber Yari in my kit bag, with a Schrade tough tool in the accessary pouch. The saw is useful for cutting the pelvic bone. Besides, as you have told us, a broken bottle will do the job, if necessary.

Lucky you to have kids to teach how to hunt, how to use guns and knives and the other tools of the sport. I've had a few young hunting apprentices over the years, friends and relatives who do not hunt have hooked their kids up with me. Seems I have a never ending supply of kids, but none this year.

Keep up the reports!

Phil

 

[relodr36]

:thumbup:

This morning we, here on Codger's Tennessee farm, began our annual Schrade knife testing, Schrade-O-Thon '05. The organic test material, a fine fat spike whitetail buck, fell to my son's .243 Ruger ( his first deer, by the way), and provided the subject of our first test of the season.
Codger

Congratulations to your son and "Good Luck" to your daughter.
I wonder who was the more excited and most pleased - the young lad or The Old Man???
That's one buck you and he will never forget.