Traditionals on Safari?

Ice Tigre

Ice Tigre

Joined
Dec 17, 2004
Messages
1,212
G'day all,

If you were going on an African safari;
What Traditional knife/knives(am thinking folders, but sheath knife thoughts are quite welcome!) would you carry?

I'll be honest, I fancy myself an old school "Adventurer", but I've never gotten out of Alaska, and even though some consider it the ultimate, or one of the ultimate adventures to do, its rather ho-hum to me since i grew up and live here... Africa is one of my dreams... Its not like it used to be, and I'll never be able to do the trip I'd like to, but I figure to still go, someday.

But, if I did get the trip I'd like, I got to wondering, what knives would go?
Figure i might as well ask you folks, since this is THE place for traditional knife ideas and chatter,

I am thinking a traditional 20th century safari where you are traveling/watching wildlife, and if you so desire can hunt the wildlife,(( but actually a hunt, a guide and tracking; Not the "fish in a barrel" type thing.)) A friend or two, a couple guides, a couple 4x4s, and NOT a 4 star Hilton on wheels. ;) Say a couple weeks out...

Anyway,
So, what would y'all be carrying for a bit of big game processing, general campin', daily use, and sitting round that fire BSing at days end on the dark continent?

And is that choice any different than what you carry now, where you are for the same type of tasks?

I've yet to decide fully, but I guarantee a peanut would go, but it wouldn't be alone... But I'll have to wait to tell ya my choices. Choosing its companions is whats stumping me, same as it does when I go traveling here. :rolleyes:

G.
 
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You won't be doing any game processing. The locals handle that and get really ticked if you try to cut in on their jobs. They will accept any free knives you want to hand out and let you watch. If fact, they expect tips of that kind along with the cash.
 
Sidehill Gouger said:
You won't be doing any game processing. The locals handle that and get really ticked if you try to cut in on their jobs. They will accept any free knives you want to hand out and let you watch. If fact, they expect tips of that kind along with the cash.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you better hide your good ones then ;).

-Vince
 
Sidehill Gouger said:
You won't be doing any game processing. The locals handle that and get really ticked if you try to cut in on their jobs. They will accept any free knives you want to hand out and let you watch. If fact, they expect tips of that kind along with the cash.
Click to expand...

I know. I know folks who have gone in recent years and gotten this treatment.

That was part of my point, I know I'll never be able to do this as I want, like on a real trip, like it used to be(accounts I've heard from 50 to 70+ years ago) you were allowed, and in most cases required to help process your game. Thats what I meant by IF I got the real trip the way I want it. :)


G.
 
I made a big slip joint using CPM 440V for a fellow one time that skinned an elephant with it. He had to stop and sharpen it one time. He said the hide was an inch thick in places. The knife was 5 1/2 inches long closed with a drop point blade. I tried to get him to send me a picture but he never did.
 
Tony Bose said:
I made a big slip joint using CPM 440V for a fellow one time that skinned an elephant with it. He had to stop and sharpen it one time. He said the hide was an inch thick in places. The knife was 5 1/2 inches long closed with a drop point blade. I tried to get him to send me a picture but he never did.
Click to expand...

Well, Tony. Sounds like you made him a type of folding hunter. I guess if a 5 1/2 folder can handle an elephant, I bet a 3 inch jack will handle everything else.

God Bless
 
One of the old style Case folding hunters would work just fine. Or one of the Schrades (pre chinese).
 
I might be inclined to use a large copperlock for belt carry

P1010002-3.jpg


And something small in my pocket.

P1010007-3.jpg
 
I recall reading the Peter Hathaway Capstick, a "white hunter" of great repute,
always carried a SwissChamp from Victorinox. He said he would no sooner go on safari without his rifle than without the knife.
 
Hmmm, modern safari watching and photographing the beasties?

I guess I'd go along with Capstick, as he's the most experianced white hunter still alive from the old days. Think of all those cold brews that will be needing opening.

On the other hand, a real Stewart Grainger safari back into the bush with double Holland and Holland's? A search for King Soloman's mines? I'd go for a nice old stacked leather handle Case for getting the hide of that impala. Be really neat if it was one of those matched pair of sheath knife and hatchet combo's they sold in the 30's.

For the pocket maybe a scout knife of some sort. Need a screw driver for firearm maintanence. On the other hand, my old Buck 301 stockman rode a long way in my pocket when I was in the service, on three different continents, and never did come up short.
 
I took this to Africa and pretty much just wore it (The trackers did all the wet work with some great looking "tip" knives)...Oh I did use it to cut the great selection of Cubans you can get there:D

S&M File and Wire Mountain Man trapper in ATS-34
SM.jpg
 
If I remember my Capstick he also carried a Randall skinner, don't remember which model.
If you are interested in Africana Capsticks work is an excellent read. Quite afew refferences to his Swiss Army knife and his Randall.
 
I would not go on a safari without traditionals. I would bring 3 knifes. A nice slipjoint but easy to clean, as in my sodbuster. I would also bring a regular sized traditional scandi, probobly one I had made myself to carry in my belt. Those 2 for EDC mostly. If I was to cut any meat I should bring my Mora 2000 and carry it in my backpack. (probobly I would take my Case stockman also as the pocket feels empty without it).
I have a friend that went to south africa to hunt smaller game, + antilope and leopard. If I understood him right he did a lot of the hunting on his own.

Bosse
 
jackknife said:
Be really neat if it was one of those matched pair of sheath knife and hatchet combo's they sold in the 30's.
Click to expand...

Ooooh! now there's an idea... Reminds me that somewhere around here is a stacked handled hatchet that matches my Dads' Western trailing point hunter... I should hunt it up, clean it up and get them together...

Thinking about 1" hide makes me want to steer clear of elephants! 3/4" (I have heard of thicker...) on AK moose is bad enough.

Well, I think on that thought, if I expected to actually clean or butcher anything, I'd want one of my nessmuck-ish/4" drop point sheath knives, and my Amherst 5" folding hunter. A peanut round my neck like always, and the more i think about it, I couldn't live with myself if i went traveling without my old standard, a Moose.

Although, its quite tempting to just say Buck 110, and leave it there... Its been getting a lot of use lately around here, and I'm realy liking it as an all purpose cutter.

G.
 
I think I'd take some version of SAK, perhaps a puukko-style fixed blade as well.
 
Jeez, i don't where I saw it, but there was a photo of a sak style knife that was supposed to be made on request for Ernest Hemmingway. It had some tools like a sak, but all of it was set into a nic e stag handle.

Poppa was the big hunter and had been to Africa, so it may qualify as a safari knife.
 
Hi,

Well. if I were going tomorrow, I'd carry my Boker Barlow in C75 or my Queen Whittler in D2 in my pocket. I'm not real big on fixed blades so I'd be very happy with a Buck 110 in maybe S30v hanging on my belt. If I need to have a fixed blade, I'd just toss in my Mora S1 my pack and be happy.

If we're talking about going on safari with Hemingway, I still would be toting either the Barlow or Whittler. Guess I wouldn't be able to get a Buck back then. So, somewhere in one of my gun safes, is a wood handled carbon steel Imperial fixed blade that once belonged to a Great Uncle of mine. It shows the wear and tear from 50+ years of hard use. But in it's day it would do. And finally, even though it's not a knife, I'd put in my pack a 'Hawk that I made. I made it with a piece of S7 laminated between a milder steel, (C1050).

Now, the knife part is easy to figure out. But I'd need at least three rifles and two shotguns to safari!:D:D

dalee
 
If I went on safari I think that I would have a fixed blade around 4" or so and a slipjoint that was really comfortable in my pocket
 
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