What is a "hunting knife"?

Cushing H. said:
I dont think I would want to be doing that with an angle grinder....

Eric - when you made that knife you created the notch pre-HT? If this is "doable" pre-ht, then this is an answer to one of the things that has held me up from doing a notched guard. (I still have some other concerns, but I think they can be overcome.....)
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If you use two pin you don t need to make that notch /maybe very shallow one/ .......just radius on ricasso if you open slot on mill
Blame this guy :) Watch that when you have time.He is making your knife from A to Z
 
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Yes, I make the notch pre heat treat and I file a small radius on the inside corners of the notch. Then I pre assemble the guard blank and mill the finger radius in the guard and tang at the same time for a seamless fit!
 
i think there was some confusion, cushing was writing about a bolster pancake type 2 piece guard and natlek was discussing the loveless type one piece guard. as far as the right angle on the ricasso and heat treat, i see so many hidden tang knives with no radius on the ricasso/tang shoulders which creates a stress riser the same as cushing was describing, and yet i have rarely ever heard of issues with the heat treat or the blade snapping off. i still do rounded shoulders though.
 
john april said:
i think there was some confusion, cushing was writing about a bolster pancake type 2 piece guard and natlek was discussing the loveless type one piece guard. as far as the right angle on the ricasso and heat treat, i see so many hidden tang knives with no radius on the ricasso/tang shoulders which creates a stress riser the same as cushing was describing, and yet i have rarely ever heard of issues with the heat treat or the blade snapping off. i still do rounded shoulders though.
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John - my thinking (which might be wrong) is that with the 2 piece construction (which i have done several times) it is not possible to get that nice flat front to the bolster/guard ... but it sounds like you have done/seen that? I suppose with a very very small radius in the steel where the ricasso drops downward to form the guard???
 
Natlek - that is a really good video ... i wonder why i have not known about it? He is very good at explaining the steps. He is rather a droll fellow though, isnt he? I kind of have to laugh ... if you are familiar with them, his form of presentation is very similar to the PhD's from MIT in their fluid mechanics film series!

Eric - as far as the finger curve goes, ive had good luck attaching bolster in unrefined block form to the tang, then using the small wheel on the grinder to form and blend in the curve after the scales are attached. Do you see any reason i cant take that approach?
 
Depends on where you are and the size of game, but 3-4" max. A hunting knife is not a killing knife, it's a surgeon's tool. Make sure it has enough handle, and is relatively agnostic regarding grip. Not too wide, not too thick. Needs a bit of a tip for making incisions.
 
When someone asks about a good "Hunting" knife my Brain Jumps to "Jerry Fisk+Sendero"....When you hold one it's hard to find a fault. The Guards were always a part of Jerry's "Canvas" to display his Artwork.
 
Ok - here is my next iteration in proposed profile. Technically I can make this either with a slotted bolster or in the pancake style ... but if I did it slotted, I would need to open up the slot prior to HT. I dont know .... I have enough non-stainless steel on hand to try this, I know it is not ideal, but a friend said he would be willing to take my "prototype" results even if they were non-stainless (he does know about taking care of knives.....)

Thoughts?
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These are the 3 knives I used for hunting this past year.
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If only using 1 knife, I would like a 3.5 - 4 inch blade using .125" stock ground fairly thin, with plenty of distal taper. I like enough point to easily pierce the hide. I'd go with a good stainless. If he's not a knife guy, he probably won't clean it up very quickly.

The Bark River Manitou in my picture is my favorite so far, after several. The handle isn't as important to me, as long as it's not too small.
 
emtyhopper said:
These are the 3 knives I used for hunting this past year.


If only using 1 knife, I would like a 3.5 - 4 inch blade using .125" stock ground fairly thin, with plenty of distal taper. I like enough point to easily pierce the hide. I'd go with a good stainless. If he's not a knife guy, he probably won't clean it up very quickly.

The Bark River Manitou in my picture is my favorite so far, after several. The handle isn't as important to me, as long as it's not too small.
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The guy that will get the final knife gets stainless. The friend who will receive my trials in non stainless knows how to care for a knife. Just talked to him ... he did not bat an eye at a non stainless blade used for field dressing...
 
Cushing H. said:
The guy that will get the final knife gets stainless. The friend who will receive my trials in non stainless knows how to care for a knife. Just talked to him ... he did not bat an eye at a non stainless blade used for field dressing...
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I should have read the whole thread before responding.....

Most of my hunting knives are not not stainless and it's a non issue.
 
emtyhopper said:
I should have read the whole thread before responding.....

Most of my hunting knives are not not stainless and it's a non issue.
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Thats ok. The title was always meant to be more than a little tongue in cheek. I know what a hunting knife is ... also know there are many styles ... just need to thread the needle (so to speak) for this recipient whom i do not know..... 😔
 
Cushing H. said:
Ok - here is my next iteration in proposed profile. Technically I can make this either with a slotted bolster or in the pancake style ... but if I did it slotted, I would need to open up the slot prior to HT. I dont know .... I have enough non-stainless steel on hand to try this, I know it is not ideal, but a friend said he would be willing to take my "prototype" results even if they were non-stainless (he does know about taking care of knives.....)

Thoughts?
View attachment 1735135
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Well , I like this one . I think it would look better / and easier to make / if the guard is a little less wide , and not to be overlooked is the weight of the guard that adds to the knife . 7.5 mm wide guard is right for me with 3mm pin
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I think Buck fixed blade when I think hunter, mostly because in my youth they were a “nice” hunting knife. My 2 cents is go for a similar form factor… field sharpenable steel with a pretty but durable handle on a hidden tang with cap.
 
Cushing H. said:
Hah - I actually just really, really easily found a downloadable pdf of the loveless book with knives placed on grid paper. the more I think of it the more I like the idea of starting from one of his designs.

Funny .... he has "Riverside" drop point hunters, and "Lawendale" drop point hunters. I wonder what makes for the distinction between the two (and maybe others?).

Ugh .... I am also looking at a photo of a knife called a "Lawendale amputation knife" .... apparently made of all metal (so it can be sterilized), and made for a Chinese american doctor. Cant guess what *that* one is for.......

Actually, this just plain looks like a fun book to read through....
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You're welcome.

By memory, I think the Riverside and Lawendale are two different shop locations.
Changed shop locatons and logos- important for collectors.
 
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