Working Knife....Gut-hook Skinner

John White

John White

Joined
Jun 23, 2007
Messages
2,142
There's been an interesting thread lately about today's makers and the fashioning of honest working knives. One of my local customer's order time came up just before our deer season, and he asked for a simple gut-hook skinner, with stag handle, "but, make it Damascus, and I'm gonna use it."

So...here's my version of a working knife in two-bar, "Explosion" Damascus and Stag, nothing else to it.

(Blade..4 1/4", LOA 8 3/4", 1080 & 15n20 explosion damascus blade, guard, shaped-to-stag-butt, stag handle)

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With a closer look at the guard, made of the same billet as the blade.

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Hope you like it.

John
 
I think his hunting buddies are going to be jealous as heck - and lining up with orders of their own. That's a beautiful piece that will surely serve him well.

Roger
 
Not a big gut hook fan but you have executed this stlye to perfection . AS you can tell I really like your work.. Class act rendition of a classic design.
 
that steel is beautiful!
What a great, honest, working man's knife:D
 
John,

I like that low count explosion pattern. You can really see what's going on. Fine knife.

Cheers,

Terry
 
looks great...a question if you will john....as for the gut hook-do you have to make it softer there at the spine...i never used one and was just wondering if the steel has to be softer for actual use....ryan
 
Ryan,

The term "gut-hook" is a bit of a mis-nomer. "Anti-gut-hook" might be more on target. The idea is to split the belly skin , while "gutting" the beast, without the danger of cutting into the intestines. So, the knife is turned upside down, the prong of the hook inserted into a small hole in the skin, and the knife pulled thru the belly with the cutting done by the sharp semi-circle at the bottom of the slot.

The whole area is hard, the cutting semi-circle is double-edged, but the "backside" of the hook, or the "prong" needs to be smooth, so as to not tear the intestines.

That being said, lots of folks aren't fans of the gut-hook, me included, but that's what "custom" sometimes means.. What the "Customer" wants, to the best of my ability, not what I might have done on my own.

(Too much info?)

John
 
Very nice John. I like how you got the explosion centered at the bottom of the guard. A nice little attention to detail. I assume a very happy customer.
 
Nice job John...

I too really like the guard detail...

Just the little things that make your work so great to look at!!!!!

Steve
 
I'd love to try that one out on a whitetail!

btw, never did like the "look" of a guthook, but found them to be pretty functional when done well...

Nice work John.
 
very very cool, I posted a thread about using customs in the field and I posted a few photos. - I hope that the new owner will get this fine fine looking blade bloody.
 
Cool stuff John. Great pattern and great execution as usual. Hope to see you at the hammer in.:thumbup:

Brion
 
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