Looking for a knife to field dressing deer and skinning also, what should I look for? Anything to avoid? Worth looking for one with a gut hook or not?
Cheers
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Looking for a knife to field dressing deer and skinning also, what should I look for? Anything to avoid? Worth looking for one with a gut hook or not?
Cheers
Avoid the gut hook for now learn to do it properly. You just cant do the arsehole with a gut hook.
Just get a mercator for now and after a while u will know what u want in a knife yiurself
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Cheers creeping death
Being relatively new to the hunting scene myself, i hadn't a clue what to get in terms if a knife when i started out.
But i've read a lot and talked to a lot of people about the subject so ill share with you what i have found out
A field dressing knife and skinning knife are technically 2 different style knives but having said that, with a little skill you can do both jobs with either knife.
A field dressing knife should be short, around 12cm long or shorter with a slight curve and pointed tip, i prefer a fixed blade knife to a folding one, i just wouldn't feel uncomfortable applying as much pressure to a folding knife that i do to a fixed blade, you can do yourself some serious harm if the locking mechanism failed
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Skinning knife should be larger with a substantial curve, the idea being that you use more of the knives edge and therefore it doesn't become blunted so quickly
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You can unnecessary spend a small fortune on knives so don't go out and spend $100+ on your 1st knife (you wouldn't buy a brand new Merc to learn to drive in would you!), also don't buy cheap and nasty as it will let you down when you need it the most, in essence you do get what you pay for.
For a beginner i would suggest a cheap model of a good quality brand, i bought the 'Cold Steel Finnbear' for $35 and im quite happy with it, its nothing fancy but it does the job and if i loose it in the bush it won't cost much to replace.
I agree with CreepingDeath, don't get sucked into fancy gimmicks like a gut hooks and blaze orange camo handles (no-one will be impressed when you whip out a fancy shinny knife in the hut).
Learn how to dress, skin and butcher a deer properly without aides such as gut hooks etc its not the knife that butchers the animal but the skills of the guy using it, also buy a good quality stone from you local hardware store and learn how to sharpen a knife, its a skill that will be with you for the rest of your life and i reckon its more satisfying that way too.
Finally, chose something that you realy like!, sounds silly but your Knife is a very personal thing so don't buy something close to what you want becasue it was on sale as you may end up lementing over the decision only to buy the knife you really wanted in the 1st place.
Some people will have guncases full of rilfes, but they will only use 1 knife out when hunting!.
That my 2c worth.
Hi Phillipgr, over the years Ive had a few knives, havent lost them, just plain worn them out.
I was looking at buying a new knife, my faithful Buck has got a large crack in blade close to the heal, from cracking to many rabbit and hare legs, literally thousands!
I was looking Bucks etc and one day I took a good mate and his son on a goat shoot and he produced this little knife that caught my eye, so much so next day I went and
brought one, Ive used it for skinning, capeing, gutting even headskinning!it holds an edge well and better yet if you pay more than $15 youve paid too much!
Sad to say you buy them from Bunnings the brand is a Bahco. This was the easiest link I could find for you to see what they look like.
Bahco General Purpose Knife 210mm - George Henry & Co. Ltd
RUNAS
If I could add a word of wisdom from an old fellah I would advise you to get a knife that holds an edge well as a sharp knife requires very little pressure to do its job. More cuts are caused through too much pressure being exerted with a blunt knife than through the use of a well maintained sharp knife.
Very wise words there. I totally agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rushy
Amen to that, Rushy.
I was gifted what I thought was a cool knife when I was accepted into the army. I love the shape and size of it, but as we found out on my weekend it was super blunt straight out of the box (unbeknownst to noob me) and now since having a handsome southern man sharpen it for me, I have found that it does not seem to hold it's edge very well at at. :(
This arvo I have been looking at reviews of my knife and gave up after the fouth review starting off something like "...I LOVE this knife, it's pretty awesome but I haven't really used it for anything yet...." :wtfsmilie:
Spot on Rushy, a sharp knife is a safe knife.
Iv bought them iv made them and the really good ones I lose:pissed off: so for the last 4 or5 yeatrs I had a cheap greenriver. it did the job but I took a lot of the point off it to give it some shape and the edge would really onlyu last for one feild dressing.
Definitely recommend at least having a look at our forum advertiser Zedteq knives. Reasonable price for a quality hand made NZ knife by someone who is supporting our forum.
Heres the one I got. I love the non slip Handel. Blade is a little deeper than i would like ideally but it will only get shallower;)
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/i.../Newtoy010.jpg
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/i.../Newtoy008.jpg
Have a talk to him im sure he would make whatever you require.
after heaps of lost fancy knives, i just use a green river boning knife for...everything haha, works awesome
I made this for hunt http://imageshack.us/a/img822/598/sanmai1smalllarge.jpg
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and my hunting knife is this http://imageshack.us/a/img13/6149/chacocassmall.jpg
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Linyera not only do you have the best job in the world, you are a master craftsman as well. I am impressed.
Nice:thumbsup: Not the sort of thing i would carry around but beautiful work linyera.Quote:
Originally Posted by linyera
Get this! Cheap, cheerful and very good stainless. Much better than my mercator.Quote:
Originally Posted by RUNAS
Kershaw Antelope Hunter II Knife -SPECIAL | Trade Me
I personally like these, good shape for skinning, hold their edge and really sturdy blades (don't like the orange one though!)
If you want a really nice knife for a good price have a look at these!
Louis Naude Knives, Handmade Knives, Garden Route, South Africa
i'm in the same boat as yourself and just decided to go with a buck 110 for now and take it from there, scored one off ebay factory blemished, when it turned up it looked fine to me had tiny marks on it but ive already put my own bigger marks on it from just using it ! good score for 55 nz to your door
BUCK 110 FOLDING HUNTER KNIFE 420HC BLADE BRASS BOLSTERS ~NEW FB~ | eBay
Yip a boning knife will do it all and they are the best for the job, that why the professionals (abitoirs/freezing worker, butchers etc..) all use them. Bonus with this style of blade is that it takes an edge quickly and only needs a tickle with a steel every now and then. And they're cheap at $40ish, so if you loose one its not the end of the world.Quote:
Originally Posted by ARdave
But if you want something different, then go for it?
kj
Far out! I'd be scared about that knife stabbing my dogs on the far side of the pig...hahaQuote:
Originally Posted by linyera
kj
I just bought that cheapo Bahco one, matches the rest of my tools! :cool:
...and Cam, I also bought a sharpening stone lol
Dougie, if you have never used a stone before then get someone to show you how. There isn't a great deal of science to it but getting it wrong can put undue wear on the faces of the stone. Also strongly resist the urge to sharpen the knife that you have just purchased as it will not need to be sharpened because you haven't yet used it. If however, one of your many attributes happens to be knife sharpening then I will await the "piss off Rushy" that I deserve.
I need a good knife sometimes !!!!!http://imageshack.us/a/img688/3156/img4538eu.jpg
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Ha, Rushy, you're awesome. I googled and youtubed how to. Cam sharpened my SOG knife while I watched. And yes I did go and sharpen the knife I just bought...it was very blunt, I tried to cut some cheese with it and it struggled. Then I tried to saw my palm open with no avail either!
So anyway I have sharpened both. Looking forward to giving them a go. The Bahco knife seems (to noob me) that it would be great for skinning.
I made my knifes http://imageshack.us/a/img440/7033/img5393small.jpg
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I have two of those bahcos there bloody razors
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Ha ha ha Dougie said cut the cheese VC. Is that and order from the young suballtern telling us old soldiers to haul off and fart?
CD, I thought I had read previously that they were damn sharp which is why I suggested that Dougie not sharpen hers. What are the odds of Dougie getting a blunt one? I can just see her taking it home and then attacking the concrete footpath with it just so she could use her new stone.Quote:
Originally Posted by CreepingDeath
Mate if I had those knees I wouldn't be putting photo's of them up on this interweb thingy. Could go viral on ya.Quote:
Originally Posted by linyera
I've found 12-13cm boning knives seem to give me the best compromise for goats/deer and are typically good value at $30-40.
Would recomend the victorinox ones in particular, found the Victory brand ones a bit thick in the handle and not so nice a shape.
Good skills linyera, no offence was intended with my comments.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rushy
kj
P.S I like your Dogos, I used to run a Dogo as a holder too.
http://i964.photobucket.com/albums/ae126/kimjon/666.jpg
http://i964.photobucket.com/albums/a...brary-1768.jpg
http://i964.photobucket.com/albums/a...brary-1727.jpg
But mine was a cross bread (1/2 dogo - 1/4American Bull dog-1/4Greyhound). Was the easiest dog I've trained, she had sit/heel/get behind/stay (a real stay and didn't move until told too) and come here all tuaght to her within a week when she was about 4 months old. I loved that dog, but family commitments didn't suit me hunting 365days of the years (10day stints as a culler and then pig hunting on my 4 days off) so I gave my pig dogs away to someone who could give them the time the needed.
Thanks for all the advice guys, really helpful for a young guy just starting out like myself. I think I'm gonna give the Bahco a go and move on from there if I feel I need/want to. It seems pretty good for a poor student like myself! haha Cheers
Attachment 3346
:D:D
The trick with hand sharping on a stone is to use the entire stone as rushy said so you dont wear a hollow in it and most importantly to maintain a constant angle while working the knife.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dougie
thanks mate !!!!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by kimjon
Last night I got a knife sharpening lesson from a mate who is the head chef at a top place here in Wellington :) Pretty cool stuff. He has five or six different grades of stone and sharpens every single knife with each grade. It must take him an hour to do one knife!!!!
You are set then Dougie. Do you also have a steel that you can use for straightening the edge when the blade goes dull? Note I said straightening and not sharpening.
Yep I do, cheers Rushy :) I am still wishing I could book myself into a gae butchery type course. I think nothing like that exists unfortunately.
Did VC show you how to butcher the deer you shot with him?
Yeah, mainly Greg. It was awesome. I'd like more practice though. Possibly a book might sort me out. I've found a few funny vids on YouTube but as a Kinestetic learner, I find it better to get in there and do it a few times over for it to really sink in.
