Thread: small knife design , your input.

Originally Posted by hotbarrels

@viper - not sure if you do already, but I like looking at what the guys are selling on the Blade Forum. You get a daily dose if other guys/girls inspiration across a broad spectrum of different styles and manufacturing techniques.

This one came up for sale this morning and looks very nice, and is in the size and design category you are working on at the moment https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/...-sold.1721393/

@hotbarrels thanks for the big write up and posting the link , yes it should make for an interesting challenge , as @GroundControl and you have mentioned the original brief is light, small , sharp and handy... there is no perfect knife to cover all situations and this
build is aimed at a certain area and application of use.
Thanks again for taking the time, every ones input has been valuable and also interesting .

A or C for me.

My small knife. Probably not much help as I’m not a fish/bird person



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these two get more use than anything else.....Ive got a 2nd green one thanks to generosity of forum member....love that knife,the handle fits me like a glove and the blade shape works well.

This thread got me thinking about the type of knife you are contemplating .
Back in the early 2000's I used a Buck knife of about those dimensions and it was dam near perfect apart from the quality of the Steel and its edge retention .
I went and had a dig around in my box of bits and found it .
The handle was only just long enough , but it did work OK , if I was to suggest anything it would be to add another 5 - 10 mm of handle length .

Blade A. Drop point, so you don't gut when you skin.

C would be my personal preference, but B for the stated intent

Originally Posted by berg243

how much for C with a hilt guard and skeletonised handle suitable for wrapping with para cord.

PM me mate with cost questions and more detail , hilt guard ?

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Attachment 135120 these two get more use than anything else.....Ive got a 2nd green one thanks to generosity of forum member....love that knife,the handle fits me like a glove and the blade shape works well.

micky -your green handled one .Igot one from H&Fwith my duckshooting licence one year and in a word for breasting geese and parries it was brilliant.I a fit of stupidity one day was taking legs off a goose (feral)and hit the back of the blade with a hammer snapped it in two.no matter how hard ive tried never been able to source a replacement.
mind you got knives of various sorts coming out my ears -even gave a couple away .C404 got a nice wee custom one i was given IIRC. I picked up a peasant knife like your top one too in a pile of stuff i got in a TM deal-mate of mine who owns a batch up at mt lyford asked me up for the weekend -he liked that wee knife so it was given in appreciation of his hospitality.another dandy wee design

a pair of garden sicateers would be a good investment for legging honkers........
Im sure if you ask nicely someone else on forum will have one sitting in drawer....the brand stamp has turned some folk off using them....awesome knife.

cheers mickey-May do that ,or if anyone reads this post and does have a spare one laying about please PM me .

I have always used tree limb pruners for cutting up sheep. Fantastic for the chops and hocks. Would be great for your goose legs @kotuku

Originally Posted by Tahr

I have always used tree limb pruners for cutting up sheep. Fantastic for the chops and hocks. Would be great for your goose legs @kotuku

I do the same.... pruners.

I like a ... c 2nd. but I wouldn't buy either unless they were folders. these types of knives for me I carry in a casual manner in my pocket, or bag. I dont want a belt sheath etc.

I have been thinking about this knife shape question quite a bit since the question was posted.
Now I really like the look of A, but the blade in B would be the fastest and cleanest to use for skinning especially if it had the edge shape of C.
The fastest knives I find are old Boners with the blade shortened and slightly straightened. They may not be the most pretty knives but they do skinning cuts with speed accuracy and minimal effort, where as a deep blade drags. A blade with a big rounded cutting edge is much more likely to give the user a bad cut too as it is hard to judge and a slip ends up with a downward cut as well as forwards.
The angle of the grip relative to the blade makes a big difference to control as well, so there really is a lot to getting a knife right

Originally Posted by bully

I do the same.... pruners.

I like a ... c 2nd. but I wouldn't buy either unless they were folders. these types of knives for me I carry in a casual manner in my pocket, or bag. I dont want a belt sheath etc.

Reciprocating saw, great to split in half down the spine...