Ooo!! _Some really nice hunting knives I've seen lately.

[bamaranger]

switched

My sis gave me a Buck Mini-Mentor and I carried it steadily for 15 years or more. The Mini is discontinued, and is a fixed, stainless, sabre blade, 3-3/8 with a rubbber Pachmeyer type grip that includes a lanyard hole. When I got a new fangled climbing/safety vest, the fixedblade sheath hung on the vest webbing at my waist, and I relegated the Mini for quartering/ butchering. Too bad, as that is one tough, handy knife. The grip was good no matter how cold or wet/bloody your hands, and the lanyard was a plus in skinning. I never had a complaint about putting or keeping an edge on that Buck. I like stainless as my hunting clothes hang outdoors on the back porch, all season, and a carbon blade can rust easily in those conditions.

I went to folders, carried in my front pants pocket, and used a Buck 112, the Ranger, but it was just to heavy for pocket carry. I tried a Gerber Serator, and liked it, lighter than the Buck 112, but it too seemed a bit bulky. Found a used Case Sodbuster, the big size, with a lock blade, and that has been my hunting knife the past 5 years or so.

I don't "field dress" unless gut shot or the deer is very difficult to access. They go home to a gimbel, and work them up from there. The Mini still comes into play, and I've grown partial to a goofy little thing from the CRKT people called a "Ringer" for making my abdominal cut for the entrails.

 

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Over the years. I don't know how you fellows have done. But I've lost a few decent straight blade knifes back in the woods. Seems like no matter what kind of sheath they came with. Those knifes. They just couldn't stay put or fastened down and would magically unsnap themselves and fall away. Or their blade would cut thru the material their sheath was made of or its cheap cheesy stitching and expose their hand honed edges I was so proud of.
I even went as far as restitching a leather sheath once with polished copper wire. Did a blanket stitch job on it. {my Mrs.showed me how} Turned out to be a pretty snazzy looking set-up when completed. Work Great!! to contain its blade. But shortly there after someone broke into my hunting shack and chose to borrow the knife long term._
After that fiasco I gave up. Hello folding. Good bye straight blades. If I can't stow it in my pocket I don't want it._

 

[BigD_in_FL]

Mine is the different version of Hawg's -no gut hook, just a drop point. I can place my index finger along the top edge to keep the point from cutting something I don't want it to. Been around at LEAST 20 years, maybe longer as is my Buck 110 folding - both get used for skinning, but the Schrade Old Timer does the initial work

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

I guess I never killed a mature buck then.

I've got to agree 100% with JimBob86, with the exception that it doesn't have to be a buck. I can easily split both the hip and ribs of deer that are roughly 1 1/2 yr old or less. Adult deer, buck or doe, it is much, much more difficult. I don't even attempt it anymore.

------------------------------------------------

I've never had a knife that I really like and that lasted long term. My dad has a Cutco that's been the best I've ever seen. He's had it since my niece was very young (her dad bought it for my dad) so it's certainly been over 15 years, though it did snap in half and was replaced by Cutco. That thing has done everything. It cuts tree limbs, skins deer, breaks bone, etc, etc. It's a fixed, serrated blade. Stayed sharp a long time, oddly it break just skinning a deer not when hacking at tree limbs.

I had a Winchester knife that I liked a lot. Forgot it in the woods and could never find it. It was only like $14. It was a flip-open, multi-blade with a saw, gut hook and straight knife.

These days, I've been looking at going to the replaceable blade knives. Getting dull is the biggest down side of most knives and sharpening them is inconvenient and a pain.
I do use the Butt Out. It takes some technique but it is easier once you get the hang of it. A really sharp knife helps a lot.

 

[shortwave]

Adult deer, buck or doe, it is much, much more difficult. I don't even attempt it anymore.

Agree. And in the field, I don't either.

I reach up in and grab windpipe, pull it down as far as I can and cut it off without cutting ribs. Not only easier for me but have found out the hard way that those cut ribs can be very sharp.

Cut around anus and pull things thru the pelvis. Just as easy for me.

 

[FrankenMauser]

Agree. And in the field, I don't either.

I reach up in and grab windpipe, pull it down as far as I can and cut it off without cutting ribs. Not only easier for me but have found out the hard way that those cut ribs can be very sharp.

That's one of the perks of hunting doe Antelope - it's a piece of cake to separate the ribs from the sternum, to get in there for the trachea and esophagus. Even on healthy 5+ year-old animals, you can separate them with a knife, and still have enough of an edge left to continue with the job at hand. (I've never had a need to split the pelvis on an antelope, but I don't think a knife would be sufficient.)

For animals like Elk, you had better have a hatchet or saw on hand, if you're going to separate the ribs. Even a good knife will only get you through 2, maybe 3 ribs, before the edge is completely toast. And splitting the pelvis? You'll be there for hours, if you don't have a saw or a good way to just break the bone.

 

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Where I once worked they issued Kevlar gloves. Gee's a pair of those gloves saved me allot of cuts over the years in my cutting of those tough wind pipes on un-split chested deer.
Had a Cutco. But as said prior their blade is kind of on the brittle side. Sharp though. Sharpest knife I ever owned actually. Loaned it once to another and he broke the blade in half right in front of me while trying to split a rib cage on some old worn out swamp doe. Ouch that hurt!! Got it fixed under warranty and its blade chipped again while cutting thru a rabbits back of all things. Sent it in one more time and got another new blade and it got chipped trimming the bone out of a raw pork steak that same year. "Good bye Cutco I thought at the time." Hello my old friend the Wyoming knife and a older 5" folding lock back Rapala fillet knife. I'm thinking now that fillet knife may be a bit to long. Don't really need a 5" blade. Might give my little Chicago cutlery #33 lock blade folder a try this year instead. A little on the pointy side but it still should work good. And like all old Chicago knives it does hold an edge pretty darn well. I wonder how one of those Havalon's would work for gutting duty's?__ Seems like a few fellows here like them for skinning. But I got better knifes just for that purpose. By the way I don't split the pelvis either. Just the old typical ream job is what I pratice. Pull the anal tube out a little and tie it off with the same wire I use to tie my Site Kill Tag on with. Then pull the anal tube back thru the pelvis bone to the animals cavity when pulling the deer's innards out. {old school taught} Fillet knife works the best for that job. 5"s of blade and handle to use and shove up in there. Gee's I could get by using it on a Cape buffalo if we had any to hunt now that I think about it._

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Vintag...ckback-Hunter-Pocket-Jack-Knife-/111192295277

 

[Panfisher]

I used a butt out tool last year for the first time, took a little while to get the hang of it. I insert it, give it a twist to tighten it up, then cut aroun the anus like always, and another twist will start it loose. I then either tie it around the tool or leave it until I have open the body cavity and split the pelvis, it then becomes a handle to strip the anus right through the split pelvis, actually worked pretty well even if not how it is explained on the package. I have carried many different knives (I own way too many knives). A couple that are always close by are a Sheffield utility knife with a carpet hook blade, a Cold Steel Ultimate hunter folder, and next time a Gerber EZ zip or something like that. I also usually have an Old Timer Buzz Saw Trapper on my belt.

 

[jimbob86]

. I then either tie it around the tool or leave it until I have open the body cavity and split the pelvis, it then becomes a handle to strip the anus right through the split pelvis, actually worked pretty well even if not how it is explained on the package.

So ... you use the Butt-Out and split the pelvis? ..... and here I thought the whole point of that thing was to avoid the PITA of splitting the pelvis ........

FWIW, I generally use the trachea and esophagus as my "handle" .... grasping them with both hands (palms down, right above where the bronchi split, and giving them a 90+ degree bend by turning my hands are palmside up, to prevent them brom slipping) and ripping everthing out .... the viscera are really only firmly attached at the throat and anus, with some some soft connective tissue attachments along the spine that often dont even require cutting- just rip it all out.........

 

[BirchOrr]

OK SSM asked...

... so here goes. First off, I bought my Dad an Old Timer exactly like Hawg's. He's carried it for years and loves it.

I had a knife custom made for me and have also used it for 30 yrs. or so. 100 yr. old English carbon steel, deer antler handle and razor sharp I might add.

Here's a pic of the badge.

I also carried this to split the tailbone until I got a "Butt-Out"


Interesting story about the Marbles "Safety Axe". When my Dad was in high school, he made money trapping. He made more money trapping than his Dad did working in skilled trades at the woolen mill. He told me of a hatchet he carried having a "sheath that flipped up out of the handle". I couldn't figure out what that was or looked like.

When I was 11, (1971) I had a paper route and delivered to most of the stores in town. The town hardware (still there) is one of the old fashioned ones with the rolling ladders and hundreds of drawers all the way to the ceiling full of parts & nuts and bolts. I went in to collect for the month and while waiting for the $$$ I looked down in the glass display case and behold was this pictured Marble's Safety Axe! They had been cleaning out an old storage area and found it. Not knowing what it was they put it out for sale. It was "new old stock"! I couldn't get the money out fast enough to buy it. I paid $7.00 for it at that time. My Dad flipped when I showed it to him!



Birch

 

[Bigfatts]

Until this year I have used a Gerber fixed blade of questionable construction as a beater woods knife. My new addiction for the last couple years has been knives and this year I finally got around to replacing my hunting setup. My go to belt knife will be a general purpose knife and good for the larger parts of hog dressing. The other is a small dedicated skinner in a better blade steel that should keep a good edge.

First one is a Muela Rhino. Sandvick blade and the most comfortable scalloped G10 handle I've ever felt

Skinner is a White River Knife & Tool Knucklehead. Small, light and SHARP. S30V should hold up well.

Sorry for the terrible cell pics.

 

[Brotherbadger]

I use a Buck Omni Hunter fixed blade. I don't like folders simply because that's one more point where it can fail.

I've carried it for the past 8 years or so. I love it.

 

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

You gott'a love these cell phones now a days. Shot a big doe last Sunday. Son was in camp supposely 1/4ing up his deer and making supper for us at the time. Anyhow He called me on his cell while I was giving the deer I harvested some wait and see time up in the stand. {he heard my 270 bark as my stand is only a 1/4 mile away from the cabin.} Shortly after his call I got down from the stand. Here he comes Mario Andretti Junior II driving up the field towards me in his new HD Chevy. We than walked over to the deer I harvested and we both looked at each other and without a further word said!! We did the rock, scissors, paper deal and I beat him this time. So~o. He asked me for my fillet knife to field dressed it with. Kind'a reluctantly I gave it to him but I did make an effort to offer him that unusual orange plastic tool at that same moment to ease his job with. But apparently I pointed out or made a mistake on the proper entrance orifice. Son. He preferred to do the job without any specialize tooling and anymore of this old geezer's subversive humor and/or guidance as it was getting dark out. We rinsed out the doe after supper and dishes. But had to lift that bloody watery doe back up again and leave her in his brand new truck bed as the garage's hoist & gamble was still full of his deer from the day before. Apparently it wasn't a win win evening for him. But nor was it for me either. I ended up cleaning my own knife. And the following day I went and found that orange tool stuck in a ant hill. Well I made sure he'll see it again next year. I put it in his enclosed stand._

For deer reference size: I'm near 6'2" 270 lbs.
I think this doe is about 3-3-1/2 yrs old.