Knife Improvement - Looking for input

[cfree]

1. What style of knife you currently use, and brand if you care to share?
Havalon baracuta, piranta, and Victorinox 5" beef skinner.


2. What you would like to see as upgrades to what you currently use?
Stiffer blades and more blade shapes on Havalon. Beef skinner is awesome as is.

3. Are you primarily and elk hunter or other big game?
Elk mostly, but equal opportunity hunter.

4. Do you mostly do the gutless method or do you do the traditional field dressing/gutting?
Traditional field dressing mostly, also use gutless method depending on situation and size of animal(bison).

 

[Bulldog0156]

1. What style of knife you currently use, and brand if you care to share?
Rapid River Knifeworks drop point knife. Pretty hard carbon steel so it takes a while to sharpen but it holds its edge through an entire elk.

2. What you would like to see as upgrades to what you currently use?
Honestly, I love this knife. To me, it is perfectly suited to breaking down an entire animal from the first cut to the last. If I ever need to replace it, I will purchase another one.

3. Are you primarily and elk hunter or other big game?
Montana big game

4. Do you mostly do the gutless method or do you do the traditional field dressing/gutting?
For elk, I do the gutless method. For deer, it depends on where I am at what I do.


I am also curious how much of a factor the following might be to other hunters, given how they use a knife - weight, blade durability versus sharpening ease, size, folding versus fixed blade, and replaceable blade versus resharpenable blade. And, any other ideas you are seeking when buying a knife.

I am all about a fixed blade that is heavy duty enough to use as a pry bar if needed. I don't mind resharpening but my knife will easily last through an entire elk before needing to be sharpened again. After seeing a replaceable blade knife in action this fall I would never buy one. It took three blades to get through an elk and when the blades break they cause an even bigger pain. I won't use a folding knife because there is always the possibility that they fail and fold onto your hand. I've seen this happen and a trip to the ER doesn't really make the week any more fun.

 

[Addicting]

I agree with that and usually carry a Rapala filet knife because they work well and are very light. If a replaceable blade knife could be made that was similar in handling, it might be a big seller.

This is my choice of knife for processing when I get home. It’s been going strong for 20 years with no need to change.

 

[kansasdad]

At home for processing, I have found that while I liked the Rapala filet knife (4 and 6 inch models), the Victorinox 6 inch boning knife with the offset handle is much better for cutting board work (saves my knuckles)

 

[1100RemingtonMan]

1. What style of knife you currently use, and brand if you care to share?

I use a Cutco Drop Point Hunting Knife, and a older American made Folding Gerber.

2. What you would like to see as upgrades to what you currently use?

Nothing as they both high quality Knives.

3. Are you primarily and elk hunter or other big game?

Primarily Deer & Antelope but I Elk hunt also and am going Caribou Hunting this year and have Black Bear hunted with one bear to my credit.

4. Do you mostly do the gutless method or do you do the traditional field dressing/gutting?

Both it depends where and what is shot as to what I do.

5. What I would like to see made is a 4 inch folding Fish filet knive. This would be perfect for deboning animals and Birds.

Currently I use a older Buck 5 inch folding fish filet knive for all my Pheasant’s & Waterfowl as I breast them out.

I did pick up a Gerber Vital replaceable blade knive I plan on taking it to Alaska for Caribou. Jury is still out on this knive but I am going to try it in place of my folding Gerber I currently use.

 

[1100RemingtonMan]

1. What style of knife you currently use, and brand if you care to share?

2. What you would like to see as upgrades to what you currently use?

3. Are you primarily and elk hunter or other big game?

4. Do you mostly do the gutless method or do you do the traditional field dressing/gutting?.

1. What I use Cutco Hunting Knife, Gerber Folding, Buck 5 inch Folding Fish Filet Knife, Rapala 4 inch Fish Filet Knife.

2. I would like to see a 4 1/2 inch Folding Fish Filet Knife as I clean a lot of Pheasants & Waterfowl and to debone Big Game.

3. Deer because I live in Iowa and take one trip a year out West for other Big Game and next year it's Caribou hunting.

4. I do mostly traditional dressing and gutting.

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

I run a mora bushcraft outdoor K knife for around $80. She's broken down and caped a lot of deer. In the field we traditionally remove legs and backstrap then drop out the gut to remove the undercut.

I prefer a carbon steel blade that's going to hold its edge nicely. I'll only replace it as my main one when i get around to making my own. Something with a comfortable ergonomic handle is important to me particularly when caping and breaking down an animal solo.

I used to own a havalon but after their customer service i received or more the absolute lack of response I'd never have another. It was a pain in the A to clean and snapped when blade was at any angle other than straight so it was probably a blessing in disguise.

 

[slatebuilder]

#1. The knives above are the ones I have been using lately. The Gerber in the middle is fantastic, it was the first Christmas gift my wife got for me. It's been on a lot of hunting excursions in 13 years, the hook is handy, the blade is stout, and seems to hold an edge well....._______ cold dead fingers. The big game vital is new to me this year, love it so far. I used it on gutless/pack out jobs and processing of deer for friends and family. The folder was the RMEF gift for joining. It's a Kerhasw, my daily pocket carry, bird/small game knife, and has been a good stand in on a couple deer gutting and skinning jobs. The shape of the blade and how stout it is make it a nice combination of cutting and prying tool, it has worked nicely skinning heads for euro mounts. I like it. As the 3G service guy in our family and friend group these knives have gotten plenty of work this season.

#2 The only upgrade I can think of might be a saw blade for the big game vital, if there isn't one already. I think I once heard a very famous hunter on a pod cast speak of using a rock to get at the heart of an elk. A saw for the big game vital may be useful for this. It might be pretty easy for the boys at Gerber to fix up some sort quick switch saw blade.

#3 Primarily fish, small game, birds, turkeys, deer, and occasional elk.
#4 Combination of traditional field dress/whole critter removal and gutless/packout.

 

[1100RemingtonMan]

This 5 inch folding Fish fillet Buck knife is nice.

 

[sbhooper]

I have used all types of knives over the years. The bottom line in a decision, is whether or not you are competent at sharpening knives. It has only taken me about 30 years, but now, I prefer to sharpen my own knives.

I have tried the replaceable-blade knives and they work fine, BUT, the blades dull quickly. They do sharpen quickly, though, so I have no issue with them. I still have one and have sharpened all of the extra blades, as I was never real satisfied with the sharpness, when I got it. It is an Outdoor Edge. I traded a Piranta and an Outdoor Edge to Cushman, for an Outdoor Edge Swingblade. It is a fairly good knife, except that I am not real crazy about AUS8 steel. AUS8 is a common and inexpensive steel, holds a fair edge and is pretty easy to sharpen. Overall, a decent steel and moderately priced, that is used in a lot of knives. I actually asked the boss why they don't use a bit better steel and he told me that most cannot sharpen real tough steel, and they could keep the price more marketable with AUS8. Made sense to me and I like the durability of the Outdoor Edge products.

The best knife that I own, was made for me by a knife maker by the name of Cody Wescott, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It is a large, heavy knife made from D2 tool steel. It has been a great knife and has been my preferred knife for heavy game. Cody still owed me two more, but I believe cancer got him awhile back. A truly fine blade smith and also was a good friend and real outdoorsman.

I have two SOG knives that I like real well. They are S30V steel and are pretty good knives. They are durable and hold a decent edge, but take a bit longer on the diamond to get it where I like it. They are smaller with 3-3.5-inch blades and work great for deer and antelope. I have also done elk with them, but prefer a larger knife for that.

I have a Puma Skinner, that is a fine production knife. It was a gift many years ago and has gutted a lot of critters. Puma is real good for a production knife, in my opinion, but I have not used a new one.

I think that if I was going to have a custom knife made now, it would be a compromise between the large, heavy D2 knife and the smaller knives that I have. For deer and antelope, it is irrelevant, as a good folder works great, but it is nice to have a bit more heft, when doing larger game such as elk, or moose. I like a bit tougher steel and would pass on the 440C, AUS8 types of steel that many cheaper knives are made of. There are lots of good production knives from SOG, Benchmade etc, that more than fit, though, without going the custom route.

Out of the field and close to a sharpener is a whole different story. I like my Bubba Blades for processing.

Just my opinion.

 

[geojag]

1. Havalon Piranta Stag in orange, use the 60a blades and the guthook. Also use a Benchmade Crooked River for the knees. I carry a DMT fine diamond stone to touch this knife up as it is also the camp knife.

2. On the Havalon, the blades could be a bit larger and maybe a little more belly to them for skinning. On the gut hook, I wish it was more of a hook. I sometimes get the muscle a bit. The Benchmade is a little bigger than I need but that is no fault of the knife.

3. I am primarily a whitetail Hunter, although I would like to change that in the future. I typically take 2-4 deer a year personally and help clean at least a dozen a year.

4. The deer I kill, gutless method. Most of the deer I help other folks clean/process have been gutted. I guess as long as I don't have to deal with the guts it isn't too much of a difference.

If I am in an area where the deer has to be boned out, I sometimes carry a Havalon fillet knife.

 

[ringer]

I have a kill bag with the old Forchner skinner and boning knives. I carry three Buck 110 and 426 folders with the knurled plastic handles in my pack. Many elk and deer. I like the softer steel that can be sharpened with a few strokes on a diamond. I can get them razor sharp and very quickly.