good deer knife

[ka64]

Originally Posted by carver

Man has hunted, killed, gutted, and skinned animals for thousands of years. He never had a gut hook, or a butt plug, didn't need them!

Hmmmmmmmmmm, Nevermind............

[carver]

It actually called a butt out plug. http://grannyshouse.hubpages.com/hub/DEER-BUTT-OUT-PLUG

[aa1911]

I bought a Bear Gryls fixed blade for this season (have not gotten to use it yet, bummer), only $50 and has it's own sharpener and a firestarter deal plus a sheath. Best value I've seen on fixed blades recently. Gerber has some other ones, one is only $20 and looks like a great skinning knife.

I carry two though, I have an old two blade folding Case I use to skin with, then a large fixed blade for going through the pelvis and joints, etc.

For elk and large bears, I have a tomohawk and a folding bone saw also.

[aa1911]

and I do carry gloves with me lately, I don't worry about disease so much but it makes cleanup afterwards much easier. plus if I smoke a grouse or something else while out big game hunting, I can use the gloves if there's no water nearby to wash up with.

Don't really want to play with grouse guts and then shove a big chew in or munch snacks afterwards.

and they also are a good and very small way to keep your digits warm in an emergency! put them under your regular gloves and your hands will be much warmer. (and turn into a prune, but warm)

[jstgsn]

For years I carried a bucklite folder and it did every deer I shot. Then I went to a Cold Steel SRK (survival rescue knife) that cost a bit. I had begun hunting back woods areas and swamps and wanted a knife for more than deer dressing. The SRK does it all, holds an edge, cuts through doors and people, etc.
Now I don't go as deep in the woods and I bought a Cold Steel Western Hunter. They stopped making them, but they are available through some dealers. This week, my eldest son borrowed mine and did a deer and begged me for one. He said cutting the rib cage open was like cutting butter with a hot knife. I found an outfitter selling them for $28 and ordered it for him. Merry Xmas. They come sharp and stay that way. The shape is good for dressing, skinning, and butchering. I really like it and am staying with it from now on.

One little tip. I used to spend big bucks on Blood detecting sprays for tracking. God has a sense of humor and has spread the earth with leaves both red and spotted red. Often we would have to stop mid track and pick up a leaf and sniff, rub, dab, etc. to find out if it was blood. An old timer told me to save my money and buy a $1.00 bottle of peroxide and a cheap spray bottle. Peroxide fuzzies up when it hits blood. I did so and kept a spray bottle full of peroxide in the car. When it came time to track a blood trail, I carried it out, and low and behold, red leaves just get wet, blood spots foam up to be darned. A few of my hunting buddies fell in suit and we would go marching through the woods spraying red spots. Many a blood trail was found doing this. AND....when you find the critter and turn it into a canoe, spray your hands. It cleans the blood off and sanitizes any wounds. We would spray, see it fuzz, mark the closest bush with a biodegradable tissue, and look for the next drop. Find the critter, gut it, then clean our hands. The stuff is cheap and works great.

Everyone who finds this beneficial, please send $1.00 to my house.

Back to knives. No matter what knife you buy, I found the best way to sharpen it was to use a Lansky or similar knife sharpener, then buff it till it's like a razor. I purchased a small grinder, put buffing wheels on it, and on one side I applied metal polishing material,(sold at Sears) on the other I just buff. After sharpening my knife, I then polish it with the one wheel, then clean it with the other. I can then take 20# fishing line and shave it at least 5 times by just dragging the blade against it. It makes the knife scalpal (sp?) sharp. Just be careful as the grinder wheels will rip it from your hand and impale you or the ceiling.

Okay, that's another dollar.
fred

[Hawg]

Originally Posted by RYANINMICHIGAN

I guess by the time gut hooks were main stream I was alreadsy hunting for many years so I have no need for it. I have gutted prolly 100s of deer and I can say without a doubt I have never cut into the guts. What if you knife was also a survival tool and you had to repeatedly stab something. Would the gut hook get hung up?

I like it for the speed in unzipping the hide not from fear of cutting into the guts. A survival knife its not. If you had to stab something with it you'd prolly slide your hand down the blade and open it up to the bone.

[myfriendis410]

I've been using the Outdoor Edge swing blade and for those of you who don't like or use a gut hook you've never used this! Beautiful design and the other blade is perfect for skinning. The steel holds a great edge and still point up easily. We do a number of wild hogs a year out here and it's the best knife so far.

[Ruger_Fan]

I have a Schrade sharp finger that I have had for years. It's a great knife and you won't go wrong buying one.

The knife I am carrying this year is a Cold Steel Canadian Belt Knife. It's very light, I don't know I have it. Cheap enough it's almost disposable. It holds an edge very well. Last weekend it skinned 4 deer without sharpening. The rounded shape of the blade lets you use the entire front half of the blade for skinning. It's a great deboning knife as well. I do all my close to the bone work with the Cold Steel. Once I have the meat separated I just use a filet knife to cut the meat into steaks. When the meat hits the freezer there are no bones, just pure protein.

[Buffalochip]

Originally Posted by Hawg

+1. I use an Old Timer with a gut hook and it unzips a deer hide really fast. The only thing I don't like about it is the handles get slick when they get bloody. I've had this one for about 20 years but they sell pretty cheap on ebay. I don't really like a folder for meat work. Too hard to clean compared to a fixed blade.

Hawg--I have the same knife and love it! The gut hook works great and is very easy to sharpen with a dremmel. Unfortunately, they are now made in China, but can be had for as little as $15. Mine is one of the last U.S. made models and I paid a premium for it on Ebay

[cpttango30]

Boy have I got the knife for you.

Take a look at the Kershaw 1080OR http://kershaw.kaiusaltd.com/knives/...nning-knife-or

I carry this knife every day I go hunting. It is razor sharp and has a deep belly and is thick and strong.

[tim peterson]

You might take a look at cutco.com. After you recover from price shock check out there hunting knives with there gurantee you my not need another knife. To make this short I have bought tradded and sold more than 40 diffrent hunting knives. These were quality knifes several made in America. But IMO the cutco white handle hunting knife with the serrated blade is the best knife I have ever used.

[pdg929]

i bought a buck woodsman and a folding egro hunter they are both very good feeling knives thank to everyone for they experiences and imput

[MH2008]

I use an older kershaw 1030TF that I got for free, It works well but I usually use a Buck 110. My favorite so far.

[Shagg]

I have an old Western L88 that I bought from E-bay. Looks like H*** but works great. Stays sharp and is the right size for me. I own a bunch of other knives but this is the one I use. I paid $24.50 plus shipping. It works as good or better than some that I paid $100.00 or more for.

[kc-max]

I carry a custom damascus knife made by a gentleman in San Antonio. Dressed 10 deer with it year before last and could still shave with it.

[overkillpaintball]

WEAR GLOVES!!!!!!! i used to make fun of people who wear them. then at the age of 22 i was in ccu with confused docors telling me it didnt look good. i didnt know where i was at really (i was on some magic something they gave me) after 5 trips to the er and 4 days in ccu we found out i had contracted rockymountain spotted fever from getting a small cut on my finger while processing a deer. i was told by more than one doctor and specialist if i had not been in such good shape it would have definately killed me hell it almost did. and here i am 6 years later my heart rate is still messed up my arms and legs still get tingly/numb etc. i dont wear gloves anymore though, i mean what could go wrong? get rocky mountain spotted fever or something?

[overkillpaintball]

oh yeah and that darn deer did 4500 dollars worth of damage to my car!!!!!!!

[dbcooper]

I used a old Buck 105 for years but recently went with a shorter blade on their new Packlite series

just a handy size skinning knife and it cleans up easy. The knife and sheath are not too long, so when I get in the polaris or the truck, they don't ride up on your belt like longer knifes do



its under $40 and made in the USA