Too short in the ... ahem... department

[Questor]

You know what I mean, guys. It's a personal thing. At about 2 1/4 inches my field dressing knife blade is too short.  

I've finally given up on it and I'd like to get a longer bladed knife. The new-style ones with the little hooked blade presumably for splitting hide without penetrating entrails have caught my eye, but I question the value of that feature.  Is that a good feature, or should I stick with a traditional blade design?

Can you give me some good advice on folding knives suitable for field dressing and skinning? I don't want a Shamu sticker or anything that Rambo or the opponents of Indiana Jones would use, just a good serviceable knife that will last and give good service. I don't want to spend much more than about $50. But if I have to, I'll spend a little more.

[mr.frosty]

I have a couple of gerbers folding knives the blades are I believe 3 or 3.25
in length and work great for me. I paid around 25.00$ each for mine.
Oh yeah got them at wally world.

[Questor]

Thanks. I liked the look of the Gerbers too.

By the way, I saw an HBO documentary about an underworld assassin of the 1960s and 1970s. I can't remember his name, but it was a Polish surname. It was very disturbing because killing people was just a job to the guy.

Anyway, one of his associates-- another assassin-- was known as Mr. Frosty. He had that name because he had a "Mr. Frosty" ice cream truck in New York City.  The guy was particularly vicious and his specialty was explosives. However, he would also use the ice cream truck as a cover for his assassin work. He'd cruise a neighborhood and sell kids ice cream, and then maybe kill one of their fathers.  I believe he was killed while in his ice cream truck.

Interesting namesake, eh?

[hardertr]

I just tried one of those gut hooks and absolutely hated it.  It may have been because I wasn't using it right, but I could have had 10 deer ripped open with my old trusty Buck lock blade.  It DID work well up the neck and removing the windpipe, but it just didn't seem right for me.

I also use a Gerber Gator Serator(sp?) with a 5" blade.  It is nice and sturdy and works BEAUTIFULLY on the rib cage and pelvic!

I also recently picked up a Gerber machete and a pair of heavy duty fowl shears.  THEY WERE CRAP!  The machete broke after a week, and the shears after ONE DOVE!  It wasn't worth my time and effort to send them back b/c I picked them up for something like $6 at wallyworld.  Needless to say, CHECK THE KNIFE OUT before you buy it.  Don't just assume because it is a "name brand" in a sealed package that it is a quality product.

[RCL]

As far as folders go, they don't  come much better than a Buck 110.

http://www.buckknives.com/catalog/detail/224/238
http://www.buckknives.com/catalog/detail/225/238

[S.S.]

The last Gerber I bought (literally the last) was a piece of junk!
Nice Acid etched Gerber logo in one side and CHINA stamped
in big gaudy block letters on the other!
It will not hold an edge at all. Even after taking great pain in
sharpening it. I have no idea what the hardness is in the steel
but you almost need a bench grinder to sharpen it.
Gerber is not the only company "OUTSOURCING" the manufacture
of their blades, I bought a Cold Steel fixed blade knife a month or
so ago and instantly noticed "MADE IN TAIWAN" on their blade!
The steel looks about like the same quality as the Gerber.
No more Mail order Knives for me!
I want to look at them in hand from now on before I buy them!
As I am not satisfied with store bought stuff.
I may have to start creating my own again.

[Jeff Vicars]

I used to hate gut hooks also, until I found out I was going in the wrong direction. Start at the head end and pull toward the tail end and the blade won't clog with hair.

[HARDCORE]

I just got a new hunting knife my self a few weeks ago at Wally world.  Its a Diamondback from Buck.  It has a 3.5" blade.  Its pretty sharp.  Hopefully it will keep an edge.

                                          HARDCORE

[44 Man]

Quick advise.  I bought a Lansky sharpener many years ago and absolutely love it.  It will quickly put a super edge on a blade and it is very easy to resharpen that knife once you get the angle established on the edge.  All my friends bring their knives to me now (that's a mixed blessing) for sharpening.  And I have the reputation that after I sharpen their knife, they had better be very careful with it.  Whatever knife you buy, you need one of these.  Very few people can hold the same angle to sharpen well on a stone, and all those pull through sharpeners are junk.  I still carry a Ka-bar in my back pack, old school I guess.  44 Man

[SLAVAGE]

for hunting i have 3 differnt ka- bars
two for big game one for bird/small game
then i  use a gerber ez-zip instead of a gut hook

but the one i use the most is the ka-bar large skinner its called blades about a good 3.5 maybe 4 inch long very nice an keeps a sharp edge

[dave375hh]

I use one of the older style Buck fixed blades that I had reground by a friend who makes knives. It started out as the next to largest one and was reground to a drop point. It's 5 1/2" long and wouldn't have a smaller one now that I'm used to the big one. I do use a 3 1/2" wide blade drop point skinner to cape with but the big one is used for everything else. If you get used to a bigger knife you won't want to go back to a small one. I can split a ribcage in one pull, don't try it with a small knife it'll bite ya(the ribs). It's the model 119 special with the upsweep ground off.

[Bullseye]

For field dressing I use a Remington Lockback knife with two blades.  One is just a knife blade and the other is a bone saw with a gut hook.  We do not use the gut hook much, but the bone saw goes through the ribs great.  I carry a small hatchet with a knife style handle to give the pelvis a little whack a crack it.

I would never have another saw for field dressing without the bone saw, but that is just my opinion.

[Rmouleart]

Its a Buck knife for me, a good four inch blade works well, one day gutted three deer in one day, The folding buckknife stayed nice and sharp through out the gutting of those three deer, stay close to 440 SST or better and you will notice your edge will hold true longer. Aim small hit small. RAMbo.

[bobg]

Can't go wrong with a Case. My latest one has interchangeable blades.  You can do about any thing with it. Works great and holds an edge. And it also says USA on it.

[Smokem]

I have a Ka-Bar "little fin", 7" over all with a 3 1/2" blade. My dad gave it to me when I started deer hunting 18 years ago. It touches nothing but game animals. You can get that style Ka-bar for under $20 they have 2 larger ones also. Check out

www.Ka-bar.com

[mr.frosty]

Thanks. I liked the look of the Gerbers too.

By the way, I saw an HBO documentary about an underworld assassin of the 1960s and 1970s. I can't remember his name, but it was a Polish surname. It was very disturbing because killing people was just a job to the guy.

Anyway, one of his associates-- another assassin-- was known as Mr. Frosty. He had that name because he had a "Mr. Frosty" ice cream truck in New York City.  The guy was particularly vicious and his specialty was explosives. However, he would also use the ice cream truck as a cover for his assassin work. He'd cruise a neighborhood and sell kids ice cream, and then maybe kill one of their fathers.  I believe he was killed while in his ice cream truck.

Interesting namesake, eh?

I guess I need to behave then :twisted: Actually my cat is named frosty
he does like ice cream tho' just haven't found a ice cream truck he likes :wink:

[Fred McIntire]

A Buck, folding lock blade, Model 110. I've had it for 25 years!

[TScottO]

For a folding knife I don’t think the Case trapper can be beat.

For a sheath knife I would look for a something with a drop point blade and about 1.5” wide at the belly of the blade. If you want one that will stay sharp after skinning several deer treat yourself to a blade made of 154CM. Knives with this blade material will run more than 50 bucks but they are well worth it in my opinion. Rather than use a gut hook I just place the blade between my two fingers and pull down and have never had trouble with getting into the guts.

This is the blade design that I like:
http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=10505

Be Safe,
Scott

[oso45-70]

TScottO,
Nice looking knife Scott, I have some that look just like the one in the picture, Any more knife is just a waste of time and effort. I too use the knife like you and don't have a problem getting the job done in a hurry.
good luck and stay safe..........Joe.........

[Glanceblamm]

Another thumbs up for the Buck 110
Have plenty to hold onto with wet or bloody hands.
Also carry a sheath for initial work on the sliver of bone at the bottom of the ribs, and also the pelvic bone.

[sgtt]

I will only use a knife that says, "Solingen" somewhere on the blade.  Fixed blade, of course.  For sharpening I use a Tri-Angle Sharp Maker by Spyderco.  I have never had the need for the gut hook.

[jar-wv]

My favorite is the Buck 110. I have one of those Arkansas razor knives with the gut hook, and, while it works ok, I can get along just as well without it. Cutco makes a good fixed blade outdoors knife as well.

jar

[kb]

Buck 110 here.  I would like something a little longer for 'Cuttin out the bottom'.  But the 110 really has been it for the past 20 years.  

kb