Author Topic: Type of knives used for Deer Hunting (Read 2217 times)

ospd325 · « **on:** October 14, 2006, 11:21:22 AM »

I collect custom made knives by numerous makers, I am interested in what types of knives you use while deer hunting, if custom made who are the makers. I use a Randall model #25 while whitetail deer hunting, I personally like Randall made knives. Thanks in advance !!!!!

Kevin

Don Fischer · « **Reply #1 on:** October 14, 2006, 12:29:38 PM »

I've had one custom knife, a Track made in Whitefish, Montana about 1972. I designed the knife and they made it, pretty much a plain drop point. They like'd it so well they added it to their line. Later Jon Sundra did an article on it in shooting times magazine. It was the production knife, not mine. Mine has a rosewood handle and brass butt cap and that front piece, don't remember what its called. Finger guard!

Now I use an old Schrade, Uncle Henry or my pocket knife (Old Timer) mostly. But I found a Buck folder that I like well and a friend bought me a Buck sheath knife I really like (drop point w/4" blade. Brass butt cap and finger guard, no model on the knife). I also have a Browning mod 816 that my ex-wife bought me and a very old Carl Schlieber made in Germany. The most favorite knife I ever had was a Puma Hunters Pal, that was a great knife. But don't want to pay that much for a knife anymore. Bottom line, when I'm hunting you'll find me with a couple Schrades of one kind or another.

jpsmith1 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 14, 2006, 12:48:38 PM »

I carry a small Buck fixed blade knife. It's got a 4" or so blade. I've got older knives, maybe nicer knives, but I like that one.

I originally bought one as a christmas gift for a hunting buddy. I used it on our first outing afterwards and ran out and bought myself one soon after.

Aside from that one, I do carry a small Buck pocket clip knife and a Multi-tool.

Never gone as far as a custom knife. I do have a home-made knife with an antler handle, but that hardly qualifies as custom.

Gregory · « **Reply #3 on:** October 14, 2006, 02:33:36 PM »

http://www.knivesplus.com/media/SC-125OT.jpg

I bought mine from the Schrade factory store when I lived in upsate NY.

dukkillr · « **Reply #4 on:** October 15, 2006, 08:24:26 AM »

I have custom from W.C. Davis but I prefer to use my 77OT for hunting use. Two carbon steel blades allows you to work through a deer much faster.

kyote · « **Reply #5 on:** October 17, 2006, 04:58:02 PM »

I normally take a small craftsman folder for deer.it works great.stays sharp.I have a bunch of others just seem to use that one.we have a guy here that makes custom knives.I guess the old way.no modern machines except for the heat treater.he makes a lot during the year and takes them to the sweetwater gun show in texas once a year.he does not make it in the bld any more they gang up on him in the parking lot.as fast has he pulls em out they sell and he comes back with a book full of orders.have you seen the wait for a randall?wow!

nabob · « **Reply #6 on:** October 17, 2006, 11:42:39 PM »

Buck 110 or old Schrade.

Custom knives? What for? There isn't any manufactured knife on the market that will gut the deer properly? Anything sharp with a 4" blade ought to do the trick. Why spend big bucks on a custom knife when all it is going to do is gut out a deer?

jhm · « **Reply #7 on:** October 18, 2006, 03:27:29 AM »

Custom Knives are just like anything else out there its just a improvement in something we have been using for millions of years, BUT there is a big difference in the way a particular knife fits in a individuals hand its like a custom rifle it wasnt built for you it was built for ME, or maybe we could all drive a ford to the deer woods (not picking on fords I had one at one time in my life )

JIM

bigbore442001 · « **Reply #8 on:** October 18, 2006, 06:58:38 AM »

I use my grandfather's old Kabar hunting knife. It has a carbon steel blade,of about 4" in length and has leather washers for a grip. I have cherished this knife and it is the one I use to field dress every deer I happen to get.

Lives2hunt · « **Reply #9 on:** October 19, 2006, 04:16:15 PM »

I carry & use a Mora knife from Sweden & its never let me down. Super sharp & easy to touch up and inexpensive-I also keep & use one in the kitchen as well. I replaced the handle with a deer antler on the one I wear hunting.

Cheesehead · « **Reply #10 on:** October 19, 2006, 04:40:17 PM »

i have a custom knife designed by myself and a local machinist. A 4" fixed blade. Finger grip synthetic laminate handle. Made by Peer machining. I did switch to a Kershaw 3.5" speedsafe folder. The fixed blade knife is superb but bulky compared to the folder. I like the clip on the folder that keeps it located at the top of the pocket, perfect. I bought a second similar Kershaw I used exclusively for hunting and the other is for everyday. The knife also doubles for self defense with its convenient location and fast one handed opening.

Cheese

Sabothunter · « **Reply #11 on:** October 20, 2006, 04:00:20 AM »

I use a militery kabar knife that has a 7" carbon blade. I've had this knife for 10 years now and I've use it for everything, skinning, gutting, and quartering all the meat. This knife has been on elk, boar, whitetail deers, and muleys hunts and it's been nothing but great for me. I haven't found any reason to buy me another knife ever since I got it.

Norwester · « **Reply #12 on:** October 21, 2006, 05:41:25 PM »

Two by Gene Ingram.
http://geneingramknives.blademakers.com/

#30 drop point with camel bone.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/NorWestr/Ingram1.jpg

#1 Trailing point with Bocote.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/NorWestr/Ingram2.jpg

S.S. · « **Reply #13 on:** October 23, 2006, 08:17:07 AM »

My old Issue K-bar is almost always near by me !
But My other hunting Knife started life as a Bayonet
for a model 1888 British Lee-Medford.
Sometime in the past someone re-shaped it into
a Clip point with a Single edge. That is without a doubt the
sharpest blade I have ever encountered.

Buckskin · « **Reply #14 on:** October 23, 2006, 08:50:12 AM »

Wow you guys are really wild-men, I've never even considered using a knife for deer hunting.

I'd love to hear some of your stories on how you were able to get close enough. But for gutting, I use what ever knife that is in my pocket at the time. Doesn't take much to get that done. I even used a utility knife once.

S.S. · « **Reply #15 on:** October 23, 2006, 09:51:05 AM »

Tie that sucker onto a stick RAMBO STYLE man!

Jump down from a tree onto it's back!

Maryland Hunter · « **Reply #16 on:** October 23, 2006, 11:29:28 AM »

I have used several through the years, but the best I've found so far is the Buck Zipper. It's a special run in ATS-34 steel. Holds an edge well, easy to grip, and the gut hook works great.

MH

K.K · « **Reply #17 on:** October 23, 2006, 02:08:01 PM »

I like the Schrade sharp-finger. It has a nicely shaped balde for dressing and gutting. Recently, though I bought one of those processing kits and it makes the processing very easy and clean.

drdougrx · « **Reply #18 on:** October 23, 2006, 03:24:21 PM »

Hi,

I have at least a dozen custom knives which include a slew of randalls and now a new, beautiful dozier classic. So....I use either a buck pathfinder or personal or a XG??? something or other folder which is a 110 blade and a titanium handled folder. Custon knives....beautiful to look at....what a waste of $$$...but...maybe I'll find THE ONE!!!!

lewdogg21 · « **Reply #19 on:** October 25, 2006, 11:43:21 AM »

Cutco Drop Point with the DD edge. Even my elk guide wants one after putting down the knives his father gave him. Good stuff, I'm pretty knoweldgeable b/c I used to sell them and occasionally still do.

HuntingGuy · « **Reply #20 on:** October 27, 2006, 05:58:44 PM »

I use a "Medium Hunter" from Javelina Knives out of AZ. Mike Clerc makes some of the sharpest, most attractive knives I've seen. I know he also did one for JJHACK a while back. Take a look at his site if interested http://www.javelinaknives.com

kyote · « **Reply #21 on:** October 29, 2006, 04:31:03 PM »

ospd325 ,
on your model 25..what kind of handle is on it.leather stag ect.red in color?

joshco84 · « **Reply #22 on:** October 30, 2006, 01:05:32 PM »

i use two buckmasters five or so inche drop point with gut hooks. they are made by camillus and cost only fifteen dollars a piece. they hold an edge for about two deer which is about the limit out of all of our knives so i like em and use. i would like to have one of the hundred dollar knives with the special super hard steel alloy blade that will stay sharp for longer, that would be nice. probably save a little arm hair too

Ranger J · « **Reply #23 on:** October 31, 2006, 05:56:56 AM »

I usually us a sharp knife with about a 5 inch blade. I have used a folding pocketknife. One thing I insist on now is that my knife have a blaze orange handle. This comes from severa times having spent a half-hour or so hunting for one with the stag horn handle some where in the leaves.
RJ

ospd325 · « **Reply #24 on:** October 31, 2006, 04:01:56 PM »

Kyote,

My Randall model #25 has the leather on each end and the stag in the middle. I really like Randall made knives and have most models except for a few that I need to get, do you have any Randalls?

Kevin

kyote · « **Reply #25 on:** November 01, 2006, 03:18:23 AM »

ospd325,
No,I do not own any Randall knives.But I own a slew of copies.there was a man in panama' that lived way in the mts.one light bulb hung under his bohio and he had a stationary bike that acted as his grinder and sander that he had to peddle it to use it.we had the special forces on the atlantic side and the jungle training school for the green berets.Carlos Barcenes was the knife maker.he copied the randalls to the T.and sold them to the special forces by the burlap bag full and took orders from them.I own all the bowies.hunters and skinners.and several machettes of his own making.most of the blades are made out of the old bolo knives which he gave me two of.the panamian army had a bunker full of the bolos that the U.S gave them.they never issued them and carlos had a contact.and got the bolos from them.the machettes are made from collins blades.they are good.he just redesigned them and put micarda and leather handles on them..even your initials on the handles that he cut out with an old blade and filed smooth.
I have found a randall M25.and want it,but $600 and change..I have a hard time with that.and the wait is untill 2011.at half the price.
a friend who was a SF ranger has two randalls.both sf fighters and wants me to have them(at a price)but resonable price.I have been mulling it over.

alsatian · « **Reply #26 on:** November 01, 2006, 05:42:31 AM »

I have used various knives but the one I like to use best is the Buck 110 folding knife. I don't like using the knives with gut hooks on them very much when reaming around the anus -- that hook seems to hang up for me when I'm making this cut. I have several knives -- a Gerber folding gator, a Schrade (spelling?) fixed blade, a Jim Zumbo elk knife -- but they all have gut hooks. I also have an old Marble hunting knife from the 50's that belonged to my deceased father that I sometimes use that I like. Generally I don't use this knife because the sheath is not secure and I won't wear it on my belt for fear of losing the knife.

a45gunslinger · « **Reply #27 on:** November 03, 2006, 04:06:08 AM »

I use a "Benchmade AFCK mini" carry it everywhere I like it so much i bought a full size AFCK but found it was a bit too large and cumbersome.-kevin

MS10point · « **Reply #28 on:** November 04, 2006, 02:31:40 AM »

I have several custom knives that I carry to camp with me but the one that is always in my pack or in my pocket is a "Super Knife" folding utility knife. I have a carry case with extra blades including some "hook" blades like you use to cut flooring. These work great as a gut hook blade and for ringing the legs. The utility blades are not great for skinning but they will get the job done and you always have a sharp blade. As for skinning knives my favorites are either a fixed or folding with a 3 to 3.5 inch drop point. I am a wallpaper hanger by trade and have used my "Olfa" wallpaper knife for skinning when I ran off ill equiped one day.

TP

rockbilly · « **Reply #29 on:** November 04, 2006, 06:28:36 PM »

I have a safe full of custom knifes, but the two that always go with me to the feild are my old Viet Nam issue Camillus survival knife and an issue Case folding knife. The case has two blades, both about four inches long (I think it is a model 6265 SAB). These two knifes have gutted, skinned and cut up more deer than a lot of folks ever see, I have done anywhere from three to nine every year since about 1976, before that the did at least two a year since I returned from Nam in 1966. Both hold a good edge, and I have completely deressed two deer before either knife to a stone.

I also have a military issue Randall, they were isssued to Special Forces in Nam. A Green Beret took his off and gave it to me afterhooking a ride on my chopper from a drop zone back to Nha Trang. It is a prize that I treasure, it doesn't leave the house.