Knife Making

[Dorado]

I know there are a lot of threads on this. but I didn't see one that answered my question. Ok, so I'm planning on making a knife, I'm thinking of doing a beavertail design for the blade. How well do you think that design is for actual hunting use? I'm only going to make the blade up to 6-7 inches.

[gnoahhh]

I used long blades like that 40 years ago when I didn't know better. Now my blades run around 3", on both fixed blades and folders. Big knives look cool on the belt and impress the heck out of adolescents. I've even gutted deer with just a Swiss Army knife. Quality of the blade steel and sharpness are way more important than length. Shape of the blade doesn't matter a heckuva lot either, but we all have our favorites.

[EdS]

Dorado: There are many blade designs that will work in hunting situations. Some are better suited for one list of cutting chores, while others are better for a different set of chores. Many experienced hunters, myself included, prefer a drop-point blade design for field dressing game. The same blade will do a decent job of skinning. If you wanted a specialized blade just for skinning, to be kept at camp or home, you could select one with more curve up near the point. I hope this helps. Ed

[10 ga]

I have several beaver tail design knives. They are great for skinning, I'm a trapper and skin a lot. If you sharpen them all the way around remember they will cut on the back too, you only have to stop to sharpen half as often that way, use care or you will skin yourself, lol. Actually one of my favorite designs is the ulu. They are less hand fatiguing and great for large cutting and skinning tasks. My $.02. 10 ga

[Dorado]

I have several beaver tail design knives. They are great for skinning, I'm a trapper and skin a lot. If you sharpen them all the way around remember they will cut on the back too, you only have to stop to sharpen half as often that way, use care or you will skin yourself, lol. Actually one of my favorite designs is the ulu. They are less hand fatiguing and great for large cutting and skinning tasks. My $.02. 10 ga

Thanks for the info 10 ga. I've been wanting an "old west" knife and I liked the looks of it. I just didn't know how functional it'd be. I was going to modify the design a little and give it a slightly rounder head that still comes to a point. What other designs should I look at before I start?

[Spector]

I got a beaver tail in a trade and used it for throwing in NMLRA competitions at Friendship, IN.

It was short wide and thick. It never seemed of much use to me as anything but a throwing knife. I prefered a modified ''Dadley'' or ''Green River'' style witth a false edge that I first made. It threw better and seemed to be a lot more useful in the woods as well.

Too much knife is never a good thing from my experience........Mike

[Hardcast416taylor]

I`ve made knives for 40+ years of about any shape I could dream up for hunting. So what knife did I use on my last 7 pt. whitetail - a Victorinox 2 blade pocket knife that a sales rep gave me 10 years ago!Robert

[Dorado]

Spector, What modifications did you do to the Dadley style? I was also considering a Dadley with a slightly swept back blade.
and Hardcast, I've skinned more than my share with a pocket knife. I'm just wanting something different than what is in stores. And if I make it myself then I get the satisfaction of saying that My hands did this, not some damn machine in some factory in a place that no one's heard of.

[x101airborne]

Pull up a picture of a Buck Caper. The finest knife I have ever used for game cleaning. Even now I love them so much I gave one to my brother-in-law, my oldest son, my wife, and I have one new in the box for my youngest son when he becomes of age. 3 inch blade, large handle, excellent steel. I have used mine on everything from rattlesnakes to caribou and I have never felt the need for more knife.

[Lefty SRH]

smaller knives like others have mentioned are VERY handy and definately big enough to dress and skin a deer. Personally my favorite is the last one I made and it may be 3 1/4" blade. I made it out of A-2 tool steel.

[JJC]

What ever you decide on have a back up or two. I broke a RO Easler knife this year cutting up an elk in the field. The knife broke at about the widest part, about two inches up on a three inch blade. Thinking it was a defect somewhere I was using it but not beating on it.

[Bob Krack]

Dorado,

I am a kinda old cantankerous fart but I have never needed a knife with a blade longer than 2 inches or so on animals Mule deer or smaller.

I use the knife only to split the skin and to sever the skin and attachments that Fish and Game require for male/female identification.

I slice the skin open and then use my hand to separate the skin from the other structures.

I bet most would like a larger knife and I actually DO prefer a slightly longer knife but I have never utilized the length of over a couple of inches or so.

I have a 3-1/2 inch bladed flint knife (from Boerrancher) that I would not hesitate to use to skin AND butcher a large Mule deer (300 pounds or more).

Bob

[kmag]

Bob,
I knew a hunter that carried a single edge Pal razor blade in his wallet and that blade along with a small dull belt ax was all he needed to dress a deer.

[Dorado]

Well, I'm looking for more than just dressing a deer. I have a Gerber knife that holds a great edge, and makes quick work of deer, hog, rabbits, anything I throw at it. I'm just wanting a blade that isn't seen that often, that works well, I don't really care much about the length until I have to quarter a deer or elk.

[Bob Krack]

Bob,
I knew a hunter that carried a single edge Pal razor blade in his wallet and that blade along with a small dull belt ax was all he needed to dress a deer.

I ALMOST posted that all I need is a single edged razor blade (true) but din't want to get out my Nomex.

Thank you Sir,

Bob

[btroj]

I have grown to appreciate a smaller bladed knife for cleaning a deer. Sharp is way more important than size. I am using a little Gerver I got free many years ago when I bought a new pair of boots from Danner. That little folder does a fine job. Blade isn't over 2.5 inches long.

[OneBagNomad]

I really don't see any advantage to a blade longer than 3-4 inches for the purposes of field-dressing game. Butchering, sure, but not field-dressing.

[Tim357]

Funny you all mention smallish blades for hunting. In 1986 Ross Seyfried did a piece for G&A about small hunting blades. Made sense then, makes sense today. I actually bought a couple of the small knives he mentioned, and by God, they worked as advertised!

[PatMarlin]

Here's the last one I bought on sale about 5 years ago. Over $120 now. Think they call it a cross lock, and I paid about $68 for it. Barely used it so far, but looked to be a handy folder.

[PatMarlin]

Here's a neat small blade out of print SCHRADE OLD TIMER called a "Little Finger" I picked up at a gunshow years ago-