Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades what use for larger knives?

What is the practical function of larger knives? I've owned several with blades in the 7-1/2 inch range .. at that point, they seem to have a lot of leverage against you for skinning and processing meat. The one 10-11 inch knife I owned was not much good for ... anything. Too big for meat, too small for machete work. Or at least a pretty large compromise for either use. Any wood I'd want to split with a knife can be split with a lot smaller knife .. for what they won't do well, I want an axe. So .. puzzled.

What's your take? Are knives like the OKC "RFAK II", Cold Steel Trailmaster, and others that general size of any real use? If so, what is it? Maybe there is something they do well that I just overlook?

8" to 10" fillet knife is a plus on decent size catfish and spoonbill also larger walleye and wipers.

Back in the day,



Dale Howe was kind enough to fashion this knife for me



Local custom here is that we do not field dress.

Rather we bring an animal back to camp and hang it by the hind legs and go to work.




I decided that I wanted a knife that I could use to break the brisket on a hog or deer for removal of the offal.



It would have to be something that I could use two handed, step to the side hold with my left hand and apply force with the right hand and split the brisket.



It worked great for the purpose of which it was created.



A couple years ago I started a thread in the classifieds that to the effect said "Seller has Brain Damage".

Dale asked that rather than selling it to someone else, he'd like to have it back, and he got it.

Anywho, just one of a number of large knives that have followed me home.

Best,

GWB

Take a look at old butcher knives. They were and are a great tool to process meat. If I could only use one knife to skin and process a deer, it would be my 8" bladed Ontario Knife Company Old Hickory butcher knife.

The guys in the packing house used very large knives for cutting the best cuts of meat. They wanted to slice through a tenderloin or boneless ribeye with one slice so that they didn't get knife kerf marks in the center of the cut.

I haven't found much use for one in the field but do like a 6 -7" blade for meat cutting/butchering at home. For field work a 3.5 - 4" blade does everything I need done.

I had Tim Olt make this large knife for me. I call it a Mountain Man Camp Bowie. While it can serve several functions in social situation if needed, especially while up in the Wild lands, it also works well for meal preparation!








Absolutely love it and it will be with me come October first until the end of hunting season!


Frog----OUT!

Like you knife, looks like a cross between a Green River and a Bowie, Great job. Rio7

The inspiration for the knife came from a Texas Ranger down in SW Texas that was cooking up Grilled Ribeye's and cutting them into bites at a street festival for Beef and Wine producers! He had a custom-made carbon steel/wood handled knife similar that he was using. I added a few enhancements and asked Tim to do the honors. He did an amazing job and as I understand a second was commissioned by another Campfire member as well.


Frog---OUT!

That was my understanding as well..........











ya!

GWB

Those are the two I made. I have a third unground blank of that pattern if anyone interested
Thanks
Tim

Tim, I'm interested PM me the details. Rio7

None at all.

Avoid them.

Not fancy or beautiful, but for cutting through a brisket nothing can compare with these.

ya!

GWB

Some are great for slicing ham, and doing camp chores.





Then if you really want to make a statement while slicing the Christmas turkey, you can go a little bigger....

Why not??






























ya!

GWB

T O M, If your family likes old school cuts such as platter size round steak, 12 inch plus knife makes for a very uniform steak which cooks nicely. Even just steaking out one of those bulk ribeye or new york strips you get a very uniform steak.

Beautiful Ingram GWB!!!

Killing? My island buddy used to stick pigs, but I don't recall what size blade or where they stuck them. Just remember bigger than most hunting knives and maybe armpit.

I do recall at least 6-7" for the opening between the neck and sternum of a large dog. Same area as a frontal shot on elk with an arrow.

I don't have a use for a knife that big in the field.

a 7-8 inch fairly heavy and thick blade does an aweful lot of work. i can split tent stove firewood, cut guy out pegs etc. it may not be perfect for everything but a big knife will do everything a small knife will. the reverse is not true

Not fancy or beautiful, but for cutting through a brisket nothing can compare with these.
[/quote]


That Dexter is real close to what we used to carve up moose. Non-serrated. Meat-cutter that we used to grind burger and make sausage turned us on to them. Great use for that size of a blade.

Large knife and a tomahawk...

This is way too big

Get a real Knife and stop being a Cheap Queer. Dexters Suck.

Get a 10" Dick, like mine, and be a man will ya?

I buy what interests me, and don't feel the need to justify my choices. Personally, I love a big knife, a big chopper if you will.

I hunted a few times on an Island in the Mississippi River. Went fishing on another. Exclusive places where they had a hired hand to help with cleaning game. These guys were rivermen that commercial fished and if the truth be known probably lived off meat they killed when nobody was around. I ran into 3 different ones and they all had a big flexible knife about a foot and a half long straight blade about an inch to 1 1\4 " deep full length of the blade. Looked to be homemade. Were razor sharp and they could make short work of a deer with them. I thought they looked to big to use but they sliced and cut with them with ease. They used them on fish too. Sliced through big catfish backbones like butter.

Really like that sheath GW!

IIRC, got it from "Track of the Wolf for $ 14.99.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/51/1/SHEATH-7R

Shows to be out of stock at the moment but they have other styles.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/51/1

ya!

GWB

I signed up for notification when they're back in stock! Thanks GW!

Frog--OUT!

I've tried a good many blade configurations and
price ranges of knives for deer carving.
I prefer the old longer butchering blades
like have been used for many years.
If I need a short handy knife to carry, I have
at least one pocketknife on me every day.
Short fixed blades haven't worked for me
except for some kitchen chores

This ^ ^ ^ ^ is a nice design, but I'd want the
edge all the way back to the handle.
Nice all purpose all around user

I can do most work on stuff like deer and antelope with a 3 1/2" blade. But to look right the knife with a 3 1/2" blade should have a handle sized to match. I have normal to fairly large hands and a smaller knife handle is no issue for field dressing chores. And such a knife is compact, handy, and light.

For more extensive or more strenuous work I like a larger more hand filling grip. The smaller pictured knife has dressed squirrels, rabbits, and deer, and has gutted and gilled trout with aplomb.

If I were in a camp and doing a lot of camp chores and maybe quartering numerous deer I want the larger knife.

FWIW there's only 1 1/8 difference in actual blade length.

going off next Wed. for a week in the Ocala NF. I'll be wearing Tim Olt's 'snub nose' as a daily user, and his 'big chopper' just in case. lol

'Just in case' you run into one of those big snakes? Or haven't they gotten to Ocala yet.
Have a good trip.

I keep a cold steel fixed blade on the straps of my back pack when hunting to cut away any limbs or brush around my stand/sitting position so there’s nothing interfering with the ability to shoulder and swing my rifle.

some years back we found an 11 foot reticulated python on the side of the road here in Gainesville. A mower had hit him, but our vet fixed him up. We called him Mad Max the Road Warrior. When he got to 13 feet, we gave him away. Yeah, your chopper could handle that easily.

The saw blade on a little Victorinox SAK works great for that job.

BGG made this knife for me. It's great for prime rib, turkey and any large cut of meat.

I have a 17" blade that fits on the front of my SHTLE mk I***

This man, a guide/outfitter in British Columbia likes and carries a large blade on his belt. Looks to be maybe eight inchs blade. He's quite adept with it.



This Ruana Workman has come in mighty handy for me in hunting camps, gutting animals, etc. I am very fond of it.

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L.W.