Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Blade Design for Big Game Hunting

sns2;
Good morning to you sir, I hope the day's looking to be a decent one for you on the other side of the big hills.

Thanks for the thought provoking questions and of course thanks to those who've responded to make an interesting read.

As you note it's interesting how different folks can do what should by all appearances be the same or substantially similar activities and yet arrive at different conclusions.

My response to this "So, my question is, is there anything about that semi-skinner style blade shape that is measurably better than any of the other blade styles below for looking after a downed animal from start to finish?" would sort of be as follows.

If we're talking deer, sheep, black bear sized animals that we're going to take completely apart right there on the mountain, then it's a different set of knives than if it's only a gut and put onto the dead sled job.

Then too, while my experience working with moose sized animals is much narrower, if it's coming right apart, right there and we're going to bone it out and leave the rib cage, I'd prefer at least one 4" blade for boning the back straps and neck.

Perhaps now I should also add that we've been processing our own game as well as some for friends and family for more than 30 years. Game animals that make it to the yard with the hide on will get hung and peeled here before going into the cooler, which in a good year might mean we'll debark a few more animals than some other hunters not doing that.

This is likely as good a time as any to admit to being a total knife looney too, so the ones in the photos below are the ones that come along these days and unfortunately aren't the entire collection....

We've also amassed a box of meat cutting knives which are mostly commercial Swebo, Victorinox, Hook Eye and Dyck sort of blades.

Here's the fixed blades that ride along.

Left to right - a pair of blades I ground out of Simmonds D2 planer blades with sheep horn scales, an ancient made in Japan Kershaw, a custom inherited from a buddy when he passed which I believe to be cobalt steel, a blank I bought on ebay which was sold as 52100 and finally a Bark River Micro-Canadian in A2



The folders that ride along.

Left to right

Gerber Gator Mate 154CM - one of the first 1000 so it claims, Buck Vantage Pro with the Paul Bos S30V blade and scales by yours truly, Buck Vantage Pro S30V original, Spyderco Centofante III in VG10, ZT 0566 Elmax blade, CRKT Hootenanny in 8Cr13, then at the bottom an Old Timer Slimline Stockman and a Case Trapper.



For which works best for what task, since I'm a "corer" and not a pelvic bone splitter, the little Bird and Trout shaped 52100 blade works great for that. The handle is too small though and if I ever get my bench belt grinder put together, I've got a pattern in mind for a different handle shape that will go up a wee bit in the back like the top Crotts knife does.

For gutting it's usually the Blaze Orange Vantage Pro that does the work as it fits my hand and the liner lock design is super easy to clean.

For peeling hides, the Hootenany shape has about the right belly for my tastes and the cobalt fixed blade with walnut scales is right there too. Not that the others aren't good, but I do like the shape of those two best for skinning.

However all the above said, if the animal is really dirty and has been coated with sand and mud, and it's made it to the yard I'll usually use either the Slimline Stockman or the Trapper as I can use a steel or ceramic rod to touch up the blades faster.

While I have used the assisted opening ZT to do at least one bear and put down at least one vehicle hit deer, they're way harder to clean out if one gets a bunch of blood and fluid down into the pivot, bearings and springs, so the ZT and CRKT don't get used too often for "uncontrolled" work.

Anyways sir, for sure there's many roads to Mecca and this is only where one BC redneck is on my personal pilgrimage to find "the ultimate" hunting knife.

All the best and thanks again for the thread.

Dwayne