Hello Phillip - Thank you for your feedback.
That is too da'gone bad about the broken blade you experienced. So far I have not encountered this unfortunate experience. Like everybody, I hope I don't, given the cost of good knives. I can see from your pictures you have a number of fine blades. The loss of a good blade has to be a disappointment.
The 'small slim drop point fixed blade, overall length between six to seven inches' that you suggest for small game tasks based on your substantial experience seems like an excellent, proven, tried and true formula. My sense is this should be the reference base for knives intended for handling small game and probably general field dressing deer use as well. This formula is squarely in the range of what I have found to be useful for small game tasks ... though my experience is not as broad or diverse as yours or many others on this forum. I started with a carbon blade stockman because that was the knife in my pocket. Fortunately I found it to be pretty useful for the tasks at hand.
Like you, I have found there are advantages to a fixed blade over a slipjoint or a lock blade for game processing. Primarily, the fixed blades are easier to clean. Of course the folder/slipjoints are small and handy which is important.
I have another hunting blade question for you and others if they have input they would like to share.
Of late I have taken an interest in experimenting with different blade shapes for different purposes. My reference blade, the one I started with and the one I still use the most, is a carbon steel large stockman clip point of about 3.25". This seems to fall in the range of your preferred formula for small game. I have used this blade with good success on small game. Mostly squirrels, rabbits, birds and fish. I have also used this blade for field dressing, skinning and home style butchering deer with generally acceptable results - so long as I keep the blade really sharp. This blade, though simple and small, generally seems to get the job done for me.
Recently I have been interested in experimenting with other blade profiles for my standard hunting purposes (i.e., processing small game, birds, fish and deer).
I have used various slipjoint patterns (stockmans and trappers), lockbacks (Buck 110, 112, 500) and fixed blades (e.g., Buck 102, 105, 116, 118, 119, Vanguard) in drop points, spear points and clip patterns. You can see I tend to like Buck knives ... mostly because they seem sturdy, useful and reasonably priced.
To tell you the truth, they have all worked well for my needs. The larger blades (e.g., Buck 119) are big for small game, but they are really useful for butchering deer. As you would expect, the smaller slipjoints (trappers and stockmans) are excellent for handling birds, fish and small game, as well as field dressing deer. So far, I have found these smaller knives to be not as optimal as larger blades (e.g., in the range of 4"+ fixed blades) for butchering tasks on deer. The samll slipjoints, though not ideal, when I am careful and keep the small blades sharp they do surprisingly well on a large number of tasks.
For blade profiles drop points, spear points and clip points all seem to work well for me for hunting-related tasks.
Here is my next question for those with more experience: I have not yet acquired or tried to use a classic wide-belly 'skinning knife" profile (e.g., Buck 103) or a trailing point skinning knife (e.g., Puma trailing point skinner) for small game or deer processing tasks.
My sense is the relatively blunt point of the skinner (e.g. Buck 103) might not be great for small game, fish and field dressing deer, especially on the plumbing removal tasks where a good thin, sharp point is useful. Similarly, my sense is the trailing point profile of something like a Puma trailing point skinner might be less than optimal for the initial cuts to open a deer without puncturing the stuff you don't want to puncture.
However, I think the wide-belly Buck 103 is a rugged and interesting knife that I would like to try. A trailing point skinner is another classic design that I would also like to try.
However, if these blade designs are 'special-purpose-only' and not suited to general tasks (birds, fish, small game, field dressing and butchering deer) then it likely does not make sense for me to buy or carry such a knife.
If experienced folks have input on the general usefulness of these types of blade profiles (wide belly skinner and trailing point) I would be really interesting in your input - whether it is positive or negative.
So far, I seem to be most comfortable with knife blades in the range of 3.25"-5.5" for small game and deer tasks. I have found carbon steel blades to be rugged, and easy to sharpen. I have also found some of the better stainless blades (e.g., 420HC, 425M, 440C, and all the super steels) to work well for me. If you have input on blade length and blade steel choices based on your experience I would also find that to be interesting.
All input is much much appreciated.
