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Knife of choice?

I was curious to know....

What's your favorite knife for getting the job done when field dressing out game?

Make-model-design, and general specs.

For whitetail:

Since 1983 I've been using a Western W84. Stainless steel blade @ 4.25" long. Drop point & sabertooth grind. Hardwood handle. OAL 9".

I couldn't tell you what I paid for it back in the day, but it's been a great knife over the years. I have a new Benchmade Saddle Mountain Skinner sitting in the box for next year, as the W84 is starting to show some wear on the back of the handle...so I figured it would be a good time to retire it.

It's been almost 30 years since I've been rabbit /pheasant hunting, and couldn't tell ya what I used back in those days. I used the same W84 for hogs in FL.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by allanm on December 13, 2016 at 14:43

I have thought over the years that if I buy another, it will be a fixed blade, not a folder. You're right a folder is more compact saving space, which matters to me when climbing in and out of vehicles, 4 wheelers etc, into tree stands. But all the knives I'm looking to make now, starting with kits will be fixed blade.

Maybe one day I'll try a folder - something like a stockman or trapper style for the experience.

Ken Liebick said:

Can't go wrong with a good Buck knife Allan, and I tried the gut hook as well. Same results too...makes it easy to glide through the abdomen...after that it always seemed like a hindrance. Ive never used a folder, but that's me...some of our guys do. They are a real space saver for sure.

The FieldTorq looks interesting to say the least, but looks like one would still fall back to a "regular" knife to finish the job . Same with the "butt out" tool they came out with a few years ago...good if your just getting started I guess...but never really had a need for it.

Thanks for the post/pic...most of the guy's I hunt with have Buck Knives.

Permalink Reply by Ken Liebick on December 13, 2016 at 14:47

Now that's a beauty...if it could tell stories. I love a work hardened knife. Oddly, one of the boys of the guy's I hunt with is looking for a blade profile similar to that. He likes a knife with a slimmer/less bellied profile for his deer. I suggested one of the Benchmade Hunt series....and he's open to it. If I was to draw what he described to me...it would almost look just like that knife.

Thanks for the post/pic.

J.J. Smith III said:

This has been my go to knife for a lot of years, though I don't do any hunting, these days.

I've used this one on everything from deer and hogs to catfish and even notching out wood for a fence.

Made by CVA, can't remember when I did this kit...

Permalink Reply by allanm on December 13, 2016 at 14:55

That blade shape is also somewhat similar to a very old (and abused) Western brand from Boulder, Colorado that my wife brought home from an auction for 25c and said "you might have some fun fixing this up".

I ended up unable to salvage the original stacked leather disks handle at all, but sanded and polished off all the rust and pitting on the pommel, then added a strand woven bamboo handle for my first ever restoration attempt. And sharpened it, it was as dull as a plastic ruler. That was an interesting entry point and experience.

Ken Liebick said:

Now that's a beauty...if it could tell stories. I love a work hardened knife. Oddly, one of the boys of the guy's I hunt with is looking for a blade profile similar to that. He likes a knife with a slimmer/less bellied profile for his deer. I suggested one of the Benchmade Hunt series....and he's open to it. If I was to draw what he described to me...it would almost look just like that knife.

Thanks for the post/pic.

J.J. Smith III said:

This has been my go to knife for a lot of years, though I don't do any hunting, these days.

I've used this one on everything from deer and hogs to catfish and even notching out wood for a fence.

Made by CVA, can't remember when I did this kit...

Permalink Reply by Ken Liebick on December 15, 2016 at 21:59

Looks like a perfect user Allan, and a great start to giving a tired Western new life.
I'm a fan of them, they take an edge well, and hold on to them fairly good too.
Thanks for the post /pic.

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on December 16, 2016 at 15:44

I need to use my Lefty knife to field dress a deer. It is a custom knife made for me by Lucas Bullington of Lucas Forge. It is 01 tool steel and the scales are antler from one of my deer kills. I call it Lefty because that is what I called the deer that the antler is from. The knife stand in the picture was made for me by Jeremy Buchanan from the antlers of another of my deer kills.

You can read the story of Lefty here.

http://iknifecollector.com/group/outdoorliving/forum/topics/the-sag...

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on December 17, 2016 at 17:48

Ken,

Maybe he should think about building one. That profile is extremely close to an old green river blank https://www.smkw.com/green-river-belt-blade-blank

Check around you may be able to get it for less

Permalink Reply by allanm on January 6, 2017 at 21:06

Confession time ... my poor old favorite Buck Omni didn't even come out of the sheath this week. I got a doe, and only used the Gerber Freeman Guide - simply because of the guthook. I used it to field dress, took my new little girl back to camp, and then the next day, totally skinned and quartered her out with the Gerber. We'll butcher and vacuum seal then freeze tomorrow.

But I really like my Buck much better - it holds an edge well, the Gerber is not bad, but is clearly a much softer steel and does not hold the edge as well as the Omni

Permalink Reply by allanm on January 7, 2017 at 20:38

Singing a different tune now ... today was butchering day, and the only knife I used was my old favorite Buck Omni 10 point. My wife used one of her kitchen knives that I keep sharp, but the only one I wanted in my hand was my Buck.

Here's one of the hind legs about to be parted into roasts. Below is another shot in progress showing me using my No Cry Cut Resistant Gloves - if you're at all a klutz like me and tend to nick yourself, these are wonderful gloves to protect the hand and fingers not holding the knife. I really recommend these gloves, they work very well in normal use, and help get a better grip on slippery meat while trimming fat and cutting.

And the last image is me getting ready to enjoy my lunch after finishing butchering - about 3/4lb ground, almost 1 inch thick doe burger. Yes, pig-out ... I earned it!

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on January 7, 2017 at 21:06

Looks good Allan!

Permalink Reply by Calvin Pruett on January 28, 2017 at 16:48

I have used many different knives for field dressing deer, including a Schrade folding hunter, and I have many fixed blade knives that would be stellar for this purpose, I always come back to a Buck 121, 118, or even a 102. And then I use the same for skinning. And then I use the same for boning. They really work for me. Most of my fixed blade knives are way too pretty to actually USE! But my Bucks are TOOLS.