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I don’t think we’ve had a good knife thread in a while, and I know that many of us who love trad bows also love good knives, plus it’s winter and I’m bored…so let’s see ’em (in the spirit of keeping it relevant to “traditional equipment,” let’s stick to trad hunting & woodcrafting knives here).
A few of my faves:
BRKT Classic Drop Point:
3.7″ blade
8.45″ overall
A-2 steel
Sheep horn scales w/red liners
BRKT Mini Fox River (not the best pic, but a great small game knife):
2.9″ blade
6.6″ overall
A-2 steel
G-10 scales
A new Nessmuk that I just picked up. It will see lots of use, as soon as I can spend more time outside in a world that isn’t covered in snow:
4.75″ blade
9″ overall
A-2 steel
Cocobolo scales w/red liners
Another recent purchase – a Northwoods “Whittler” (I’ve got a soft spot for traditional slip joints, esp. w/Wharncliffe blades). Plus it has an arrowhead on it, so how could I resist?:
4″ overall
Red bone scales
420HC steel
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Coincidentally I just picked up an Opinel No.7 today for my whittling projects – not quite a trad blade but a lovely little folding knife all the same. I like the high carbon blade that sharpens nicely and is ideal for delicate carving. My hunting knife is just too cumbersome and utilitarian for wood working.
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My latest, LaClair little shaver:
Nothing like a good old K-Bar and hawk!
An old workhourse I refurbished for a friend with a love of osage:
My grandfathers old western hunting knife and the Bear style kit I made from an old combat boot:
The buck I use for tillering:
One a little older I found and refurbished:
;This one is a WWII knife carried by my great uncle George and saw service in the Pacific on 2 different carriers:
and this is my current hunting knife. It was homemade (probably from a file) and has been handed down in my family for generations.
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Here is one of my re-purposed old hickory blades with antler handle and neck sheath
Wexbow: Love those Opinel folders! My Dad brought one to me from France 10 or so years ago. I recently handed it down to my son for his whittling project along with some other tools for his guitar project.
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Helle knife. Gift from David Petersen after my first Elk hunt!
Damascus knife, beautifully crafted by my good friend Ray Hammond. ( http://www.biggamehuntingblades.com )
Victorinox, the best! Gift from my parents over 30 years ago
Argentinian gaucho knife & fork
2 more in my hunting pack upstate. An Opinel serp and a cool green swiss army knife with locking main blade and a roe deer head carved on it
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Now we’re going from pretty to whatever… This is an old Green River Mtn. Man knife kit that I put together and modified, let’s see, umm, so long ago I think right after the stone age. Not pretty, excuse the sheath, I was making things look rustic on purpose. I think these were made and still are by Russel. This has been the handiest all purpose knife, for animal work, camp work, cooking work and hard to beat for butchering. It fits right in my primitive artistic skills :lol::lol::lol: too. If ever there was a guy who could build stuff for use and not very trade-able…….
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There’s a bit of a story with these two knives. Jeff Jeffcoat made them, he was of the generation of archery before and at the very beginning of compounds. I had been shooting recurves some but the compounds were “shining” but I was growing tired of them and going back to trad. Jeff along with Kelly Gustin and Hubert Moore were the main archery characters in the area at the time. Kelly was in fact a friend of Fred Bear. Me, in my late 20’s was infatuated with these “ol” dudes. Anyway Jeff got into knife making and was very good at it. One I bought the other I traded my next to the last compound to him for the little one.
He had to try!!! Anyway short story behind my Jeffcoat’s. Last compound was given to a land owner in appreciation of letting me hunt one season.
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Here are some of mine I think highly of.
My neck knife – my Rowan (Esee) Izula in a flat Kydex sheath. I have field dressed several deer with this one and it does it well.
Third from either end in this image – a Kershaw Knockout. I REALLY like this knife as a general purpose every day carry. It opens one-handed (and fast – spring assisted opening) and the blade is all sorts of handy for most tasks.
The SAK on the bottom is a Victorinox Camper – I keep this in hip pocket beside my wallet at all times. It has dressed many deer over the years and is all sorts of handy for multiple tasks.
And my Benchmade Activator 201. D2 steel that took forever to get sharp but has not been resharpened in two deer and many other tasks. This seems to be an ideal belt knife.
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Gigglemonk wrote: Are those custom scales on the izula? I really like that knife
Semi. BladeHQ offers them. The same rough Mikarta Esse and RAT use on their knives. I really appreciate the added grip. I had it paracord wrapped and after one deer it was a odor trap.
Not what you want in a neck knife.
Here’s another one of my favorites. A “Camper” laminated steel blade from Brusletto stuck in a piece of antler with iron pins (finishing nails) and a sheath I made. This has been around the block a few times and remains a great camp knife. About $25 in materials – if that.
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Folks,
I’ve been watching this thread all along. Some beautiful knives here and some great photos of them. Finally, I took a photos of some of my favorites. I’ll probably post them separately to get them all on. The first is my old stainless Boy Scout knife that I’ve carried for many miles and had in my pocket when I made Eagle. I saved up my lawn mowing money to buy this knife. dwcphoto
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The top one is a Buck 118 that I bought in ’73. I was seduced by that beautiful ad of a Buck cutting through a nail. It’s been a good knife and held an edge all the way through a large buck I butchered this year. The bottom knife is an old Schrade-Walden that belonged to my grandfather. I made the sheath for it in leather shop class in junior high school. dwc
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ausjim wrote: Great photos David. I hope you never lose the kabar. What a piece of history.
Agreed. Very cool contributions, David (and everyone else).
Here is a Queen ‘Straight Jack’ that has been seeing a lot of pocket time lately. It’s a little shorter than I normally prefer in a pocket knife for daily carry – it’s 3-3/8″ and I normally prefer folders between 3.5″ & 4″ but it has a solid heftiness to it that makes it feel like a bigger knife than it is. Queen did a gorgeous job on the bone handles on this series. And their D2 steel takes a fantastic edge.
Oh, and the Wathen’s isn’t bad either….8)
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Thanks, guys. That KaBar only comes out of the safe for special showings, otherwise it sits on top of my Granddad’s whet stone. I also have a gravity knife, a sailor’s knife I think, that my dad liberated when he was transporting prisoners off the line.
I love that Queen. I have an older trapper model that I always thought was too long to fit in my pocket comfortable. Case and Queen knives are still made in Pennsylvania.
That case in my post was yard sale score with blades worn to the nubs. I sent it back to Case and they fitted new blades and cleaned it up like new. I forgot that I didn’t post that photo… I’ll do it here.
Smithy, don’t you know that booze and sharp tools don’t mix… 😉
dwc
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Oh oh, knife topic! One of my favorite things!! Had a BRKT once, can’t remember the model, but I wasn’t impressed at all! The grinds weren’t even on the sides or the distal taper, looked real amateur! Ended basically giving it away for that reason. Lots of folks swear by them! Here are a few of mine.
Above is a simple Mora with a G11 handle.
Small pack knife 440C with tiger stripe G10 slabs.
Slightly bigger knife, 1095 steel with blue G10 slabs.
Big ole pig sticker, double edged, 01 tool steel, black G10 slabs.
My go to knife, CPM154, bocote slabs. It’s seen a lot of critters!
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It comes with a knife, file, Norton stone, and P38 can opener.
I carry:
My old file (partial to the larger wood handle)
Glue stick
Diamond hone
Pencil for completing license
Hunting License
Zip ties for tags & field dressing
Extra eclipse with bear bleeders
Knife
And P38 can opener (kept it in there but may put something else in that pocket?)
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A fun little project this afternoon:
Almost 10 years ago while living/traveling in South America, I bought a gaucho knife from a knife maker in a little outdoor market in El Bolson, Argentina. All that the maker could tell me was that the blade was made from an old leaf spring, and that the handle was made from ñirre, a hardy South American beech common in Patagonia. I continued to use the knife for the rest of the trip, but since then, it has pretty much languished in a drawer.
Not sure why, but today that knife popped into my head and I decided to dig it out. The leather was dry and neglected, so the first thing I did was give it a couple treatments of Montana Pitch. Then it was time to bring the edge back to life, which took a fair bit of effort, given it never had the most even grind to begin with (but being old, high carbon steel, it will take and hold a wicked edge quite nicely). And then I rubbed a little linseed oil into the handle, and an old traveling friend had returned.
Length overall – 8-1/4″
Blade length – 4-3/4″
For those unfamiliar with these knives, this is the one knife that a gaucho would have on his person and use 24/7, stuck into his belt, for just about everything from cutting rope to splitting kindling to his “meat knife” at the day’s end ‘asado’ or BBQ. My example would be on the smaller end of what is often carried:
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Smithhammer wrote: A fun little project this afternoon:
Almost 10 years ago while living/traveling in South America, I bought a gaucho knife from a knife maker in a little outdoor market in El Bolson, Argentina. All that the maker could tell me was that the blade was made from an old leaf spring, and that the handle was made from ñirre, a hardy South American beech common in Patagonia. I continued to use the knife for the rest of the trip, but since then, it has pretty much languished in a drawer.
Not sure why, but today that knife popped into my head and I decided to dig it out. The leather was dry and neglected, so the first thing I did was give it a couple treatments of Montana Pitch. Then it was time to bring the edge back to life, which took a fair bit of effort, given it never had the most even grind to begin with (but being old, high carbon steel, it will take and hold a wicked edge quite nicely). And then I rubbed a little linseed oil into the handle, and an old traveling friend had returned.
Length overall – 8-1/4″
Blade length – 4-3/4″
For those unfamiliar with these knives, this is the one knife that a gaucho would have on his person and use 24/7, stuck into his belt, for just about everything from cutting rope to splitting kindling to his “meat knife” at the day’s end ‘asado’ or BBQ. My example would be on the smaller end of what is often carried:
Pretty sweet! The top one lokks like a Searles Bowies!
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Guess it’s time I chime in. While I can’t compete with those of you who are obviously collectors, a guy does acquire a lot of tools over a lifetime and here are my primary hunters, starting at noon and circling clockwise:
Shrade Sharpfinger with elk antler handle from my first elk, 1981. It’s the oldest and I rank it #3 as an all-round field dressing and hunting/camping blade. The sheath was made for me by a Zuni Pueblo Indian with mountain lion claw.
Helle Fire — this is my “thousand dollar knife” (got it with a life membership to BHA). It ranks #1, easily best hunting knife I’ve ever owned.
Shrade Sharpfinger with original handle. #3. I haven’t used it in years but took apart several elk with it years ago. Don’t know why I still have it.
Armguard backup knife, Farr West Leathers. Not yet field tested.
Helle blade with deer antler handle. Backup, not yet field tested.
Alaskan native made with leaf spring steel from WWII Jeep and fossilized extinct sea cow rib handle. #2 favorite.
Helle blade with Osage orange handle. Backup, used to field dress a bull elk when I forgot to bring my Helle. Worked great but my hand was sore for days from the small handle.
Swiss Army knife. Not pictured. Always with me, whether hunting or dining out or giving a public talk. (I do take if off when I shower.) Used once to take a whitetail apart when I forgot my Helle. Worked just OK but easily the best knife I own for opening wine and beer bottles.
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I’ve been working on some selfbows lately and have been deeply disappointed by the quality of my modern drawknife. The steel just won’t hold an edge; osage eats right through it. An experienced friend suggested I check antique stores for old high-carbon tools and that’s what I did. Picked up this pair of Keen Kutters, an 8″ and a 6″. They were both somewhat sharp but I put a proper edge on them. The 8″ had a few notches in the blade which I worked out very carefully with the bench grinder (my grandfather would have thrown a fit if he’d seen me do that). I’m proud of these knives. They hold an edge and do the work I expect of them.
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Well, this thread sure has worked out great for me, so thanks for starting it, Bruce. After admiring a knife made by Sinawalli (Bill Brushey, among our most active Canuck brothers) we started a pm correspondence that led to working out a barter that netted me the gorgeous new knife below. While it’s fairly easy to get a truly custom bow built according to our specs, not so common with knives. In this case Bill and I talked back and forth about various options and here’s the result … not just gorgeous but highly functional in that it meets all my demands for a first-line elk skinner, including quality steel, drop-point blade with thick back edge (for prying heavy bone joints apart, etc.), a substantial wood handle about the size of the blade (for max leverage) and a finger groove at the bottom back of the blade. It’s my first truly custom knife and I could not be more pleased both with the design and functionality, as well as the artful workmanship. My old trusty Helle, still my vote for the best commercial knife made (certainly not the prettiest) alas, is now semi-retired as “first backup” blade relegated to the bottom of the hunting pack. Thanks, Bill. I think I skinned you on this deal! 😛 And somewhere out there right this minute, there’s an elk that’s destined to be skint with the Brushey Blade in Sept.! Happy camper, here.
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Here’s a few of mine
Out of the sheaths. The ceramic insulator on the dowel serves as a sharpener similar to a crock stick
An Uncle Henry…
A few more. The Browning my boys gave me when I was Supervisor of Operations of a NG Distribution Company. The sharpfinger was my first real deer huntin’ knife. Picked up the uncle henry in a junk shop in VA.
Some favorite folders. one of them was always in my pocket when in the woods or just outdoors. The Buck Lite more so than the others, it was a gift from the wife. Folk lore says knives are bad luck if given to a spouse. Must be nothing to it. I’ve had her for 30 years and the knife for 25. Skint my speed goat with the one in the middle.
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Duncan wrote: Here’s a few of mine
Out of the sheaths. The ceramic insulator on the dowel serves as a sharpener similar to a crock stick
An Uncle Henry…
A few more. The Browning my boys gave me when I was Supervisor of Operations of a NG Distribution Company. The sharpfinger was my first real deer huntin’ knife. Picked up the uncle henry in a junk shop in VA.
Some favorite folders. one of them was always in my pocket when in the woods or just outdoors. The Buck Lite more so than the others, it was a gift from the wife. Folk lore says knives are bad luck if given to a spouse. Must be nothing to it. I’ve had her for 30 years and the knife for 25. Skint my speed goat with the one in the middle.
Nice! What are the ones in the first (top) pic? They look handmade! Ceramic insulator in a dowel= genius!! Good thinking!! Love that idea!!
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Wow! Five pages–you done went and started a great thread, Bruce!
By way of an update, I just received a custom sheath made by Duncan to complement the custom knife made by Sinawalli/Bill. Nothing fancy, as I prefer it, but lovely in its simple functionality. Now my hunting outfit is complete! And thanks to the personal nature of most every piece of it this year, it has some serious mojo.
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Smithhammer wrote: [quote=sinawalli]
Smithhammer, how about a few more pics of that knife? Looks very interesting!!
Here ya go:
7″ overall
3.2″ blade
CPM3V steel
Wow! Slabs are antler? Is the blade gun blued or just a real dark patina? How do you like the CPM3V? I hear its real tough stuff!
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I bought this one at the Red River chapter RMEF auction this spring.
I recently received the sheath. After receiving a post on here earlier to contact Gregg at Great Lakes Leather Works I did and he came up with this for me.
Tonight I will have them with me as I take a 13 year old out on his first hunt ever. Whitetail doe here in ND!
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Post count: 124
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A cool knife just sort of fell in my lap this week. My father in-law was cleaning out his woodshop and sent me home with a box of “treasures”. (Code for my clutter becomes your clutter because I know you are too polite to tell me no.)
The knife is a Collins Co. Legitimus #18. It appears to be a WWII fighting/survival knife, though I haven’t been able to verify its age yet. The poor thing was abused, then neglected for a long time. I soaked it in vinegar for a day to loosen the rust and only then found the manufacturer’s stamp. A little more work and it’ll have a proper edge once again.
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Post count: 124
That’s a rare, collectible, well-over-couple-hundred-dollars-worth piece of “clutter” right there!
Wow!
Ben M. wrote: A cool knife just sort of fell in my lap this week. My father in-law was cleaning out his woodshop and sent me home with a box of “treasures”. (Code for my clutter becomes your clutter because I know you are too polite to tell me no.)
The knife is a Collins Co. Legitimus #18. It appears to be a WWII fighting/survival knife, though I haven’t been able to verify its age yet. The poor thing was abused, then neglected for a long time. I soaked it in vinegar for a day to loosen the rust and only then found the manufacturer’s stamp. A little more work and it’ll have a proper edge once again.
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Forager wrote: That’s a rare, collectible, well-over-couple-hundred-dollars-worth piece of “clutter” right there!
Wow!
[quote=Ben M.]A cool knife just sort of fell in my lap this week. My father in-law was cleaning out his woodshop and sent me home with a box of “treasures”. (Code for my clutter becomes your clutter because I know you are too polite to tell me no.)
The knife is a Collins Co. Legitimus #18. It appears to be a WWII fighting/survival knife, though I haven’t been able to verify its age yet. The poor thing was abused, then neglected for a long time. I soaked it in vinegar for a day to loosen the rust and only then found the manufacturer’s stamp. A little more work and it’ll have a proper edge once again.
I would have to agree! Nice find!
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I thought this was a cool story and deserved to go in this thread, although I know none of the people involved..
23 January, 2014 5:17PM ACST
The story of my knife
By Emma Sleath (Online Reporter)
The youthful theft of a hunting knife played on one man’s conscience for over thirty years…so he made a startling confession.
An old hunting knife has sparked a reunion between old school mates on a Facebook page dedicated to memories of Alice Springs.
Eugene Blom, who still lives in the Centre, stole the knife over thirty years ago and posted his confession earlier this week.
“This is a G96 knife. It has burned a hole in my conscience from the day I stole it on a school camp in 1978,” he writes.
“It belongs to the nicest bloke you would ever meet…it was a present from his sister.“
The post attracted hundreds of ‘likes’ and comments on the Growing Up in Alice Springs forum which has over 11,000 members.
One comment was from the original owner of the knife, Peter Haines – now based in Perth.
“Well, bloody hell, I long wondered what happened to that knife,” he writes.
“…would you believe I still have the original pouch?“
Mr Blom has politely declined to speak to the ABC but gave his permission to use some of the material contained in his posts.
Meanwhile, there are plans for a reunion, and a beer, between Eugene and Peter later in the year.
The below is taken from Eugene Blom’s original post in the forum…
Mate, I have carried this burden and cherished it for you, I have skinned and gutted hundreds of rabbits, and taken it on many, many camps. It has seen blood and red sand, it has been to Europe and it has been confiscated by the airline that sanned [sic] it in my duffelbag, and they gave it back! It hollowed out an old pressure hose and got me on the road again when my car broke down at Daly Waters. I became Venturer leader, and later followed my kids through Joeys, cubs and scouts. And every time the knife came out, I would tell a kid the story of my shame, how you should never steal, and how you should always have the courage to do whats [sic] right.
Mate, I am soo sorry, and if you pm me your address I will send it off to you. This knife should have been on your adventures and explorations. Crikey, it looks like you were in the friggin Himalayas! I don’t beg your forgiveness, because you owe me nothing. If anything, this knife has done the world a lot of good, but it is yours, and I would be glad to return it, just so you can tell your kids or whoever you want to bequeathe it to when you go.. that this knife has a history, that it did some important stuff, and that it eventually came home.
Here’s the original story:
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2014/01/23/3931107.htm
Jim
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Time to knock the dust off this thread! Here are a couple I finished.
Top one is a Helle Wind, got the blank off Ebay and made a handle out of a block of black G10. Bottom one is 01 tool steel, there is a hamon on it, but not visible in that pic. Heat treated it myself in a home made forge. Handle is tiger stripe G10.
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Thanks for reviving this thread, and nice work on both of those knives. That Helle looks like it would be a heckuva skinner! How do you find working with G10?
I recently picked up a knife from Lon Humphrey, a little beauty called a “Whiteteil” in dark curly maple handles. 6″ overall, with a 2.5″ cutting edge, 1084 steel.
Lon makes all of his knives the traditional way – by hand with a hammer and forge, and every one is a little different. Here’s a little video of Lon at work:
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Smithhammer wrote: Thanks for reviving this thread, and nice work on both of those knives. That Helle looks like it would be a heckuva skinner! How do you find working with G10?
I recently picked up a knife from Lon Humphrey, a little beauty called a “Whiteteil” in dark curly maple handles. 6″ overall, with a 2.5″ cutting edge, 1084 steel.
Lon makes all of his knives the traditional way – by hand with a hammer and forge, and every one is a little different. Here’s a little video of Lon at work:
Thanks! Working with G10 is awful! Incredibly stinky, to the point of sickening! Dust is nasty too. I wear coveralls, respirator, dust proof goggles and a scarf. Everything stinks when I’m done. In summer, I can open the garage doors, not too bad then, but winter, it stinks for awhile!
I really like that knife pictured in your post! Wood is beautiful! Good score!
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colmike wrote:
A tutorial from Bruce would be nice he seems to speak grunt language and post’s great photo’s and video’s.
Mike –
I had to go back and look at the pics in question, and I’m afraid that your better half is absolutely right (as usual 8) ).
I don’t want to write a novel here, but this is my basic recipe for a half-way decent photo:
Pour yourself a pint of good beer. And I mean good beer, not some syrupy yellow swill. I don’t even care if you like good beer or not, this is work and it’s not supposed to be fun. Now drink.
I’m assuming you don’t want to drink that pint first thing in the morning, so wait until you have good evening light. Don’t take pics in the middle of the day – the light will either be harsh, or flat. Bottom line – you can’t take a good pic without good light.
Once you have good light, find a good background. A mesh patio table is not a good background. 🙄 Find something that contrasts nicely with the subject of your photo, and that isn’t busy. Once you have these two key factors in place, take another sip or two and savor the fact that you are outside and that life is good.
Now think about angle and composition. How can you emphasize what you are shooting in an interesting way?
Once you have truly considered all these things, and you have good light, a fitting background and a good composition, it’s time to take another sip.
And now for the really hard part – give the camera to Lin and ask here to take some pictures, upload them for you, optimize them using some sort of photo software and crop/resize them appropriately….while you cook her dinner.
Behind all good photographers there is usually an even more talented assistant.
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A recent Natchez-style Bowie that I picked up:
And a little background on Bowies. Contrary to popular belief, there really is no single “Bowie” knife design, nor even a standard size. Most historians agree that the knife that Jim Bowie used at the infamous Vidalia Sandbar fight, which started the “Bowie” craze, looked nothing like the far more ornate Bowie knives that came later (i.e. the Alamo era), and that most people still think of when they imagine a “Bowie” knife.
The knives made in and around Natchez that JB was carrying at Vidalia, influenced by Spanish and French knives that were popular at the time, was a far more simple and straightforward knife, with a coffin handle and prominent swedge, like this original:
Only years later did they evolve into the more well-known style of Bowie with the bulkier blade, exaggerated clip point, full guard, pommel etc:
Personally, I really prefer the simpler, earlier style of Bowie knife. I’m a sucker for a well-done swedge and a coffin handle. 8)
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I don’t have many knives because I generally don’t deal with more than one of anything too well. Go figure? This I bought in the mid ’90’s. My high water mark for knives. I just look at it now and then as I’m too sentimental toward my other two. This was made by an old ‘gent, in every sense of the word, Billy Watson from Deatsville, Alabama.
Mike – I never had much patience for learning how to upload pics and walked off plenty for better things to do. It’s easier done than said is all I can say. Once you get it it’s as easy as eating cherry pie.
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We were drinking; mourning the premature loss of our dear friend. He was ten months younger than me and far more experienced in the business of life.
I’d only picked it up to check if his dad was honoring the blade with a proper edge. Before my onerous critique of his work was done he’d tossed the sheath in my lap. Tears.
A generous gift from the grieving father of an equally generous young man. Instantly and for ever more, one of my most prized possessions.
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Brennan –
Excellent choice. I think the Muley is a great all-arounder.
It’s hard to describe, but once you get one of Lon’s knives in your hands, you just want to carry it all the time and use it for everything. And occasionally thrust it high in the air and yell out like a viking.
Sinawalli –
Agreed! Did you check out some of his higher-end knives? Still all hand-forged and heat-treated. The only part he doesn’t do himself are the sheaths:
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I was at the 2014 MOjam selfbow gathering last week and had a chance to spend some time with master blacksmith John Murray. Here’s a bit of his work.
Seax knife. Rowan wood handle. Handmade hammers in the background.
Some of John’s fantastic hatchets. Someday I’ll own one.
John explaining the particulars of a sort of “poor man’s sword” he’s got in the works. (I can’t remember the name of this instrument.) That’s a 33″ arrow for size reference. On the left are two of his yew warbows. One pulls 125# and the other 162#. Man-eaters.
Some of John’s work that went home with other guys.
The Seax knife came home with me. For size reference, that’s a 2×12 underneath it.
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A new (to me) Marble’s Trailmaker from back when they were still being made in Gladstone, MI. Still in the box and with the original sheath. 7-1/8″ blade of 5160 carbon steel, 12-3/8″ overall.
Webster Marbles was once quoted as saying, “there is no one cutting tool that will serve as many purposes as the Trailmaker.”
😉
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have a drawer full of store bought…..custom…..but down the road i decided that none equaled the d.h. russel original belt knife design……..the original design is always in my pack…….the trout and bird design [ the smaller blade in the photo ] is my neck knife and i can’t count the number of whitetail it has boned out……….for the money…….not a better blade out there.
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Agreed, Burgess – those Canadian belt knives are a great design. Quite underrated, I think, until you use one for a bit, and then all of the thought that has gone into the design becomes apparent. I have one of the “Bird & Trout” models as well, and it’s cleaned a lot of birds and fish!
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Here is my trad knife. I made it myself from an edger blade and some Osage for the scales.
And here is one I made from some 1095 and whitetail antler for the handle. I made it for my Brother Inlaw from the same pattern that my Osage was made from just fitted to the antler.
Carved a deer profile in the butt
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This is my first Knife. My father gave it to me for my 10th birthday (45 years ago). It is a MUELA. An old knife maker from Albacete (Spain) that still makes formidable knifes nowadays. Mine is a hand made model from the mid 60′ with deer horn handle.
I still use it but try hard not to lose it in the woods
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Both great looking knives, Todd.
The top one has just the kind of gently-sloping drop point, almost to the lateral line, that I really like.
Probably my favorite all-around hunting knife – a Bark River “Fox River” has a similar profile. Btw, I used this knife on a deer a few weeks ago, and I’m really impressed with the CPM3V steel on this model. Even after quartering and dressing a good-sized deer, and without me being particularly careful at separating joints, nicking bone while separating the loins, etc. I brought the knife home, cleaned it up and without touching up the edge at all it was still slicing paper cleanly:
Ten minutes later, with a leather strop and a little compound it was easily shaving sharp again. The edge retention of 3V is seriously impressive.
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Have any of you owned a knife from Lucas Forge (Lucas Bullington)? Ran into a trad hunter on some public land near here….his knife caught my eye, and he gave me the info on the maker. I really like the Packer model in a curly maple handle (below). 3.5″ blade, 8″ overall. Just wondering.
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tailfeather wrote: Is that good steel for a one-deer-without-resharpening blade?
Most knife steels, whether carbon or stainless, are going to be a trade-off between edge retention and ease of sharpening, as the factors that dictate the former are the same that affect the latter. In my experience, I would say O1 has “ok” edge retention for tasks like getting through a whole deer without needing to re-sharpen. But, on the other hand, O1 is an easy steel to quickly touch up and maintain in the field.
Here’s a useful little chart for comparing carbon steel attributes:
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Smithhammer wrote: John – that’s a very interesting knife. How long is it?
Dave – I actually knew nothing about Francis Chan when I came across that quote, but I liked it. Turns out he’s a Christian minister, with an interesting/atypical approach. If you Google him, you’ll find all kinds of info.
about 10 inch
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I just have to post this beauty. It’s an Arno Bernard Porcupine with mammoth molar handle. I had noticed that they advertise in Traditional Bowhunter Magazine, so I was checking them out, and I just couldn’t resist this little guy. The sheath is cape buffalo. I only wish that the sheath was designed for horizontal carry, as it’s the perfect size for it.
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I am new to Tradbow. I would like to share a few knives that I have made. They are all hunter/skinners. They are made from 1095. Cut out with a hacksaw and beveled with a bastard file. Heat treated in my coffee can forge and hand polished down to 600 grit. I etched my logo in the blade. Deer antler with my initials. I also made the sheaths. Made my own leather stamps(deer print and oak leaves). It was very enjoyable. The small knife on top was for my wife, then the 3 below it was for my brother and a couple friends. The dark wood was Bocate and the lighter was Honduran Rosewood. These were made 2 summers ago. I planned on more last summer, but built my hunting camp instead.
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