[David Petersen]

in reply to: Broadheads, left bevel or right bevel? #54219

I think we’ve just been Webmotherized. I spelled out the word bastard, which is a word you can find on labels and packages of files. I don’t know the history of the name, but a mill bastard is the most common file for sharpening broadheads. In context it’s no way rude and should not, IMHO, be filled with asterisks rather than letters. Maybe part of the program does it automatically. Let’s try it this way and maybe fool the program: b-a-s-t-a-r-d. It’s not an insult but a file cut. 😆

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Question for David Petersen #53856

Steve — At home I use the KME knife sharpener for both knives and broadheads. Afield I carry a small folding diamond bar, blue and red grits, plus a carbon V sharpener. I don’t know the brands of those items, they’re so common and all much the same. If I stop every now and then and run the knife through the carbon stick sharpener, I rarely even have to resort to the diamond bar. Of course this is predicated on getting the blade super-sharp at home with the KME as a starting point. This is the combo I use on all blades, not just Helle. The Helle just takes a sharper edge and holds it longer than most others. Dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Broadheads, left bevel or right bevel? #52798

Hey Anti — that’s the best reason I’ve ever heard for selecting R or L bevel heads (assuming of course the fletching matches). Of course! I’d like to say it never occurred to me because I’m ambidextrious and also mostly use a KME jig for sharpening. But I think it didn’t occur to me because it’s so darned obvious. 😆 And by the way, we are allowed to speak of bastard files here. 😯

[David Petersen]

in reply to: "The Good Hunt" update #52792

Hey, thanks Bruce. I’d almost forgotten about it myself! 😆 Actually, the filmmaker has put together a short trailer that should be up and running in another week or so and for those interested, I’ll post the link here when it is. Reports from Brussels are that it’s going well, but slowly, since the filmmaker can’t just go out and hire everything done.

Thanks again for your support, Bruce and other “friends of the antidote film.” Dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Helle Knives #52056

Bill — It’s been so long I can’t recall the names of the two Helle blades I put handles on, but both were about the size and shape of Stump’s, above. One was carbon, the other sandwiched stainless. One got a deer antler handle, the other osage orange. I’ll try to remember to snap some pics for you. Both are great little backup knives.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: IT WORKED!!!!! #52051

That’s a lot of first-class kindling there, Grumpy. That’s where all my failures went. By the way, my grandson calls me “Grumps.” 😆

[David Petersen]

in reply to: What broadheads do you like? #50619

My pick — a long and lean killing machine, as evidenced by the bull it’s lying on — full pass-through, down in 15 yards, dead in 15 seconds. Overkill? 😛

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Armguards #48366

As one who went most of his life buying only the cheapest functional stuff in every category — because I never had any money, just like many folks here, and have always preferred “time off” to having more stuff — I admit to getting a bit eccentric in my alleged golden years. At 66-10/12ths, my logic these days is that if I buy the best gear–that is, what I really want most–it will last “longer than I need it.” 🙄 Aside from the handiness and assurance of always having a backup knife in easy reach — and not a fingernail trimmer neck knife but something big enough to skin an elk with if necessary — aside from that unnecessary but nice practicality, I’ll admit to having wanted a really fancy armguard with knife (and buffalo nickel fasteners and inlaid rawhide deer tracks) since I first saw TJ Conrads’ on the cover photo of his Traditional Bowhunter’s Handbook many moons ago. It’s an indulgence, pure and simple, that stands out sharply from the rest of my life. For instance, the last new car I bought was in 1969.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Helle Knives #48350

Bill — I touch up more often than necessary, because, as I’m sure as a knifemaker you know, if you keep the blade razor sharp you will never have to go beyond touch-up. The longer you let it go — which is always the temptation when busy taking an animal apart and it’s getting dark, etc. — it takes more work to bring it back. On average with the knife shown — to skin, quarter and bone an elk — I will touch up with one of those crossed carbon stick units (I don’t recall the proper name) every few minutes, whether it seems needed or not — just wipe the gore off the blade, drag it a few times across the V of the sharpener, and ready to go again. I generally also stop to stroke the blade a few times on a diamond bar after skinning and again before boning or any time it seems necessary. Bottom line with any knife in my experience is to frequently do a wee touch-up so that it stays high-sharp at all times, rather than struggling along until it’s so dull you have to really work on it to get it back, if you even can. By comparison, with most other knives I’ve had, I have to stop frequently to use the diamond bar and occasionally even a broadhead file. Be aware that not all Helle blades are equal. Their carbon steel (of which I own two that I bought as blades and put handles on) take more care. It’s the triple-layer stainless blades that most of us rave about. I frankly find many other knives to be prettier than the average Hello (though I love the looks of the fire). And many others are as well or even better designed for particular jobs. It’s simply the extremely high quality of the steel and the layering technology that sets the Helles apart so far as durability of the cutting edge.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Which jig to buy #46535

Dave — I’d say it’s even less than personal preference … it just doesn’t matter, so long as feathers and heads match. I shoot left bevel but have no reason other than long habit. It does seem that left-bevel is more common and with feathers a bit easier to come by. While it’s a bit of a non sequitur to your questions, I have come strongly to prefer small 4-fletch, 4×3″, half-inch high, for fletching all my shafts, both wood and carbon (like others here joked in another thread, I too “long ago quit shooting recycled beer cans). I’d look at your favorite feather supplier, and your favorite source for the single-bevel heads you wisely plan to switch to, and see if there’s any diff in availability of either in L or R wing, and go with those most available.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Armguards #46530

Thanks, Jim. Here’s the shot you mention — a still from the film taken at one of the most exciting moments of the hunt, with a bull screaming his head off just out of sight below me (I never saw him either), and another screaming from across the drainage, which I’m trying to spot. Both almost called in by our own Thomas Downing, my infamous “Indian guide.”

Steve — Yes, it sounds so simple. But that’s yet another thing to remember! Armguards and shooting gloves are hard to forget … though more than once (and when I was younger, even) I’ve driven a few miles before realizing I didn’t have my bow in the truck.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Which jig to buy #46380

Bill — I use a mild offset.

Dave — I wouldn’t want to rob you of the joys of studying the instructions and experiementing and figuring it out for yourself. 😆

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Broadheads, left bevel or right bevel? #46379

Doesn’t matter so long as broadhead bevel matches feathers — either both left or both right. Otherwise they work against one another, trying to spin the arrow in opposite directions.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Helle Knives #46376

This is my second Helle Fire. I love the knife so much that I gave it away to a good friend. I think I paid less than a hundred for the first Fire … and a thousand for the second! It came “free” with a life membership to BHA. 😆 While the special qualities of Helle’s unique three-layer blade sandwich are often lauded here, I like the Fire in particular for it’s looks and mostly because it has a big nice handle that provides great leverage in combo with the smallish blade. For other purposes I might want another design. But for taking an elk apart, from the delicate work of skinning to the brutish effort of separating leg joints, the Fire is hands down my favorite.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Armguards #45272

I’m fond of my American Leathers guard, with scabbard and small backup knife. As an old man who twice in recent years has forgotten to bring his belt knife on the day he made a kill (one bull elk and one whitetail buck), I need a backup and don’t care for neck knives. So the armguard with knife is perfect for me. But it was pricey, you bet. And the leather is so thick that it took forever to break in. Finally I took the knife out and soaked the leather in water until it was good and soft, then tighted the bands so that when I hooked them together the guard was forced into a cylinder. A couple of days later it was permanently molded in the shape it needed it in. A good treatment with Montana Pitch Blend and it’s ready for … well, more years than I’ll likely need it. But it’s heavy and its hot. Not for everyone or every situation. Since my bows don’t slap my wrist I use guards only when wearing layers of clothes. I’ll attach a pic later if I can find one.

[Author]

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