hunting knife?

[rottik9]

I have a Bowie knife. blade about 8 inch. My grandson started hunting this year, I plan i doing up a nice leather knife case for him, do you guys thing that knife is too big to be practical for hunting knife? I use a small folding knife, however I hunt small game.

Here is friction case I just done for a hunting buddy.

[magoonpointboy]

I think 8" is pretty big as a hunting knife. I use a Russell Belt Knife to clean and skin deer. I think it has a 4" blade. But I'd also think he would appreciate the gift, nonetheless. That's a beautiful case.

[ghostguy6]

For a hunting blade I like around 4" but I also have large hands. For your grandson I would suggest a Mora knife if he is younger. They are easy to sharpen as they have a scandi style blade and a good grip when wet. Plus they are easy on the wallet when he inevitably looses it.

[CNP]

A Bowie knife isn't a hunting knife. In my mind it's a camp/survival knife.

A hunting knife that is used primarily for dismembering/skinning game is a different knife altogether. A four inch drop point blade is what I'd call a good hunting knife.

[Hogie135]

Along with my skinning/gutting knives, I carry 2, I also carry with me my KaBar. It's my bush knife. I've never really needed it though. It's just nice to have in case I need to do some bush craft with it. You know if I'm stuck out over night any anything like that. I think its an 8" blade as well.

[koothunter]

Originally Posted by ghostguy6

For a hunting blade I like around 4" but I also have large hands. For your grandson I would suggest a Mora knife if he is younger. They are easy to sharpen as they have a scandi style blade and a good grip when wet. Plus they are easy on the wallet when he inevitably looses it.

x2 on the Mora. There are a few different styles to choose from, but all are good fixed blade knives. You can choose stainless or high carbon steel.

[buckman]

Whatever you choose(a 4 inch 6 max ins more than enough)make sure its sharp, and he knows how to put the edge back on.

Mora knives are great.

[Smoky buck]

The knife I use for dressing is a 5inch fixed blade and I would not want anything bigger for that. But often I also carry a large knife I basically use and abuse. I use it for cutting rope. separating joints, cut branches, splitting ribs and even an emergency can opener. It is used for all the jobs that I don’t want to use my other knife for because it’s hard on the edge

A big knife may not be good for gutting but it still comes in handy

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by rottik9

I have a Bowie knife. blade about 8 inch. My grandson started hunting this year, I plan i doing up a nice leather knife case for him, do you guys thing that knife is too big to be practical for hunting knife? I use a small folding knife, however I hunt small game.

Here is friction case I just done for a hunting buddy.

https://grohmannknives.com/index.php...chtsman-detail

cant go wrong with one of these beauties....was issued one and it ended up being my son's who I gave to him when he was 4.....went back and told the cpl at the QM store I lost mine.....he still carries it today when in the field hunting or fishing etc....

8" blade from my perspective is a bit on the large side for daily use....

[Stinky Buffalo]

Another vote for the Mora. These are practical, lightweight and super-sharp knives that are very versatile for hunting. And you won't cry too much if it gets lost.

And if it doesn't get lost, it'll last a while, too.

If you're looking for something that is more "heirloom" style, reach out to Mudbug. He has access to some very pretty knives that won't break the bank. I gifted one of those to my nephew.

[Coiloil37]

Big game doesn’t require a bigger knife. I prefer something in the 3.5-4” range although I would think up to 5” would be perfectly manageable. IMO an 8” knife would be a nuisance trying to field dress game.
Blade shape is personal but for someone who doesn’t know any better a drop point would probably be best. Then if they choose to they can refine their taste from there.

I’ve got large hands so I have mine built with longer handles and a 3.75” blade. This is my preferred blade shape.

[35 whelen]

Originally Posted by Hogie135

Along with my skinning/gutting knives, I carry 2, I also carry with me my KaBar. It's my bush knife. I've never really needed it though. It's just nice to have in case I need to do some bush craft with it. You know if I'm stuck out over night any anything like that. I think its an 8" blade as well.

1 million Marines can't be wrong I also carry a Ka-Bar very handy

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

[NewGuard84]

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

1 million Marines can't be wrong I also carry a Ka-Bar very handy

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

A Ka-Bar is on my list and I love bigger knives.

With that said, I may love my bigger knives because I also have and carry small and medium sized knives, so I can match the tool to the task.

Esee Izula and CM6 are usually on me in the field.

[Sashi]

This knife accompanies me on all my hunting trips, since the sixties.
ERN Solingen Germany
13" with 8" blade. I also carry extra skinning knives.

[Hogie135]

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

1 million Marines can't be wrong I also carry a Ka-Bar very handy

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

My Grandfather was a Marine during the Korean War. He gave me the knife when I joined the military 17 years ago.

[35 whelen]

Cool

[BCSteel]

I carry an LT Wright fixed 5" knife in a2 steel whenever I'm outside and it works well to split ribs and pelvis or get through joints but most work gets done with a Benchmade Mini griptillian folder in 20cv steel when it comes to breaking down an animal.

[1shotwade]

The only 2 knives I carry in the bush besides a EDC folder!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

[kujoseto]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

Big game doesn’t require a bigger knife. I prefer something in the 3.5-4” range although I would think up to 5” would be perfectly manageable. IMO an 8” knife would be a nuisance trying to field dress game.
Blade shape is personal but for someone who doesn’t know any better a drop point would probably be best. Then if they choose to they can refine their taste from there.

I’ve got large hands so I have mine built with longer handles and a 3.75” blade. This is my preferred blade shape.

I bought one like this with a different handle off Coiloil37 and love it.
Great design!
I’ve tried things like the Havalon and Grohmann and although I don’t have anything negative to say about either, they are just different from what is shown in this image here and I prefer this design.
But a long large knife I would not be keen on

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by kujoseto

I bought one like this with a different handle off Coiloil37 and love it.
Great design!
I’ve tried things like the Havalon and Grohmann and although I don’t have anything negative to say about either, they are just different from what is shown in this image here and I prefer this design.
But a long large knife I would not be keen on

This is the one I sold you in the middle





Perfect design (IMO) for a couple of reasons.

There’s enough tip to get the cut in the hide started but once it’s started and your opening the hide over the stomach the tip is angled up and not trying to poke anything inside. The angle of the blade is presented to the hide at a shallow enough angle you can open a moose like a zipper with one smooth push and not have to worry about inadvertently opening the guts up because the spine of the knife is riding on top of them and pushing them down away from the tip.
The blades tip is in line with your hand so when blind cutting you don’t have it snagging on things and your not trying to guess where it is or what your feeling.
When cutting hide along the legs or anywhere else your opening hide up, the tip will get the cut started but because it’s angled up it’s not digging into any meat. Just put it in the cut and give it a push. The spine of the knife rides against the meat and the hide falls open like a ykk zipper.
When skinning, the entire blade is utilised and always efficiently presented at an angle to what’s being cut. Your hand and wrist are at a natural angle as well and it’s comfortable. Your not cutting with a portion of the blade like you do with other knives. For example; with most drop points there’s a section around 1” long near the belly and towards the tip that does the lions share of the work and requires more hand and wrist movement to get something skinned.

I’ve had plenty of other knives that lacked something (or lots) somewhere. From not enough belly to to much belly, not enough tip or to much tip or even have the tip in the wrong spot relative to the handle, blade at the wrong angle to the media being cut, wrist having to contort to align the blade to what I’m cutting, tip of the knife to far toward the spine, blades to vertical to the hide when splitting an animal open that you have to make short slicing cuts instead of just one effortless motion from start to finish, trying to open an animal up and having the tip dig into the stomach or meat. Steel stock is to thick, grind is less conducive to slicing, heat treat sucks, type of steel or the grit it was finished at means the knife doesn’t cut aggressively enough, blades to long or to short, handles the wrong shape, length or at the wrong angle relative to the knife, steel can’t maintain a razor sharp edge through multiple animals and requires a touch up on the first animal...ETC. the list goes on and on for me but this design checks ALL the boxes. Few things do everything perfectly without sacrificing something somewhere else but this one does.

The steel, heat treat, geometry and quality sure don’t hurt either.

I bet if other guys thought critically about the knife they’re using they could find a few things they don’t like about it. Most guys don’t critique their gear or processes hard enough to notice.

[graybeard]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

Big game doesn’t require a bigger knife. I prefer something in the 3.5-4” range although I would think up to 5” would be perfectly manageable. IMO an 8” knife would be a nuisance trying to field dress game.
Blade shape is personal but for someone who doesn’t know any better a drop point would probably be best. Then if they choose to they can refine their taste from there.

I’ve got large hands so I have mine built with longer handles and a 3.75” blade. This is my preferred blade shape.

Coiloil;
I remember when you got that one...It is still in the top 3 of the most beautiful knives I have ever seen and handled.....

[Savage Bacon]

^^ I love that small blade

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Hogie135

My Grandfather was a Marine during the Korean War. He gave me the knife when I joined the military 17 years ago.

That is awesome....carry it with extreme pride!

[58thecat]

image.jpg

Complete custom build one of a kind....3.5 " blade/folder.....fits my hand perfect and when in tight places taking out the tenderloins when using the gutless method it follows my finger with precision....two hours to break down a moose with this knife....no issues.

buckeye burl Handle
416 stainless bolster
M390 blade steel

[Stinky Coyote]

Originally Posted by Sashi

This knife accompanies me on all my hunting trips, since the sixties.
ERN Solingen Germany
13" with 8" blade. I also carry extra skinning knives.

every time i pulled that out i'd be doing a little crocodile dundee impression for sure "that's not a knaff..."

nice sword

[rem338win]

I wouldn't. A good fixed blade for hunting should be 3-5" and I firmly believe a 3.5-4" blade is best. Any point that hooks (like a bowie) is a frustration for a new fella.

Drop and proper clip points are best.


I've carried a 3" Dozier for years now and it's taken apart moose to pronghorn.

Just my 2c...