Hunting Season

[Jerry Manuel]

Another season is just around the corner and I thought it would be interesting to see and read about what knife or knives you guys that hunt & camp will be using . Whether it be a knife you've carried for years or a new one you recently got and plan on using this season . Give us a look and discription

[Karl B. Andersen]

I'll make this post in deep regard to simply metallurgy.
This is not a post about how beautiful my working knife is, but rather how just the slightest attention to the most basic of "rules" can create a knife that will perform as well, or better, than many of the store bought brands.
All of the knife makers we know and love, can do the same IF! they will just learn and follow basic knife making philosophies that are based on known facts.
I made this knife in 2004 out of my 1" square 5160, have dressed countless deer with it in the last 6 years and she will be on my belt again this year.
By "countless", I mean I really have no idea how much work I have accomplished with this knife.

I find myself in a unique living condition back in the woods along a river, and have lots of friends and huntin' buddies who often stop by to dress their deer or get knives sharpened, etc.
My knife I show here will dress deer, after deer, after deer with no sharpening. And I mean gut, split pelvises, hack through ribs, skin, quarter and ready to cut up for the freezer.
And it's just 5160.
Done right, we can do a lot of high quality work with our steel.
I hope more makers really put their knives through the paces.
I had one of my 5160 blades field dress, skin and quarter 6 bucks and 8 does before sharpening.
14 deer on an outdoor hunting show.
5160.
Cool, eh?


http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/kbaknife/kbaedc5.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/kbaknife/Knives%2009/10pt-1.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/kbaknife/Knives%2009/10pt2-1.jpg

[Jerry Manuel]

That's what I was hoping to see and read Karl,good post :cool: - Jerry

[Lin Rhea]

I wish I had time to skin deer, because would mean I got to hunt!!:D

Good thread Jerry. Karl, you are the "ambassador" between knives and the hunting world. Great job. Lin

[Jerry Manuel]

Unfortunately I sometimes have the same problem Lin . My job takes up so much of my time especially in the winter . I'm on call which means I carry a cell & pager so I can be reached . Once a "call out" comes in I have to run regardless of where I am . I've been in the woods many times and had to leave . The old timers here are telling me to look for a extremely cold winter this year but I sure hope they are wrong . The colder it gets the more I'm on the road - Jerry

[jerry fisk]

Jerry, I make myself a new one each year just so I can have an honest evaluation of its performance. I plan on making a skinner from a saddle horn pattern for this year.

[Roger Pinnock]

I don't know that there's any hunting in my future for this season, but this would be the knife I take:

http://www.fototime.com/D35AFFF0536AA42/orig.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/FF523BC6371A888/orig.jpg

Roger

[Karl B. Andersen]

Roger, everything is just perfect about that knife.
Mr. Fisk, I just can't bring myself to retire that knife and replace it with a new one.
But, this winter maybe I'll follow your lead and make a new one for a hog hunt in Tejas.

[Bob Starkey]

If I wouldn't have missed a doe Saturday, I would've put one of my customs to work. She just dropped and rolled and thought I hit here for sure, put the arrow cleanly missed her. I got an old John Cross knife I like to put to use, but my Lin Rhea hunter always accompanies me in the field.
Bob

[mike williams]

A few years back I started using hunting season as my test program. I usually get in on a dozen or so dessing/skinning jobs each season and it gives me a chance to run some new ideas in the real world. My family could care less if its a nice handmade knife. "Does it work"? Is the only criterion that matters. They can be downright rude about it sometimes.
I have used this "testing program" to make some very subtle changes over the last 3 or 4 years that I believe improves the usability/performance of my hunters. The hardness is a touch higher, the blades are 1/4" to 1/2" shorter. The handle has just a fraction more drop.
Just little things that add up.
Wish I was bow hunting instead of in the shop!!!!

[Allen Newberry]

I tend to do more sitting and getting really cold than actually bringing home deer. Last year I did manage to get a nice little eight point. This is the knife that did the bulk of the processing and with any luck will see some more action this year:

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/8265/editedcutlass.jpg (http://img440.imageshack.us/i/editedcutlass.jpg/)

This is one of the first pocket cutlasses that I made and I have been carrying it daily since I made it.

[Roger Pinnock]

I have used this "testing program" to make some very subtle changes over the last 3 or 4 years that I believe improves the usability/performance of my hunters. The hardness is a touch higher, the blades are 1/4" to 1/2" shorter. The handle has just a fraction more drop.
Just little things that add up.
Wish I was bow hunting instead of in the shop!!!!

Sounds good Mike - how about showing us one of the new hunters?

Roger

[Jerry Manuel]

Good stuff guys :) Let's read and see more . Not restricted to just deer hunting . Hogs, rabbits, coons, whatever you like to hunt, show us what you use - Jerry

[Jon Klein]

I do not hunt on land, but do scour the high seas for my prey. Unfortunately, I could not make it to Jerry's show! :( However, as a small consolation I was able to get in my first exploratory trip of the season. Glad to see the wahoo are back in town!:D

http://www.fototime.com/5D42B55702981C7/standard.jpg

Jon

[Jerry Manuel]

:eek: Well done Jon, thanks for showing - Jerry

[Allen Newberry]

Jon that looks like a good day of fishing!

[mike williams]

Roger;
You looked cold while you were dressing; undressing rather; that deer. It is mostly shirtsleeve weathwer here during deer season.
I have got a couple in the works right now. As soon as I get one of em finished I'll try to get a picture up.
As an edit to my previous post; one of the constants so far is that the damascus blades cut well; longer. At least on game. They feel as dull as the carbon steel, but still cut beyond the point that the carbon needs a touch on the steel.
But; the double blind scientific tests continue!!

M

[Roger Pinnock]

Hi Mike - yes, it was pretty frosty all right.

Looking forward to the pics. Interesting observation on the damascus versus straight carbon performance on game. It's something I've heard / read before, but can't recall the source.

Roger

[Karl B. Andersen]

Hi Mike - yes, it was pretty frosty all right.

Looking forward to the pics. Interesting observation on the damascus versus straight carbon performance on game. It's something I've heard / read before, but can't recall the source.

Roger
I thought that was old news, and generally already accepted as fact.
The European/German hunters who chase wild boar will reluctantly use anything other than Damascus for their hogs, because all the hair and mud, etc., will quickly dull a mono-steel blade, whereas the pattern welded blade of high layer count continues to "saw" through the flesh.
I have a Texas hog hunt in Feb and will do what I can to document performance of similar blades made with different steels. Should be plenty of hogs and javelina between about a dozen of us.

[Lin Rhea]

I believe that a higher layer count damascus blade, properly heat treated, will perform better on game than a mono steel. As Karl mentioned, it might just seem that way because of the micro serrated edge, but it might make enough difference to influence which one you choose over the other. That said, I have a couple of photos of a skinning job where the blade is 1084 mono steel. Lin

This Craig Mueller of Texarkana with a bull he arrowed a couple of years ago. He bragged on the way it held an edge. I was pleased.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1189/1347431749_e5b9e8a7d8_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1166/1348327082_d37df7f8fb_z.jpg

[Jerry Manuel]

What about CPM 1V ? I used a hunter last year made of this steel that performed really well . I haven't tried one of my damascus hunters so can't compare the two . Don't have a photo or the knife right now . Took it with me to Blade to show the maker how it held up after using last year . He kindly offered to take the knife home for a slight refub plus put a little engraving on the guard . The sheath along with use scratched the guard up pretty good so he suggested engraving it a little to help hide the scratches . Since he offered.... I thought why not . Anyway I haven't gotten it back yet but hoping for it to arrive anyday . The reason I mention CPM 1V is the maker told me this steel gets harder when heated up to forge and he ruined a couple of good hammers making just a few knives out of it . So I don't think he plans to make anymore . Anyone else familar with or used this steel ? Jerry

[Eli Gautreaux]

I just returned from Wyoming where we bagged 11 antelope. I'm ashamed to say that I went somewhat unprepared, and essentially had to use a fighter style blade (one from Jerry Hossom that I've been EDCing recently.). It's a CPM 154 blade, double edged, with an almost Tanto tip, not exactly an ideal skinner, lol. But I can tell you that it field dressed 5, skinned at least 6, and deboned more than that. I think Jerry's convex edge that came to me scary sharp is what allowed even a fighter design to function extremely well.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i138/xamaneli/6f8930bc.png


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i138/xamaneli/810a3400.png



A pic of the knife next to another hunter's Gerber production blade:

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i138/xamaneli/a9aef566.png



Here's a shot of a rainbow on the beautiful range we were hunting:

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i138/xamaneli/a30a7108.png


Next time I'll do better and take a real hunter :D

[Karl B. Andersen]

Nice showing, Eli.
Next time swing by and pick me up on the way!

[Roger Pinnock]

Great pics Eli.

Here is a peek at Mike Williams' latest hunter:

http://www.fototime.com/65669932530EC48/standard.jpg

Lookin' good!

From Mike: 2nd Generation Quachita Hunter. 3 3/4 inch 1084. 8 1/8 overall. Ironwood and ss fittings. Shorter, thinner, and lighter than the previous model.

Roger

[john horrigan]

A little bull I took while in New mexico. Morning of the ninth day. He had two broad heads with shafts that had broken off, that had completly healed over. The aluminium shaft was 7 to 8 inchs long embedded in his hip. The other one was mid spine. You would have never known he had ever been hit the way he was moving. Skinning knife was made out of d-2 I made 15 years ago.

John 15:13

[john horrigan]

Eli

I was so excited about figuring out how to post pics, I forgot to say congrats. Looks like you guys had lots of fun. Talking about being unprepared. I shot a good 78 inch three years ago. They tell you never leave the truck. Well I left the truck about a mile and ahalf when I finally get the shot. All my knives are back in the truck. Being the stud I am, I throw him up on my shoulder and started the long walk back. That lasted about 3/4 of a mile when I told myself that getting the guts out would really lighten him up. I looked around for a piece of flint, glass, anything and finally pulled out my spent shell casing and beat it down with a rock and sharpend it justs like the inmates do. Finally scrapped a hole in him to lighten the load. I still have my little knife in the gun safe.

John 15:13

[Eli Gautreaux]

John, now that's a great story! You're a caveman :D

Congrats on the bull too, very nice.

[john horrigan]

Eli

Thanks we had a great hunt, started out slow. The opening weekend was nuts with the holiday, mostly families camping and four wheeling. I have hunted this spot for four years, all self guided and killed four bulls. We where standing over this bull when we get another bull bulging, we called him in to with 18 yards, and he was better then the one I shot. Tim arrows this bull. We find out later in the shoulder blade and we never find him. Such is bowhunting. Looking forward to seeing you in Arkansas.

John 15:13

[Kevin Jones]

Great story John, demostrating "where there's a will, there's always a way".


Eli

I was so excited about figuring out how to post pics, I forgot to say congrats. Looks like you guys had lots of fun. Talking about being unprepared. I shot a good 78 inch three years ago. They tell you never leave the truck. Well I left the truck about a mile and ahalf when I finally get the shot. All my knives are back in the truck. Being the stud I am, I throw him up on my shoulder and started the long walk back. That lasted about 3/4 of a mile when I told myself that getting the guts out would really lighten him up. I looked around for a piece of flint, glass, anything and finally pulled out my spent shell casing and beat it down with a rock and sharpend it justs like the inmates do. Finally scrapped a hole in him to lighten the load. I still have my little knife in the gun safe.

John 15:13

[ChuckKerwin]

John: Sounds like something a "Ranger" would do;):D

[Jerry Manuel]

Great story John - Jerry