big rifle man
Handloader
- Dec 21, 2005
- 850
- 0
Fotis, I spent a little extra money and purchased a Randall with a 4 inch blade. They have a lot of models and excellent steel.
Knives????????????
- Thread starter FOTIS
- Start date
HOGWILD338-378
Handloader
- Aug 22, 2012
- 1,219
- 0
:shock: can a guy get a loan! I have an issue with BUCK's :mrgreen:
6mm Remington
Ammo Smith
- Feb 27, 2006
- 5,239
- 518
Fotis we just bought a guy at work a Benchmade mini-barrage with the BK1 coated blade and axis assist. The blade is 2.91 inches long and this thing is the perfect shape for dressing, caping, gutting, and is the perfect size for a pocket knife. It also has a device which opens the blade very quickly. Man I love this thing.
http://www.benchmade.com/products/585
Now if you want a fixed blade, I have fallen in love with this knife too. It is the Benchmade Saddle Mountain Skinner. The blade is 4.17 inches long and is just a perfect shape and style. It is stout and yet doesn't weigh a ton. Man is it one heck of a knife.
http://www.benchmade.com/products/15001
So this is what I would do if I have your money!! :lol:
Buy the mini-barrage for every day carry and the Saddle Mountain Skinner for the designated hunting only knife. Carrying the barrage every day will give you that sharp back-up knife should you need it on a hunt without having to put another one in your pack. Glad I can be of so much assistance sir!!
http://www.benchmade.com/products/585
Now if you want a fixed blade, I have fallen in love with this knife too. It is the Benchmade Saddle Mountain Skinner. The blade is 4.17 inches long and is just a perfect shape and style. It is stout and yet doesn't weigh a ton. Man is it one heck of a knife.
http://www.benchmade.com/products/15001
So this is what I would do if I have your money!! :lol:
Buy the mini-barrage for every day carry and the Saddle Mountain Skinner for the designated hunting only knife. Carrying the barrage every day will give you that sharp back-up knife should you need it on a hunt without having to put another one in your pack. Glad I can be of so much assistance sir!! 
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,279
- 5,871
That fixed blade is quite a handsome knife, David. I could see that it would be handy for a hunting blade.
Ok, so it is an old thread. I have the Havalon Piranta as well as the Baracuta. They now have saw blades to fit the Baracuta! Makes short work of the pelvis or legs. Been using these knives for 5 seasons. Never an issue! The blades are scary sharp and stay that way for a lot longer than you would suspect. As a side note, there are actual scalpel blades available for the Piranta that are pure perfection for caping and detail work.
I buy to many knives trying things out.
I like the Barracuda best of the Havalons for general use. I bought the Shockey model with a 3" regular blade and the Piranta blade holder on the other end. It's handle is to bulky and I like a longer blade. I bought the Havalon with the Barracuda blade holder on one end and the Piranta blade holder on the other. It's handle is really long and seems to unhandy for me. I like a longer, stronger blade than the Piranta for dressing game, but it's the best thing I've found for caping. I've kinda went away from the Havalons except for caping but they do work.
The Outdoor edge replaceable blade knife is stouter than the Havalon. My first impressions weren't great on it either but it's growing on me. I used it for the first time this fall on a couple muleys. I have been cutting net wrap off round bales with it this winter. I'm now cutting 30-40 bales per week and I have had the same blade in for 4 weeks. I touch it on a steel once a week for 5 swipes/side and it is shaving sharp again so far. For everything but caping out the face I prefer it to the Havalons now.
I like having a fixed blade with me. I like knowing I have a stout blade that I can get a little rough with. I seem to shoot a lot of my critters when conditions tend to hurry me a little too. I also carry a fixed blade full time on the ranch so it feels weird if one isn't hanging on my belt. My current favorites for game processing are by Battle Horse Knives. I like the O1 carbon steel because I've learned how to get and maintain a good edge. Their Blackwater knife is a nice light 3.5" knife that fits my hand great and works really well. The other one shouldn't work as well as it does, it's to big, but it's a 5.5" blade similar to the current Scout Platoon. The long slicing edge peels a lot of hide off with one stroke skinning. It handles like a smaller knife to me, I don't normally like one that big but I like this one a lot. I wouldn't pack it up a mountain after elk or muleys, probably take the Blackwater and a Havalon Piranta with a couple blades just due to weight. If I'm with someone else on the mountain that will have a knife I'll only take the Blackwater or Outdoor Edge depending on what they are carrying. I think I'll take the Outdoor edge and big Battlehorse to Alaska for moose.
I like knives as you can probably tell.
I carry a 2.5oz ceramic steel I bought from Cabelas now whenever I take one of the fixed blades. It doesn't weigh much and keeps everyones knives touched up as we process a critter if there are several of us.
I have a ceramic steel from Cabelas that
I like the Barracuda best of the Havalons for general use. I bought the Shockey model with a 3" regular blade and the Piranta blade holder on the other end. It's handle is to bulky and I like a longer blade. I bought the Havalon with the Barracuda blade holder on one end and the Piranta blade holder on the other. It's handle is really long and seems to unhandy for me. I like a longer, stronger blade than the Piranta for dressing game, but it's the best thing I've found for caping. I've kinda went away from the Havalons except for caping but they do work.
The Outdoor edge replaceable blade knife is stouter than the Havalon. My first impressions weren't great on it either but it's growing on me. I used it for the first time this fall on a couple muleys. I have been cutting net wrap off round bales with it this winter. I'm now cutting 30-40 bales per week and I have had the same blade in for 4 weeks. I touch it on a steel once a week for 5 swipes/side and it is shaving sharp again so far. For everything but caping out the face I prefer it to the Havalons now.
I like having a fixed blade with me. I like knowing I have a stout blade that I can get a little rough with. I seem to shoot a lot of my critters when conditions tend to hurry me a little too. I also carry a fixed blade full time on the ranch so it feels weird if one isn't hanging on my belt. My current favorites for game processing are by Battle Horse Knives. I like the O1 carbon steel because I've learned how to get and maintain a good edge. Their Blackwater knife is a nice light 3.5" knife that fits my hand great and works really well. The other one shouldn't work as well as it does, it's to big, but it's a 5.5" blade similar to the current Scout Platoon. The long slicing edge peels a lot of hide off with one stroke skinning. It handles like a smaller knife to me, I don't normally like one that big but I like this one a lot. I wouldn't pack it up a mountain after elk or muleys, probably take the Blackwater and a Havalon Piranta with a couple blades just due to weight. If I'm with someone else on the mountain that will have a knife I'll only take the Blackwater or Outdoor Edge depending on what they are carrying. I think I'll take the Outdoor edge and big Battlehorse to Alaska for moose.
I like knives as you can probably tell.
I carry a 2.5oz ceramic steel I bought from Cabelas now whenever I take one of the fixed blades. It doesn't weigh much and keeps everyones knives touched up as we process a critter if there are several of us.
I have a ceramic steel from Cabelas that
35 Whelen
Handloader
- Dec 22, 2011
- 2,237
- 510
Not really a knife guy but have kept a couple,
My grandfather's little Case XX from the 1920's, that
He had on him when he went thru the ice and drown.....
And my old Randall #20, the " Yukon Skinner" that they made for me, with an Elk antler handle. It has skunout literally hundreds of bear & moose, since the 1970's........ It was designed by my old Boss in Alaska, Ward Gay .
Here they are:
My grandfather's little Case XX from the 1920's, that
He had on him when he went thru the ice and drown.....
And my old Randall #20, the " Yukon Skinner" that they made for me, with an Elk antler handle. It has skunout literally hundreds of bear & moose, since the 1970's........ It was designed by my old Boss in Alaska, Ward Gay .
Here they are:
1100 Remington Man
Handloader
- May 1, 2007
- 1,164
- 323
hunter24605
Handloader
- Apr 30, 2016
- 2,512
- 4,097
I have several, but for whitetail, rabbits, etc. I have taken to exclusively using the Havalon and Outdoor Edge replaceable blade knives..But my absolute favorite knife is my Buck 110 that my dad gave me back in 1980. I can't count the deer and small game that thing has been in.
ElmerThud
Handloader
- Jul 16, 2011
- 809
- 119
There are some wonderfully useful and well designed knives out there, many designed with specific uses in mind.
My personal preference over the last twenty odd years is the Scandinavian 'Puukko' easy peasy to keep with razor sharpness & a doddle in use.
My personal preference over the last twenty odd years is the Scandinavian 'Puukko' easy peasy to keep with razor sharpness & a doddle in use.
Fourtyonesix
Beginner
- Feb 19, 2016
- 51
- 0
Havalon for everything! If you can't field dress a moose with one your not using it properly. I carry a fixed blade just in case but it's only cut bagels in the last three years and a couple dozen alaska animals later.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Fourtyonesix":2nrhpu0l said:
^^^^^+1^^^^^
Once you figure out how to use a Havalon it's the fastest thing out there. I went through this year's moose on a single blade and likely could have done another caribou... I haven't used anything else in several years.
In fairness, I like the new Gerber Vital folding handle better than the old Havalon handle, but I understand Havalon has a new handle very similar.
For years I used a pair of Buck Vanguards with the rubberized handles. Worked vey well. Used a small Outdoor Edge saw that fit in the daypack for the sternum. The pelvis, I cut out using the saw blade on my Leatherman Supertool. I did use the Leatherman to completely field dress a moose, elk and two deer one fall, just to see how well it would perform. Did just fine!
I wasn't sure if the Swingblade when it first came out, as I found most gut hooks to be mostly useless. But we had 5 white tails (3 does and two small bucks for the group of four; the 76 year old hunter had never shot an animal before and got his doe and buck within 20 minutes of each other) to field dress one evening, and the Swingblade made short work of the five deer. I have been using two since!
I got the small Havalon for caping and turning lips and ears. Haven't caped an animal for mounting in the 6 years since getting it though.
I wasn't sure if the Swingblade when it first came out, as I found most gut hooks to be mostly useless. But we had 5 white tails (3 does and two small bucks for the group of four; the 76 year old hunter had never shot an animal before and got his doe and buck within 20 minutes of each other) to field dress one evening, and the Swingblade made short work of the five deer. I have been using two since!
I got the small Havalon for caping and turning lips and ears. Haven't caped an animal for mounting in the 6 years since getting it though.
I keep a Leatherman Wingman in my backpack all the time. I have a Cold Steel tanto blade as an EDC that gets used constantly.
For hunting my son has a Cold Steel Master Hunter I got used on the 'fire that is a crazy quality blade, takes & holds an edge beautifully, but is a bit utilitarian on the aestetic side for me so I have a Jason Winston. Those blades don't come out of our packs until the animal is on the ground.
I've used disposable blade Wyoming knives that are pretty awesome. Have a Cutting Edge (?) with disposable blades I got from Eastman's I need to try out this fall when butchering pronghorn in Wyoming.
For hunting my son has a Cold Steel Master Hunter I got used on the 'fire that is a crazy quality blade, takes & holds an edge beautifully, but is a bit utilitarian on the aestetic side for me so I have a Jason Winston. Those blades don't come out of our packs until the animal is on the ground.
I've used disposable blade Wyoming knives that are pretty awesome. Have a Cutting Edge (?) with disposable blades I got from Eastman's I need to try out this fall when butchering pronghorn in Wyoming.
6mm Remington
Ammo Smith
- Feb 27, 2006
- 5,239
- 518
This thing keeps on living but I guess you all could say we like our knives here. They are an every day tool that I imagine most of us have on us every day all day! The Buck Vanguard is another knife I really like. I would get one with the wood handle just because it's so gorgeous. The guys at work got me a custom Ruana with a 4" blade, some really pretty ironwood handles, some gorgeous file work on it, and engraved. I cannot wait to use it this fall! I'll have to get some pictures and post them up.
This thread made me think of a knife I hadn't seen in years I had, an old Gerber Bolt Action blade exchanger like the one 1100 Remington Man has pictured. Not sure if his is the model that's blades can be swapped or not, but mine looks like the one in his picture.
I dug it out and sharpened it up. After some Ebay and forum WTB searching I got another one so I have more blades. I think I'll pack it this fall to lighten up my load a bit. I can pack the knife with the utility blade in it for camp and other use and have the gut hook and hunter blade in the sheath for when I take an animal. I can swap blades out like a Havalon or Outdoor Edge if one gets dull and just re-sharpen them back at camp or home. 3 old USA made Gerber blades should be more than enough to handle any critter. It weighs a couple ounces more than my Outdoor Edge and spare blades with it's belt sheath. It's sturdier though and it's really easy and safe to swap blades. I think it will work just fine and let me pack just one knife, something I've had trouble convincing myself to do in the past.
I dug it out and sharpened it up. After some Ebay and forum WTB searching I got another one so I have more blades. I think I'll pack it this fall to lighten up my load a bit. I can pack the knife with the utility blade in it for camp and other use and have the gut hook and hunter blade in the sheath for when I take an animal. I can swap blades out like a Havalon or Outdoor Edge if one gets dull and just re-sharpen them back at camp or home. 3 old USA made Gerber blades should be more than enough to handle any critter. It weighs a couple ounces more than my Outdoor Edge and spare blades with it's belt sheath. It's sturdier though and it's really easy and safe to swap blades. I think it will work just fine and let me pack just one knife, something I've had trouble convincing myself to do in the past.
