Knives

FISMA

Lads,
What are ye using in the field for knives? Are there any styles or types that you swear by or at?

I picked up this nice little set in the States last year and really liked it.

Although, I love the look of wood, in the field the grip must be rubber. Also, the blade has to be fixed. Call me paranoid, however, I never want a blade to fold on me when I am gralloching.

Do many of you use the saw for opening the pelvic area or chest? I find them very handy and make a remarkably dirty job, very clean.

Slan

BTW - I do of course always have a Leatherman in the field bag, it is just not my preferred tool.

Xplor.er

leatherman skeletool and ak47 bayonet

sfakiaman

FISMA wrote: »

Lads,
Call me paranoid, however, I never want a blade to fold on me when I am gralloching.

.

Happened to me once with a Swiss army knife :eek:. It was a terrible job getting it back off my finger. I use a Puma whitehunter and an opinel.

clivej

FISMA wrote: »

Lads,
What are ye using in the field for knives? Are there any styles or types that you swear by or at?

I picked up this nice little set in the States last year and really liked it.

Although, I love the look of wood, in the field the grip must be rubber. Also, the blade has to be fixed. Call me paranoid, however, I never want a blade to fold on me when I am gralloching.

Do many of you use the saw for opening the pelvic area or chest? I find them very handy and make a remarkably dirty job, very clean.

Slan

BTW - I do of course always have a Leatherman in the field bag, it is just not my preferred tool.

Just looking at that saw it cuts on both the in and out stroke.

What I'm looking for and I'd seen it on the British Deer Socity's DVD on groloching was a nice small pull saw that made short work of cutting through the rib cage.

My kinfes that I use are a Moria Frost for all the grolloching and I carry an Opinel locking flolder for back up - cheap at about €12 each.

I had a gut hook knife but never realy used the gut hook. Got the Gerber gut tool instead and find it so easy to use. From the chest to the pelvis in one stroke. It uses stanley replacable blades so it always sharp, comes with a belt pouch and spare blades @£;14

Tackleberrywho

clivej wrote: »

Just looking at that saw it cuts on both the in and out stroke.

I had a gut hook knife but never realy used the gut hook. Got the Gerber gut tool instead and find it so easy to use. From the chest to the pelvis in one stroke. It uses stanley replacable blades so it always sharp, comes with a belt pouch and spare blades @£;14

I have a gutting skinning knife, and a bowie style knife

However the gut hook dulls relatively easy and is a bitch to sharpen.

I might invest in a gerber.

I'll have my leatherman MUT soon I hope, was shipped last Tuesday, that has a knife and saw-blade which could be useful in the deer processing if I forgot one of the other knives.

I have a lockable blade Victorinox Swiss that has had to Gralloch many a deer as I forgot the knife

sikastag

Bushwear do a handy little saw for about £7-8 I think. Handy little thing for opening chest area of very big animals. Has a blunted/rounded end at tip so as not to damage internals or get caught in it

Use a 4" fixed blade for gralloch and normally open chest area with knife aswell unless a big animal.

Buck Vanguard for skining. Not a fan of guthook.

cavan shooter

I have and use an Opinel, I have a Skeletool and a martini with rubber handle.

Most rabbit and bird work is done with a standard filleting knife at home the rabbit paunched in the field.

Glensman

I generally leave the Rib-cage in-tact until home.

One of the main reasons for this is I carry an Opinel that would never cut through. It does lock though, keeps a good edge and they're about £6 or so

cavan shooter

I am on the look put for a nice fixed blade for rabbits, I am finding that many of the knives I look at are too bulky hence the use of a filleting knife or the opinel. The knife in the top of the picture looks ideal. Thin sharp blade not too long if anyone has any ideas?:)

Tackleberrywho

cavan shooter wrote: »

I am on the look put for a nice fixed blade for rabbits, I am finding that many of the knives I look at are too bulky hence the use of a filleting knife or the opinel. The knife in the top of the picture looks ideal. Thin sharp blade not too long if anyone has any ideas?:)

In my experience you'd skin a rabbit with a stanley blade if you were stuck.
Knick the bunny on the shin an pull skin off like a jumper.

I've skinned many rabbits with my Swiss Army knife, fixed blade.

dicky82

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

In my experience you'd skin a rabbit with a stanley blade if you were stuck.
Knick the bunny on the shin an pull skin off like a jumper.

I've skinned many rabbits with my Swiss Army knife, fixed blade.

is it just me or was that a scrawny looking rabbit? i use a small 'kitchen devil' which i liberated from the top drawer in my mothers kitchen:D

daithi55

i use a buck foldable knive to grolach them
http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=product.detail&productID=3044

this to skin them and for boning
http://www.chefsresource.com/6-boning-knife-forschner-fibrox-cutlery.html

and one of these for removing the legs and splitting the chest etc
http://cgi.ebay.ie/PROFESSIONAL-25-STAINLESS-STEEL-BUTCHER-MEAT-SAW-/310183734560?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4838642d20

everypenny

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

In my experience you'd skin a rabbit with a stanley blade if you were stuck.
Knick the bunny on the shin an pull skin off like a jumper.

I've skinned many rabbits with my Swiss Army knife, fixed blade.

No need. Take off the four feet with an axe. Nick the fur on the stomach (usual rule to watch for intestines) and tear around his waist. This leaves his fur in two halves.
Pull his pants off, pull his jumper up over his head and then take the head off with the axe.

Leaves you a good decoy as well for fox.

Gut as usual.

kildare.17hmr

This is the way i do it, i just use the opinel knife tho. its the cleanest way iv used and after doin it 4/5 times its now done very quick. opinel is yer only man, lock an all for €8!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCCzrxX3IZU

tfox

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

In my experience you'd skin a rabbit with a stanley blade if you were stuck.
Knick the bunny on the shin an pull skin off like a jumper.

I've skinned many rabbits with my Swiss Army knife, fixed blade.

I saw a member of a certain ethnic minority skin a rabbit just using his quite large fingernail !!:eek:

I have a small Muela knife, has a gut hook but never use it, must get on of those Gerber ones. Have a folding Schrade knife as back up, leatherman too. In the wagon I keep an Outdoor Edge butcher set inc bone saw and spreaders and a larger Muela knife for legs, head, bone work etc.

ssl

cavan shooter wrote: »

I am on the look put for a nice fixed blade for rabbits, I am finding that many of the knives I look at are too bulky hence the use of a filleting knife or the opinel. The knife in the top of the picture looks ideal. Thin sharp blade not too long if anyone has any ideas?:)

I use this knife for bunnies. It's excellent!

[URL="[IMG]http://www.surplusandadventure.com/images/product/main/g_knife_jack_pyke_skinning.jpg[/IMG]"]http://www.surplusandadventure.com/images/product/main/g_knife_jack_pyke_skinning.jpg[/URL]

http://www.surplusandadventure.com/shop/camping-outdoor/jack-pyke/knives/jack-pyke-skinning-knife-300871.html




As for skinning and gutting, I whip the skin off using the method shown in the first video. Then I lie the rabbit on his stomach and fillet the rabbit *by taking the meat off his back and off his hind legs. No need to open the stomack. The carcass and fur are left to lure in vermin. The meat is great in a curry or minced with venison..

clivej

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOj_UrHl4y8

ronn

I bought a winchester knife on e bay for e8, has a bit of a saw on it and havent had to sharpen it since i got it,,,only use it for small game,

kay 9

I use a Sog Twitch II for most of my field, hunting and farm work and find it a great little tool. Most important is it takes an amazing sharpening. I could shave with it:D

thekevin4540

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

In my experience you'd skin a rabbit with a stanley blade if you were stuck.
Knick the bunny on the shin an pull skin off like a jumper.

I've skinned many rabbits with my Swiss Army knife, fixed blade.

he is fast at skinning

Tackleberrywho

thekevin4540 wrote: »

he is fast at skinning

My old Gran god rest her could skin rabbits and pluck birds at a phenomenal rate.

Once you develop a knack you will perfect and master it.

Takes me around a minute to kin a rabbit, maybe a minute and a half. However i have seen it done in 30 seconds or so.
I've seen a deer I shot, skinned and cleaned out in ~15-20 mins by a mate of mine without nicking the rump or pelt with the knife.