A good knife

noeleire

hi lads i am looking for a bit of advice on getting a good knife i always have a good look at the knifes when ever i go in to a hunting shop most of the knifes look good but are crap i say the first time you use them the edge will be gone ,I would be looking for a fixed blade over 5 inches with a good leather sheath (bowie style) . I hear some people recommend getting a hand made knife would be best any thoughts on this will be more than welcome,, thanks

cookimonster

There's bound to be some knife expert that will come along soon but here's my thoughts....
One of the things you pay for in a good knife is the finish of the edge... a professional finish, most knives are massed produced and production line honed. So a cheaper knife with reasonable steel will take and hold a good edge if it is first properly done so.

Secoundly I don't agree to what has been said on other treads about once sharpend that's it. A knife edge must be maintained regularly, during and after use.

Thirdly yes give me a sharp pocket knife and i can dissect a whole deer, but if you want specific cuts and joints then you will require different tools with verious edges.
In the past I was one for gadgets but now I tend to carry job specific blades with a pocket knife for utility work. Out fishing I have a thin long blade, for rabbits a short drop pointed 3 inched fixed and for deer a wide heavy 6 inch knive along side a folding saw.

The best of knives become lumps of metal if their edges are not maintained and always be wary of lending them out or you will turn around and find your buddies trying to remove a set of antlers with custom beauty.

noeleire

cookimonster wrote: »

There's bound to be some knife expert that will come along soon but here's my thoughts....
One of the things you pay for in a good knife is the finish of the edge... a professional finish most knives are massed produced and production line honed. So a cheaper knife with reasonable steel will take and hold a good edge if it is first properly done so.

Secoundly I don't agree to what has been said on other treads about once sharpend that's it. A knife edge must be maintained regularly, during and after use.

Thirdly yes give me a sharp pocket knife and i can dissect a whole deer, but if you want specific cuts and joints then you will require different tools with verious edges.
In the past I was one for gadgets but now I tend to carry job specific blades with a pocket knife for utility work. Out fishing I have a thin long blade, for rabbits a short drop pointed 3 inched fixed and deer a wide heavy 6 inch knive along side a folding saw.

The best of knives become lumps of metal if their edges are not maintained and always be wary of lending them out or you will turn around and find your buddies trying to remove a set of antlers with custom beauty.

thanks for the advice i have a good swiss army knife its a great all round knife that keeps a great edge but would like a fixed blade i am a butcher so i know how to maintain a good edge but if the steel in the knife is not good quality it will break your heart trying to keep it sharp so i am looking for one with good steel in it

TriggerPL

Honestly lad go into your local butcher and ask him to order you a vitroknox knife , I've a wooden handle one 6 years now and the I'd rub of a steel along with the occasional rub if stone and it never let's me down

dev110

What is the best grade of steel to keep a good edge?

dodderangler

Go into shops and ask to see their Bowie range
Great knives

garv123

Davy moore and John reck both post on here and both make knives if you were interested in going down that route. Some top quality irish made knives.
J Reck


Davy Moore "wolfhound"

owelfisherman

TriggerPL wrote: »

Honestly lad go into your local butcher and ask him to order you a vitroknox knife , I've a wooden handle one 6 years now and the I'd rub of a steel along with the occasional rub if stone and it never let's me down

What about buck knives?any good?

TriggerPL

owelfisherman wrote: »

TriggerPL wrote: »

Honestly lad go into your local butcher and ask him to order you a vitroknox knife , I've a wooden handle one 6 years now and the I'd rub of a steel along with the occasional rub if stone and it never let's me down

What about buck knives?any good?

Don't know much about them lad I sharpened one for a mate that was like a bar and it came up well , I posted up a video a while back . And he said it keeping edge well .

greengrasscork

Myself and my father have been using Buck Knives over the last 15 years and are very happy with them opened and skinned many many deer

remi243

Hi Noel plenty of good advise there but I was in a similar situation at the start if the season and after a bit of research and a knife that suited my budget was the helle futura.and I have to say it is beautiful to look at and is razor sharp, after a few deer this year it's still shaving hair, I'll just strop it to keep the edge when needed,and with a linseed oil finish to the Handel it's easy to maintain , smells great too:-) worth a look lads!

cookimonster

The older knives I have for work (30 yrs plus) take and hold the edges very well. Carbon steel is a better option than the overly hard stainless steel or some of the military combat knives.
The older butcher or chefs knives are great, you can re-work the shape to suit your overall need and make a basic sheath to take them into the field.
What do you want out of your knife, the age old discussion of 'if you had only one choice......' only counts if your heading out into the wilderness for long periods. But i would say most of us here field dress our game and then butcher in the comfort of our own home where we may have all the tools and gadgets we want.
So something sharp and ugly will do............

noeleire

cookimonster wrote: »

The older knives I have for work (30 yrs plus) take and hold the edges very well. Carbon steel is a better option than the overly hard stainless steel or some of the military combat knives.
The older butcher or chefs knives are great, you can re-work the shape to suit your overall need and make a basic sheath to take them into the field.
What do you want out of your knife, the age old discussion of 'if you had only one choice......' only counts if your heading out into the wilderness for long periods. But i would say most of us here field dress our game and then butcher in the comfort of our own home where we may have all the tools and gadgets we want.
So something sharp and ugly will do............

i have to say that the old knifes were the best but there is a good few german brands of butcher knifes on the market now ,, but the knife i suppose i am looking for is the post garv123 has put up the one that john reck has made a lovely looking knife

Lullymore24

noel bailey wrote: »

hi lads i am looking for a bit of advice on getting a good knife i always have a good look at the knifes when ever i go in to a hunting shop most of the knifes look good but are crap i say the first time you use them the edge will be gone ,I would be looking for a fixed blade over 5 inches with a good leather sheath (bowie style) . I hear some people recommend getting a hand made knife would be best any thoughts on this will be more than welcome,, thanks

If you want a Quality knife for Hunting at an affordable price with Quality Steel and an excellent Edge that is easy Sharpen
http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/mora-860840-clipper-companion-knife---choice-of-steels--colours-2161-p.asp

If you want Leather Sheath 5" Blade that Holds an Edge (But also a price Tag) look here for more selection
http://www.heinnie.com/Knives/c-1-92/

What do you want to use the knife for?

650gs

Im a bit of a collector when it comes to knifes really love them all sorts, I always seem to buy one when away but the one knife I have used since I started hunting some 30 years ago Is a Buck knife I paid 30 pounds for it then I think there about 60 euro now, mine is as good as the day I bought it and wouldnt use anything else.http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=product.detail&productid=3064

Constab2

I use the Cold Steel Tanto & Gerber Gut Hook excellent in their own right,a lot would not agree about the Tanto (over hyped,priced etc) but I do find it brilliant ,goes through deer hide & flesh like butter.Keep a Gerber Machete in hunting box in boot when out for limbs works well for me.Tried a good few makes these work well for me & shooting buddy.

It wasn't me!

I'm thinking of printing this off and leaving it around the house as a subtle Christmas present suggestion for the family.

Helle GT

Rosahane

It wasn't me! wrote: »

I'm thinking of printing this off and leaving it around the house as a subtle Christmas present suggestion for the family.

Helle GT

I have a good few knives but the best price / performance make for a hunting knife has to be Helle.

If you have lots of money go for for Fallkiven and if you are seriously wealthy get a Rockstead

It wasn't me!

Rosahane wrote: »

I have a good few knives but the best price / performance make for a hunting knife has to be Helle.

If you have lots of money go for for Fallkiven and if you are seriously wealthy get a Rockstead

I've been looking at reviews alright and it seems to be excellent for a general hunting and work knife. It's not a makeshift hatchet with its stick tang but according to a lot of the reviews it's considerably stronger than you might expect for the design. And it's beautiful, too. Life's too short for ugly gear!

Rosahane

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Rosahane wrote: »

I have a good few knives but the best price / performance make for a hunting knife has to be Helle.

If you have lots of money go for for Fallkiven and if you are seriously wealthy get a Rockstead

I've been looking at reviews alright and it seems to be excellent for a general hunting and work knife. It's not a makeshift hatchet with its stick tang but according to a lot of the reviews it's considerably stronger than you might expect for the design. And it's beautiful, too. Life's too short for ugly gear!

I suspect Scandinavian knives are designed to perform on massively sub zero temperatures so any exposed metal in the grip is a bad idea if you want to keep the skin on your hands.

FISMA

noel bailey wrote: »

hi lads i am looking for a bit of advice on getting a good knife...

Noel,
What do you want the knife for: general purposes or something more specific?

In general, I always recommend that a hunting/butchering/gralloching knife NOT fold and have a rubber grip. I love the look of wood, but it is just to slippy.

Over the years I have amassed a collection of knives that rivals the shirts in my closet. Just as I tend to only wear one or two shirts repeatedly, I now only use one knife and it is not expensive.

I would recommend a curved 6" boning knife. Below is the one I have (581683391) $11.06.

Finally, get yourself a good sharpener and sharpen the knife before it becomes dull.

Whenever I am butchering, I sharpen the knife, many, many times. You should definitely not butcher an entire deer without having sharpened the knife many times.

Robotack

Just wondering why people use the likes of bowie knives? I find a small little 3.5 or 4 inch blade just the job for hunting applications and a bowie IMO is just awkward.

Deerspotter

owelfisherman wrote: »

What about buck knives?any good?

Buck knives are great. Hard wearing and well made. I have two and of all the many knives I have, they are the two I use the most. (Not including the Leatherman!)

daithi55

have a buck folding blade knife cant recommend it enough

4200fps

TriggerPL wrote: »

Honestly lad go into your local butcher and ask him to order you a vitroknox knife , I've a wooden handle one 6 years now and the I'd rub of a steel along with the occasional rub if stone and it never let's me down

As you say vitroknox is a serious proper knife that holds and edge and easy to sharpen. Cheap and very effective

clivej

Take a look at the Mora Frost range of good cheap knifes, the 'Clipper' is what I use all the time for groloching and skinning deer. Start at around €15

Also the folding Opinel do a good range and handy to keep in the pocket. Start at around €9

Both will keep a good edge and if lost in the field you won't be crying over the cost.

I have one of Davy Moore's 'Wolfhound' knifes, great workmanship and well balanced but I'd be afraid to loose it out hunting.

Hibrion

Will this be for stalking, or a general hunting knife? Also, what's your budget?

I have a damascus Davy Moore 'Sealgaire' I carry with me for all my hunting needs, despite it costing several hundred euro, and I'm happy with that. http://www.eiromedia.com/project/sealgaire-d.jpg
I also carry a buck 110 folder as a back up knife, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend that either. http://www.heinnie.com/product.asp?P_ID=2401


However, when it comes to actually butchering the animal at home, I use my old butchering knives: an FDick 6 inch boning knife and a 12 inch steak knife. You will get away with just the boning knife and any good butcher will order you one of these.

When it comes to a field knife, I suggest you re-consider wanting something over 5 inches long and in a bowie style, and go for a knife with some type of stainless steel, a drop point style knife, about a 4 inch blade and a flat or convex grind rather than a scandi grind.

You'll find really great custom knives in the classifieds section of Bristish blades http://www.britishblades.com/forums/search.php?do=getdaily&contenttype=vBForum_Post&include=27,35,59,76,84,85

and you might also want to have a look at this site, which I would recommend: http://www.heinnie.com/

Take your time and buy right the first time and you'll have a knife for life and save yourself money and hardship in the long run.

bunnystalker

John Reck makes a very good knife, so much so ive just got another one.

declan1980

bunnystalker wrote: »

John Reck makes a very good knife, so much so ive just got another one.

I agree with that 100%. A few months ago I had the chance to compare a John reck knife and a Davy Moore knife side by side, and I'd pick the John reck knife any day of the week. The craftsmanship was beautiful, and the edge was unbelievable. I ran it down the back of my arm to check the edge, and it shaved my arm as close as a gillette fusion razor blade would. The lad that owned it said he'd gralloched a few deer, and cut the tails off foxes with it and had never sharpened it since he got it.

rowa

I got a present of a taylor eye witness hunting knife about 20 years ago , it wasn't new but had never been used, fantastic steel in it. Shrade knives used to be made in kerry , are they still in business ?

lb1981

John Reck all the way Noel i have one his knives , unbelievable work, i have used both his and Moores , no comparison john reck by a mile, check back on my posts i done a review on it a while back, sound bloke too..he wont rob you either, Moby30 has two reck knives and a moore one so i have used a few of them and i would defo go with the reck knife that second one moby got is something else.


http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056624696

Al391

I use a leatherman Nehalem folder with rubberised grip.
I find it very good. Safe to carry because its a folder but easy to open with one hand even with slippy hands. The gut hook is great for unzipping carcasses. You could lift a manhole cover with the blade it's so strong and it keeps a good edge. It wouldn't shave you but it does what it's supposed to.

http://www.leatherman.com/product/Nehalem

noeleire

lb1981 wrote: »

John Reck all the way Noel i have one his knives , unbelievable work, i have used both his and Moores , no comparison john reck by a mile, check back on my posts i done a review on it a while back, sound bloke too..he wont rob you either, Moby30 has two reck knives and a moore one so i have used a few of them and i would defo go with the reck knife that second one moby got is something else.


http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056624696

Hi id1981 just had a look at the post and the John reck knife looks fantastic just what I am looking the blade looks of great quality and the workmanship in the rest of the knife is beautiful will have to see Moby30 knifes the next time I am up with him but by the looks of the photos in the post I think John will be getting a phone call ,, Thanks

lb1981

noel bailey wrote: »

Hi id1981 just had a look at the post and the John reck knife looks fantastic just what I am looking the blade looks of great quality and the workmanship in the rest of the knife is beautiful will have to see Moby30 knifes the next time I am up with him but by the looks of the photos in the post I think John will be getting a phone call ,, Thanks

The photos don't even do the knife justice Noel...i promise you wont be disappointed with it

johnreck

eeehhhh thanks for all the really nice comments you guys have made.
kinda delighted and humbled by them.
well at the moment i am working on ,well just sorta finishing up on
some knives that will be my sample knife collection. right now i dont even own a single knife i have made.
i had disappointed some folks and put alot of pressure on myself by taking orders on knives early this year.
so my plan is to let folks know what sort of knives i am making and then offer them as i have them available.
as i work full time and then some the whole knife making craft is my zen thing sorta what i do to chill out loose myself and reflect.
well next to my archery which is my total obsession.
and it is the occasional knife sale that funds my archery.
again thanks to those who have made such complimentary comments about what is really just a hobby for me.

johnreck

dev110 wrote: »

What is the best grade of steel to keep a good edge?

lots god steel out there.
right now i am loving D2 as it has a good carbon content, has some good corrosion resistance dosent stain up or patina to badly but does require maintenance.
holds a great edge and is easy to strop or stone.
all round i think it is one of the best general purpose knife steels.
alot of folks go on about Ao tool steels and vg 10s
but honestly a good quality D2 is bloody brilliant.

johnreck

just got a couple of PMs to post up some pics of my knives.
as i said im just finishing up working on a sample collection and will post them up when i have them finished
for now hear is one that i made as a gift for a friend in the states who i owed a favor to.
i dont normally do mirror polished blades as they are a bugger to get right but he really likes his bling so i thought i would surprise him.
was kinda pleased how it turned out.
i tend to stick to my own design and just keep trying to make them better each time.
cant see it in the picture but the file work extends all the way around the handle.
steel is D2 polished to within an inch of my life
liners are solid brass, handle is aged walnut that has been oiled and waxed
the bolster is birds eye damascus that has been deeply etched to give it a bit more texture.

cruisedub1

owelfisherman wrote: »

What about buck knives?any good?

Yes , Buck knives are a good off the shelf option , have one myself . Also use a custom made knife by K. Ward of Hard Edge Knives in Windsor ,Sonoma County knives.jpg

Back up's are a knife by Mora of Sweden and a folder LB7 made by Schrade .