Let's See Those Deer Hunting Knives

[Wifeshusband]

All American Line-up: Left to Right
Schrade Uncle Henry (known as the "Golden Spike") 30+ years old. Schrade closed its doors in America after exactly 100 years in 2004 and was bought and moved to China. What you see today in Cabela's is the Chinese Golden Spike. Stainless was not added until after 1995. The Golden Spike was first made when I graduated from HS in 1973 and listed for $30 in their catalog. It has a 5" blade and stone in the sheath. A real workhorse.

MIddle: Bear & Sons skinner. This is a family owned company in Jacksonsville, AL. They make their knives from American material. It is stainless steel and holds a very sharp edge, what some folks call a "medical" or "surgery" edge. It has a 3 and 1/2 " blade.

Custom made antler handled knife with a 4 and 1/2 " blade I purchased from a gentleman at one of the old Atlanta Buck o' Rama's around the turn of the century. He was a very skilled artisan. (I wish I knew his name). I have field dressed many a deer with it; but it is retired, as I do not want to take a chance on losing it.

* Many years ago some writer in one of the hunting rags said you should use a drop point bladed knife for field dressing. I have never owned a drop pointed knife in my life. I prefer an upswept blade for everything, but you have to be careful when you unzip a deer with an upswept or "clip point" knife not to puncture things (like the bladder). There is a You-tube hunter showing folks how to field dress a deer and he proceeds to do just that.

If anyone has a George Herron made knife I would like to see it. George was a Georgia boy who moved to SC and made a national reputation as a custom knife maker. Blade named him the greatest custom knife maker of all time. When he was alive he sold his knives for $150 to $300. Now they go anywhere from $500 to over a $1,000. They are a beautiful combination of function and simplicity.

 

[NWS]

Nice knives!
I have “gone retro” on my deer woods knives. Been using these vintage Brownings now for a long time. A Browning Folder & a Browning Fixed Blade. Sometimes I can’t figure out which one I love the best. They are both nice, Plus they remind me of the happy memories I had with my Dad hunting & fishing.

 

[frankwright]

I dressed my first 20 mdeer or so with a Big Schrade Lockback knife. Still one of my sharpest knives. I had an Uncle Henry Golden Spike I used for years and gave to my Stepson.
I have lately been using a custom from Dan Masson (Oconee Dan) for years and recently bought a nice little custom from Hank Hammond at Double Knives but have not bloodied it yet!

 

[WishboneW]

View attachment 1087395
All American Line-up: Left to Right
Schrade Uncle Henry (known as the "Golden Spike") 30+ years old. Schrade closed its doors in America after exactly 100 years in 2004 and was bought and moved to China. What you see today in Cabela's is the Chinese Golden Spike. Stainless was not added until after 1995. The Golden Spike was first made when I graduated from HS in 1973 and listed for $30 in their catalog. It has a 5" blade and stone in the sheath. A real workhorse.

MIddle: Bear & Sons skinner. This is a family owned company in Jacksonsville, AL. They make their knives from American material. It is stainless steel and holds a very sharp edge, what some folks call a "medical" or "surgery" edge. It has a 3 and 1/2 " blade.

Custom made antler handled knife with a 4 and 1/2 " blade I purchased from a gentleman at one of the old Atlanta Buck o' Rama's around the turn of the century. He was a very skilled artisan. (I wish I knew his name). I have field dressed many a deer with it; but it is retired, as I do not want to take a chance on losing it.

* Many years ago some writer in one of the hunting rags said you should use a drop point bladed knife for field dressing. I have never owned a drop pointed knife in my life. I prefer an upswept blade for everything, but you have to be careful when you unzip a deer with an upswept or "clip point" knife not to puncture things (like the bladder). There is a You-tube hunter showing folks how to field dress a deer and he proceeds to do just that.
View attachment 1087397
If anyone has a George Herron made knife I would like to see it. George was a Georgia boy who moved to SC and made a national reputation as a custom knife maker. Blade named him the greatest custom knife maker of all time. When he was alive he sold his knives for $150 to $300. Now they go anywhere from $500 to over a $1,000. They are a beautiful combination of function and simplicity.

That middle knife looks a lot like a sharp finger

 

[Bkeepr]

I have an Old Timer Sharp Finger from the 1980s but it is retired. Currently I use a carbon steel Mora knife because it sharpens great and it was cheap and my heart won't be broken if I lose it or do something dumb like bust the point off of it.

I own several knives from the Georgia Custom Knifemakers Guild, I love them and they work great but I'd sure hate to lose one! The knifemakers are aging and I consider buying knives an investment.

 

[KevChap]

I got a bunch I found in my hunting box.. nothing expensive. My favorite one is the 20 dollar outdoor edge with replacement blades

 

[Nicodemus]

I got a bunch I found in my hunting box.. nothing expensive. My favorite one is the 20 dollar outdoor edge with replacement bladesView attachment 1087496

Where did you get the knife with the Edward`s Plateau chert blade?

 

[KevChap]

Where did you get the knife with the Edward`s Plateau chert blade?

I got it from gills primitive archery a couple years ago.. I got it for looks mainly but I believe I could use it if I wanted to. It's pretty sharp

 

[KevChap]

Where did you get the knife with the Edward`s Plateau chert blade?

 

[Nicodemus]

I got it from gills primitive archery a couple years ago.. I got it for looks mainly but I believe I could use it if I wanted to. It's pretty sharp

It will work. I`ve skinned a lot of critters with a stone blade. Reason I asked was it looks like one I made back about 30 years ago.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I have probably 75 or a hundred knives, from cheapies to custom nice ones. This is the one I skin and quarter deer with:



I butcher and cut them up with an old Rapala fillet knife.

 

[James12]

Case xx yellow handle and a buck Lite.

Some nice knives you gents have though.

 

[GregoryB.]

I have probably 75 or a hundred knives, from cheapies to custom nice ones. This is the one I skin and quarter deer with:

View attachment 1087505

I butcher and cut them up with an old Rapala fillet knife.

I have a old Rapala knife that I use for butchering also.

 

[asc]

just a yellow handle Case trapper

 

[Lonegle57]

Many of mine have been made by a college room mate and good friend. I dont think he has made many of late, he is busy building guns. He started out with stock removal and soon was working on a forge. He became one of Georgia's first ABS mastersmith's. I found one of his journeyman smith knives of late and am working on a trade to add to the bunch. His name Keith Kilby.

 

[SC Hunter]

I've got an old sharpfinger in the gun safe that is retired. I've got a Gerber locking knife that has a rubberish handle that I use some but as of the last few years I've used an outdoor edge knife for most my deer cleaning. Nothing special really. I have a neck knife I bought from sharpblades years ago off here that I've field dressed a few that were way back in the woods.

 

[Milkman]

I have some others but this is my primary knife. My brother gave it to me for Christmas in 1972. It has ripped lots of hide and muscle since then.

 

[fishfryer]

I have some others but this is my primary knife. My brother gave it to me for Christmas in 1972. It has ripped lots of hide and muscle since then.
View attachment 1087546

I had one just like it that I bought in the ship’s store at about the same time. I really liked it,lost it below Lake Sinclair dam one night,fishing in the River. When the water release alarm went off I left,and it stayed there.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I had one just like it that I bought in the ship’s store at about the same time. I really liked it,lost it below Lake Sinclair dam one night,fishing in the River. When the water release alarm went off I left,and it stayed there.

I've had my old Old Timer Muskrat since I was 17. I bought it with money I made trapping muskrats and mink. Twice, I can remember hiking miles back into the mountains to recover it from where I left it on a rock beside the creek when I was gutting a mess of trout. Once, way up Alum Cave Creek near the mouth of Styx Branch, and once, way up Thunderhead Prong.

 

[fishfryer]

I've had my old Old Timer Muskrat since I was 17. I bought it with money I made trapping muskrats and mink. Twice, I can remember hiking miles back into the mountains to recover it from where I left it on a rock beside the creek when I was gutting a mess of trout. Once, way up Alum Cave Creek near the mouth of Styx Branch, and once, way up Thunderhead Prong.

I know you really love that knife,it’s a good one for sure.I’ve got a Case trapper that I’ve had nearly fifty years,it is restricted to an ammo can these days.