Sld1959
Ronin
I know the feeling. I just oddly enough found the cross pen I used all the way through high school, right up to graduation in 1977. I have list that thing at least a half dozen times, but it always came home.
Favorite hunting knives
- Thread starter Sld1959
- Start date
TEXASforLIFE
SAINT
The only thing hammer forged I have are nails in the fence. Most likely from Hawaii, because they do the hula when I forge them.
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wmg1299
Professional
The Buck 119 is my preferred hunting knife as well. It's my only hunting knife, but it's been fully capable of anything I've ever needed it to do.
ghosttwofive
Custom
It's such a nice looking knife. It's probably the nicest knife I've ever been given, and it means a ton to me that he went out and spent his own money on it.
Sld1959
Ronin
Understand, but If I went strictly by that, I would not be buying any knives, guns, watches, etc etc etc lol.
HayesGreener
Ronin
I have a drawer full of various hunting knives that have accumulated over the years. My test of a knife is how well it works for me when skinning a wild hog. I carry a tool bag with a number of knives and a sharpener for serious butchering. My favorite knives have come down to a Gerber vital skin and gut knife, and most recently a 12" Bubba Blade. I will usually dull several blades while butchering a pile of hogs and have found filet knives are a good backup to get the job finished. And always in my pocket I have a Kershaw assisted opening serrated blade that I have been carrying and sharpening for so long that the serrations are now gone. I good sharpener is a must and I have no tolerance for a dull blade.
Bassbob
Emissary
I've tried pocket sharpeners and auto sharpeners. They all suck. Well, I should say they can be useful when you are out and your knife is trashed and you need it serviceable now.
My father was a butcher his entire adult life. A few years ago I inherited some of his stones, including a nice Japanese water stone. I could get the old man to sharpen my knives, but I could never get him to teach me to do it. Eventually he gave me some good stones and said " You'll figure it out after you eff up a bunch of knives. Try to make them cheap ones."
I'm no master but I'm a damn sight better than a pocket sharpener.
My father was a butcher his entire adult life. A few years ago I inherited some of his stones, including a nice Japanese water stone. I could get the old man to sharpen my knives, but I could never get him to teach me to do it. Eventually he gave me some good stones and said " You'll figure it out after you eff up a bunch of knives. Try to make them cheap ones."
I'm no master but I'm a damn sight better than a pocket sharpener.
Sld1959
Ronin
Japanese water stones are great. But don't leave them outside in winter, at least not in Michigan. And Nooooo that's not the word of wisdom from someone who would be so stupid.... ummm it was my wife... yeah that's it.
HayesGreener
Ronin
I have a second drawer full of various sharpeners and stones that I have failed with over the years. I never seemed to be able to get it right. Until I bought the Worksharp with the little belt, now I can sharpen a whole bucket of knives in short order. Nothing like a pro but it puts an edge on that works so I am ok with it. But you gotta have a place to plug it in so I carry multiple sharp knives for the woods. I can get through a deer fine with one blade but not so much with a hog. A ceramic rod can help touching up the blade in the middle of the process though.
Bassbob
Emissary
I don’t hunt hogs but I understand about skinning them. My old man was a butcher. One time I had a guy give me a hog (regular domestic hog). I asked him if he would butcher it and he said, and I quote, “ Hell no”.
When I hunt I carry a knife to field dress a deer. Which is pretty much any knife. Back at the truck with the cooler and bags and baggies I have a well worn boning knife, a cutting board and a steel. The only thing I bring home with me is meat. And it’s already boned and steaked up. When I get home I just have to wash the hair off, put it in baggies and put it in the freezer.
ChanceMcCall
Custom
Do you wear a quality leather belt in the field? You would be surprised how sharp you can get a knife with the back of the belt.
jumpinjoe
Hellcat
That last sentence ol' HG wrote there says it all. Not many things in the whole world any more worthless than a dull knife ...... well maybe a pizz warm beer or a fresh woke up woman.
Many years ago, don't even remember just how many, my new (at the time) bride bought me a real nice Buck 'Hunter' much like the one ghosttwofive posted above for one of our very early anniversaries. I'm not sure if it was the same model Buck or not, but that's not important for now. She was so proud of herself for getting me something relative to my love of hunting and outdoors, etc, and she was certain I'd love the knife. And she had to save every little penny she could to buy that knife .... in those days things were pretty tight.
Well, I was actually a fan of folders and had been ever since I was old enough to do my own dressing and skinning but just couldn't bring myself to telling her I'd really prefer a good folder. So, I made a big fuss about it and how nice it was and how much I liked it and etc, etc, etc.
So, for the next couple hunting seasons I strapped that knife on each time as I left the house and made sure it was strapped on when I returned. She just beamed every time she saw me wearing it. Then one day she asked me just how I was able to keep that knife so nice and new looking when I was using it so much. Well, I finally was caught and had to explain to her the reality of all things ... knife. She was a little disappointed for awhile, but eventually understood and got over it.
I still have that Buck Hunter around here somewhere and it's still brand new although the sheath is showing a little age and dulling just a tad, probably close to 50 years now. It has never cut a single hair on a deer, hog, or anything else. Fortunately over the years I've kept it dry and wiped it down every so often so it looks just like it did when she first gave it to me. Over a lot of years when I would get it out to oil/clean it, I'd show her how much I really did love the knife/gift that she had gotten me by how well I took care of it over those many years. That made her feel OK about it, even though I never did use it.
There are some 'words of wisdom' in that for some of you younger folks, and especially if your newly wed !!!
ameliiajhon
Alpha
I really like this design