Gimlet Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Following on from a knife sharpening thread in Off Topic, I wonder which knives people use regularly in the field. What are they? How much were they? What do you use them for, how do you rate them and could they be improved? Be specific, not "brilliant, all the knife you'll ever need" sort of stuff. I'll get the ball rolling: Paunching knife: Buck Vantage 3 1/4" locking folder. £30 local gunshop (now grown wooden handle scales and gone up to around £50+) Function/design 9/10: Cracking little rabbit knife. Extended tang and tang-lock mechanism perfect for this kind of use. Genuine one-handed operation and easy to clean. Drops a point for having a belt clip. Don't like these. They snag on things and spoil the feel of the knife in the hand. Sooner have a pouch. Blade quality 9/10Excellent hollow ground blade. Very well machined. 13C26 Sandvik s/steel has superb edge retention. Look out for this steel for heavy-use knives. Loses a mark for not being a true drop point. A little too straight, care needed for speed unzipping. High volume (ferreting) paunching knife: Herbertz 3" fixed blade Damascus. £176 Heinnie. Function/design 9/10: Drop-dead beautiful fixed blade. Full length handle, very well balanced, handles like an extension of your finger. Loses a mark for average quality shealth. Should be better at this price. I'm having a replacement hand-made. Blade quality 10/10Superb Solingan Damascus. Takes and holds edge perfectly. Shaves the hair from your top lip. Lightening fast unzipper. Grollaching knife: EKA Swingblade. £65 Bladetech. Function/design: 8/10 Fine piece of kit. Unzipper blade is a great idea though I rarely use it in the field. Useful for skinning though. Excellent balance and very secure rubberized grips. Plastic/nylon/velcro shealth is rubbish and pivot of swingblade hard to clean (blood seeps out forever). Blade quality: 8/10 Comes razor sharp and 12C27 s/steel takes an edge well but retention not great. Edge retention of the little Buck (13C26) is significantly better. Also I prefer a true drop-point for gralloching, easier for piercing and bleeding. There we are. Hope that's not too long winded for PW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Mora Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckyshot Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Mora Same here never needed anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Too many to mention;have collected knives since I was a kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
washerboy Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazsl Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 one with a blade i find them hard to use without Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant8681 Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Opinel all the way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biketestace Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Emerson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Opinel carbon steel, various numbers, cheap, easy to keep sharp and I personally think they're quite nice to look at as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northeastshooter Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Opinel carbon steel, various numbers, cheap, easy to keep sharp and I personally think they're quite nice to look at as well. i second that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penfolio Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Despite having a handful of more expensive knives to choose from, I usually end up using my Opinels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbiter Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 i think i know where that one came from mate, he makes cracking knives.....1 myself,i use a buck alpha hunter for everything....DAZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M ROBSON Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Marttiini Silver Carbinox for gralloching in the field and Skin work, best little knife I've owned. Mora for touching bone, legs, heads....etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bicykillgaz Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 I've got various knifes in different shapes and sizes, I'm not sure why though as the only thing I shoot which requires gutting is rabbits. Opinel no7 for rabbits, cheap easy to sharpen and don't cry if you lose them. Mora companion stainless steel for rabbits, got a couple as I fancied something with a Scandigrind blade and they was cheap with good reviews One of antlermans NSK knifes for chopping up rabbits and whitling twigs into spikes to prop up crows and general heavier duty cutting, i sharpen it with a file and holds it's edge well, I keep one of the files in my game bag nd one at home. Gurkha kukri only time I've used it was to behead the deer in my avatar worked bloody well too! Just got a CRKT centofante tribute lock knife it's gonna be my new day time gutting knife and I'll keep the opinel for lamping, I've fancied a lock knife for a while but I'm not into all the tactical looking ones with half serrated blades, saw the tribute and loved it even if it was more than I wanted to spend. I use to have well over 100 knifes at one point but gradually sold them or gave them away I do miss my little Crkt bear claw though cracking little knifes I think they'll be my next purchases one normal one serrated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Home made scandi carbon steel with handle made from an old walnut shotgun stock - Good for chopping and whittling and anything else that needs some clout as it's not the finest of blades. I love the knife but I don't take it out anymore as it's too cumbersome and not great for paunching - looks good though. 8/10 Opinel No 7 carbon for paunching in the field - Can't fault it in any way, super sharp and cheap. 10/10 Basic all-stainless steel lock knife for skinning at home as it goes in the dishwasher afterward. 9/10 various Gerbers, Leathermen, Victorinox and the like knocking around for every other task. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted July 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Home made scandi carbon steel with handle made from an old walnut shotgun stock - Good for chopping and whittling and anything else that needs some clout as it's not the finest of blades. I love the knife but I don't take it out anymore as it's too cumbersome and not great for paunching - looks good though. 8/10 A bushcraft knife then really? Just bought an Arthur Wright Bushcraft. Lovely knife. Keep meaning to try it for gralloching. Bit heavy handed perhaps but ideal for popping legs and deheading. Seems to keep its edge well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aister Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 victornox 8" filleting knife for taking the breasts off geese, easy to sharpen, holds edge well. frosts 8" butchers knife for the legs/necks/gutting of ducks, rabbits etc, again easy to sharpen and holds edge well. anything else i can think of is done with my gerber AR 3.0 folding knife which i have only had a couple of weeks but so far i am impressed with. easy enough to sharpen and seems to keep it. sits nice in the hand too, once i took the horrible clip off it. i bought the gerber to replace a knife i have had for probably 5-6 years and try as i might i could not lose it. i hated that knife, it couldnt take an edge to save itself, i have seen lead take a better edge. god i hated that knife, why i had so long is beyond me . i will probably lose the gerber before the end of the week . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 A bushcraft knife then really? Just bought an Arthur Wright Bushcraft. Lovely knife. Keep meaning to try it for gralloching. Bit heavy handed perhaps but ideal for popping legs and deheading. Seems to keep its edge well. Yup a bushcraft knife. This is it: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huffhuff Posted July 9, 2012 Report Share Posted July 9, 2012 Different knives for different situations. But, I generally reach for the mora first (it's in my welly). If I prepare properly, I have my bushcraft knife (scandi grind) on my belt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted July 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2012 Yup a bushcraft knife. This is it: Very nice too. Can see how that's going to handle just from looking at it. Fine looking knife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted July 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2012 Anyne got a Puma or a Fox? There's a couple I like the look of but I belive they're both Italian. Had a few Italian knives and in every case the steel was ****. Wondered if these were any better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted July 9, 2012 Report Share Posted July 9, 2012 Opinel No: 6 carbon for Paunching and was given a No:8 in a leather Opinel sheath with oak handle and stainless blade for nice keeps. But going to get a No:5 none locking carbon as an EDC as every week i seem to have a greater need for a knife for oppening packaging and boxes etc with at work ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted July 9, 2012 Report Share Posted July 9, 2012 As Huffhuff has said i use different knifes for different jobs. My Syderco UK pen knife is always with me and is used a lot. But i do use one of my Bushcraft knife a lot this one is from Bison Bushcraft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckytrigger Posted July 9, 2012 Report Share Posted July 9, 2012 Opinel all the way! I totally agree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Funker Posted July 9, 2012 Report Share Posted July 9, 2012 Opinel No: 6 carbon for Paunching Exactly what I use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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