Im looking at some knifes for camp and or field dressing chores. Any thoughts on the regular (typical) style blades compared to the tanto style blades. Thanx for any info

The American version of the tanto blade, with the sharply-angled point, is good for sticking in things, or people. Not much else, in my opinion. Most of the experienced hunters and guides I've known prefer a clip-point folder like the Buck 110 or a drop point fixed blade, not too large. For me a drop point blade, usually no more than four inches long, was the most efficient for field dressing and general use, back when I was physically able to hunt.

The Japanese tanto generally has a curved point, from what I've seen; but I still like a regular drop or clip type, without serrations.

You will, of course, get a lot of very different opinions from those who love tantos, serrations, bigger knives, etc. Just saying what worked best for me for a great many years.

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Oh well, what the hell.

I learned in Boy Scouts: "The bigger the knife, the smaller the boy".

Tantos are designed primarily for stabbing. The ninjas , despite popular misconceptions, were assassins and burglars. After 40+ years of camping and hunting, including part-time work as a guide, this is what I've found:

For all around use (including deer but excluding big game like elk), a good Jimmy Lile drop-point shape is good. For heavier use, I prefer a Randall 23-style blade:



I recently replaced the leather handle with one of buffalo horn to match my OM Blackhawk in 45 Colt as my hunting rig. No pics yet. Go with a name brand. Gerber, Buck, etc. Stay away from most Chinese blades. Mine are primarily made by Randall and Chuck Stapel. My everyday folders are Gerber and I've carried then all over the US and Central America. A GOOD, well established custom maker will not let you down and will last, literally, for generations.

Most people agree that Randall makes the best working knives but you pay and wait for it. I suggest buying one on E-bay or from a cutlery store (i.e. Nordic Knives in Solvang). Also, check out Rudy Ruana, Chuck Stapel, D'Holder==the ones who made their rep with working knives!

I agree with the above post. I like a knife with a 3.5" blade and o/l of 8". I have a Wayne Hendrix knife with a"semi skinner" blade profile. Is anyhow else familiar with this blade style? I have really love it and use it daily. Sonora

And PLEASE learn to spell "knives". It just makes the forum look ignorant if members post "knifes". Just check the danged dictionary. This isn't something that needs arguing or discussing , although that's happened here when the matter came up.

I think Bear Bio's advice is sound, as always. Although my son has a Benchmade folder with a tanto point, with which he stabbed an attacking dog...

But for sporting use, a drop- point or gently curved blade is traditional. I suggest the Fallkniven F-1 for a shorter (3.8 inch) drop point blade or their S-1 Forest knife for an all-rounder. It has a five-inch blade. Both were designed by a man who has spent most of his life hunting and fishing in his native Sweden. Build quality is high, as is the price, for a "factory" knife. But they're worth it, I think. The F-1 is also the official pilot survival knife for the Royal Swedish Air Force. Both of these and the A-1 have passed really grueling official government tests. www.fallkniven.com

If you want a really good knife for less, the Buck Model 105 Pathfinder would be my choice. Fairly inexpensive at places like Wal-Mart, it has been popular for decades. I think you can find them for about $40, a good deal.

I like the Puma and Randall lines, too, but these are more expensive. I'd pay the difference to get a Randall blade in stainless. In older Puma knives, look at the Hunter's Pal and the Outdoor models. But prices are rising due to collector interest.

Tanto blades are just an affectation to sell knives to would- be ninja warriors. They look "tactical"and some relish that. They may also upset a cop that sees them. They look like weapons, but are no more functional as such than some more traditionl designs. They remind me of parts of an erector set (if you recall those) or bits of a toy Japanese monster. I want more traditional style and beauty in my knives.

Howdy,
I don't feel "the bigger the knife the smaller the boy". I feel, I can cut small things with a big knife but I can't always cut big things with a small knife.
Also, I like a partially serrated blade and a one hand open style folder.
We primitive camp along rivers 15-20 days over summer and I appreciate the value of a good, tough, sharp, light, easy opening folder with a partially serrated blade between 3.5 and 4.0".
Thanks and good luck
Mike

Here are some pictures of hunting knives that have all proved very good. The longest blade there is only 5-inches long. Usually anything between 3½-inches and 5-inches is sufficient for skinning out anything you want to skin out.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

Another fine make to consider is the Bark River Knife & Tool line. One of their medium-sized drop points in cryo-treated, convex-ground A2 tool steel, with canvas Micarta handle, will handle any chore most people are likely to encounter in the outdoors. They are ferociously sharp, hold an edge extremely well, and can be stropped back to more than shaving sharp on a piece of cardboard, a leather belt, or the leg of a pair of jeans. I've owned several, and they are amazing performers.

A high-quality puukko is also a fine working knife. The Finns have used them for centuries to survive in tough conditions. I was given one made by Juka Hankkala, one of the best makers in Finland. It's so beautiful, and I'm so unable to do outdoor things much anymore due to age and health, that I've never used it; but I can easily tell it's a brilliant and versatile design.

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Oh well, what the hell.

"And PLEASE learn to spell "knives". It just makes the forum look ignorant if members post "knifes". Just check the danged dictionary. This isn't something that needs arguing or discussing , although that's happened here when the matter came up."

Got your flame suit on? At least this isn't the Ruger Forum!

I usually carry two niveses when I'm hiking, one a utility/skinner type with a 3"or so blade (usually a folder made with good steel) and a Bowie that has a multitude of uses (splitting wood, splitting trees, splitting bears, etc.). This may be thread drift, but what type of nive would be best for bear defense??


Oh, and TS.........

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Even older, even crankier....

You know, I don't really care how anyone spells the plural of knife.

Using the wrong "there," "their" or "they're" can momentarily confuse the reader, but the meaning of "knifes" is instantly obvious.

As for making the forum look ignorant, there're [a fourth one] a bunch of us that can do that, even with impeccable spelling and grammar.

Hey, I figure if theyre pickin on me, theyre
leavin someone else alone. Thanx for all the replies so far.

Had a famous knifemaker tell me......Jim,"if"you were able to have only one knife to skin game with a Buck 110 will do just fine!
Jim

I have to agree with the above posts about a tanto blade. They are meant for sticking and poking. Don't think you can get the utility you want in a camp knife or hunting knife. I prefer a drop point for hunting. I have a couple of the above mentioned Hendrix knives and they are great, the semi skinner is my favorite.

Trouble spelling knives? Well, FORK!

Mule88:I suggest that you take a look at Ka-bar knives they have a variety of knife sizes and blade lengths they even make folding knives they may have a knife that would be suitable for you.

I guess we're never gonna agree not to buy Ferds, or other off brand things like Colts and Rugers. I do like the spelling of nives.

But just for the record, skinning isn't what most of us use our knife for most of the time. Last month I managed to pick up a Randall #6 - 4 1/2". Its called an individual steak knife. When I look at the shape and the handle, I think it will do a lot of things well. One of my favorite things is eating and this one excels at that task. And I won't be loaning it out to anyone! Especially my own wife who would cut some steel cable against concrete.

I even seem to enjoy some very small models. Think the Randall mini's. I've got a 3M that I really like (that's a model 3). It even feels good. Years ago I was visiting a well known knife purveyor (Kent Harrison) at a gun show. I bought a hand made Gil Hibben and its just great. No, not one of Hibben's foolish fantasy models that probably have no purpose other than making young boys feel tough. He's been a serious working knife maker since the 1950s.

And the worst story came about 20 years back. I'd just bought a spectacular knife from a guy when I saw another in his display. It was not only a non-cataloged Randall, it had really nice engraving. So I bought it, too. A little later he was walking past me and said "my wife is really mad at you". It seems the little non-cataloged one had been her apple pealing and cutting knife for a long time. I offered to sell it back to him (yes, and a profit to me). He laughed and said its time she learned to use a different knife.

For decades now my EDC knife is a little Buck folder. Its a model 503 USA. It just does everything I need to do on a normal basis. I tend to keep it sharp (it repels my wife, who would cut herself). A guy named Ralph Griewe took it apart when new and did file work on the back of the blade and spring. Then he pressed it back together with some kind of horn instead of what the factory issued. It works for me, which is the most important test. If I skinned buffalo on a daily basis, my opinion would probably be much different.

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Dick Burg

As "shouldazagged" commented, Bark River Knives (www.barkriverknives.com) has a wide selection of blades that will meet your tasks. Very high quality knife with super customer service if ever needed. Pricing is not bad for the quality of product that you are purchasing.

OK, I love knives and all that goes with them. So, at the risk of becoming one of "those" people, I have to correct something.

It is true that originally those who practiced the art of Ninjitsu were assassins. As such they tried to be invisible and stealthy. Their weapons were considered tools and used a such. They usually carried a sword that was similar to a Katana, but was usually straight instead of curved. The Ninja rarely, if ever, carried a knife.

The Tanto was part of the traditional set carried by a Samurai. The set consisted of three blades of differing length and each had a particular purpose. The Katana was a sword with a length determined by the size of the owner. The Wakizashi was a blade often about half the length of the Katana. The Tanto was a shorter blade and was about 10" or so long. Each blade had a specific purpose and was only used for that. None of which was for generic use.

So, to say that people want a Tanto style knife because they want to be like a Ninja is abjectly wrong. It just had to be said.

If you want a really nice all around camp knife, check this one out: (click pic)
/1/]

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Freedom isn't free.

I just ordered my first yesterday. We'll see how it looks when it gets here.

I haven't bought one for several years, and think Mike Stewart is producing a lot of models for the collector market these days; but if yours is as good as mine all were, I think you'll be pleased.

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Oh well, what the hell.

A great knife for what you want to can be had for less than $20.

I recently bought this:Amazon.com : Morakniv Companion Fixed Blade Outdoor Knife with Sandvik Carbon Steel Blade, Military Green, 4.1-Inch : Hunting Fixed Blade Knives : Sports & Outdoors@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31RSOV7Bn4L.@@AMEPARAM@@31RSOV7Bn4L

Razor sharp and easy to resharpen. Even if you lose it, you are not out much.

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Corripe Cervisiam

I'm not on Ruger.com, but have posted on the Ruger.net board about this. It just baffles me that people can't spell a simple word like, "knives."

BTW, we have a good topic going there now about Swiss Army knives, with some good pics. I also posted a video there about the Alox-handled models.

Tanto blades are pretty much worthless for camp duty and dressing game, they are great if you need to punch holes in oil drums or car hoods but not much else, the tanto style is a ninja wannabe fad thing. For the tasks you describe I wound want a knife with a thin blade and a good belly for slicing and skinning. This sort of blade will also perform most basic camp duties cooking and light cutting. If I were to limit myself to just one blade it would be a Green River style trade knife with a good carbon steel blade this style of knife has proven itself in the field since the French and British started trading them to the indigenous people here in America.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

How about The Swedish standard hunting knife.
MORA Classic 612
Mora 612 Best survival knife under 30 bucks. - YouTube

The green rivers are good, also. They need to be sharpened frequently but sharpen real easily. I've butchered one elk with one, including skinning. I'm making two right now for re-enacting=one birdseye maple and one with buffalo horn.

A good drop point will do anything you want ( except maybe fillet as that takes a more specialized knife)

As others have said. A smaller knife is more versatile than a larger one.

These are various sized versions hand made by Geno Denning (Caveman Engineering) who was a student of George Herron and patterned his knives after Herron's.

The largest is a Caribou and is actually too large for general use. the middle one is the GM model ( Georges model) is a great all round knife size but my favorite is the smallest = a Mini GM handle materials are desert ironwood or stag.

Attached Images

	Caribou- GM- Mini GM.jpg (127.5 KB, 26 views)
	Mini GM 5.jpg (117.0 KB, 24 views)
	Mini GM 4.jpg (111.2 KB, 23 views)
	Denning GM 1.jpg (137.8 KB, 21 views)
	Denning Caribou 2.jpg (128.1 KB, 21 views)

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Sceva
OGCA SWCA NRA

I prefer a drop point, not too large. My daily carry is a Kershaw Leek, 3" blade, a black (?) finish that is really tough, and it has great steel that takes an edge and keeps an edge. Although I don't hunt any longer, I would have tackled game up to a deer for "most" dressing chores. Fish fileting is different, it takes a thin flexible "sharp" blade about 6" long.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Don't feed he under-educated............It isn't funny

Years ago when I was in my muzzleloader phase, I made a couple of Knives from Green River Buffalo blades. I gave one of them to a cousin that had suffered a stroke and lost the use of her right arm. Using the knife in her left hand, she was able to cut food by rolling the blade onto the food. This would be a good camp knife today and there are web sights that sell the knives today, Just blades or complete knives.

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Corripe Cervisiam

Thus inspired, I just ordered one off Amazon. Under 30 bucks? More like fifteen.

I have been looking a these for some time, but never pulled the trigger. Sometimes an informative post and a good stiff cocktail are all it takes to set off a shopping frenzy.

I found a blade of this pattern among my Pop's extensive selection of kitchen knives. Not nearly as pretty as this example, with a carbon steel blade. It has become my wife's favorite for cutting up vegetables. She brings it to me about three times a month for sharpening. I wish she would learn to quit leaving it in a sink full of dishwater.

Life is unfair

They cost just under $25 in Sweden.

Here.......we use three cutting tools for field game care,to include skinning.

An absolutely razor sharp hatchet.A drop point 3-4" folder.And what I call a "bird knife",its a 5-6" thin blade,but not near as flexible as a filet knife.

I appreciate a good Knife but don't want to spend more for my knife than for a gun. and BTW spellcheck spells them KNIFE also. several good ones for under 20$. I usually carry a pocket folder daily, the Kershaw leek is excellent. I prefer a thin blade, it disappears in your pocket as well as thin air, I'm on my third one now and have painted the handle orange. the classic Schrade sharpfinger used to go for 8$. I also use/like Gerbers fixed blade 3 1/2" drop point at wallmart for 17$ recently bought 2 and tape them to my daypacks. a trick to keep a sheath knife in the sheath is to tie a piece of thin diameter bunji cord through the belt loop and a tight overhand knot around the top of handle. the knot is easy to grab and slip up and off the top of the knife handle and the usual snap closer to the blade (that vines tend to unsnap) is a backup. my favorite that is still in use whenever I do ANY hunting/fishing is a Gerber trout and bird knife with a very thin 2 3/4" stainless blade on a neck lanyard, although much smaller now from sharpening is still going strong since 1975.

No flame, but I think there's a slight misunderstanding. Those who type "knifes" are trying, quite successfully, I might add, to spell a plural of knife which rhymes with "wife's." Others, who type "knives" are trying to spell a plural of knife which rhymes with "wives." It probably depends on whether the wife in question is possessive or, perhaps in Utah, plural.

AFAIK, neither knive nor wive is a word.

That was sorta a semi-private joke between Texas Star and myself==I was reamed because I sent a private message to someone on the Ruger forum about an (almost) unintelligible post and he took it public. Texas sent me a sympathetic PM.

BTW= I got my Bark River on Saturday ==about 3 (?) day delivery from Knives-Ship-Free. The sheepshorn handles on both the knife and firestarter match my OM Blackhawk 41 VERY well. I'll post pics later.

I cannot order this nife. If you look carefully on the Amazon page, it says NOT FOR MORONS. For real.

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Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

You do not have to admit it! I did not.

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Corripe Cervisiam

90% of the time I carry a Swiss Army knife either a tinkerer or huntsman . The only special purpose knift I have and use boating is the Meyerchin folding rigging knife with marlinspike. They've screwed it up and now sell the second generation. My first generation is reg'lar old stainless steel Ditto with the dive/rescue knife I keep on the boat
All in all though I like the sheepsfoot style blade for rope work and it does a passible good job cleaning waterfowl as well.


TF300: Gen2, Titanium Captain

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Forum consigliere

Shouldn't it be "Dang" dictionary? "Danged" is plural, correct?

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RIP Shipmate

Don't be silly. "Danged" is the past tense of "dang," much like "hanged" is the past tense of "hang." That's when you're talking about an execution, otherwise the past tense is "hung." Similarly, in some instances, the proper past tense of "danged" is "dung."

I find that the present tense of many things is "dung".

Conjugate the verb "to curmudge".

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Oh well, what the hell.

Hangnoose mentioned the Schrade Old Timer Sharpfinger. They also made a drop-point version that was one of the handiest and most useful inexpensive hunting knives out there. Maybe a little less so as a camp knife, but not much. I think it was the OT158. I gave one to each of my son's three boys because they are easy to handle safely and (boys being what they are) useless for throwing...

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Oh well, what the hell.

I have a buddy who is one of the last full-time taxidermists at a museum (L.A. County Museum of Natural History). His work has been shown in the Smithsonian, he's traveled all over the world to field prep specimens, etc. Done land animals at least to the size of a bull gorilla. He swears by the Sharpfinger.

Yes, the original Sharpfinger is a useful and versatile knife. The angle of handle to blade gives very precise control on both that model and the drop point version. Good 1095 steel and sawn Delrin scales that give a non-slip grip with wet hands.

Trouble is, the Sharpfinger is being made by another company in China now and isn't nearly as good. If you look for one, go for a U.S.-made Schrade.

As far as I know the drop point (without the gut hook, which I never liked on any knife) is no longer being made even in China.

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Oh well, what the hell.