Dozier Knives ???

B

bowler1

Gold Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2000
Messages
135
Hi,
This is a follow up to another post I made. I believe I have decided to choose and stick with Dozier knives over another brand and I have some questions.

First question: What model do you prefer for a hunting knife and which do you prefer for an EDC knife? I did recently buy a Pro Skinner and skinned one deer wiht it, but I found the blade to be a bit "chunky" and not as controllable as I would like for fine work associated with processing. Of course, maybe I should use a different knife for these tasks and this one just for skinning. Other models I am looking at for a deer knife include the Yukon Skinner, Columbia River Skinner, maybe the General Purpose Hunter, Drop Point Hunter. All look like good configurations from pictures; although I have not handled them. For an EDC I am considering the Slim Outdoorsman or maybe one of the above that would serve as a good general purpose blade. Also may consider the Buffalo River Hunter but the blade may be a touch long for an EDC

Second question: Where is the best place to buy them given their limited availability? AG Russell seems to be a good candidate, but are there dealers with good availability? AG Russell only carries many models but does not carry some of the above that I am considering.

Third question: How do you sharpen them? I have used a few Doziers and found them to be pretty hard to sharpen to a hair popping / paper cutting edge.

thanks

Matt
 
I bought my Dozier K1 with gorgeous jigged bone grips from Carroll's Gun Shop in Wharton, Texas, eons ago, with my first pension check, as a reward for surviving four decades of more or less gainful employment. They always seemed to have some in stock. (Carroll's also had a neat little 20 mm. cannon hanging over the counter, which I noted at the time would be useful to discourage the squirrels in the back yard, while digging a swimming pool in the process and taking down that live oak the squirrels hang around in, maybe a few crop dusters, too. I digress.) You need diamond hones or else a whole lot of time to sharpen D2. Long-time Yukon Guide and outfitter Dick Peters told me he always put the coarsest edge possible on his D2 knives as that worked best for snicking through caribou and moose knee joints and general field dressing big game. I hone my D2 blades on a coarse diamond 220 grit and finish with a few light strokes on a fine (600 grit) or very fine (1200 grit), which results in a biting edge that will pop hair.
 
as a side note, I mentioned I recently got the Pro Skinner. Yesterday a Yukon Skinner arrived in the mail. A few comments I have that I believe are interesting as I become a bit more critical about blade shape and design...The two appear to be much different, but in actuality the shape and length of the cutting edge is pretty close to the same. The Yukon may have a bit more curvature, but not much. Almost identical.

The point height is pretty close to the same

The difference in overall length is mostly due to the choil on the Pro Skinner. And the visual differences in appearance is mostly due to the top of the blade shape. The Pro Skinner has a wider blade and the swedge which really just makes the point finer, but I don't know that that the point is bad on the Yukon so I don't know if this is an advantage.

The wider nature of the Pro Skinner allows for a bit more of a taper down to the edge which make the blade geometry thinner and theoretically makes it a better slicer. But I feel the trade off is a chunkier knife that may be less precise in its controllabilty.

I am geeking out here a bit on the comparison, but the key point here is that despite the visual differences the edge shape and length, and the height of the tip is about the same. Its just the top of the blade that is significantly different. From what I have noticed about the Dozier blades, many are essentially the same shape at the business ends (cutting edge and tip)

I think I prefer the Yukon....feels more controlable, lighter, and more comfortable with tradeoffs. I do kind of like the finger grooves on the Pro Skinner though for working on an animal when the handle is slippery and / or you have no visual reference for when and where you grip it.

Matt

Matt
 
Deciding on Dozier is the easy part - determining which one is difficult because they are never easy to find.

A.G. Russell is the only dealer with any kind of regular inventory and even then the availability of any model listed can be intermittent and/or sell out quickly. There are other dealers, second-hand sellers and auction sites as well as the Exchange here to watch, but you have to keep an eye on them because any desirable model listed will move quickly. I have a "digital trapline" that I run multiple times a day looking for Doziers. It takes some work but you can find them. The shop lists available inventory occasionally too, but you really have to move fast to catch any listed.

As for recommendations I prefer the Arkansas Traveler, Whittler or Companion for EDC. These disappear when worn yet handle anything you throw at them.

For hunting I'd recommend the K-2 General Purpose. After having dozens of Doziers in hand and many in the field I found this model to be "the one". It is a fantastic knife. In my experience the ProSkinner is too much of a paddle, the ProGuide is too long, Yukon Pro is great, but the K2 just sings in my hand - all personal preference though and the Dozier models provide enough difference between models to let you really dial in what works for you. (I pair the K2 with a Whittler in the field. The K2 does the heavy lifting and the Whittler does the detail work when you need something pointy, like for caping.)

Z
 
If you can get to Atlanta, Dozier always has a great selection at Blade Show.

Edited to add: Bob has been there every time I’ve been. His folks have been great about letting me pick up and handle several knives to compare them. It’s a neat opportunity to meet a lot of legends in the knife community.
 
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Thanks for the info. I agree with the assessment above about the Pro Skinner---good way of putting it. Also agree that the Pro Guide is too long...I actually had one years ago. The K2 is on my short list!

Atlanta is a bit far for me, but maybe I will get out there some time.
 
bowler1 said:
Thanks for the info. I agree with the assessment above about the Pro Skinner---good way of putting it. Also agree that the Pro Guide is too long...I actually had one years ago. The K2 is on my short list!

Atlanta is a bit far for me, but maybe I will get out there some time.
Click to expand...
The K2 is pretty perfect as a dressing/skinning knife. Since I quit hunting, mine sits in a safe, but it was my choice for those chores. Small enough to work in tight spots, and gig enough to manage pretty much anything. Very comfortable handle.
 
I just picked up these two, but I can already tell you the semi skinner will be one of my favorites.Screenshot_20230302_171602_Gallery.jpg

I almost always have more than 1 knife when I hunt big game. A medium sized knife and something smaller.

I had a Yukon Pro Skinner, but I definitely prefer the Dozier models with a single finger groove. I use a Sweetwater and would like to pick up a Straight Hunter.
Screenshot_20230302_171606_Gallery.jpg

The lil deer skinner makes a great EDC, but I've been looking for a whittler to try out for a while now.
 
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Yes, I think I would like that handle as well. I also like the handle on the Slim Outdoorsman which is on a few other knives. Not a super fan of the Yukon handle, but it is nicer looking in person and does feel good in the hand; however, I like a handle that gives you a good "tacticle" sense of where the knife is in your hand relative to the blade. I don't like the possibility of runing my hand up on the blade while dressing a deer in the dark, etc.

matt
 
Mr. Dozier's knives are some of the finest. They are truly a working man's knife and truly function over form. No fancy or glitzy stuff, just good stuff that works.
 
My Dozier knives are the ones I will never sell. Years ago I was able to get a
Straight Hunter (K4) with beautiful Sambar Stag scales from a stash that Bob
put up before the embargo. It is my go to.
 
These are the only two I have from Bob at this time...

This first one is a convex ground blade that Bob made for a pass around on another forum. When it was finished, Bob called me and told me to keep it. I had the micarta handles put on by another member of that forum. It is a fantastic cutter and the natural micarta handles are as comfortable as anything I own.

Bob was not a proponent of convex edges, but even he was impressed with how well this one works.

DozierProto1.jpg


This one was a prototype I picked up from Bob at the Blade Show years ago. A great design which later on was featured in A.G. Russell's catalog.

Dozier2.jpg
 
FWIW - here's my idea of the perfect hunting combo - bead blasted General Purpose and Whittler, both with indexing "dimples" and horizontal Kydex sheaths - but to each their own. As has been said, you can't really go wrong with a Dozier.20230306_134347.jpg
 
Some very good looking knives! I think I lean towards that General Purpose. That’s a nice blade shape. Looks like a great skinner

Matt
 
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