Hard Knocks
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2012
- Messages
- 8,750
The first RT I had was the original with the trailing point. I used that blade on a bull elk and while it did the job, the trailing point is just not what I prefer for splitting legs and gutting. Too much chance of puncturing the gut and cuts deeper than I want when splitting the hide for skinning out the legs. I much prefer the control of a drop point for those jobs.
For gutting fish, I can see why you like the trailing point. I wouldn't have modified mine if I were wanting it for that task
Also, I make a big distinction between what I see as 'field-dressing' blades and 'skinning' blades. I think there is too much ambiguity in the knife world about this. What I described above with the drop point is what I want in a field dressing blade......a blade that is controllable for making precise slices down the legs that splits hide without cutting muscle, and also that splits the hide and muscle that hold the innards without puncturing gut. You use the forward portion of your blade and tip, holding the knife inverted, to accomplish these cuts, the DP excels here.
For a pure skinner, that is, a blade that you are using to remove the entire hide from an animal after it has been field-dressed, the trailing point is a great design. Removing the hide requires long, sweeping cuts on the lower portion of the blade out into the belly of the blade. The upswept tip of the trailing point keeps the tip from puncturing because you are now pulling the blade to make slicing cuts. Also, the design of a trailing point adds a lot of length of cutting edge that you can take advantage of to get long slices ---> working from the ricasso out to the tip as you draw the blade toward you.
tl/dr version: A drop point works great held inverted to make piercing cuts that are controllable as to depth of cut when trying to avoid piercing gut and hitting muscle. A trailing point design is a superior 'pure skinner' used in hammer grip and drawn toward you for long cuts done during hide removal.
For gutting fish, I can see why you like the trailing point. I wouldn't have modified mine if I were wanting it for that task
Also, I make a big distinction between what I see as 'field-dressing' blades and 'skinning' blades. I think there is too much ambiguity in the knife world about this. What I described above with the drop point is what I want in a field dressing blade......a blade that is controllable for making precise slices down the legs that splits hide without cutting muscle, and also that splits the hide and muscle that hold the innards without puncturing gut. You use the forward portion of your blade and tip, holding the knife inverted, to accomplish these cuts, the DP excels here.
For a pure skinner, that is, a blade that you are using to remove the entire hide from an animal after it has been field-dressed, the trailing point is a great design. Removing the hide requires long, sweeping cuts on the lower portion of the blade out into the belly of the blade. The upswept tip of the trailing point keeps the tip from puncturing because you are now pulling the blade to make slicing cuts. Also, the design of a trailing point adds a lot of length of cutting edge that you can take advantage of to get long slices ---> working from the ricasso out to the tip as you draw the blade toward you.
tl/dr version: A drop point works great held inverted to make piercing cuts that are controllable as to depth of cut when trying to avoid piercing gut and hitting muscle. A trailing point design is a superior 'pure skinner' used in hammer grip and drawn toward you for long cuts done during hide removal.