Recommendation? Hunting knife design

A

AbLonewolf

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Jan 30, 2020
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Good Day.

Please find attached a couple of hunting knife designs that I recently created.

I am a long time hunter, and used many different store bought designs. No more...now homemade.

About a year ago, I started making knives. All hunting types. Started practicing with store bought blades, and now will be making my own. Mostly as a hobby and sell a few on the side.

The bottom one is a template I recently designed. Dimensions are written on it. The top blade I already shaped, and gives you an idea of the shape.

To the ones that specialize in hunting blades, which of the two you feel would be the best general purpose (according to hunter demand and preference)?

Be advised that these will be built for hunting....not presentation. The handles can be tweeked as required. I would like input on the actual "blade design".

Any input is much appreciated.

Thanx...Jay




QgtkMz1.jpg
 
One thing to think about might be if that top one with the trailing point is intended to be more of a bird and trout then you could make it a bit narrower and maybe drop the tip closer to the centerline of the knife. Maybe that’s just my preference. I use thin stock for B&T type knives (0.06 or 0.08”). I guess I never answered the original question if I had to pick only one I’d go with a drop point and also probably do a palm swell like the top one rather than a single finger choil. Looks good!
 
I greatly prefer the bottom design, but smaller. I like a slight drop point with a blade short enough that I can grip the knife and lay my index finger along the back of the blade and press my fingertip agains the back of the point, so I can open the abdomen of a deer easily without puncturing the guts.

Something like this Busse BAD is my idea of an excellent hunting knife:


I have used the Busse a few times and it was perfect. But I normally carry a Randall Trout and Bird (Model 8) because... well, because I have to justify spending the money on it!
 
I'm a hunter and I am partial to drop point skinners. I like my skinner a bit small for the reason that desmobob says as well as it just seems easier on my wrist and I have better control and seem to put less holes in things.

Your design reminds me of a hunter blade that k&G sells. Not the same, but some similar qualities. I bought one of these blanks before I started making my own knives. I liked the shape and curve to the spine.
cougarskinnerk&G.jpg
In reality the finger choil and the nub behind it were not nice. I ground down the nub so it was much smaller and some day will regrind the bevel so it comes higher and so the sharp part of the blade is longer.
 
Drop point is a more versatile all round design than the trailing point. Very easy to puncture the guts when gutting with the trailing point.

The trailing point style knives excel at detail and boning work, but if you can only have 1, drop point all the way
 
What kind of hunting? Squirrel? Pheasant? Turkey? Whitetail? Elk? They all have different requirements, and what is good for one might not be good for another.
 
AR-Trvlr said:
What kind of hunting? Squirrel? Pheasant? Turkey? Whitetail? Elk? They all have different requirements, and what is good for one might not be good for another.
Click to expand...

I should had mentioned that sorry...
Big game hunting: Deer, elk, and moose mostly.

I can modify the trailing point somewhat as discussed.

I too prefer the drop point. The blade in picture is 3 3/4" long. Because of the shape, one can place his finger over the tip to avoid puncturing the stomach/guts. This one will also be tweeted a little I think.

And desmobob, that is a fine looking design/knife there!
 
AbLonewolf said:
I should had mentioned that sorry...
Big game hunting: Deer, elk, and moose mostly.

I can modify the trailing point somewhat as discussed.

I too prefer the drop point. The blade in picture is 3 3/4" long. Because of the shape, one can place his finger over the tip to avoid puncturing the stomach/guts. This one will also be tweeted a little I think.

And desmobob, that is a fine looking design/knife there!
Click to expand...

Thanks.

I got on a Busse kick several years ago and started buying them. I like to use my knives and I quickly found that most of the Busses I bought were not really that useful to me; usually due to overly thick blades and clunky grinds. But the Busse BAD that I posted a photo of has a full flat grind, thin behind the edge, and is one of my favorite knives from any maker. I think it really is my all-time favorite whitetail hunting knife. I never expected that from a Busse.

BAD stands for "Boney Active Duty." In Busse terms, the "boney" part means it's a thinner blade and grind version of the standard Busse Active Duty model. It also has lacks the usual crinkle-finish blade coating that's on most normal Busse knives. The handle scales are Micarta and the handle design is just a perfect for me. The 3.5" blade is .135" thick at the spine and .012"-.015" behind the edge, I believe. It is Busse's INFI steel at 60rc.

When I sell my Busse knives, the BAD and the Cultellus (another small, thin blade) will be the only ones I keep. Well... and maybe the Battle Mistress! :)
 
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The trailing point blade might make a good skinner especially with a little more upsweep.
 
golfer1 said:
The trailing point blade might make a good skinner especially with a little more upsweep.
Click to expand...

I have one trailing point skinning knife and have never used it! For some reason, I don't even like the looks of them.

When I did skin and butcher my whitetails, I hung them from a sturdy maple limb and used my four-wheeler or lawn tractor to pull the hide off (like the butcher does now with an electric winch). Quick and easy and not a sliver of meat wasted. These days, I turn the deer in whole to the butcher.

But I can see where that's not an option with an elk, moose, caribou, big bear, etc. I might want to use a skinning blade in those cases, but I think I'd still want a drop point for the rest of the work.
 
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