How Big Is Your Elk Knife?

[Swede]

Cnelk started a thread about Colt the knife. This is different. Not all of us will get a chance at Colt, so what do you carry? How large is the blade, or blades?

I have a Buck Mini Alpha. The blade is nearly 2 3/4 inches long. The other knife is either a small pocket knife or a Buck with a 5 inch blade. Crocodile Dundee would be embarrassed to be seen in the woods with me.

 

[Zpd307]

bigger isnt always better. i hope.......

 

[bowhunter]

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I have an earlier version of this with a laminated wood handle and antlers engraved in the blade. Great knife but the case is kind of thin, I hope to find a better leather case someday,

 

[elky McElkerson]

Going big this year! 4\" of glory. My first custom knife! One thing I didn\'t expect was it to be \"too nice\". It\'s hard to jam this thing into things. A muddy hog stopped me cold. So I used it to make lemonade. Just to tarnish the thing. You know like getting that first door ding takes the pressure off.

 

[otcWill]

Swingblade (maybe4-5 inch blade). Has a cool blade that swings out that is the best blade for caping you\'ll ever use. I like a large, cheap fillet for deboning. Hit \'em here and watch \'em fall in seconds

 

[cnelk]

This big

 

[elky McElkerson]

bigger isnt always better. i hope.......

hahha...i hope your knife is at least \"wide\".

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

bigger isnt always better. i hope.......

For sure! Havalon Piranta is the best knife I\'ve used for quatering elk. Only problem is the blades do break but that\'s ok becuase you can snap a razor sharp one on in seconds.

 

[cohunter14]

This is what I use, except black handles. I\'ve had them for years and both knives work awesome. 3.75\" for the skinner and 2.6\" for the caper. Similar to Will, I prefer a fillet knife for the deboning.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

Dies anyone use the gutless method?

 

[elky McElkerson]

Dies anyone use the gutless method?

Always. At least when I can\'t see the truck.

 

[cnelk]

Yep. Always

 

[bowhunter]

Dies anyone use the gutless method?

That\'s usually the plan, however last year I removed the legs , which was hard to do and could not get to the backstraps. My elk was on a 45deg slope against a blowdown feet straight up in the air. I couldn\'t move him after the legs were off. I had to gut him and remove them then struggled to roll it over and hold it with a knee as I cut out the backstraps. It took me 2.5 hours to quarter, bag and pack the meat 100yds down hill. Just picture your elk on its back in a bathtub. Now try to quarter him. that\'s what it was like.

 

[elkmtngear]

This big

That\'s mine...same knife... black handle

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

I always use the gutless method when I can. Do you guys find it\'s harder to do with larger knifes?

 

[elky McElkerson]

I always use the gutless method when I can. Do you guys find it\'s harder to do with larger knifes?

No way! If I could I\'d love my kitchen boning knife. I\'ve gotten pretty good at removing leg meat, and leaving a spotless bone. I open it up like a book, scrape the bone away and lift it out. I flexy blade helps.

 

[2peterhunter]

Havelon

 

[iccyman001]

Havelon

Welcome to the site 2Peterhunter!
:upthumb:

 

[Jaquomo]

For many years I used a scalpel for most of the work, with a small custom fixed blade for the harder parts.

Now I have a Havalon Piranta, and won a Depperschmidt custom fixed blade with a black palm handle in an archery raffle in which I only bought one ticket. Got lucky since I think it\'s about a $500 knife. I have about 25 other knives, from custom capers to boning knives to folding knives, including the Cutco like cnelk has. But the Havalon and Depperschmidt are my go-to blades now. (Funny how people think we must need a new knife for Christmas or birthday because we\'re hunters??!!)

One note about the Cutco. It\'s a great all-around knife, easy to sharpen. But the steel is relatively soft, according to the Cutco people. I learned this when I chipped the end of the blade when caping around the antler base of a bull. I called them about warranty replacement and they told me to NEVER get a Cutco knife around bone because it will chip or break. I asked how a hunter is supposed to avoid bone, and he didn\'t know. Long story short, they \"fixed\" my knife by grinding back the blade. The edge was bad so I had to fix it on my own grinder, then with a file, then a stone.

I always do gutless unless it\'s right before dark and I plan to leave him until morning.

 

[elky McElkerson]

For many years I used a scalpel for most of the work, with a small custom fixed blade for the harder parts.

Now I have a Havalon Piranta, and won a Depperschmidt custom fixed blade with a black palm handle in an archery raffle in which I only bought one ticket. Got lucky since I think it\'s about a $500 knife. I have about 25 other knives, from custom capers to boning knives to folding knives, including the Cutco like cnelk has. But the Havalon and Depperschmidt are my go-to blades now. (Funny how people think we must need a new knife for Christmas or birthday because we\'re hunters??!!)

One note about the Cutco. It\'s a great all-around knife, easy to sharpen. But the steel is relatively soft, according to the Cutco people. I learned this when I chipped the end of the blade when caping around the antler base of a bull. I called them about warranty replacement and they told me to NEVER get a Cutco knife around bone because it will chip or break. I asked how a hunter is supposed to avoid bone, and he didn\'t know. Long story short, they \"fixed\" my knife by grinding back the blade. The edge was bad so I had to fix it on my own grinder, then with a file, then a stone.

I always do gutless unless it\'s right before dark and I plan to leave him until morning.

Pic of the Depperschmit? Love to see it!