We can't eat them whole!.
In the real world, every part of the knife should have a practical or
tactical application.
Once upon a time, a childhood friend of mine and I skinned a frozen bear with
our pocket knives, we learned a few things!,,,,,, It took us all day! And yes, we made a few extra
button-holes. That learning should never stop.
This is important to us!
We apply decades of Big Game hunting research and the experience of a seasoned
Certified Outfitter/Guide into every inch of every blade we sell.
Here are a few of our ideas,,,,
Forging a hunting knife to make the more difficult task easer, makes
it a more all-around blade.
We forge what we feel is a
wonderful hunting companion.
Thinning the tip can make a fine small-game skinner, here is a General Purpose
Hunter that just skinned a badger that meet with bad luck crossing a
road, he is now heading to a taxidermist.
Everybody may view this differently, we combine you're and our ideas to craft your
knife.
Pros and cons, in hope to be on the same page when
we discuss forging your knife.
This is what we consider the more difficult task anyone could
ask a knife to do. Listed in what we think are the more difficult task
first.
* Cape the trophy: I like some 'V'ee in the tip, good for
small-game and capes, Extra button-holes if your covering the tee-pee
skinning big game.
* Core the rectum: I don't like a blade too wide as they excel
with birds and trout also. Build a blade to thin, and it's less of a
survival-brush craft knife.
* Sever the diaphragm, detach the windpipe: Or more
importantly, a handle that doesn't dictate your hold or feel. Multi-grip
handles don't have that 'trendy' look, we think that lack of cool, is
cool.
* Cleanly open the cavity : Once you use a knife that 'feels
right' you will chuckle at gut-hooks. The drop in the point should match
the curve of the tip for an all-around knife, simply, you need to make
up for that by sweeping the knife more, or more blade first then tip
first with pure-skinners.
*And become a survival tool: If something went wrong, will
your knife and skills save your life?
Well your knife come out with you? or will it be found next to you?
Considerations
Other duties a good Hunting Knife should excel at,,,
* Accompany the cook: This is just a secret from a big game
guide, help the cook every chance you get! A knife that will dice a few
onions and slice a few tomatoes, carrots and potatoes or is just
plain handy around the camp is worth putting to work with a few added
kitchen duties. You keep the camp cook happy, the whole camp is happy! Try this trick at
home, trust me, wink.
* Build blinds/prepare kindling for fires: We all could slash
some browse, or fuzz a few sticks with just about any knife, having too
much of anything is a very good thing! Having a knife that just
makes these jobs fun is like waking up as the star of your dream in the woods!
* Remove slivers, first aid: Or just being that handy 'go-too'
knife can stop a simple matter from becoming an issue. Carrying a knife
that takes care of you, will allow you to take better care of others
in the field, this is a promises!.
* Flesh hides: Or maybe a better description is having enough
blade for those odd jobs. We should carry the biggest knife we can that
will still do all the intricate work. Size matters.
* Open packages and share apples: Insert knife-need here! What
task can we think of that your knife 'cant do' and we should consider
that in it's shape and style.
Traditional Blade Geometries
Drop equals 'feel': The drop in the point, and the shape of
the blade equals the feel as a hunting knife. We should not have to
'learn' how to use it, that's just another way to say accept how to cope
with it. Your knife should be an extension to your thoughts, second
nature to work with, period.
Nicking the paunch (bladder) is the start of a bad day.
Opening the belly, inner wall, severing the diagram, detaching the
windpipe, coring the rectum, Forging the right 'drop'
in the point will allow you to easily find or 'feel' in your knife.
These are more difficult with to much 'Skinner' build into the blade.
Forging the 'Vee',,,
The tip of the knife will do about 85% of the total task of field
dressing large game. Forging the right amount of 'V'ee will make or
brake your favorite or 'go-too' knife.
Capping out a trophy, skinning down around antlers, the jaws toward
the ears, past the bridge of the nose, nostrials and down into the
lips into the gums till the cape falls off the teeth. Is just a thrill
for me!
Giving a Taxidermist the best cape you can will improve the mount he
can return to the hunter. My knife can't have to much 'V'ee in the
blade, your views may be different, what can we forge for you?
The Belly/blade shape
Has this been to easy so far?
To much belly and a blade wont core the rectum. Not enough belly and
it is a slower 'Skinner'. The belly of the blade will whittle a tent
peg, fuzz sticks to start a fire, but so will a strait ground blade. No
knife is the best for everything. Consider cutting brows for stand
camouflage? A lot of belly works fine if your cutting the twigs, but
seems to glance out of the cut in branches the size of your thumb.
Straight blades will peel potatoes better, but some belly seems to slice
onions and tomatoes better, choices in a camp-kitchen are not as
important as in the field. Usefulness is the essence
of design.
Completing your idea of that perfect field knife is were the
Bladesmith and Hunter come together.
That perfect knife, The Spike Camp.
High up the mountain is a camp and situation that demands the very
most from those who dare!
The idea started the last day of your last hunt. That's when you
started to make this years plans! Just like pre-season exercising
will push yourself to a further limit. Your equipment will enhance your
hunt.
Spike Camps are a method of taking game, light and modest. Everything
in the camp camp came in on a pack board of a hunter or pack-horse or two
that are h311 bent on bagging game, period.
Every item in a Spike camp has a well earned need. Each meal
carefully planed, some including a grouse, rabbit, squirrel or trout you
have not yet meet? The single fry-pan will cook your every square, Just
as the tent, your sleeping bag and gear will fit your every need to a
tee. The rife or bow hanging on the shoulder of each hunter is
designed and tuned to make a one shot kill, as an extinction of the
hunter. This is hunting!
If I close my eyes and smell the smoke of the fire, feel the weather
that is setting in, the promise of fresh snow by morning, a predators
dream. I want one knife to finish my every task!
Every knife I build, a piece of me goes with it, forged from the
heart, a Blues musician could maybe explain it better?
It's the soul that goes
into the craft.
Kevin M. Salonek
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