Custom mini Canadian belt knife

[CypressCreek]

I agree that the CBK is a very task specific/oriented design.

I hunt a fair amount and process a couple deer a year, but my background in knife design and use comes from an EDC/Bushcraft background. Reading all of your comments gives me a lot to think about.

Are there any threads around here dedicated to ideal hunting knife discussion? I'd love to hear more of your thoughts.

 

[hereinaz]

I agree that the CBK is a very task specific/oriented design.

I hunt a fair amount and process a couple deer a year, but my background in knife design and use comes from an EDC/Bushcraft background. Reading all of your comments gives me a lot to think about.

Are there any threads around here dedicated to ideal hunting knife discussion? I'd love to hear more of your thoughts.

Rabbit holes galore… but not many I remember about knives like this thread. Here are a couple that have a little bit of value to get an idea of the general ideas for knives.

"Hunting" knife vs fillet/boning knife

I'm thinking about changing up my knife game for the season. I currently run a gerber vital folder and small saw in my pack and a benchmade osborne 940 on my hip for field dressing. I usually have the opportunity to gut in field but haul out and then skin and debone in the shop later. At the...

rokslide.com

Your favorite hunting knife?

My wife brought home the puukko on the bottom from a trip to Finland. It's a handy little knife, and has become my favorite tool for field dressing and skinning. She actually brought home 2 of them, but one got lost somewhere. I ordered another for her with the blue from the same place, it...

rokslide.com

 

[CypressCreek]

Rabbit holes galore… but not many I remember about knives like this thread. Here are a couple that have a little bit of value to get an idea of the general ideas for knives.

"Hunting" knife vs fillet/boning knife

I'm thinking about changing up my knife game for the season. I currently run a gerber vital folder and small saw in my pack and a benchmade osborne 940 on my hip for field dressing. I usually have the opportunity to gut in field but haul out and then skin and debone in the shop later. At the...

rokslide.com

Your favorite hunting knife?

My wife brought home the puukko on the bottom from a trip to Finland. It's a handy little knife, and has become my favorite tool for field dressing and skinning. She actually brought home 2 of them, but one got lost somewhere. I ordered another for her with the blue from the same place, it...

rokslide.com

Thanks!

 

[Dixie]

I agree that the CBK is a very task specific/oriented design.

I hunt a fair amount and process a couple deer a year, but my background in knife design and use comes from an EDC/Bushcraft background. Reading all of your comments gives me a lot to think about.

Are there any threads around here dedicated to ideal hunting knife discussion? I'd love to hear more of your thoughts.

I’d agree it’s a rabbit hole. I use mine on a couple elk and deer per year so my sample size is small ,but I’ve been at it for a few years …still have my Buck 112 that was a favorite back in the 70’s.I’ve made knives for friends into bushcraft and they love them but I don’t find them useful for me.
Then made one I thought was perfect, then I saw the CBK and thought that could be it “perfection”…but I think it needs a little more belly. Like I was told years ago about reloading “it’s a journey not a destination “ . These two could be my favorite…LOL
Made this for a friend definitely shows the potential of the ark of the circle for skinning.
I really don’t think I’m doing anything new,just a spin on years old designs.

 

[Netherman]

I think the love here for the CBK style is it's blend of skinning and detail blade shape. When I do the gutless method half or more of my cuts are skinning cuts where the continuous belly shines. the other cuts are more detail oriented where the drop point is perfect. If I'm in dragging distance of the road and temps are cool enough, I'll gut and hang. For this use case I'm looking for a reasonable blade height for the butthole coring cuts, a dropped point that limits the pointyness to prevent puncturing the guts when making the belly incision, and a blade length that allows me to get my index finger near the tip for "blind" cuts in the chest cavity. somewhere near 3.25" for me.

Regarding the handle I like the Slalomnorth design for the finger clearance. My only worry with his handle is losing some comfort/security in non-hammer grip positions. As a few others here said, I primarily pinch grip or have my index finger along spine. Less frequently, but still in the use case, I will flip the knife over (belly or spine hide cut) or hammer grip (tendons, boning cuts, joint removal). I think the pinch/index grips are the reason for the deeper cut on most CBK handles as they seem to "lock in" the middle and ring finger well.

 

[hereinaz]

I think the love here for the CBK style is it's blend of skinning and detail blade shape. When I do the gutless method half or more of my cuts are skinning cuts where the continuous belly shines. the other cuts are more detail oriented where the drop point is perfect. If I'm in dragging distance of the road and temps are cool enough, I'll gut and hang. For this use case I'm looking for a reasonable blade height for the butthole coring cuts, a dropped point that limits the pointyness to prevent puncturing the guts when making the belly incision, and a blade length that allows me to get my index finger near the tip for "blind" cuts in the chest cavity. somewhere near 3.25" for me.

Regarding the handle I like the Slalomnorth design for the finger clearance. My only worry with his handle is losing some comfort/security in non-hammer grip positions. As a few others here said, I primarily pinch grip or have my index finger along spine. Less frequently, but still in the use case, I will flip the knife over (belly or spine hide cut) or hammer grip (tendons, boning cuts, joint removal). I think the pinch/index grips are the reason for the deeper cut on most CBK handles as they seem to "lock in" the middle and ring finger well.

Hadn't thought of that, but the difference between styles make perfect sense for tool shape. The western quarter, bag and carry vs. the eastern gut, drag and hang. I was in Tennessee and met a guy who was almost to the trust after dragging a deer out for almost a mile. I can 't see myself ever doing that, even mostly downhill like he did.

The first deer I killed was a small mule deer before I knew anything. A friend gutted it and I carried it over my shoulder 100 yards, but never occurred to me to drag it.

 

[Slalomnorth]

I got a Cold Steel CBK for Christmas, and am intrigued by the shape, and the praise it gets. However, now that I have one in hand, I’m surprised that the blade and handle aren’t actually canted with respect to each other, they are still in line. It’s just that the back edge of the blade drops as it approaches the handle, and the back edge of the handle drops as it approaches the blade. The pictures I had seen made the blade look much more angled back.
I’m very excited to try it out on some animals this year.

Shown below with a skinner Dan from @Slalomnorth, which I am super impressed with and which is currently my favorite overall shape and edge geometry - high flat grind, very thin behind the edge, and made from thinner magnacut (0.08” or 0.1”, I can’t remember). Due to the fact that it’s a more skinning-oriented pattern, the blade is more laid back with respect to the handle.

View attachment 814747

I’ve since slimmed down my skinner patterns a bit (same length), but looking good. Guys he even made his own micarta! Pretty cool. I sold him this blank and he handled it (hence no logo).

It’s fun to read about all the little details and preferences people have in the CBK (or any knife for that matter). I think as long as a few design aspects are nailed down, the small changes are what make it your own and your preference. Now I like the idea of just collecting a whole bunch of different CBK’s!

I worked for CO parks and wildlife for 5 years, and was responsible for tracking collared deer and elk for mortality studies, classifications, tag allocations, etc. In the winter time I would cut up anywhere from 4-12 deer and elk a week. Now I guide deer and elk hunters in the fall. It has given me a lot of opportunities to test different steels, heat treats, patterns, geometries, etc. This isn’t to say someone who cuts up less animals doesn’t have good input, hell they could be more observant than me! That’s what makes the hobby fun.

 

[CypressCreek]

For me, the mark of a good knife is being able to easily identify where the edge of the blade is without having to look. That is why I contour my handles, use ergonomic handle design, and include a small guard. The CBK design goes against most of my knife philosophy yet I still know where the edge is at all times.

I do a lot of choking up and pinch grip cuts with my knives, and I have found that a 2.75-3.25” blade with a slight drop point works best for me.

I do a lot of fishing and need to be able to tie on a new lure/fly with my knife still in hand so I don't have to re-sheath the blade between cutting off the old knot and trimming the tag end of the new knot.

I have a ”test” that I use to make sure the knife is usable for me. I have to be able to securely hold the knife with my middle, ring and pinky fingers, leaving my index and thumb available to articulate and tie knots. Coincidentally, this is the same grip I use when skinning game and working blindly in the chest cavity.





I find it very interesting that the CBK and a more “traditional” knife design are so wildly different in looks, but are more or less the same “in use” ie: choking up, pinch grip, finger along spine.

Dixie and Slalomnorth have it right, we really aren't doing anything new here, just revisiting old ideas, and the search for the “perfect” knife is what makes all this so much fun.

 

[Slalomnorth]

For me, the mark of a good knife is being able to easily identify where the edge of the blade is without having to look. That is why I contour my handles, use ergonomic handle design, and include a small guard. The CBK design goes against most of my knife philosophy yet I still know where the edge is at all times.

I do a lot of choking up and pinch grip cuts with my knives, and I have found that a 2.75-3.25” blade with a slight drop point works best for me.

I do a lot of fishing and need to be able to tie on a new lure/fly with my knife still in hand so I don't have to re-sheath the blade between cutting off the old knot and trimming the tag end of the new knot.

I have a ”test” that I use to make sure the knife is usable for me. I have to be able to securely hold the knife with my middle, ring and pinky fingers, leaving my index and thumb available to articulate and tie knots. Coincidentally, this is the same grip I use when skinning game and working blindly in the chest cavity.

View attachment 815596
View attachment 815597
View attachment 815598

I find it very interesting that the CBK and a more “traditional” knife design are so wildly different in looks, but are more or less the same “in use” ie: choking up, pinch grip, finger along spine.

Dixie and Slalomnorth have it right, we really aren't doing anything new here, just revisiting old ideas, and the search for the “perfect” knife is what makes all this so much fun.

That last part exactly. The biggest thing is just updating the knife with modern day steels, heat treats, thin stock, thin geometry, and good grinding practices that comes along with a custom maker.

 

[hereinaz]

For me, the mark of a good knife is being able to easily identify where the edge of the blade is without having to look. That is why I contour my handles, use ergonomic handle design, and include a small guard. The CBK design goes against most of my knife philosophy yet I still know where the edge is at all times.

I do a lot of choking up and pinch grip cuts with my knives, and I have found that a 2.75-3.25” blade with a slight drop point works best for me.

Those are necessary points for a good knife, well explained. I like a little guard or signal where the blade is too, so I like those takes you guys have shown.

I find that a 2.75 to 3” long blade with drop point is optimal as well. I edc the Mini Bugout.

I choke up a lot too when I need more precision and to know exactly where the blade is. That’s the grip I use that you showed. The blade is an extension of my finger and it is intuitive.

There are times when skinning that I grab the handle and the extra belly and finger clearance will make skinning easier. I find my hand fatigues if I am choked up too much, but I am getting older too.

 

[Netherman]

Hadn't thought of that, but the difference between styles make perfect sense for tool shape. The western quarter, bag and carry vs. the eastern gut, drag and hang. I was in Tennessee and met a guy who was almost to the trust after dragging a deer out for almost a mile. I can 't see myself ever doing that, even mostly downhill like he did.

The first deer I killed was a small mule deer before I knew anything. A friend gutted it and I carried it over my shoulder 100 yards, but never occurred to me to drag it.

The meat quality is better if you can hang thru rigor, but I'm probably 80/20 quarter vs. dragging. 3-400yds is probably my upper limit for dragging and most of my hunting happens away from roads. I like the idea of a knife suited for both tasks and feel like the CBK is it.

I find it very interesting that the CBK and a more “traditional” knife design are so wildly different in looks, but are more or less the same “in use” ie: choking up, pinch grip, finger along spine.

At least for me, the draw of the CBK is being able to use more of the blade skinning without giving up much from a typical drop point knife. If I always gutted and got them out whole I'd be happy or maybe even happier with a good drop point.

That last part exactly. The biggest thing is just updating the knife with modern day steels, heat treats, thin stock, thin geometry, and good grinding practices that comes along with a custom maker.

Curious to hear some thoughts here. I'm a bit worried about thinner stock as wet, cold, and "done with life" me has torqued a blade in a joint trying to get done quicker (not that it ever helps). I think the KOA Yukon is 0.125 and is too thick, but I'm not sure how far down to go before it becomes a risk. Only thing worse than a bad knife is half a knife (I've learned that with a havalon more than once). I'd like something that won't fail on me if I needed to baton smaller pieces of wood in a "I need a fire right TF now" situation, but that would be outside the norm. Would something around 0.10 be a good compromise?

I'm also interested in some opinions on the best steel for a field dressing knife. Here are my wants based on my use case:
- Stainless as I will put it away bloody and might not clean for 7-10 days beyond a quick wipe on my pants (worst case)
- Able to hold an edge thru at least an elk without maintenance
- Able to re-sharpen in field conditions easily to fairly easily. I use a DMT diafold but wouldn't hate something lighter, better, or both
- Tough enough/thick enough to baton smaller sticks in an emergency situation

 

[hereinaz]

@Netherman Dixie made me one that is thick enough IMO for your purposes. But, I would go thinner. I have broken Havalon but not outdoor edge. Something along the lines of a Mora thickness. I’ll have to check how thick when I am home next week.

@Dixie What is the thickness of the one you sent?

 

[CypressCreek]

The meat quality is better if you can hang thru rigor, but I'm probably 80/20 quarter vs. dragging. 3-400yds is probably my upper limit for dragging and most of my hunting happens away from roads. I like the idea of a knife suited for both tasks and feel like the CBK is it.


At least for me, the draw of the CBK is being able to use more of the blade skinning without giving up much from a typical drop point knife. If I always gutted and got them out whole I'd be happy or maybe even happier with a good drop point.


Curious to hear some thoughts here. I'm a bit worried about thinner stock as wet, cold, and "done with life" me has torqued a blade in a joint trying to get done quicker (not that it ever helps). I think the KOA Yukon is 0.125 and is too thick, but I'm not sure how far down to go before it becomes a risk. Only thing worse than a bad knife is half a knife (I've learned that with a havalon more than once). I'd like something that won't fail on me if I needed to baton smaller pieces of wood in a "I need a fire right TF now" situation, but that would be outside the norm. Would something around 0.10 be a good compromise?

I'm also interested in some opinions on the best steel for a field dressing knife. Here are my wants based on my use case:
- Stainless as I will put it away bloody and might not clean for 7-10 days beyond a quick wipe on my pants (worst case)
- Able to hold an edge thru at least an elk without maintenance
- Able to re-sharpen in field conditions easily to fairly easily. I use a DMT diafold but wouldn't hate something lighter, better, or both
- Tough enough/thick enough to baton smaller sticks in an emergency situation

I'll toss in my 2 cents here. I think 0.093-0.110 is an ideal thickness (0.105-0.110" being my preference). MagnaCut is quickly becoming the "go to" stainless because of it's toughness, edge holding abilities, and relatively easy sharpenability. I think the same thickness in AEBL may be a good steel choice too, AEBL won't hold an edge as well but is much easier to touch up than MagnaCut, and is much tougher.
I have battoned, dropped, and abused one of my Backpackers in 0.100" thick S35VN and I have never felt like it was too thin or brittle to hold up to the task at hand.

Honestly, most of the modern stainless steels in 0.100" will serve you well, it is the high hardness super steels that may give you some trouble.

 

[Slalomnorth]

The meat quality is better if you can hang thru rigor, but I'm probably 80/20 quarter vs. dragging. 3-400yds is probably my upper limit for dragging and most of my hunting happens away from roads. I like the idea of a knife suited for both tasks and feel like the CBK is it.


At least for me, the draw of the CBK is being able to use more of the blade skinning without giving up much from a typical drop point knife. If I always gutted and got them out whole I'd be happy or maybe even happier with a good drop point.


Curious to hear some thoughts here. I'm a bit worried about thinner stock as wet, cold, and "done with life" me has torqued a blade in a joint trying to get done quicker (not that it ever helps). I think the KOA Yukon is 0.125 and is too thick, but I'm not sure how far down to go before it becomes a risk. Only thing worse than a bad knife is half a knife (I've learned that with a havalon more than once). I'd like something that won't fail on me if I needed to baton smaller pieces of wood in a "I need a fire right TF now" situation, but that would be outside the norm. Would something around 0.10 be a good compromise?

I'm also interested in some opinions on the best steel for a field dressing knife. Here are my wants based on my use case:
- Stainless as I will put it away bloody and might not clean for 7-10 days beyond a quick wipe on my pants (worst case)
- Able to hold an edge thru at least an elk without maintenance
- Able to re-sharpen in field conditions easily to fairly easily. I use a DMT diafold but wouldn't hate something lighter, better, or both
- Tough enough/thick enough to baton smaller sticks in an emergency situation

Thick knives are very easy to make. Personally, I don’t need anything over .08” stock. If I want a thicker more robust knife, I just won’t grind it as thin. With modern day steels and heat treats it’s plenty strong for my needs.


Definitely don’t want to be torquing joints with anything sub .01” behind the edge thickness. I make knives that are meant to cut things very efficiently. You could still lightly baton small pieces of wood with anything over .01” behind the edge thickness, with care not going through any knots of course. I find the limit of being durable but still thin around .014”-.016”. Behind the edge. .100” stock is a fine thickness and occasionally I will make knives from it, but I never go over that typically.

Magnacut is very hard to beat, it’s super well balanced holds an edge for a long time and is very stain resistant. It’s what I use the most and like to run it at 63 HRC. With that being said my favorite is a higher carbide steel like 10v. Maybe it’s anecdotal but the higher carbide content I feel like is advantageous on hide, hair, and muscle. The steel matrix around the carbide wears and you’re left with almost a serrated type edge. I’ve tested it a lot. It’s impressive stuff no doubt, and I just got a bunch of it in .075” stock. Very expensive though. I run it at 65 HRC.

In additions even stainless steels like Aeb-l and 14c28n at 62-63 hrc are no slouches. I can shave hair still with them after dressing an elk out generally as long as there’s not excessive bone contact.

 

[CypressCreek]

For a blade that is dedicated to cutting hide, hair and flesh, I think @Slalomnorth has nailed it.

I'm a bit rougher on knives, often cutting things I shouldn't, and I use them for more than just processing game. For me, 0.093-0.125 is the sweet spot in blade thickness with a behind the edge thickness of 0.012-0.018, and I'm not maxing out the hardness. I am definitely sacrificing some performance for edge stability and toughness, but the trade-offs are worth it to me. If I were going to have one blade dedicated to game processing, I would make it thin and hard.

 

[hereinaz]

That's the balance for each user and what makes it fun to have different knives and try new things. You knife makers are educating me to how I can do better...

I run a dedicated blade for game, so thin and hard for me. It's my pocketknife that gets abused the most.

When I camped and did Boy Scouts, I used a drop point sheath knife a lot more for bushcraft stuff. I don't find that much use for that knife while hunting that I can't make due with a dedicated game knife and pocketknife.

 

[Dixie]

I’ve since slimmed down my skinner patterns a bit (same length), but looking good. Guys he even made his own micarta! Pretty cool. I sold him this blank and he handled it (hence no logo).

It’s fun to read about all the little details and preferences people have in the CBK (or any knife for that matter). I think as long as a few design aspects are nailed down, the small changes are what make it your own and your preference. Now I like the idea of just collecting a whole bunch of different CBK’s!

I worked for CO parks and wildlife for 5 years, and was responsible for tracking collared deer and elk for mortality studies, classifications, tag allocations, etc. In the winter time I would cut up anywhere from 4-12 deer and elk a week. It has given me a lot of opportunities to test different steels, heat treats, patterns, geometries, etc. This isn’t to say someone who cuts up less animals doesn’t have good input, hell they could be more observant than me! That’s what makes the

@Netherman Dixie made me one that is thick enough IMO for your purposes. But, I would go thinner. I have broken Havalon but not outdoor edge. Something along the lines of a Mora thickness. I’ll have to check how thick when I am home next week.

@Dixie What is the thickness of the one you sent?

.100 made the other 2 out of of .080.
I wouldn’t want to go any thinner than .080 .

 

[ElPollo]

Thick knives are very easy to make. Personally, I don’t need anything over .08” stock. If I want a thicker more robust knife, I just won’t grind it as thin. With modern day steels and heat treats it’s plenty strong for my needs.


Definitely don’t want to be torquing joints with anything sub .01” behind the edge thickness. I make knives that are meant to cut things very efficiently. You could still lightly baton small pieces of wood with anything over .01” behind the edge thickness, with care not going through any knots of course. I find the limit of being durable but still thin around .014”-.016”. Behind the edge. .100” stock is a fine thickness and occasionally I will make knives from it, but I never go over that typically.

Magnacut is very hard to beat, it’s super well balanced holds an edge for a long time and is very stain resistant. It’s what I use the most and like to run it at 63 HRC. With that being said my favorite is a higher carbide steel like 10v. Maybe it’s anecdotal but the higher carbide content I feel like is advantageous on hide, hair, and muscle. The steel matrix around the carbide wears and you’re left with almost a serrated type edge. I’ve tested it a lot. It’s impressive stuff no doubt, and I just got a bunch of it in .075” stock. Very expensive though. I run it at 65 HRC.

In additions even stainless steels like Aeb-l and 14c28n at 62-63 hrc are no slouches. I can shave hair still with them after dressing an elk out generally as long as there’s not excessive bone contact.

I’ve always thought 14c28n would be a damned good choice at higher hardness and would be more economical than MagnaCut. more economical. The knives I’ve used in that steel in have been a little softer than I’d like. That was one of the suggestions I made early on in this thread for Form’s project.

 

[CypressCreek]

14c28n would definitely be a good steel choice. Bump it up to 62rc and you'd have a solid user.

 

[Dixie]

.100 made the other 2 out of of .080.
I wouldn’t want to go any thinner than .080 .

For clarity…the thinner stuff just takes more time to get right for me. No pre-grinding and a little more work making sure it’s straight out of HT, but doable.
.100 or .080 is what I use the most for hunting knives.

I’m like the rest and like Magnacut but with ABE-L I have no problem getting though an elk without sharpening and if I need to easy to put an edge on. Also it’s about 1/5 the cost per foot .
Great info on this post…thanks for sharing!