Knives!

[Trogon]

Good to see @Geedubya posting here

Get ready to be inspired to have some knives built!

 

[Geedubya]

Good to see @Geedubya posting here

Get ready to be inspired to have some knives built!

Thanx for the kind words, I'll try not to be a pest!

ya!

GWB

 

[Geedubya]

Glad to see custom makers names floating through this post. My knife is the forged knife in the middle. 1084 with black oxide finish with desert ironwood. I built it for an elk hunt. The other two were for customers. Edge geometry and retention are key for your knife performance in the field.

That is a sweet one. Of the three, the middle one is my favorite.
I have one that is similar, it was by TK Steingass who is an ABS Master Smith, he called it his "Blue Bayou".
Lately, any A2 knife I acquire, I have etched. I do not mind a patina on carbon steel knives but the etching kinda changes the equation.
BTW, I zoomed the picture and IMHO that is a very unusual piece of desert Ironwood with which you hafted that knife. My experience is limited, but I don't recall seeing another with the light coloration in the wood.
The knife on the left looks to be hafted with "root beer" linen micarta. What is the composition of the scales on the knife on the right.
Also, it seems to me that the left and right knives are stock removal and have a hollow grind. Does the knife in the center have a flat grind?
Luv to hear more details as to dimensions of the knife you forged for yourself, if you have the time and are of the mind!
Best,
GWB

 

[sahunter06]

That is a sweet one. Of the three, the middle one is my favorite.
I have one that is similar, it was by TK Steingass who is an ABS Master Smith, he called it his "Blue Bayou".
Lately, any A2 knife I acquire, I have etched. I do not mind a patina on carbon steel knives but the etching kinda changes the equation.
BTW, I zoomed the picture and IMHO that is a very unusual piece of desert Ironwood with which you hafted that knife. My experience is limited, but I don't recall seeing another with the light coloration in the wood.
The knife on the left looks to be hafted with "root beer" linen micarta. What is the composition of the scales on the knife on the right.
Also, it seems to me that the left and right knives are stock removal and have a hollow grind. Does the knife in the center have a flat grind?
Luv to hear more details as to dimensions of the knife you forged for yourself, if you have the time and are of the mind!
Best,
GWB

Thank you. All of those knives were forged, the left and right knives were finished out. The middle knife is a brute de forge. Good eye on the grinds. The handle on the middle knife has ironwood sapwood on it. That’s the light color. The left handle material is tan linen micarta. The right handle material is sea cow rib bone. My knife has a 4” cutting edge, OAL is 8.25”. TK is a talented maker and ABS member.

 

[Geedubya]

10/4.
Bear with me, as I'm actually going somewhere with this response.

I've been fortunate enough to acquire a number of "one off" knives from Gene Ingram. His knives are stock removal and Gene does not do bolsters/guards. He knows that I am enamored of skinning knives. He alerted me to the tome pictured below.......

On page 131 of that tome, I found one that I thought would be cool to have created by him, A2 steel and he pick the dimensions and scales.

Here is what he came up with.......

Rib bone from a Steller's Sea Cow for the scales.

And one more with one of his "Kingfishers", also in A2, and desert Ironwood. Don't know if you can tell but the Kingfisher has been used a lot.

I dabble in leatherwork and made the sheath for two other A2 steel knives by O'Neill.

ya!

GWB

 

[sahunter06]

Great book! I’m a skinning knife enthusiast myself.

That’s a classic butcher knife profile. I’m sure it’s used a lot in your kitchen. I also make all of the sheaths for my knives as well. I still prefer to do it “old school” and hand stitch all of my sheaths. Here they are for the above mentioned knives.


Looks like you are a knife enthusiast as well. Glad to share stories and pics.

Here’s a guarded camper I made for a customer with presentation grade ironwood.
DB

 

[Geedubya]

10/4 on the stitching.
Most of the time I ask the maker if he would have a problem with me creating my own sheath for the knife he is crafting.

I did a DBA when I started buying tools and leather. It is NRFPT Leather, which is an acronym for "Not Ready For Prime Time"

Ya' learn real quick how much money one can have tied up in tools and consumables, and trying to make money hand stitching, fuggedabowdit. Besides, for me it is enjoyment, I don't need or want a job. Sometimes I'm asked to do a piece, and I beg off saying that my work is "not ready for prime time". LOL

and one I did early on for a special blade.

The Capstone of my Mike Williams MS trifecta of Leaf Pattern Damascus blades, A Quillon Dagger
Not only is the blade forged but so is the handle!
I call the combo, "The Dragon's Kiss"!

ya!

GWB

 

[CO-AJ]

I love ESEE knives. I will take an ESEE 4 for all my elk hunts and an ESEE 3 for deer and hogs. I will have a Knives of Alaska Hunter in my pocket.

Esee is what I have as well. Super durable and solid.

 

[prm]

Great book! I’m a skinning knife enthusiast myself.

That’s a classic butcher knife profile. I’m sure it’s used a lot in your kitchen. I also make all of the sheaths for my knives as well. I still prefer to do it “old school” and hand stitch all of my sheaths. Here they are for the above mentioned knives.
View attachment 291907

Looks like you are a knife enthusiast as well. Glad to share stories and pics.

Here’s a guarded camper I made for a customer with presentation grade ironwood. View attachment 291909
DB

Love that Iron Wood. Saw a fair amount of that on a hunt in S. Africa.

 

[Lionhound1975]

I'm partial to ESEE blades. For hunting/skinning I like the JG5. Or just a $15 Swedish Mora that punches way above it's price tag.

 

[Geedubya]

A few, in various stages of use.........

Mike Williams "Hunter", Leaf Pattern Damascus, Dyed Sambar Stag Scales

Loveless "Lambs" repro's by TK Steingass, Ivory Linen Micarta, 154 CM steel.

Menefee Made semi-skinner, Micarta scales, etched A2 steel

Gene Ingram, Modified Nessmuk, Desert Ironwood, Etched A2 steel

Modified Nessmuk Set, Dale Howe, Howe Mountain Knives, Weathered Elk scales, Etched A2 steel

Todd Thayn, modified Bull Nose Skinner, Buffalo horn scales, weathered L6 Steel,

I call this one "Miller Time", a few by an Oklahoma knifemaker, Mike Miller

ya!


GWB

 

[prm]

A few........

Rams Horn & 3V steel, Howe Mountain Knives (Dale Howe)

TK Steingass Hunters, Presentation Ironwood and 154CM

Nessmuk set by Gene Ingram, Desert Ironwood, etched A2 steel

Lil' Dumplin, Menefee Made, Rick Menefee, Westinghouse Blue Line Micarta, 154CM steel

Birthday Knife, Todd Thayne. Spalted Pecan, Weathered L6 steel

ya!

GWB

That lower TK Steingass Hunter...A man can dream! Sure looks like a nice knife for breaking down an elk or muley.

 

[sahunter06]

The Canadian belt knife have been excellent skinners for decades and have many modified versions from the original design. They are very comfortable in the hand. This is my version from years ago. CPM154 with India Sambar Stag. Hollow ground. Hand finish 2000 grit.

 

[blgoode]

I like something like this for skinning but closer to this for meat processing.


I use the smaller skinnier one for whitetail and love it.


I use 0-1 steel and made these 2. But you get the idea. Something designed to excel at the intended task. Just get something that is ergonomic with a good thin blade and change to something else if it isn’t working for you.

 

[Geedubya]

The Canadian belt knife have been excellent skinners for decades and have many modified versions from the original design. They are very comfortable in the hand. This is my version from years ago. CPM154 with India Sambar Stag. Hollow ground. Hand finish 2000 grit.
View attachment 292434

Very Nice!
What are the dimensions as to OAL, blade length.

BTW, Jerry Fisk always sez' "Keep the pointy end away from you" LOL
But what does he know???
Obviously, he has not seen those!

 

[blgoode]

This picture shows the size a little better. I think it’s a 3.25” blade.


For elk I think I’d want a little larger blade like this one possibly.

 

[sahunter06]

Very Nice!
What are the dimensions as to OAL, blade length.

BTW, Jerry Fisk always sez' "Keep the pointy end away from you" LOL
But what does he know???
Obviously, he has not seen those!

Lol. JF has said that many times.
OAL is 7”. The blade is 3.25”
Very few of my orders want a cutting edge over 4” for skinning deer/hogs. The outfitters out west like 4-5” blade lengths.
Like you, I’ve tried many different knives on hogs/deer and keep going back to what profiles work for me.

Looks like you use a variety of blade lengths also.

 

[Geedubya]

Looks like you use a variety of blade lengths also.

10/4.

I'm sure you have heard the expression in regards to being in a bar, "they all get prettier by closing time (AKA Beer Goggles). I confess, I'm a knife slut and have succumbed to desire while wrapped in the arms of Bacchus on more than one occasion.
To boot, I probably ruin the collector value of my knives as I am a user/collector, and over time my interest in blade styles and lengths has expanded.

A few from my Menefee Made collection.

One thing about which I am pretty much consistent is the length of the handle.

I don't have especially big hands, but I like the handle to be a minimum of 4"

ya!

GWB

 

[Trogon]

10/4.

I'm sure you have heard the expression in regards to being in a bar, "they all get prettier by closing time (AKA Beer Goggles). I confess, I'm a knife slut and have succumbed to desire while wrapped in the arms of Bacchus on more than one occasion.
To boot, I probably ruin the collector value of my knives as I am a user/collector, and over time my interest in blade styles and lengths has expanded.

A few from my Menefee Made collection.

GWB

Menefee damascus on the black drop point? Or etched A2?

 

[Geedubya]

Menefee damascus on the black drop point? Or etched A2?

Damascus, with Jigged G-10 scales, thin red liners, tapered tang......

IIRC, Rick told me that he had visited a maker that forged his knives and that that blade was the first forged damascus that he had made. If you notice, his maker's mark is different on this one vs. his stock removal knives. First time I saw the blade the image of a monkey was the first thing that struck me. Crazy, but I call it the "monkey puzzle" damascus knife.

ya!

GWB