Best skinning knifes and graulick knifes/tools
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Overlay
Well-Known Member
yep I have taken to a set of bone shears for the pelvic but would expect a knife to split the ribs on a roe or muntie, use a #7 saw for fallow
stevenedwards
Well-Known Member
Minimum clobber in the field. One Mora and a means of touching up the edge and a small saw. But almost as useful is putting some yellow electrical tape on the black sheathes so you can easily keep track of them not only in fading light but also leaf litter etc. Monarch will sort you out for not too much money.
I got gifted an emberleaf last year, I use it in field to remove head, legs after the gralloch, it will do 3 or 4 before it needs a strop on the leather, I never use it on ribs though, even on roe, that's what the saw is for.
SussexSteve
Well-Known Member
Totally agree. Everybody should be able to gralloch a few different ways depending on what tools and what extraction means they have to hand. If I forget a saw I do it back at the larder. If I have to drag the neck and arse stays in and so on
If you are looking for a field gralloch knife then the question is not "which is best?" but rather "which is best for me?" Your question therefore becomes rhetorical, only you can answer it.
I have a plethora of knives, from Mora's to expensive customs, and the one thing that they ALL have in common is that the weight, balance and handle-shape all suit me. They are comfortable in my hand.
Anything that is not? It gets binned, sold or passed on to others.
About the only specific item that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone as part of their gralloch kit is a fine-tooth Silky Pocketboy folding saw (from memory I think mine is the Pocketboy 130). An absolute revelation of a saw that is no bigger and no heavier than a large folding pocket-knife, but will breeze through ribs and pelvis without issue. Easy to clean, replaceable blades and non-staining. Cannot praise it highly enough.
I have a plethora of knives, from Mora's to expensive customs, and the one thing that they ALL have in common is that the weight, balance and handle-shape all suit me. They are comfortable in my hand.
Anything that is not? It gets binned, sold or passed on to others.
About the only specific item that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone as part of their gralloch kit is a fine-tooth Silky Pocketboy folding saw (from memory I think mine is the Pocketboy 130). An absolute revelation of a saw that is no bigger and no heavier than a large folding pocket-knife, but will breeze through ribs and pelvis without issue. Easy to clean, replaceable blades and non-staining. Cannot praise it highly enough.
Koenig
Well-Known Member
Monarch are highly recommended and will take care of you kit wise. I’ve been impressed with them.All the knives below & more can be found on our website - "bundle-deal's" also available for SD members:
StephenToast
Well-Known Member
I have used Monarch a few times. Fantastic guys.
Their "own brand" kit is seriously good quality too.
Utectok
Well-Known Member
A good knife properly used will do 10 deer (gralloch head legs,) before it should need touching with a stone or strop I have found.
Morning Alan,
I went with the 20 teeth, I find it more suitable for bone work.
I recall having the devils own job finding them in the UK but the part number can be lifted from here (Silky PocketBoy 130 Folding Saw).
Regards,
Jonno.
ChesterP
Well-Known Member
I'd offer an observation that a good knife should do the job properly, be that 1 deer or ten. Whether it holds the edge is a matter of the compromises that hardness V's ease of sharpening bring, along with sharpening profile. I don't mind having to sharpen or polish an edge after each deer providing it's easily done in the field. The disadvantage with knives like my custom stalker with its very hard Sandvik steel blade are more difficult to re-sharpen than my high carbon steel Mora which just takes a few wipes on a Lanskey ceramic sharpening rod.
It's opening up a whole can of worms though debating the "best" steel or profile since this can be a very personal thing and related to very specific usage. Sharp is sharp. How long a blade keeps an edge has many variables though so as long as steel is maintained, I'm of the view it doesn't matter what is used as long as the edge is well maintained. It's telling for me that the knife I always carry as a backup and for delicate work is one where a few wipes on a strop is usually all it takes to maintain a razor edge. That's a Helle Harding hunting knife with its central core of very hard stainless wrapped in an outer layer of softer stainless. This and the thin blade profile makes it incredibly easy to maintain. Don't know what the central core is made from but I suspect it's one of the crop of hard Martensitic stainless steels.
Utectok
Well-Known Member
Interesting. Personally I’m a fan of hollow ground blades a fetish since my dad bought a Bowie knife in glasgow many years ago.. actually I find it makes a very easy to sharpen fine edge even in the harder steels… not many can be bothered with hollow grinds these days all scandi practical and ugly…. Anyway each to his own!
Overlay
Well-Known Member
In all probability, unless you’re using it like a hatchet a blade should last a days work irrespective of the make or steel hardness, my way of getting around the dull blade syndrome is to carry a additional fresh kit already to go in the truck and re sharpen/ clean at your leisure, no joy in pushing a dulled blade to the point it will cut you instead of the carcase, very hard blades are a job to get back to sharp, a job for when your home
The biggest issue with hollow grind is having the same diameter wheel as you work back up the blade to the point where the Parrell (ish) section start to close in on the radius of the main bevel . The reason the Hollow grind exists is because it lends itself to mass production and basic levels of skills ( two wheels both spinning down ) . On the other hand a full flat can take more resharpening and Chip removal in the event of Accident /Abuse . Literally had one Squady batton through all four legs on an old Ewe with the instructors borrowed knife that i made for him and his team members . full flat SGR model in AEB-L, I was told on the phone " Big chips," " Dont know if you can save it ?" Turned out to be 5 mins work to sort it . If that was a hollow the chips would have been far worse and very likely to have ruined the whole Bevel and parrel section on a hollow. As the straight sharpen able section would very likely have gone complete straight section on a hollow would have chipped right out or folded back with big U shaped divots, no support you see . Tips are also venerable to breaking off for the reasons mentioned especially if the user is taking heads and legs off in the field ( battoning through shin bones at 90 degrees though ? nothings getting off scot free lol)
He is a member on here but never comments or posts BTW.
stevenedwards
Well-Known Member
My experience mirrors ChesterP I have found that a Mora carbon blade needs a touch with a lanky ceramic rod between deer which is quite quick and easy. I am not by any means expert at knife sharpening in fact barely competent so simple is good.
ChesterP
Well-Known Member
Agree with that. I do have a hollow grind Colt badged field knife with rubberised handles. It was soft enough to get razor sharp without much effort. Used it for 25 years now and it's still going strong but had to re-grind the edge using waterstones a few times so it's no longer a true hollow ground edge. Also agree with Overlay that a decent blade ought to last a day's work if that's what you do with a blade, use it often and for extended periods. When I have the need for all day use, (which is rare) I ensure that it's sharpened beforehand and that I have another backup to take its place if needed. For deer, I rarely shoot more than one or two per outing so it doesn't really matter what steel its made of or how it's ground, yet I still have my favourites...knives are a very personal thing but as long as they are fit for use, people will pick what they prefer using.
One thing not mentioned is that often it's the handle length and grip shape that form part of personal preferences, for reasons of practicality or fit. What suits one won't suit another.
Once, when I had an engine in bits and couldn't get near my knife box, I pinched one of our el-cheapo ceramic coated bladed camping utility knives and was gobsmacked just how sharp that thing was. Cost us less than a fiver and was more than up to the job of gralloching. For those on a budget, some of the Pro-Cook kitchen utility knives are also very sharp full tang knives equally well suited. My only reservation is lack of a hand guard or finder cut out on the bolster.
One thing not mentioned is that often it's the handle length and grip shape that form part of personal preferences, for reasons of practicality or fit. What suits one won't suit another.
Once, when I had an engine in bits and couldn't get near my knife box, I pinched one of our el-cheapo ceramic coated bladed camping utility knives and was gobsmacked just how sharp that thing was. Cost us less than a fiver and was more than up to the job of gralloching. For those on a budget, some of the Pro-Cook kitchen utility knives are also very sharp full tang knives equally well suited. My only reservation is lack of a hand guard or finder cut out on the bolster.
Cooter
Well-Known Member
I went to a demonstration of grallocking and carcass prep by a guy who made a knife look like an extension of his fingers.
He used a series of knives from professional butchers knives, to one of those small toy knives you used to get on a key ring.
They all did the job with varying levels of ease, even down to removing rib cartilage with the toy knife to open up the chest.
I have an EKA swing blade, which goes through anything, and an orange Bushwear which holds a good edge.
I use the Bushwear knife in the field, and have a DC4 on hand in case I need to bring the edge back up, and an IKEA boning knife, cheap Chinese kitchen knife and a small cheap bone saw (which I was given) in the larder for carcass prep.
The EKA is still like new and lives in the box it came in.
For me it's more about keeping a reasonable edge and using good technique.
He used a series of knives from professional butchers knives, to one of those small toy knives you used to get on a key ring.
They all did the job with varying levels of ease, even down to removing rib cartilage with the toy knife to open up the chest.
I have an EKA swing blade, which goes through anything, and an orange Bushwear which holds a good edge.
I use the Bushwear knife in the field, and have a DC4 on hand in case I need to bring the edge back up, and an IKEA boning knife, cheap Chinese kitchen knife and a small cheap bone saw (which I was given) in the larder for carcass prep.
The EKA is still like new and lives in the box it came in.
For me it's more about keeping a reasonable edge and using good technique.
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