Custom knife design ideas

[Jagged77]

I’ve been offered a full custom, designed from scratch hunting knife free of charge from a maker I know well in Brazil (I’ll come to why it’s foc).

I have my idea of what constitutes a great hunting knife, both in terms of shape, style, steel and handle, but wanted to ask what everyone else considers to be their favourite design for deer stalking.

Looking for inspiration so by all means please post pics of your favourite design and why it works.

As for why it’s foc, well I ordered some kitchen knives and they got stuck in the horrendous floods Brazil suffered earlier last year. The hunting knife is a gesture from the maker. As far of his knives are concerned (mostly kitchen) they are superb with incredible grinds and geometry. I’d be facinated to see what he comes up with in a hunting knife.

 

[Mr B]

Can you PM details of the knifemaker? I’m looking for kitchen knives at non-horrific prices

 

[Jagged77]

Can you PM details of the knifemaker? I’m looking for kitchen knives at non-horrific prices

Of course. Depends what you mean by non horrific though! Here’s a couple of mine, the gyuto on the right is brilliant

 

[Jagged77]

Magnacut Sujihiki with burl handle. Exceptional!

 

[devon deer stalker]

If I make another knife I will make sure it has fluorescent glow in the dark liners....reduces the risk of loss just a little

 

[Jagged77]

If I make another knife I will make sure it has fluorescent glow in the dark liners....reduces the risk of loss just a little

That’s a good shout

 

[FISH BOY]

Sharp and pointy, around 110mm long 3mm thick scandi grind with orange handles (bin the colourful spacers) and a kydex sheath.

That would do for me.

 

[Mungo]

I’ve been offered a full custom, designed from scratch hunting knife free of charge from a maker I know well in Brazil (I’ll come to why it’s foc).

I have my idea of what constitutes a great hunting knife, both in terms of shape, style, steel and handle, but wanted to ask what everyone else considers to be their favourite design for deer stalking.

Looking for inspiration so by all means please post pics of your favourite design and why it works.

As for why it’s foc, well I ordered some kitchen knives and they got stuck in the horrendous floods Brazil suffered earlier last year. The hunting knife is a gesture from the maker. As far of his knives are concerned (mostly kitchen) they are superb with incredible grinds and geometry. I’d be facinated to see what he comes up with in a hunting knife.

Do you want it as a general purpose knife (gralloch, larder, skin, butcher, camp tasks and bushcraft)? Or do you want it more specialised? And if more specialised, how specialised, and for what task?

 

[Jagged77]

Do you want it as a general purpose knife (gralloch, larder, skin, butcher, camp tasks and bushcraft)? Or do you want it more specialised? And if more specialised, how specialised, and for what task?

Just a general purpose for gralloch etc.

 

[Acm]

Not so much designed from scratch but more an amalgamation of features I like, about 30mm wide, about 120mm cutting edge, about 3mm thick. Full flat grind. Coke bottle shaped handle, simple leather sheath. Handle means somthing to me, but choose whatever you like. I have more specific knives for culling, or for smallest species, but I’d happily hunt the world with this on my belt.
Steel hardness is important, it needs to hold an edge well but be easy to sharpen in the field. Weight and balance is important, I left it to the maker to get that right, I raise cattle for a living, I don’t make knives!
Mines made by @Stuart Mitchell

 

[Jagged77]

Not so much designed from scratch but more an amalgamation of features I like, about 30mm wide, about 120mm cutting edge, about 3mm thick. Full flat grind. Coke bottle shaped handle, simple leather sheath. Handle means somthing to me, but choose whatever you like. I have more specific knives for culling, or for smallest species, but I’d happily hunt the world with this on my belt.
Steel hardness is important, it needs to hold an edge well but be easy to sharpen in the field. Weight and balance is important, I left it to the maker to get that right, I raise cattle for a living, I don’t make knives!
Mines made by @Stuart Mitchell

That’s really nice (and a great pic!) Stuart makes some lovely knives.

I’m with you on the length, thickness and full flat grind. They would all be my starting point.

The maker uses some ultra exotic wood and burl for some of his more expensive kitchen knives but I think my stipulation would be practical and fully stabilised and waterproof.

 

[Acm]

That’s really nice (and a great pic!) Stuart makes some lovely knives.

I’m with you on the length, thickness and full flat grind. They would all be my starting point.

The maker uses some ultra exotic wood and burl for some of his more expensive kitchen knives but I think my stipulation would be practical and fully stabilised and waterproof.

I have plenty of g10/plastic/micarta handled knives. This ones handled in antler from my first hill red. It’s not stabilised or anything but I wipe it over with beeswax every now and then. I reckon it will still outlive me, if somehow I wear it out, I know I’ll have had an awful lot of fun doing it!

 

[Jagged77]

I have plenty of g10/plastic/micarta handled knives. This ones handled in antler from my first hill red. It’s not stabilised or anything but I wipe it over with beeswax every now and then. I reckon it will still outlive me, if somehow I wear it out, I know I’ll have had an awful lot of fun doing it!

Micata is great, really good for a hunting knife.
He’s just sent me this sample which might not be for everyone but I think looks pretty good

 

[RifleTuner]

Micata is great, really good for a hunting knife.
He’s just sent me this sample which might not be for everyone but I think looks pretty good

The handle material you are showing looks like G10. If it is G10, its pretty indestructible, but can be a bit heavy. I do use G10, but find micarta is generally lighter, and TeroTuf is the lightest of the synthetics. Weight may or may not be a consideration for you, just thought I would point that out.

 

[Mungo]

Just a general purpose for gralloch etc.

Hunting only, or other tasks too (ie. is it ever going to be used to prep food, or work wood)?

When you say gralloch etc, how far does the ‘etc’ go? In particular, do you want to use it for skinning as well?

And do you ‘bleed’ your carcasses? And if so, what size of beast would you need to cut through?

Whether or not you want to use it skinning seems to be quite important. If you don’t want to use it for skinning, then you can go for a much narrower, pointier knife - like @Stuart Mitchell P120s. If you want to skin with it, I think a wider blade with more of a drop point becomes more useful.

 

[Jagged77]

The handle material you are showing looks like G10. If it is G10, its pretty indestructible, but can be a bit heavy. I do use G10, but find micarta is generally lighter, and TeroTuf is the lightest of the synthetics. Weight may or may not be a consideration for you, just thought I would point that out.

It does look a bit like G10 doesn’t it? Brilliant on folders and I have a couple of Syderco’s with G10. Bomb proof like you say. Micata is preferred on this custom though down to weight. Always fun to see the various colours and patterns available for something unique. I’ve not come across TeroTuf.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

This material is well known in engineering and is very stable.

Tufnol Laminated Fabric Grades | Tufnol

Tufnol Polyester glass mat laminates are produced by combining polyester resin with continuous roving glass mat. glass mat reinforced polyester resin laminated plastic

tufnol.com

 

[Jagged77]

Hunting only, or other tasks too (ie. is it ever going to be used to prep food, or work wood)?

When you say gralloch etc, how far does the ‘etc’ go? In particular, do you want to use it for skinning as well?

And do you ‘bleed’ your carcasses? And if so, what size of beast would you need to cut through?

Whether or not you want to use it skinning seems to be quite important. If you don’t want to use it for skinning, then you can go for a much narrower, pointier knife - like @Stuart Mitchell P120s. If you want to skin with it, I think a wider blade with more of a drop point becomes more useful.

You make some good points as there is always a better blade shape for the various tasks.

This is a bit of a unique project as this particular maker produces some incredible blades and hasn’t done a hunter for some time. It will be quite special and one of a kind. But it will be a user so will try and base it around gralloching Roe and possibly larder work. I do like the idea of a field to fork design.

 

[Mungo]

You make some good points as there is always a better blade shape for the various tasks.

This is a bit of a unique project as this particular maker produces some incredible blades and hasn’t done a hunter for some time. It will be quite special and one of a kind. But it will be a user so will try and base it around gralloching Roe and possibly larder work. I do like the idea of a field to fork design.

This makes it sound like you’ve already decided on a design?

 

[Jagged77]

This makes it sound like you’ve already decided on a design?

Not at all, I was hoping to see some examples of what everyone else likes and why. My question is not borne out of needing to find an answer, more sparking some conversation and seeing some of everyone’s favourite designs and features given the opportunity to craft something truly unique.