Gut hooks

[Alex]

I'm trying to talk a friend out of going for a knife with a gut hook. Please help as he's not convinced that they're at best a waste of time.

If a couple of other stalkers could reply soon, I may just be able to save him a few quid.

 

[Pom]

Don't bother with them - they're a waste of time.

There. Was I too late to help save your mate a few quid?

Pom

 

[popplecop]

Well I was never impressed with them. I have cleaned countless numbers of deer and never so the need for them when they came out. I received one as a gift a couple of years ago, thought I'd give it try. Well it worked great on a half dozen or so deer. I think the design fo them makes a great difference. Mine happens to be a Gerber. Still I would not have gone out and bought one. Biggest problem I have seen in all my years of being around deer hunter is not having a knife with a well honed edge.

 

[rh120]

Got an Old Timmer with a gut hook i think it is a good thing just for the safty aspect al one

 

[rogern]

Guthhok knives

Personally I think a waste of time, the hook gets caught up when you are working inside the carcass.

All you need is a sharp blade and use the tip of your index finger to guide the blade up the beast.

Never used a guthook in 16 years.

 

[unclebuck]

theyre great ,so good in fact your mate can buy mine,if he still wants one, i find the hook is fine for the first cut but once your working inside the animal it gets caught and is a real hinderance, its a buck zipper in good nick if hes interested

 

[shortshot]

Well I reckon they're a good asset to a knife. Especially useful for speedy skinning incissions when several animals want skinning, also good for gralloching if the beast has lain for a bit before you gralloch. Lot less chance of gas in the face!
Main drawback is knifes' with gut hook backed blade don't tend to have a sharp point which is better for hamstringing.

 

[techman]

I have a Wyoming knife which a friend brought back from America for me and find it very useful. But not for opening the gut cavity. I find it good for running the initial skiining cut from legs to body and the curved part of the blade for actual skinning. It has a replacable blade of surgical steel, which can be thrown away when it bacomes blunt, however the Blade Tech Sharpener does a good job of bringing back an edge to it.
For the Gralloch I use my pocket knife

 

[devilishdave]

Gut hook

This week I have used a gut hook ( belonged to a friend) The methog o cutting between two fingers spread about an inch apart and the meathod of puting the index finger over the tip of the blade. I find the latter by far the easiest but thats just my personal preferance.

Dave