Archive for the ‘Hunting Knives’ Category
Back in the Game
In my household, November means one thing: the beginning of deer hunting season. The weekend of Nov. 15 is always reserved for heading out to camp – my wife and sons know not to schedule any other activities for that particular date. Here in the Midwest, some businesses even give their employees a few days off around the regional holiday. It gives me a chance to reconnect with old buddies and swap stories about past rifle hunting excursions.
This year I bolstered my supply of hunting gear with new scopes and Queen hunting knives in hopes of shooting an elusive buck. It’d been two entire seasons since I bagged my last deer, and the guys back at camp never let me forget it. With the help of my new equipment, I was able to bag white-tailed does. It looks like my family will be eating venison steaks for dinner for a few weeks’ time.
THE BOWIE KNIFE
There is much legend and controversy concerning the “Bowie Knife”.
According to many sources, James Black, an Arkansas knife maker, made a knife for Jim Bowie. This knife came to be known as the first “Bowie Knife”. At the time of Jim Bowie’s Alamo death in 1836, the term “Bowie knife” had become the common name for similar knives popular at the time.
Due the 1827 “Sandbar Duel” in Mississippi, Jim Bowie was well known for his ability in a knife fight. Bowie used a knife supposedly given to him by his brother during the “Sandbar Duel.”
Legend says, after receiving the “Bowie Knife” from Black, Bowie was accosted by three hired assassins. Bowie killed all three men with his new knife. This tale led to James Black becoming famous for having fabricated the “Bowie Knife.”
The Historic Arkansas Museum acquired Bowie No. 1 several years ago through an auction of the collections of two prominent Texas knife collectors. Bowie No.1 is a knife well known in collecting circles as an important early bowie knife. Although James Black did not put a maker’s mark on his knives, curatorial analysis has determined that Bowie No. 1 was made by James Black.
Modern day “Bowie Knives” have changed a bit from the early guard less “Coffin Handle” knives made by James Black and other knife makers of the 1800’s.
Most “Bowie” knives manufactured by Boker , Buck and others are more rigid and of course made with modern steel formulae and techniques. Black was said to have discovered a secret technique in his knife making that produced a durable but flexible blade
Arkansas Custom Knife Show
Saturday and Sunday, February 20th & 21st, knife makers from all over the United States will converge at the Robinson Center in Little Rock, AR.
Men and women with a passion for creating custom crafted knives will display their wares. These men and women will be showing some of the most beautiful, stylish and versatile hand made knives that have been formed and hammered into works of art that will last for generations.
Collectors and enthusiasts will be crowding the isles to marvel at the love and care that have gone into producing one of kind knives. You will see hunting, fishing, Bowie and pocket knives that can not be seen in retail stores.
These knives are a cut above mass produced factory knives like Buck, Case, Queen or any other knife offered for sale.
Folding Knives Are Not the Same as Switchblades
Knives have long been a staple of personal protection. Folding knives in particular are easy to conceal, and they are effective at deterring attackers. Unfortunately, some knives have garnered a bad name due to their association with criminal elements. Switchblades are one example of this phenomenon. In 1958, Congress passed the Switchblade Act, which prohibited the possession of “automatic knives” anywhere in the U.S. or its territories. Today, individual states determine these knives’ legality.
Switchblades are characterized by their spring-loaded blades that snap to attention at the push of a button. They gained notoriety in popular American films of the early 1950s, such as the James Dean vehicle Rebel Without a Cause. Although switchblades remain illegal in many American states, they shouldn’t be confused with folding knives. Buck folding knives are popular among hunters, outdoorsmen and people looking for an effective personal safety measure.
The Buck Knives Tradition
For over 100 years Buck Knives has been manufacturing top-of-the-line cutlery. Although the company was founded in San Diego at the turn of the century, Buck is now headquartered out of Post Fall, ID. The company’s founder, Hoyt H. Buck, wasn’t originally known for making knives.
Hoyt started as a blacksmith, and at the tender age of 13 had already developed a heating method that produced longer lasting edges than ever before. Although his company is renowned for their knives, Hoyt didn’t begin producing them in large quantities until he heard of a military shortage during WWII. Today the company continues to turn a healthy profit and produce some of the world’s best knives.
Field Dressing a Buck
For most Americans, November brings to mind images of Thanksgiving celebration – family, friends and of course a feast. But let’s not switch into holiday mode just yet. In many parts of the country November also means the start of rifle season, when men and women take to the woods in search of that elusive buck. Hunting isn’t for the faint of heart; a true outdoors enthusiast must learn to field dress a buck, so it’s better to figure out the basics sooner rather than later.
First things first: make sure the buck is dead and not simply wounded. You’re risking extreme danger by getting anywhere near an injured, wild animal. Pick up one of your sharp Fallkniven hunting knives and prop the deer on its back. Make the first incision just above the genitals, slicing upward to its ribcage. Don’t cut too deep as you’ll rupture the deer’s intestines and have a smelly situation on your hands. Flip the deer onto its side and let the guts fall out. Find the diaphragm and cut it out to remove the intestines. When you’re left with a carcass of meat, load the animal into your vehicle and return home or to camp to commence skinning.
Anatomy of a Hunting Knife
If you hope to become an effective hunter, you’ll need to learn to know your tools inside and out. It goes without saying that a hunter’s best friend is his knife, which features a number of specially designed components. As well as simply learning how to wield the knife effectively, pay close attention to the safety measures associated with the weapon. The blade, a piece of metal extending beyond the handle, is ground with a cutting surface. Depending on the knife’s purpose, its blade will be fashioned for chopping, filleting, skinning or some other action.
The point of the knife is useful for stabbing and gutting, and the cutting edge is self-explanatory. Separating the blade from the handle, you’ll likely find a bolster. This piece of material shields your hand from the sharp cutting edge of Case hunting knives. The handle should be made from an insulating material, and its construction will ideally improve your grip.
Chop, Chop
Fallkniven Thor Knife
Survival hiking / camping is becoming more popular for today’s health enthusiasts. One knife that is useful and versatile is a good chopper. It can be used for felling small saplings to build a lean to, cutting small limbs for firewood or all around general use at a camp site.
A knife that fits all these tasks is a Bowie style blade made by Fallkniven. The “Thor” blade is made of a combination of all stainless 420J2 steel sides and an edge made of VG10 steel. With the resistance to torque and edge durability combined in one blade you can not go wrong with this knife. The knife also has a cow hide grip for long lasting durability and comfort. A hand made knife with a convex edge for cutting performance makes this knife a must for the ultimate survivalist.
What is your favorite chopping knife?
In Case You Don’t Have a Case
Since the turn of the last century Case knives have been in pockets, purses, display cases and weathered hands of millions of people around the world. Born in upstate NY and in Bradford, PA since 1905, WR Case Cutlery Company has a reputation envied by many knife manufacturers.
Case knives have been in the trenches of WWI to outer space on the “Molly Brown” NASA flight. Heralded by Presidents, NASCAR drivers and country music stars the case knife is made for collectors and users alike. Whether you are a whittler or knife connoisseur, a Case pocket knife or hunting knife should be in your collection.
Unconventional Warfare – SOG Knives
SOG Seal Knife
The following is an excerpt from a Wikipedia article titled “Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group”.
The Studies and Observations Group (aka SOG, MACSOG, and MACV-SOG) was a joint unconventional warfare task force created on 24 January 1964 by the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a subsidiary command of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV). The unit would eventually consist primarily of personnel from the United States Army Special Forces, and also from the United States Navy SEALs, the United States Air Force, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Special Activities Division, and elements of the United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance units. The Special Operations Group (as the unit was initially titled and still exists in CIA/SAD) was in fact controlled by the Special Assistant for Counterinsurgency and Special Activities (SACSA) and his staff at the Pentagon. This arrangement was necessary since SOG needed some listing in the MACV table of organization and the fact that MACV’s commander, General William Westmoreland, had no authority to conduct operations outside territorial South Vietnam. This command arrangement through SACSA also allowed tight control (up to the presidential level) over the scope and scale over the organization’s operations. The mission of the organization was
“to execute an intensified program of harassment, diversion, political pressure, capture of prisoners, physical destruction, acquisition of intelligence, generation of propaganda, and diversion of resources, against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.” [end]
This elite group, (SOG, MACSOG, and MACV-SOG ) was the inspiration for Spencer Frazer to found SOG Specialty Knives. Today SOG is recognized as one of the premier manufacturers of fixed blade knives, folding knives and multipurpose tools. Frazer’s inventions and futuristic styles of tactical knives, hunting knives, folding knives and tools have earned many awards. SOG knives have become known around the globe for their performance, durability and unique design.
To that end SOG Specialty Knives won the contract to produce a new generation of knives for the Navy SEALs, winning out over 14 cutlery manufacturers.