gralloching knife recommendations

[rhhudson]

Hi,

 

Can anyone recommend me a good knife for gralloching red with?

 

I don't want anything fancy, just something that will do the job well and stay sharp, I'm not looking to break the bank maybe £30 or if anyone has something used I would consider it.

 

 

Oh and ideally a belt sheath to go with it

 

Thanks

Rhhudson

[mikeroz]

Been doing it for 25 years now. You're right not wanting to spend too much. Better to have 3 cheap sharp knives than one expesive one. Go onto the British Deer Society website, they have some black and orange synthetic handled knives that are under a tenner.If you were to loose one you won't be to gutted (excuse the pun).

Too often I forget to clean & sharpen my knives, but it doesn't matter too much cos I've another two that weren't used on my last outing.

[froggy]

Totally agree with mikeroz

 

Red knife made by Mora and has a 10cm blade. Cheap as chips but holds a great edge and easily visible when you drop it in the grass

 

Orange knife made by Hultafors and has a 9cm blade. Again holds a great edge and is easily visible.

 

Bought both separatly and thought they were bound to be crap and was totally wrong.

 

Cheers

Froggy

[Tuck]

Opinel France is the way to go, loads of sizes available, easy to sharpen, you won't cry if you lose it. Just get another..

[Tikka4Sika]

Opinel and Mora both use decent steel , cost similar money and neither will let you down, anything else is for vanity , not that I see that as a big problem, some more expensive knives are a real work of art and a pleasure to look at.

[JabaliHunter]

Victorinox Fibrox straight wide blade boning knife

[dashed]

Opinel France is the way to go, loads of sizes available, easy to sharpen, you won't cry if you lose it. Just get another..

 

Except they get pretty slippy when you've got blood on your hands and you really don't want your hands slipping down the handle as you're using it! Mora etc get my vote as nice rubber grip and, as above, cheap enough at about a tenner and available in a range of bright colours so easy to find if you put it down in the dusk.

[Chris-NZ]

MIkeroz and Froggy are right.

 

Check this out, hopefully you can read it:

http://www.fishnhunt.co.nz/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1330842472

 

113K views and 47 pages. Some of these guys would gut more deer in a year that most guys would shoot in a lifetime. I actually have two of them and they're very good steel. I once dealt to seven goats for catmeat and it was still sharp. Have also done two reds with one. I've got various expensive custom knives but these are basically as useful, and as the lads have said, you don't cry if you lose one.

[bradders]

I find this interesting as I like a good knife (as a tool) as much as the next man

That orange knife looks good at £8.40, especially on the advice here, I may buy a couple

 

I went Boar hunting in Slovakia a few years ago, and after a night in the high seat and bagging 3 (none by me I might add) I watched one of the locals take all 3 piggies apart, inc skinning, with a regular Swiss Army Knife!

 

That made me rethink all my opinions about knives, especially the expensive ones!

[treetop]

Mora make great knives and as stated, they don't break the bank, they really are good value .. I purchased mine in Norway & have had it nearly 20 years, the same time a bought a Brusletto Troll knife.

 

I would be interested to know what Bone saw you guys use ?

[chaz]

Mora all the way for me.... Around £30 gets you a great knife for what ever you need it for. I bought the Mora Eldris. Great for Pigeon and Rabbit.

My next, (Before "they" have delivery stopped is a Mora Outdoor 2000 at £26.89 plus post. Fiver??? Great knives, and stay sharp....

 

https://www.springfields.co.uk/mora-outdoor-2000-stainless-knife.html

[VarmLR]

I have, and use a range of knives, including Mora. For the money, they're unbeatable and use decent steel. They use a modified Scandi grind with a micro-bevel edge to help edge retention. I have two of their Heavy Duty CompanionF knives:

 

 

However, I will buck the trend (pardon pun) and say that I also own a few Gucci knives (I'm a knife tart), including a Helle Harding:

 

 

 

 

The triple laminated stainless steel is way better than that of the Mora, and keeps it's edge way longer with just the odd strop being needed to restore a razor edge. You can shave with this knife easily. The handle I finished myself using Liberon finishing oil to make it 100% weatherproof and wash-proof, and it is also nicer to work with in terns of handling for the fiddly bits such as the careful work around an animal's nether regions. I tend to pack the Mora and this when stalking. the Mora for the heavier work and this for the more intricate work. It just suits me.

 

I also have a one-off custom based on the Fieldcrafter knives (no longer made as the owner folded up his business but unfortunately for me, after selling me a knife with a ruined, badly tempered blade which was a write off, then b*ggering off with the money). I had a respected smithy and knife maker use it as a pattern and make me a flat grind bush-craft type knife. It is about the same size as the Mora, but considerably heavier and would have no problems opening up the chest cavity of a big Red. In fact, I reckon that you could almost dress any animal with just this one, razor sharp knife! It will stand up to immense abuse and is as tough as nails, much stronger than the Mora and equally as razor sharp. Like the Helle, it also holds an egde far better.

 

 

I guess with more expensive knives, you're buying better steel (not always a given though) and like any tool, there's some better suited to specific tasks than others. iI I lost my Helle or my custom knife in the field, I'd be a little upset, but I've always thought it careless for anyone to go out and leave a knife behind, and with a little care, it should be a non-issue.

 

What I like about the Mora, is it can be chucked into the dishwasher (if buying a stainless blade) after use, along with the synthetic sheath. My other knives, I clean off in the field using wipes before sheathing to avoid cross-contamination issues. It's just good practice anyway and doesn't put me off leather sheaths which are more comfy to wear.