COLD STEEL ULTIMATE HUNTER

**Ds J** · 10-07-2015, 22:22

Originally Posted by Richard83

I hunt between 10 to 15 times a year. With some big hunts were I will shoot 5-10 animals.

This brings a whole new perspective to the picture. What do you use the knife for on the hunts? Only "veining", or skinning and butchering as well? I am tempted to suggest a set of knives if you do a lot of work yourself.

**Richard83** · 11-07-2015, 10:08

I use the knife for veining and gutting. The rest gets done in camp with a fixed blade knife set.

**Ds J** · 11-07-2015, 20:56

Originally Posted by Richard83

I use the knife for veining and gutting. The rest gets done in camp with a fixed blade knife set.

(My apologies for taking so long to answer. I am now on a slight ledge because personal preference is getting combined with experience. Other people will differ from me, please take your time to get something which works for you. )

I prefer and advise a heavy handled, well balanced knife for this particular job. "Well balanced" means a knife of which the handle is so heavy that the blade is easily manoeuvrable. For some reason people like to make light knives, but that does not work very well because cutting knives work best when used with momentum instead of raw muscle power. A heavier knife has more momentum.

Reasons: When veining I prefer making a single big cut/s with a really sharp knife instead of see-sawing through hair, skin, sinews and veins with a shorter blade. The chances for a small blade slipping are simply too big for my liking. My brother owns a hand forged 17cm high carbon bowie which cut a blue wildebeest from ear to ear in one single stroke - it is possible. Making a delicate and surgically correct cut is nonsense when hunting 10 animals a day. Cut the throat in one or two slashes so that it can bleed out and get going for the next animal. My EDC knife is a CRKT M21-02G (http://www.crkt.com/M2102G) and I have veined, skinned and butchered enough animals with it. It is always sharp but the handy little 7,5cm blade is simply not up to the task. Get a bigger blade with a 4mm wide spine.

You would need something with a sharp or pointed tip.

Reason: it is sometimes necessary to sever the spinal cord while the blood is spurting and gore is pumping over your hands from the animals' full stomach. A knife with either a bluntish tip like a skinner or a shorter blade like a folder does not do very well in this department. If you would like to stay with Cold Steel, look at the Recon Scout (http://www.coldsteel.com/Product/39L...CON_SCOUT.aspx) or contact Michael Morton (http://mortonknives.co.za/index.html) - he makes knives according to your design and has good prices.

Look for a good type of steel with a proper flat grind.

Reason: good steel sharpened to a fine edge makes for fine cutting. You won't need to touch it up ever so often. My personal preference is high carbon steel but several modern steels are just as good or even better for the task. 12C27 or 14C28N have a good name in knife circles. The ever-popular semi-hollow grind looks good but a flat ground blade works better. That is the very good reason that chef's knives are flat ground.

The Cold Steel Ultimate Hunter has one big advantage in the steel it uses because they promise a lasting cutting edge. I think the blade is too small and the price too high - you can get a cheaper folder which would work just as well or a fixed blade with similar steel for less.

Hope it helps!

**Richard83** · 12-07-2015, 11:55

Thanks DJS good advice.

**Ds J** · 12-07-2015, 12:04

My pleasure!

I forgot to add the reason to use a separate gut hook. It is more agile than a knife - you can stop mid-cut if things are not going well; furthermore the chances of puncturing the innards are less. And it is really fast once one gets usd to it.