Hello, I hope this is allowed here, if not please forgive me.
I am a knife maker, and have a new project in the works, it is a hunting knife that would be suitable for most if not all North American Large Game. I need some input from you hunters that hunt things other than deer, that is all that I pursue each year here in Missouri. So if you have deer hunted or hunt bear, elk, caribou, moose, or anything in North America, I would like to hear your preferences for a knife in respect to blade length, point style, and if edge holding is more important to you than ease of sharpening, or vise versa. I have decided on G10 or Micarta for the handle material, held on with screws and epoxy, and maybe D2 tool steel for the blade. So lets hear you comments please.
Thank you guys for your time and input. I will put all the input togather and let you guys know what I come up with for a design.
Thanks again, Dale

Lots of pigs get killed for sure. I would want something that holds an edge for a while. Wouldnt have to be very long. Do you have any pics?

Edge and smaller blade no more then 3.5 inches

Thanks for the input so far,
I have pics of my knives on my website. but this new one is in the planing stages now, just some sketches on paper, but is based so far on my Large Pro Hunter model, but with a norrowed blade width, and corby bolts instead of pins to secure the handle, and 2 lanyard holes
Keep the advice coming guys
Dale

The handle designs seem to be very flat. I personally prefer a knife that has a good ergonomic handle. My current carry knife is one with a simple but very comfortable grip:

i think a knife that would be able to keep an edge for at least 4 pigs, or 2 elk or a couple of deer. the reason being, it last long enough for you to skin everything for the weekend or your hunt, and you can sharpen when you get back home

beaucfus, D2 will easily do 2 deer and still shave hair, I know from a test knife that I used last season on deer, it field dressed 3 deer splitting the pelvis bone on 2 of the 3, and was still sharp enough to skin more. Not sure how hard pig skin is on cutting edges compared to deer.
So far edge holding is more important than ease of sharpeing, blade length under 4 inches, and a more contoured handle, whitch my handles are more contoured than the pics show, but I do need more rounding to them, I agree.
This is a pic of the handle contour looking down at the spine.

Thanks and keep it coming.
Dale

Hogs are pretty hard on a blade. They have thick skin with coarse hair, but the big problem is that they almost always have dried mud caked on them.

I would vote for holding an edge over ease of sharpening any day. I also like relatively fat grips on my knives. I find my arm is less fatigued after a long night of butchering. Short blades for skinning, though my skinners have half-moon blades.

-ww

I sent a blade made from A2 tool with a freind on a hog hunt, and he said it held up fine compared to other knives that he had used in the past, so I am convinced that D2 will be the steel I will use, as in my test here at home on deer D2 out performs A2, though it is harder to sharpen once it gets dull, and is more prone to chip the edge, just the nature of D2, good edge holding but not meant to be a chopping knife steel. I need to hear about point style, such as drop point, clip point, trailing point, what do you prefer? I like a drop point myself. Also need to hear from Elk, Bear and Moose hunters on what they like in blade length and point style. Trying to make a knife suitable for all North American large game. This may not be practical.
I wish I could hunt all of them myself and design this knife from my own experience, but this is the next best thing, research from the guys who do hunt the many different animals.
When i get a design drawn up I will post a pic of it and see what you think.
Thanks to all, for your time and input.
Dale

Try a Katz knife they hold and excellent edge and have a thick blade

Trust, thanks for the tip, but I am a knifemaker looking for input on what the hunters who hunt game other than deer, want in a knife. This is for a new model that I plan to introduce next year designed to be practical for most all North American big game. This is one way to do my research for that knife design, since I only hunt Whitetail Deer, I really don't know what is best for say Moose or Caribou.
Thanks again
Dale

Thanks for the input everyone, I have decided on a blade of 4 inches, 5/32" thick in CPM154. I will post a pic of the knife cut out of wood to see what you guys think.
thanks again, Dale

tag