finger guard buffalo skinner?

[buttonbuck]

A funny thing happened to me on the way back from the deer stand besides helping a young guy field dress 2 fawns that his brother in law was glad to shoot but did not field dress, they were stiff as boards and the guy asks for help field dressing the 2 deer. He says I got a good sharp knife and pulls up a Gurka about 18 inches long. I pull out a buffalo skinner, like a gurka but 5 inches I explain how to gut a deer and find the first fawn doe goes fine but the button buck well he was lung and gut shot yuck. It got a bit slippery and I envisioned myself cutting a tendon since my "Russel Green River Buffalo skinner" has no Finger guard. I know traditionally that they did not always have one but I gut deer with this (I love the ergonomics) I was looking to shape 1/4" brass rod into a guard any suggestions for how to mount this and passing it over the blade then making it look neat or do I need to just remove the handle and shape some more wallnut or mullberry or maybe corian counter top and re peen rivit it?

 

[BossHoss]

It can be dun but it'd be a bit of a chore :hmm:
Check HERE fer wat ya need - I git a lot of knive makein stuff from them lately 'n they gud folks :thumbsup:

 

[Bountyhunter]

One thing I have done with several knives of the Green River style was to grind finger grooves in the bottom of the grip area. I clean the knife up real good and dry it. Then I grease my hand up real good and grab the knife. That leaves greasy tracks where yer fingers wrap. I put a small sanding drum on the drill press and grind out the finger marks pretty good till it feels good. Your hand wont slip that way. Just go easy--they dont have ta be more than a quarter inch deep, and taper them out on the sides. Ya might need to change out the sanding drums, they will wear pretty quick when ya get into the metal on the bottom. That way it fits your hand, maybe not Hoss's but tha's OK. That way he wont try to trade ya outta it.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

This might give you some ideas for shaping the handle for safety:
http://gbrannon.bizhat.com/oupa_skinner.htm

 

[crockett]

Since we are talking about a non-pc modification, you could consider a thong hole in the upper back corner of the handle. When you use the knife tighten up the thong so your hand can't slip.
Or...the Indian Scalper was shaped sort of like a French Chef's knife, the blade is wider than the handle. You could opt for that type knife and be pc. The most common scalper length was about 7" but shorter ones were occasionally made/sold.
In the Great Lakes area the brass handle types were popular. These were often carried in a neck sheath. More of an elliptical shaped blade.
If you just use the skinning for skinning, long sweeping strokes, I think you'll be pretty safe.

 

[Stumpkiller]

My two favorite field dressing knives are a Helle Polar with 2-1/2" blade and a Schrade Uncle Henry Badger with 3-1/2" blade. I want to know where that blade is when I'm up to my elbows in deer.

Choking up on the tip allows me to open the chest and skin without puncturing the entrails.

I have a Dadely style Green River and I can choke up on the blade as it is good and wide.

 

[paulvallandigham]

i use a pocket knife made by Shrade Walden, but no longer available, with a 2 7/8" blade to reach up under the ribs to cut off the Esophagus. Unlike a sheath knife handle, the handle of this pocket knife is short enough to fit easily into the palm of my hand, so I am not restricted in the movement I can make inside the chest cavity. MY finger lies on top of the blade, to the point, so I can reach in blind with both hands, feel my finger tip without the chance of stabbing my other finger with the blade point. Once I have located the place I want to cut, I curl my finger back off the blade and make a single cut. The hands come out and I switch the knife from left to right hand, and repeat the process. I can then pull the throat and lungs out of the chest in one yank, and then pull the rest of the intestines and vicerae out of the carcass.

I use sheath knives for skinning the hide off the deer, along with a couple of folding knives, my Shrade, and a Gerber folder. These smaller blades are used to work in the smaller areas to remove flesh from the hide.

I have a Chicago Cutlery Bladed knife that is similar to the Green River design, and it is excellent to use to remove a lot of hide per stroke, with long sweeping cuts through the sinew, and connecting tissues.

I am not worried about my finger or hand slipping forward on the edge, because the wooden grips on the knifes hold the hand well even when bloody. I am not STABBING anything with these knives, so there is NOT the power stroke needed to move the hand forward onto the edge. I occasionally find my self wrapping my little finger around the back of the handle, to control any movement when working in close.

A guard or " hilt " would simply get in the way of doing the work fast and efficiently.

A better idea might be to grind or file a Choil( finger cutout) into the rear of the cutting edge of the blade, that is big enough to hold your index finger. That way, you put control the knife with your strongest finger, behind the edge, and do not worry about your fingers sliding forward onto the sharp edge.

Making this choil in the blade involves grinding and removal of metal, which could be done with the scales of the handle left on, and will involve much less time, and effort than deconstructing the knife so you can add a hilt or guard to the handle.

 

[BossHoss]

One thing I have done with several knives of the Green River style was to grind finger grooves in the bottom of the grip area. I clean the knife up real good and dry it. Then I grease my hand up real good and grab the knife. That leaves greasy tracks where yer fingers wrap. I put a small sanding drum on the drill press and grind out the finger marks pretty good till it feels good. Your hand wont slip that way. Just go easy--they dont have ta be more than a quarter inch deep, and taper them out on the sides. Ya might need to change out the sanding drums, they will wear pretty quick when ya get into the metal on the bottom. That way it fits your hand, maybe not Hoss's but tha's OK. That way he wont try to trade ya outta it.

ME??? TRADE????
Watever give ya that notion :rotf: :rotf:

 

[shmrck1]

Stumpkiller,
I agree! When field dressing I think the longest blade I use is 4". I personally think
that the length is not near as important as how
sharp the blade is. Sharpness is crucial in my
opinion. Weather it be a 3" or 6"+ blade.IMO
snake-eyes

 

[T.C.Albert]

Theres a commercial type thumb guard that was clipped over the spine of Green River type skinners...Smokie Mt. Knife works has one set up that way on display in thier main store that supposedly was "Sitting Bulls" skinner...(If I recall correctly)

Dexter/Russel made the clip I have ...so I expect mine at least is 20th century, but the concept may be older?
T.C.Albert

 

[Raider2000]

I've been using a Knives of Alaska Light Hunter KOA Light Hunter & am very pleased with it but I need to get me a more traditional knife like you guys have.

 

[BossHoss]

This puppy won't slip in ya hand :hmm:

 

[buttonbuck]

GOod Ideas I like the last one presented. I may reconfigure the handle out of stag. I have other knives a schrade like the one in the picture only with a gut hook, a browning with a 2 1/2 inch blade and a huge old ww2 pal pilots knife. I just like the buffalo skinner. I use similar techniques for saftey and all but would like to see one with a brass guard I will go to the knife works site now thanks, hope to gut and skin my own deer soon we have tons of tags but no deer.

 

[BossHoss]

GOod Ideas I like the last one presented. I may reconfigure the handle out of stag. I have other knives a schrade like the one in the picture only with a gut hook, a browning with a 2 1/2 inch blade and a huge old ww2 pal pilots knife. I just like the buffalo skinner. I use similar techniques for saftey and all but would like to see one with a brass guard I will go to the knife works site now thanks, hope to gut and skin my own deer soon we have tons of tags but no deer.

I started this one today- nice little brass guard with a 3" blade :v

 

[buttonbuck]

excellent knife, I think because you can get the blanks cheap I will try grind out a finger groove with my dremel tool it has the small sanding drums. I do like this knife because I can split the deer pelvis with it easily (especially the fawns the guy's brother in law shot) I agree a five inch blade is a bit long but for me the knife is great to use.

 

[buttonbuck]

As we all know a sharp knife cuts better than a dull one and As we all know we would rather be cut by a sharp knife than a dull one.

 

[Ron LaClair]

Ya don't need no guard if yer blades sharp and yer kerful.

 

[Joe Yanta]

I agree with NWTF Longhunter and Snake-eyes. Sharpness and is the key. Let a good sharp knife do the work for you and all you'll have to do is guide it. Seems to me the only time a guard protects is when you are in a pushing or thrusting motion. I admit, my technique might be a bit unorthidox. I will put the blade where I want the cut and then make the cutting motion a gentle, controlled slow draw or slash. I then lift the knife, return the blade to the beginning of the cut and repeat the motion. Most skinning I have seen done used this motion and could be why GR skinning knives dont have guards.

:hmm: Just a thought. I doubt that Green River's biggest market is for reenactors. I think their biggest market is for those who use knives professionally and those who want a good but affordable working knife.

A PC mod you can add to a GR style of knife is to file or carve course checkering across the handle.

Just :2

Joe

 

[jethro224]

I split the pelvis on my first couple of deer. That's been a long time ago. There's no need to split the pelvis during field dressing. It just lets more dirt and junk get on more of the meat. It can also be dangerous. I've seen guys hurt themselves doing it more than once.

The first thing I do when field dressing a deer is to carefully cut around the butthole good and deep until the intestines are free at the rear. When you can easily pull it out a few inches, it's loose. You need a good sharp blade. 4 inches is real good. I've done many with a 2 1/2 inch blade, just gotta reach a little deeper.

Then I open the belly, from sternum to pelvis, being careful not to cut open the guts. Cut all the way around the diaphragm, or at least as far as you can down both sides. Reach both hands all the way up into the ribcage with my right index finger on the back of my blade, grab the pipes with my left hand and pull down as I slice 'em off with my knife above my left hand.

Then just yank down and out on the pipes and everything falls right out. Unless you didn't cut all the way around the diaphragm, then you might hafta do a little freein' stuff up. The loose butthole pulls back in thru the pelvis, nice and clean, and falls out with the gutpile.

You're a better man than me. I woulda shown him how to do it on the first deer, then I'da stood upwind and given him pointers while he did the gut-shot one. :wink:

 

[buttonbuck]

If it was light I would have noticed that it was shot through the brisket well man I still learning. How was first season for you mine outside of random acts of kindness that make me late and my wife angry was a bust but the best part of it was the teenager is getting more into hunting as he seen a nice buck rut chasing a doe. as a 16 year old he has a lot of empathy for that buck. Well I have a ton of tags but no deer yet