Hunting knife information??

[Grandma's Cabin]

I need some help with my Christmas shopping...

I am going to get a hunting knife for someone to carry in the woods with them. It's an area with a lot of cougars, and part of the reason they would carry it is for protection. In reading the account of any reported cougar attacks in this country in the last many years... the most successful escapes seemed to be people who had an accesable knife.

So.... I know next to nothing about hunting knives.

Here are two I looked at:

http://marblesoutdoors.com/cutlery/woodcraft.html

http://marblesoutdoors.com/cutlery/plainsman.html

Any feedback on these or other knives, what I might be looking for in a knife.. etc... appreciated!

Grandma at the cabin.

[Ed Norman]

I'd think if he wants it for protection, he might as well have one made for protection. Check out these: http://www.agrussell.com/knives/tactical.html

I've used an old Kabar Marine Combat knife for the past 35 years while trapping. It isn't that expensive, when I bought it, it was cheap. It is also good steel that is razor sharp and can be resharpened. I keep it on my chest wader strap when trapping beaver to cut willows for drowner stakes.

Even though there are plenty of lion around here, I don't seem to worry about them much. But if I was fighting one, I would want a long blade and a good guard so I don't slide up on the blade when stabbing. Have a prety good pommel so you can yard it back out of whatever you just stabbed. Have rough handles so you don't slip on the fresh warm salty blood. And most of all, have fun.

[Grandma's Cabin]

Thanks so much! Good information. I didn't worry too much about the cougars till recently.. still realize they are much less risky than city drivers Or the hunters! Not responsible ones.. but the masses that converge on our area when hunting season starts. Put a family band radio on scan and pick up some conversations and it gets downright scary!

However, we have had some cougar trouble in our area the last few years, including a mom and two young male offspring who were tag teaming.. one would lure a pet away from the home and the other two would lie in wait. One time they lured a dog from a home that had a big party going on! The noise and people didn't slow them down at all.

That group doesn't seem to be around as much... but the cats in general have been much more evident and bold. Not sure if it's forest fires that depleted their habitat, or less fear of man since they banned some of the dog hunting... Anyway.. I'm not losing sleep over it, but just like I put on my seat belt in the car and then forget about it... simple step to take that hopefully will never be needed Besides, I'm sure he would rather have a knife than a tie

Our old dog was a good one.. Husky Malamute mix... he had a perimiter he would patrol around our place. We only saw bear and such signs outside of that permititer... but he died last year at the ripe old age of 13. Now we are seeing stumps torn up real close to the place. Not really worried as the bears are still interested in staying out of sight of humans so figure they aren't looking to mess with us. We do keep our garbage tightly wrapped and hard to get to, just so they don't decide they want to move in.

Grandma

[Haggis]

I really enjoy the subject of hunting knives and how they have evolved over the centuries.

Once upon a time men carried a short sword as a hunting knife. Then came Jim Bowie and hunters wanted a knife suitable for quartering a Wooly Mammoth, The Mountain Men swore by a 6" to 8" skinner, and today's hunter thinks a 3" blade is an over-kill.

I just about always carry a variety of knives whether hunting or not, but when I'm hunting I carry: 2 or 3 skinning knives with 6" to 10" blades, 2 Ka-Bar style folding hunters, 2 Trapper style pocket knives, and a small hatchet. I also carry a small set of stones to sharpen the knives or hatchet if they need it; and they frequently do.

A 3" bladed pocket knife will do anything needed as far as field dressing just about anything hunted in North America today. If that's all you need it for, then that's all you need.

[Kenneth in NC]

Well if someone was buying me a all purpose knife to carry in the woods I'd want a Cold Steel Survival Rescue Knife. I've wanted one for a long time but haven't bought one yet.

http://www.coldsteel.com/38ck.html

Hope that helps.

Kenneth