Monthly Archives: January 2021

Hunting Knife Steel: The harder the better? Some Thoughts…

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I hear some of my hunting friends complaining that their hunting knife steel is too soft, and can’t even gut a deer without re-sharpening. Others complain that their steel is too hard to sharpen, and once dull, the hunter can’t get an edge after trying several times. Sharpening without some basic skills, can be frustrating.

Some folks are buying those razor blade insert knives, they do work well on big game until dull, then another insert you dependent on. 

I don’t own one, perhaps because I am a traditionalist by nature and don’t like being dependent. I just love the look of a good knife, handle, and well made leather sheath. Like this Damascus hunter-skinner knife I built. 

 

So here are some thoughts for those of you that want woodsmanship sharpening skills on traditional knives…or on your traditional broadheads. 

The truth is, that it is the skill of the person doing the sharpening that matters most. Consistency of angle is key, with the correct type of stone matched to the hardness and composition of your blade steel.

It was Vince Lombardi of Football Coach fame that said; Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.

Choose a knife with a bit lower Rockwell hardness (HRC) and steel composition or read up on your blade composition to best sharpen it. Stainless 400 series steel such as 440 C ( carbon)  is a great pick as it is often in the range of 57 to 59 HRC and easily sharpened. Stainless cleans up easy as well. D2 “tool steel” is great for holding an edge, yet a bit harder to re-sharpen. I have a D2 Skinner blade coming, so I can test it against 440C and see how they re-sharpen. 

Modern knife steel such as S90V or steels which have lots of Vanadium (the V in the formula) really hold an edge but are very difficult to sharpen.   Damascus steel, like 1095 folded with 15N20 is perhaps 56 to 58 HRC and readily sharpened in the field.  I own 2 beautiful Damascus knives and they are fine with a thin layer of oil, and they gut and skin very well on a single deer. Just remember to wash them and re-oil and hone (touch up) after use. 

If you do have a knife that does not take an edge on an Arkansas like Sharpening stone, or a wet stone, try a diamond stone. Better yet, a Lansky type diamond sharpener kit for 80 dollars or so. , The key is that it maintains the correct angle. Most blades are sharp after 600 grit. If you desire to begin to polish a keener edge, 800 and 1000 grit is all you need. I go to 1000 grit with both wet stones and diamond impregnated stones and stop there. Use a leather strop to clean the burrs off.

Deluxe Knife Sharpening System Kit

 If a large hunting knife is going to do camp chores with wood then you are already setting your self up for disappointment when hunting unless you take the time to re-sharpen it right after splitting kindling wood.  A second sharp skinning knife is better for easily dressing a deer. A ceramic honing rod, like the one below, helps maintain the edge, whether chopping or skinning. 

 

Arkansas-Superstick-Large-Heavy-Duty-Ceramic-Rod-Knife-Sharpener-Wood-Handle

The angle many experts consider best for a hunting knife is 15 to 20 degrees on each side. The 20 degree edge will handle tougher camp jobs than a 15 degree edge, but for just gut and skinning, a 12 to 15 degree edge is sharper. If you have a 15 degree edge then stroke the full  blade a couple of times on the ceramic, and a bit more than 15 degrees of angle to ensure that you honed the edge. 

To establish a new angle, expect to spend a lot more time honing (consistently).   Further, that sharpening to a razor edge, often requires that you establish a burr edge on one full side (you can feel the burr by rubbing your fingers away from the edge)  and then work the burr thinner on the other side with a stone and then a leather strop to clean off the burr. Test for sharpness by cutting a piece of paper. I sometimes use the skin of a tomato. Rest the knife blade on the tomato and if it cuts in less than 1/2 inch of a soft slicing motion then your good to go. If you want to shave your arm hair, ( I don’t recommend it) just be very careful. One last good sharpness test is to gently rest the edge on your thumbnail, if it bites in, it is very sharp.

Good Hunting!

© Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved

 

  

 

 

 

Meat from a Laboratory? Hunters are on the increase!

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Meat from a laboratory? Do you trust big business approved by the federal government to provide lab grown meat for you to eat?  They say government approval is coming soon. Is that really beef you are eating? Where is our society going? Where is the connection to the natural world? If you are so dependent, I submit you will lose essential survival and leadership skills essentially becoming sheep.

It was COVID that urged many to try hunting! As a hunter, I like to see the animal that makes my meat rich protein diet.  Hunting does that! In fact, hunters must understand the relationship of game and its surrounding field and forest, find the animal, make a clean kill, remove the guts, skin it, package it, and refrigerate or freeze the meat for future meals. The fruit of the hunters labor is celebrated when the game is in hand and at the dining table. You are the provider and you have first hand knowledge of the field care of your meat. Below, a wild pig taken with a crossbow.

Chops I cut myself for the table and freezer.

The process of hunting has provided meat for civilization for hundreds of thousands of years and it is family oriented, skill rich, survival rich benefits that nature can provide. Remove the survival instinct to forage and kill for food, and we become sheep, dependent on its master for food and protection.

During two recent episodes we as society were shocked that the grocery stores were closed. First recent episode; Katrina, that storm several years ago, so devastated the landscape that we humans were forced to forage and hunt for meat and have a weapon to protect ourselves and family.

The second event we are living in right  now, COVID 19. Remember the meat and pork scare last year? Grocery stores for some meat supplies were bare! Panic meat purchases ensued. I have had such a successful year hunting that I was  never really concerned for meat. My freezer was full of lean, organic protein rich game meat.

Making my own ground meat!

Do yourself a favor, learn to hunt, and forage, it is an essential survival tool. Along the way you will learn survival skills and trust in your own abilities.

Decades ago in one of “Outward Bound’s”  Colorado ( https://www.cobs.org/)programs, students had to be alone in the woods for three days, called a “solo” and among other things you were given a live chicken. You didn’t have to kill it, but it was there facing you every day. Grass shoots and herb tea for three days or roasted chicken on a spit? Your choice! When your stomach wants food it sort of growls doesn’t it.

When I was 16 years old, I attended the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School (https://www.hiobs.org/) for 28 days, and learned survival skills and more about myself. I “solo’d three days on a small island off the coast of Maine. I did not have a live chicken but had access to mussels and sea urchins and sea weeds such as glasswort, plants bulbs like rose hips, plants like goose tongue, dulse, chicory and wild peas.  No it was not manna from heaven but I grew to like it. I forage for wild edibles even today when i  am hunting. When I was in Newfoundland a few years ago I had sea urchin eggs and wild peas on the shore. And lots of Codfish!

See you in the woods!

Good Hunting!

© Copyright 2021, All Rights Reserved.

 

Dry Age Bag Test for Moose and Venison 14 days

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Some of you are aware that I wrote about dry aging wild game recently in special dry age bags. I used a dry age bag recently for 14 days. I dry aged some moose and venison.

 

I had intended to dry age some moose and venison steaks for 20 days. Well, the meat darkened and shrank, and shrank. Today, I was thinking of a delicious steak and had to open the dry age bags at day 14. What did I find? I found that there was no odor, and that the surfaces had a hardened cover of dried meat.

Day 1

Day 14

The bag was easily removed. The meat was dry on the outside as you see below

and dark in color.

I used a sharp knife to trim the surface. Below looks like a lot of trim but is very thin shavings. Not a lot of waste.

No mold or odd smells just darker in color. I sandwiched two moose steaks and stacked together and that worked out ok for drying the periphery of the moose meat.

 

Now for my wife to try it, I Sous Vide a dry aged moose rump steak  and venison back strap from this process to a 115 degrees with herbs, salt, pepper and a tablespoon of Worcestershire and olive oil for 1.5 hours and then seared on a hot grill. The center was rare to medium rare. I sliced thin slices for her. She said, flavor was good and tender. I liked flavor, but was not as tender as I had hoped after 14 days of dry aging. The best way to age is with much thicker pieces, like a leg roast, but I only have steaks and back strap. Was it worth the effort? The jury is still testing and hopeful.  I did have good luck dry aging without bags for 3 days with moose rump steak. Will try that again! When I use bags again, I will let it age longer.

Good Eating!

Heavy Bullets in .277 Caliber – See The New 6.8 Western Cartridge

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As I was reading below in Outdoor Life, the . 270 WSM (Winchester Short Magnum) favors lighter weight and stable bullets in the 130 to 150 grain class with a 1:10 twist rate. But what about a 165 or 175 grain bullet? Not so much as a longer bullet, for the same twist rate. It becomes less stable. Seems that Winchester engineers and hunters looking for a .270 with more moxie than the WSM for Big Game had to design the cartridge to fit a longer heavier bullet and came up with a new cartridge last year, the 6.8 Western and then design the twist rate faster 1:7.5 inches. If you like the .270 WSM then you also might like the new 6.8 Western in a Winchester Rifle if you shoot big game at long range, like on a western hunt. To reach further, the 6.8 Western is topped with a Nosler .277 165g ABLR with a G1 Ballistic Coefficient and Sectional Density that is tops in its class for retained energy. As well a Sierra bullet in the 175g class is available as well. The cartridge fills a hole for long range western hunting for those who choose that long range hunt capability. 

https://www.outdoorlife.com/story/guns/the-new-68-western-is-a-versatile-big-game-hunting-cartridge-from-browning-and-winchester/

 

The cartridge is made by both Browning and Winchester. 

Great Winter Reading! But wait! I did a ballistic chart on the 165g Nosler AB. Lets look! The MPBR for this round is 333 yards with a 4 inch radius for elk/moose and still packs over a ton of energy at that range. Wow! And with a sectional density of .307 penetration is unbelievable with the AccuBond LR.

 

 

Trajectory
Input Data
Ballistic Coefficient: 0.600 G1 Caliber: 0.277 in
Bullet Weight: 165.0 gr
Muzzle Velocity: 2950.0 ft/s Distance to Chronograph: 0.0 ft
Sight Height: 1.50 in Sight Offset: 0.00 in
Zero Height: 0.00 in Zero Offset: 0.00 in
Windage: 0.000 MOA Elevation: 0.000 MOA
Line Of Sight Angle: 0.0 deg Cant Angle: 0.0 deg
Wind Speed: 10.0 mph Wind Angle: 90.0 deg
Target Speed: 10.0 mph Target Angle: 90.0 deg
Target Height: 12.0 in
Temperature: 59.0 °F Pressure: 29.92 in Hg
Humidity: 0 % Altitude: 0.0 ft
Vital Zone Radius: 4.0 in
Std. Atmosphere at Altitude: No Pressure is Corrected: Yes
Zero at Max. Point Blank Range: Yes Target Relative Drops: Yes
Mark Sound Barrier Crossing: No Include Extra Rows: No
Column 1 Units: 1.00 in Column 2 Units: 1.00 MOA
Round Output to Whole Numbers: No
Output Data
Elevation: 6.520 MOA Windage: 0.000 MOA
Atmospheric Density: 0.07647 lb/ft³ Speed of Sound: 1116.4 ft/s
Maximum PBR: 333 yd Maximum PBR Zero: 283 yd
Range of Maximum Height: 157 yd Energy at Maximum PBR: 2178.2 ft•lbs
Sectional Density: 0.307 lb/in²
Calculated Table
Range Drop Drop Windage Windage Velocity Mach Energy Time Lead Lead
(yd) (in) (MOA) (in) (MOA) (ft/s) (none) (ft•lbs) (s) (in) (MOA)
0 -1.5 *** 0.0 *** 2950.0 2.642 3187.8 0.000 0.0 ***
100 3.3 3.1 0.5 0.5 2790.0 2.499 2851.4 0.105 18.4 17.6
200 3.5 1.7 2.1 1.0 2635.7 2.361 2544.8 0.215 37.9 18.1
300 -1.2 -0.4 4.8 1.5 2486.6 2.227 2265.0 0.332 58.5 18.6
400 -11.5 -2.8 8.8 2.1 2342.4 2.098 2009.9 0.457 80.4 19.2
500 -28.2 -5.4 14.1 2.7 2203.0 1.973 1777.7 0.589 103.6 19.8
600 -52.1 -8.3 21.0 3.3 2068.2 1.852 1566.9 0.729 128.4 20.4
700 -84.1 -11.5 29.4 4.0 1938.4 1.736 1376.4 0.879 154.7 21.1
800 -125.4 -15.0 39.7 4.7 1813.8 1.625 1205.2 1.039 182.9 21.8
900 -177.2 -18.8 51.9 5.5 1695.0 1.518 1052.4 1.210 213.0 22.6
1000 -241.2 -23.0 66.3 6.3 1582.4 1.417 917.3 1.394 245.3 23.4

 

21-Jan-21 13:36, JBM/jbmtraj-5.1.cgi

Good Hunting!

Flintlock Build: What do you need?

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Having the nerve to start this project, is a hump that I had to overcome. I assume you have to as well. Spending over one thousand dollars in rough hewn tiger maple and rough cast brass rifle parts can make one choke! Right? From these parts! A Jim Chambers Lancaster Kit. https://www.flintlocks.com/

Rifle Kits Include All This

To This! The finished work was worth the journey! My rifle is named Cricket like the brass one in the photo! And Cricket is very accurate!

If you have not read my article on my first and only Flintlock build then please do so below.

Lancaster County Pennsylvania Flintlock From A Kit

Would I do it again? If I failed, then yes I would do it again to get it right. I was highly successful with the help of video steps and cautionary notes. A wild boar below with my Pennsylvania Rifle also known as the Kentucky Rifle.

If you have worked with wood and metal before and know how to sand and file then you are in good shape to start. But pick up books and video’s on the building process and watch them very closely. They are the key to your success! Patience is a virtue. Measure twice, cut once. When I ran into a “build step”  that I did not understand during the assembly, I went back to the video and books to find the area and reviewed it. I went back to video’s many times.

For me the toughest part was fitting the barrel and tang without gouging the wood. Keep those chisels razor sharp! The second, and nearly equal tough part, was fitting the lock and trigger. Tooling the scrollwork and patch box inlay came next. It was painstaking detail work that came out just stunning for a first timer! I sent the fancy scroll brass patch box to a Master Engraver to replicate the Lancaster Jacob Dickert style.

Nothing was easy! But the joy of completing each task gave me confidence to do the next, and the joy of that one fed the next. Soon, I had a long rifle (unstained raw wood below) to test at the range but  then I had to make a leather sheath to care for all the work I put into it.

Just stained the stock below without any brass.

Carved the tang floral.

Removing wood with a file to install the brass butt plate.

 

Things you will need to build from a kit: Read and watch video’s before starting.

A Workbench with a Large Vise

Tools and storage at the bench.

Chisels, files, rasps, handsaws, and sand paper for wood and metal, punches. Sharpening devices for honing chisels. Electric Drill, Power Grinder. Stains, a small square and ruler/tape measure. Video’s and books.

Safety glasses, Apron and first aid kit are highly recommended.

For the next 100 or so build hours you will get to know your rifle for sure.

Good Building and Good Hunting!

© Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Photos by Author.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enough Knife for Hunting? Fixed Blade! Updated with Moose Knife.

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It was Crocodile Mick Dundee that said, “Now that’s a knife!” I like  a nice fixed blade for hunting. Perhaps not as big as Mick’s. Having said that; If you are hunting/camping or in a far off outdoor setting where you need a chopping ability to mark a trail or cut a branch in an emergency in say the wilds of Northern New England and miles from civilization like Canada or Alaska. I am comforted, in far off places, with a larger knife both for utility and for defense, like I am with a big bored rifle. 

Around home a nice hunting fixed blade that is mid-size, are a compromise, where you don’t look foolish for carrying a big knife locally and still have a point which has a measure of defensive capability. Below is a website that shares blade styles for our education. 

https://www.knifebuzz.com/knife-blade-shapes/

 

Some, like me, like a knife for its cool look, that is gonna still be part of how and why you choose a knife. 

Steel for your blade? What are you gonna do with your blade? General use?  Honestly, I think if you have difficulty sharpening it then I would not own it. Stainless 400 series stainless, 1095 and similar are great choices for sharpening. Yes, there are better steels but you will pay dearly for them as a finished knife.  From a hardening standpoint, I think that Rockwell hardness of around 57 to 60 HRC is hard enough yet can be  sharpened. 

Non- Stainless is great for sharpness but needs care to prevent rusting. Damascus blades are not stainless but that combine two metals and when etched they show a beautiful contrast.  Wide hunting drop point or straight back blades are pretty to look at and are ideal for gutting and skinning. 

Several years back, I purchased this full tang Damascus drop point blade blank made out of 1095 steel and 15n20 and I carved and installed a burl maple handle and fancy brass pins. Sheaths can also be a work of art so sought out a USA sheath maker and had this rattle snake skin sheath made. The knife stays sharp for my use on deer.

A better image of my hunting knife below.

 

I have several knives! I have a gut hook knife for deer hunting but there were times in far off places when I needed to cut a piece of wood for my drag rope or make a shelter from spruce bows if you are lost. A gutting knife does not chop wood job very well however. For deer hunting I carry both my Damascus Knife on my hip and my gut hook knife in my backpack. Today most knives come with a nylon or cheaply made leather sheath. I prefer a sheath equal to my knife thus I am willing to spend more on a custom sheath. 

The world is your oyster today. I like US made products if possible and I stay away from CCP made goods. German made knives are ones to consider if US made are not available. Or, do like I did,…  build your own knife from a blank.

This winter I am building a straight back bladed moose hunting knife from 400 series stainless where the handle material can be costly, like stabilized burl maple and the sheath is custom made for me in the USA with tooling on vegetable tanned leather.  The largest investment is time in your workshop.  And that can be rewarding and fun especially in winter. 

Here is the Moose Knife with 6.5 inch cutting edge “straight back” blade.  Notice the forward edge is a bit wider. I am still finishing the handle. I am pleased with its progress…Great camp knife too!

The Sheath is not yet designed but it will be as great looking as the knife with some tooling on the leather. 

 

Good Hunting!

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