What is the purpose of carrying a knife out in a safari..

Red Leg said:
I am pretty sure the question was "what is the purpose of carrying a knife out in a safari." I answered it with absolute accuracy.
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No sir, that’s just part of the question, the remaining part is what advantage does it have over a pocket knife/utility tool in Africa. Assumption is you are in a guided hunt where the skinning is best left to the pros.
 
I hadn't given much thought to it with my first trip over getting closer. I'd planned to take my Leatherman and one of my daily carry fixed blades that I'm never far from. Probably the magnacut MKC blackfoot.
 
soumya sarkar said:
No sir, that’s just part of the question, the remaining part is what advantage does it have over a pocket knife/utility tool in Africa. Assumption is you are in a guided hunt where the skinning is best left to the pros.
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I answered ithe question you asked exactly as I intended and articulated exactly why I carry a blade in Africa. If you want a different answer from me feel free to ask another question.
 
Just asking for clarification.

@Tokoloshe Safaris Lon, Is it locked blade knives are illegal or automatic spring opening, aka switchblade, knives are illegal?

Customs at Harare allowed me to keep my locked blade knife because after they examined my knife it was declared not a switchblade nor would it open by the flick of the wrist.

What I neglected to show them was the knife can be opened one handed; by using my finger to pull down the spur to manually open the blade.
 
Some of the idiots I see wearing fancy sheath knives on African hunting videos would make me very nervous if I was their PH. Someone who can't keep his gun pointed in a safe direction shouldn't be trusted digging around in an animal's slippery innards with a sharp knife. Even an extremely experienced and astute person like myself can have a mishap. Then the PH has to explain to the lodge owner why he let a client cut his finger off.
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I have gutted well over a hundred big game animals with only one mishap in sixty years (first buck in 1967) ... until last fall. Had to make do patching myself up with flagging tape. Even a pro can make a mistake ... or two. But I'm the only one to blame. No one else got in trouble.
 
Red Leg said:
I answered ithe question you asked exactly as I intended and articulated exactly why I carry a blade in Africa. If you want a different answer from me feel free to ask another question.
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Red Leg said:
I answered ithe question you asked exactly as I intended and articulated exactly why I carry a blade in Africa. If you want a different answer from me feel free to ask another question.
Click to expand...
My question about carrying was limited to the bush and not in a hotel room, closed combat or in an automobile.
 
soumya sarkar said:
But then you also have your hunting rifle/shotgun unless you are bow hunting
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Yes, but when you go to town, have lunch, buy diesel or recline in camp the hunting rifle is not with you.

As opposed to Redleg I also did not spend a career in the military, and can only assume our self defence skills with a knife is chalk and cheese…
 
Ontario Hunter said:
Some of the idiots I see wearing fancy sheath knives on African hunting videos would make me very nervous if I was their PH. Someone who can't keep his gun pointed in a safe direction shouldn't be trusted digging around in an animal's slippery innards with a sharp knife. Even an extremely experienced and astute person like myself can have a mishap. Then the PH has to explain to the lodge owner why he let a client cut his finger off.
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I have gutted well over a hundred big game animals with only one mishap in sixty years (first buck in 1967) ... until last fall. Had to make do patching myself up with flagging tape. Even a pro can make a mistake ... or two. But I'm the only one to blame. No one else got in trouble.
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Well, if you had been wearing chain mail gloves your one mishap wouldn’t have happened. LOL In the ‘90s here, when CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) became a “thing”, my father in law would wear chain mail gloves over latex gloves to prevent contracting CWD in the event he cut himself while field dressing game. I kid you not.
 
soumya sarkar said:
I'm planning a small utility knife instead of a trademark hunting knife that I see many of you carry when out hunting. Just want to go light and my philosophy is to carry as less of a load specially around the waist as possible. Already feeling the weight of my 12 pound double on long walks. Am I missing something, please educate me..
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As a client hunter in Africa, a simple small folding knife on your belt is sufficient. This knife will primarily be used for a meal break in the bush. For the hard bloody work on hunted game, you have a team that takes care of it. Participation in skinning can be interpreted in different ways, not always positively as the team wants to do their work in order to get paid and especially get tips.

I have rarely drawn and eviscerated game in Africa, except a few antelopes that I shot alone, only accompanied by a local guide. In one case, while we were waiting for hours for the car that had to pick us and the hunted buffalo, I helped a tracker to skin the buffalo and to begin remove part of the legs. The crew took over the rest of the work when they arrived. This all was easy to do with a folding knife with a not too long but wide blade.

Anyone as client who has a big knife on their belt is living their dream as a great African hunter, but nowadays it's all very far from the reality. In addition, a nice big knife can in Africa arouse the desire of individual team members to have it.
 
We are on exactly the same page. I wear cargo shorts or longs and carry an Opinel No7 carbone in the left thigh pouch and Swarovski 7x20 binos in the right. Bullets in hoops above my left shirt pocket. All so light and minimal that you don’t even notine they are there.
 
‘A knife will never fail you”

I carry a knife in the field for personal reasons and don’t feel the need to justify it to anyone. That said, it helps me accomplish tasks that I choose not to do with my teeth.

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HH
 
Africa is one of the least strenuous and best supported worldwide hunting. You really don't need a big knife as a client.

By the way, the team members also cut off the tails of the elephants that I shot. I did not need a big knife for this either.
 
grand veneur said:
Africa is one of the least strenuous and best supported worldwide hunting. You really don't need a big knife as a client.

By the way, the team members also cut off the tails of the elephants that I shot. I did not need a big knife for this either.
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I prefer to do it myself. The teams including the PH will do all sorts of things for you including shooting your animal… if you let them :)

HH
 
I carry a Boker Barlow BFF inside the pocket fixed blade, never carry a folder again. Wrappers, wine tops, tags, the last hunt I used it to carve eland meat off the rib bone while helping grill.
 
I don't know why anyone else carries a knife on safari but I do it so I don't have to ask for help for something I should be able to take care of on my own...countless little things that may require a knife. As to skinning animals, yes I know about the status and respect due to the staff...and on most animals, I enjoy watching them do their work and giving little head nods of appreciation and respect. However on elephant, I pitch in and help skin some of the panels to speed up the work. I might ask the skinner, where would you like some help? We're going to be be there all day anyway so I might as well offer to help. Plus, on ele, you are supposed to cut your own tail. It's just a tradition.
 
Perhaps it’s a regional thing or just how was brought up but I never leave the house without a blade of some sort on my person. I have a handmade fixed blade in a sheath a good friend made for me and I wear that even in my Sunday clothes. Carry a knife or not is your choice, but I would rather have it and not need it then to find myself wishing I had a blade. To each their own I say. Mines not a fashion statement, it’s a tool, it gets used, even in Africa.
 
Never leave home without one. I've always carried one while on safari. I rather have one and not need it, than need it and not have it. Simple.
 
Last year in Limpopo I figured out I did not need to wear my fixed blade. My PH and tracker had knives. Took one as I was advised, decided against the wearing. Folders are a necessity. I carry an automatic for EDC, even to church. Used to keep a big folder, one hand opener on my dive harness. That knife could be the only thing to get you free from an underwater entanglement, came very close to sucking water, as did a friend. Also if you find yourself upside down in your truck, you have to cut away.
 
Red Leg said:
I am pretty sure the question was "what is the purpose of carrying a knife out in a safari." I answered it with absolute accuracy.
Click to expand...
I was just kidding.
Carrying a knife in Africa is always wise and I do too.
Plus it looks cool in the video and pictures :)
 
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