Old fashion fixed blade hunting knife

kiwihunter 260

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Has any one got or can supply pictures of a fixed blade hunting knife from the 30s onwards somthing that looks like it would take down a cape buff or elephant
im getting a leather cartridge belt made up for my 9.3x62 andwas thinking of getting a knife that looked the part as i have read everything is bigger in africa lol
 
Check these threads out:

Maybe not the biggest knife, but one of the coolest stories I've ever read associated with a specific knife. @kudu1's modern recreation of the knife with Damascus blade, hippo bolster, and impala horn scales looks exceptional (original knife from 1903):
https://www.africahunting.com/threads/the-lion-knife.28385/#post-263366
knife_zpsmtdpt8rv.jpg


Not necessarily old fashioned, but @Von Gruff is making some very nice looking knives. Its cool seeing how they progress:
https://www.africahunting.com/threads/my-african-knife.26296/
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If you want something big and fancy (and custom), I'd recommend checking out R. Watts. My wife and I are having him make us a matching pair of fighters (I'll post a review in a month or two when I have the final product). His stuff isn't old, but I bet they do some damage...
http://www.wattscustomknives.com/home
Watts_130602A-web.19183317_std-1.jpg
 

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Longwalker that is a knife to be reckoned with.
 
This is what I think: Classic big hunting knife + Africa = Puma White Hunter!

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Yes, the Puma White Hunter is a beautiful knife with very hard steel. Some guys have gotten overconfident and broken off the tip of the blade. Get the right gear to sharpen it AND use a pry bar when you need a lever; and that knife will outlast you! :)
 
I recall the Puma being advertised in the 50s as "the" Africa knife & I'd dream about getting one- but when I started using knives to earn a living I found that knives with a blade that broadens from hilt toward the point makes it very easy for me to slice my hand when wiping the blade, which never happens when I have a blade that is parallel or narrowing to the point. so I've abstained from owning one- in spite of them being the coolest factory knife on the planet.
 
I have a kinda love/hate relationship with this knife. Excellent quality, very stylish, well designed for skinning large critters, but the shape is too specialized to be useful for regular camp chores, it is heavy, and challenging to sharpen. I carry it for hunting bear and elk sometimes around home, It is an efficient skinner.
 
This is what I think: Classic big hunting knife + Africa = Puma White Hunter!

View attachment 175974
Here you guys go, making me want something I was doing just fine without- again! Love this knife. Had a custom one on order from a very nice and skilled fellow in Canada, but sadly had to cancel it, as $475 for a knife just wasn't going to work for me at the time. May see if I can find the puma used for a good price though!
 
Arno Bernard Rhino

Bench made saddle mountain skinner

John Rigby Limpopo Knife

Filson Mackinaw knife

And if you want something really big:
Survive knives GSO 10 or 12

And lastly cold steel makes some cool big knives.
 
Here are three knife makers to check out:

Ruana Knives
Treeman Knives
Randall Made Knives
 
Randall knives fit the bill I have an oss from cold steel I use as a pig sticker works great and there is a video of a guy stabbing a Cape buffalo with one out there somewhere it was goring someone else, the buff died they both lived! So it might fit the bill if you looking for a cheaper knife.
 
it is heavy!
 
I'm in the process of a lengthy knife review and a published report that I'll be putting online on this topic. "Best safari knife 2017"

The knives remaining are all heading to camp to be used and abused for the review, although many failed to even make it to the field testing round.

Without letting the cat out of the bag, I'd suggest that the knives that excelled are thick, and around 3.5-4" blade lengths. A reliable bush knife need not be as huge as they once were. The thickest blades tend to provide more durability and leverage when you are doing the things you ought not do, but do anyway because it's Africa.

@Von Gruff has many examples that fit the stereotype for a good Africa knife in my opinion. Any chance you'd reduce your blade length requirement? I think a shorter knife would be more practical for you.
 
Thank you rookhawk. This is a selection that might be of use in thinking through patterns. A, B, & C are larger wider knives with 1 1/4 blades while D, E, & F are more user friendly I think, with 1 inch blades and are as large as I have used in hunting situations myself and in a thicker blade with tapered tang would make for a substantial knife. I have never used an upswept blade but some like them so drew one up for this exercise. Excuse the pics as it is very early morning here when I drrew them and took the pic under the ceiling light.




If I was expecting to have to skin a heavy animal I would be looking at either A or B but if it was just a carry knife or with light to medium game involved, then it would undoubtably be either D or E. Either handle style will go with either blade style but in general, where it is used (sometimes often, as in opening up down the legs etc) ) in the blade up manner I always choose the rounded butt style, but when a knife that is predominately used in the blade down configuration I will use the angled butt style.
I am makeing a new set for myself with a light hunter (blade style E ) which has a 3 5/8 length blade with the angled butt for field dressing but have the blade D style and size with the rounded butt for the hunter sized skinner where I carry out the animals and skin them back at the truck. Just to finish off the set there will be a field scalple and a boning knife.

 

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I'm in the process of a lengthy knife review and a published report that I'll be putting online on this topic. "Best safari knife 2017"

The knives remaining are all heading to camp to be used and abused for the review, although many failed to even make it to the field testing round.

Without letting the cat out of the bag, I'd suggest that the knives that excelled are thick, and around 3.5-4" blade lengths. A reliable bush knife need not be as huge as they once were. The thickest blades tend to provide more durability and leverage when you are doing the things you ought not do, but do anyway because it's Africa.

@Von Gruff has many examples that fit the stereotype for a good Africa knife in my opinion. Any chance you'd reduce your blade length requirement? I think a shorter knife would be more practical for you.

I'm very interested in seeing the results of your 2017 Hunting Knife "field tests." In it please clarify what you mean/include as blade length. As Von Gruff recently pointed out to me blade length can be thought of in different terms. Had I known you were going to do this I would have provided you with what I think is a very good hunting knife, just to see how it stacked up.
 
Gents,

I want to clarify that I'm not rating and evaluating "hunting knives" as we think Of them in the West. I'm evaluating "safari knives" and that term doesn't exist so I had to define it.

Durability - able to withstand horrible things you aren't supposed to do to knives.

Multi-use

Easily sharpened by an imbecile like me in the bush (scandi edge)

Takes an edge quick (not stainless)

Can start a fire with a ferocium rod

Can cut biltong!

Can be used for basic bushcraft

Can be handled properly when wet or bloody

Can do basic skinning and cleaning for bait prep or quartering, but isn't a proper skinning knife as that is a specialty tool.

I'll photo some finalists for you in the $50-$350 price range. I consider these the best non-custom knives for the rough use at hand.
 

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