Custom knife help

[Swamp donley]

Seems there’s already a couple knife threads going at the top of the page but my question is a little different.
A friend of mine is going to make me 2 knives and that I’m hoping will be do it all knives for elk. I’m not a knife guru so the options are really overwhelming.

I don’t know enough about knife blade styles to really know what I want. I originally told him a 3.5 inch blade with gut hook and a smaller caping knife. Now I’m thinking instead of gut hook blade I want a little more flexible of a blade and the caping knife.
figured there was more knowledgeable people on here with knives, so what 2 knife styles would cover everything?

 

[nagibson1]

Good question. I'm interested as well

 

[Decker9]

These are the customs I had made. I’m not a guru either, so used the knife builders expertise a bit.

He opted for S35VN steel, its jiberesh to me, but after 3 years, and a handful of critters and camp jobs, Iv yet to have to sharpen either of them.

The handles are made of water Buffalo horn. The builder claimed it was one of the tougher handle materials, and wouldn't absorb moisture or crack.

I can’t recall the lengths of these, but if you like I can dig them out and put a tape on them. After 3 years, I wouldn’t change a thing on either of them.

Both built by Bolduc knives (Gary Bolduc) out of California.

 

[BurbsEscape]

To me, it starts with the type of steel, and there are many good ones to choose from. A few things trade off when choosing... Durabiliy, ease of sharpening, and corrosion resistance. If it's a custom knife then check what they work with and it's easy enough to look up the traits of that steel.

Shape goes to use, and how YOU use it for that work. That includes how and where you carry it. If weight is a concern, it's going to be a thinner lighter tool, which also means you're not going to be hacking away with it. I also don't want to carry the whole set out with me, so I look for something versatile and durable, even if a bit harder to sharpen... Lasts longer when I need it and I can spent the time at home sharpening.

For your primary blade, deer and elk can be done with the same knife, no problem. Personally I'm not a gut hook guy, being a limited-use thing that I can do fine without it... But that's up to you! Having some curve or "belly" for the big tasks helps, especially if you have a separate caper anyway. It doesn't need to be a stout bushcraft knife either... Not only do you not need the heft, the edge geometry isn't the best for cutting flesh.

Handles... They can be slippery when bloody, so the shape and texture help prevent accidents. It doesn't need to be a rubberized handle, but if it's a shinier finish I'd want more slip resistance in the shape, but I would not go so far as recommending extended finger guards as I feel they tend to get in the way when working up an animal.

With all that, so much comes down to personal preference! I'd suggest trying out a new knife at home prepping for a BBQ or something... Not the same as being in the field, but testing equipment is never a bad idea.