New concept for a hunter with a gut hook

[Wayne Bensinger]

Hi guys,
Woke up this morning with every plan sit spend the last day of the Penna archery season in a tree looking at a 30 acre field, but my body had other plans as I have been coughing with a screaming sore throat for 4 days. So I thought I'd design a new knife for a client instead of breathing in the 22 degree air.
Let me know your thoughts, he asked for a skinner with a gut hook. I though it might be a little thin at the end of the handle, not sure. S.S. bolster is an option I'll throw at him and I thought the handle could G-10 or even C-tek. S.S. pins and lanyard tube is normally what I like to use on a hunting knife. Here's the rough sketch

 

[Self Made Knives]

Guess I could try and count the squares on the graph paper, but, what are the dimensions? Length x width? My first thought is that the handle might feel too wide in your hand, right around the front finger grooves.

 

[Wayne Bensinger]

Sorry Anthony, right after I posted I said to myself, "you dummy, you forgot the dimensions"! I was wondering who'd be the first to ask. That graph paper I use is 3/16", so you would have needed that info to decipher the size. With what you said, I think I'll make a wood prototype to see how it feels then wait to see if I get more responses, thanks buddy.

1-1/2" wide at the thumb ramp to the blade edge
just under 8" in length
5/32" thick

 

[Self Made Knives]

Funny you said that, because I've built 2 wood prototypes so far, just to be sure it felt right. On one, I had kept some wood blades off a dead ceiling fan and found they were exactly 3/16" thick, which was the steel thickness too. On another, I had some plywood scraps that were 5/32" thick, again matching my steel. It doesn't take too long to make a prototype and my kids loved the wood knives once I was satisfied with the design.

 

[TacticallySharp]

I like the blade design but, the handle shape doesn't do much for me. I like my handles a bit wider in the rear and a little narrower at the ricaso.

Have your client hold the wooden one and see how they like the feel.