Does the perfect fixed blade for Africa exist? Whether it does or not, what should it look like?

[poco]

I have a pile of nice hunting knives - none were used in Africa - but I can tell you what every skinner I saw used… a $0.99 cheap ass plastic handle, flimsy junk metal blade. And they made my skinning skills look pathetic in comparison.

I’m taking over a bunch of morakniv carbon steel for everyone , $9 of insurance and gift
plus i use my morakniv a lot skinnin deer , nilgai, aoudad can’t hurt to have a extra

 

[Daniel Cary]

It "should" look like this .. imo.

 

[baxterb]

These are serious tools for larger jobs. Custom mastodon ivory handled, faux "Damascus", 4" drop point.... not so much.

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I would love to see one of these fellas make one of these - how they select the branch, shape it, make the blade, etc.

 

[wvfred]

The Randall in the picture is the one I use in Africa.I don't think a client really needs one this big but for reasons stated above USE ENOUGH KNIFE.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

This isnt even a joke. The Victorinox paring knives are awesome. You look in most kitchens butcherhouses they will be stuffed with vics and dexter knives and thats ALL they do...

Not just kitchens the fishing industry is run by victorinox steak knives.

There has been about 3000 head of livestock killed by my family and every one of them was skinned and butchered with dexter knives. That numbers not a joke either I recently took the time to flip through the old ledgers and count everything we’ve butchered.

 

[YancyW]

@Red Leg wrote it out very well. I can't imagine going in the field without a fixed blade knife, and I would rather have a bit extra blade to work with than one a bit too short.

Here is the knife I have carried on my last few trips, I had Gary work up the blade shape for me. It is a great knife for many uses.

 

[BourbonTrail]

These are serious tools for larger jobs. Custom mastodon ivory handled, faux "Damascus", 4" drop point.... not so much.

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Looks like a tobacco knife on steroids

 

[HWL]

If I had known that the upper side of the blade could be sharpened to split kindling, I might not have sold mine...but I just didn't use it that much.

You do not need to use it so much, it's just the "fleet in being".
As Red Leg described it, it's not a knive only, it also is a weapon.

HWL

 

[fourfive8]

Truth be known, as @Berettaco pointed out, except for the panga and locally made axes used for the heavy work, the "iconic" knife of Africa looks like one of these simple, very inexpensive, practical, molded-handle knives... These are the most iconic because they are the types preferred and most commonly used by the local trackers, skinners and staff actually doing all the game processing

 

[Brandon.Gleason]

I've carried a Gene Ingram B&T #4 on every hunt in Africa I've taken so far. I find it the right size for cutting biltong and opening packages. It's right at home breaking down a whitetail here stateside. Haven't put it to heavy task in Africa outside of the below elephant tail.

 

[Safari Dave]

For professional butchers, it's Victorinox and Dexter.

I did it for 4 years, before I decided to get officially "edumacated."




Now , I carry "pretty knives."

 

[steve white]

Redleg summed up my thoughts perfectly. Regardless of your intent, bad situations happen. The other thread it was said that you essentially don’t bring a knife to a gunfight, although I tend to subscribe to that thought process myself, when you can’t have a handgun, a well designed fighting knife would be my next choice in a dark alley. Most criminals are maybe 1 IQ point above a coyote turd and are typically trained by other hoodlums with similar cognitive abilities. I personally am much more worried being 7 feet away from a man with a knife intent on killing me than a guy with a handgun. So, one more vote for Von Gruff’s JT Ranger, it also opens a can of snuff perfectly!

I read a statistic somewhere that stated that an assault from a knife was more likely to kill you than being shot.

 

[CBH Australia]

For me it would be a nice knife of 4-5" using natural materials to be aesthetically pleasing.
So natural handle materials, leather sheath and probably a carbon steel blade.
It has to be functional but I would want a traditional look if I was to carry a knife in Africa for general use and it's going to to show in safari photos I just like a traditional look.
I own a Von Gruff that was designed and built by Garry using my input.

 

[steve white]

Hunter Stabs Buffalo to Death to Save Pinned Guide - Sporting Shooter

These guys were huntingCape Buffaloin South Africa when they had to deal with every PH’s nightmare situation: a wounded buffalo. When they followed it up, the buffalo charged and pinned one of the hunters to the ground. In a last ditch effort to save him, the victim’s son bravely intervened...

sportingshooter.com.au

Given that a buff's ribs sort of overlap, it probably was not that easy to stab it to death in the first place.

 

[Tanks]

As I mentioned on another thread I found a knifemaker and commissioned a knife. Here is a picture, about 90% finished.

 

[mauserhunter]

Anyone have a flat rock forge, he's a member on another forum I've been eyeing his combat woodsman knife.

 

[Bullthrower338]

I read a statistic somewhere that stated that an assault from a knife was more likely to kill you than being shot.

That is a fact, I have seen it proven in several training scenarios. It is scary when you realize just how fast a man with a knife can open you up!

 

[Inline6]

That is a fact, I have seen it proven in several training scenarios. It is scary when you realize just how fast a man with a knife can open you up!

I carry a ZT folder with a very sharp edge. It only gets pulled out to draw blood. I carry a different knife to cut things with. The first time I cut a deers throat with it to finish it off. I was amazed how easily it cut to the neck bone. Another time I put the blade in the side of a deer so a young hunter would not see the blood from a neck cut. Again amazed how easily it slide in.

People are free do do what they want. I will always carry a knife at a minimum if that is an option. Going anywhere without one, does not make sense to me. I would rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

 

[jpr9954]

These are serious tools for larger jobs. Custom mastodon ivory handled, faux "Damascus", 4" drop point.... not so much.

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Do these axes have a name such as "Zulu war axe" or the like? I'd love to find something like that to take home as a souvenir.

 

[Rare Breed]

As I mentioned on another thread I found a knifemaker and commissioned a knife. Here is a picture, about 90% finished.

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Just bought a beautiful Old Western with Giraffe handle @von gruff knife I will be taking on my April hunt to Africa. Thanks for all you enablers helping me spend $500. lol!!!