Posts Tagged ‘hunting’

If you have just purchased your first bowie knife, or even if you have been an avid collector of these blades for a number of years, it can be difficult to determine exactly what all the different parts of the blade are supposed to be used for. Part of this confusion stems from the myriad different styles of blade out there. For instance, you’ll find modern bowies that have saw-tooth edging on the spine, while historically accurate models do not include this feature. What are the different parts supposed to do?

For instance, some knives include a saw-tooth edge along the spine of the knife. This is a modern development and hails from the Vietnam era military knives issued to helicopter pilots and foot soldiers alike. The saw teeth can help cut through wood, plastic and other materials, as well as being used for scaling fish or sawing through bone. However, novice users should beware these bowie knife models, as the saw can often get in the way of general use. Injury to the knife owner is not uncommon.

Saw Teeth – You will undoubtedly encounter other bowie knives that feature a saw-toothed design on the spine of the blade. Ostensibly, this is used for sawing wood, or scaling fish. However, most users find that it actually gets in the way and can even injure the knife’s wielder if they are unwary. If you choose to purchase a knife with this feature, be very aware that the saw-tooth portion might not be as handy as you first think.

Spanish Notch – Some bowie knife models include a Spanish Notch, while others do not. The true use of this feature seems to have been lost to the mists of time, but today, it serves as a guide to show where sharpening should begin. Some people attest that the notch was placed there to help catch an opponent’s blade, but most collectors and historians are skeptical of these claims.

Guard – The guard, or quillions, of the blade serve several purposes, as well. You’ll find that traditional blades have angled guards, with the upper guard angled forward toward the point and the lower guard angled back, toward the butt. These provide protection for the hand, as well as allowing the wielder to trap an opponent’s blade (the upper guard only). The guard also serves to keep your hand from running off the handle and onto the blade when stabbing with the knife.

Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knife store featuring the jim bowie knife as well as lighters for camping.

Air travel has certainly become more troublesome since 9/11. However, most travelers would agree that the new restrictions are not without cause. That said, understanding these new restrictions can be a bit problematic. For instance, are you allowed to carry a bowie knife aboard a plane? You might be surprised by the answer to that question – yes, you can. However, you’ll have to follow some special rules setup by the TSA to maintain safety aboard planes.

The answer to that question is “yes and no.” How can that be? First, you have to understand the difference between carryon and checked baggage. For instance, any carryon bag must be sent through a metal detector, before you are allowed to board a plane with it. In addition, any item within that bag will be within easy reach during the flight. Therefore, you cannot carry your bowie knife in your carryon luggage.

Next, you will need to pack your knife appropriately. You would think that just placing it in your suitcase would be enough, but the TSA demands more stringent measures. You’ll need to make sure that your bowie knife is sheathed, first and foremost. You will also need to make sure that the knife is secured within the sheath in some way. Some sheaths have a buttoned strap for this purpose. However, even a simple piece of twine can serve your purpose here.

What if you are not taking any checked luggage? If you’re only going for a short trip, or just like to travel light, it’s pretty common to only take carryon baggage with you. If this scenario sounds familiar, you should consider shipping your knife ahead, through UPS or FedEx. However, you should check the freight carrier’s weapons policy before attempting to ship that bowie knife ahead.

Carrying your bowie knife with you is more convenient than you might think, but it will necessitate that you plan ahead and prepare for any contingencies that might arise. That said, with a bit of forethought, you can arrive at your destination and have your bowie knife with you at the same time, which is better than many travelers assume.

Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie hunting knives store featuring the Cold Steel training knife. Additionally, Dylan is also the President of an online humidors store.

Frank Niro Mother of Pearl Fighter Knife: This Pearl Fighter from Frank Niro was my first knife from this fantastic maker from BC, Canada. This is probably the first really fancy knife I’ve ever bought, and because Frank has such affordable prices, I was able to get it at a time when I was not able to spend as much money on aknife. This is probably one of the nicer Niro’s I’ve seen.

Strider GB Folder Knife: The Strider GB is basically the same as the Strider AR, with the only difference being that it is a tanto blade instead of a spearpoint. This particular example of the GB has thinner liners than the older AR that I had, asStrider thinned them out in later releases. The balance is probably a bit better on the thin linered versions, but they don’t seem quite as solid – perhaps that’s just in my head.

Darren Chard Mokume Damascus Wharncliffe: Here I have another peice by Canadian Knifemaker Darren Chard. I still consider Darren one of the best least known knifemakers out there. Everything that comes out of his shop is perfect. His fit and finish is among the best, bar none. He is also always up to a challenge, and creates knives because he enjoys it, not because it is profitable.

Spyderco Cricket FRN C29 Knife: Since I reviewed the Ying Yang cricket I wasn’t going to review this FRN cricket, however this one is plain edged, and different enough I figured I would at least give a short review of it. The Cricket is definately one of the more popular ladies knives available, and due to the blade shape, works very well with textiles.

Mike Obenauf Small Model 2 Custom: This is a customized Model 2 Framelock from the now defunct Mike Obenauf. Though this knife is extremely similar to the other Model 2 framelock I reviewed last year, I felt that I should review it partly because Mike has also retired from knifemaking, and this peice is rather unique.

Cold Steel Hatamoto Folding Knife: My opinion of Cold Steel’s knives has changed a bit with the recent acquisition of a couple of Cold Steel folders. The Hatamoto is the first of these Cold Steel knives that I have acquired, and comes from their high-end line they call their “Custom Series”, and feature their mysterious and somewhat gimmicky San Mai III Steel.

Raidops LJ3MP Fixed Blade Knife: This Mini Tactical Knife from Raidops is very well made, and when I saw it, I had to have it. Raidops knives are made by a fellow named Kim from Korea, and he offers a product that is quite unique. When I posted the review of this knife on Youtube, I had a few viewers complain that a 2 1/2 inch blade could not be tactical.

CRKT E-Lock Bronze Folding Knife: Among most knife Collectors, CRKT has the image of being an entry level brand that uses entry level cutlery steels, and affordable materials in the production of their knives. That may be true to some degree, but CRKT sells a lot of knives, and has some great designers collaborating with them. One of them is Allen Elishewitz.

Ben Vinson is a lover of many things which includes writing about his interests. You can read more from Ben at the Affordable Pocket Knives store and Affordable NFL Jerseys store. See you there!

Night vision goggles for sale are a real testament to how far technology has come. While they used to be used primarily by those in security fields or military personnel due to the fact that they were quite expensive, today you can find them at just about any store that sells sporting goods or outdoor gear. And even department stores carry them as well. Seeking out the perfect pair to invest in can be a little testing, but do not just pick up the first one you see. You will likely regret it later.

Any hunter or fisherman who wants to do their respective activities after the sun goes down can do so with a pair of night vision goggles. If they did not have any night vision goggles, doing any outdoors activities at night would be extremely difficult. Using a flash light or lamp can alert prey where you are and make your entire endeavor a waste of energy. It can be all that more satisfying to successfully pull off catching fish or getting a big buck after the sun goes down.

Are you looking for some night vision goggles for sale for your own use? If so, check with your local sporting goods stores and see what they have to offer. You may not be able to find a good pair at a department store, as they often stock the cheapest and lowest quality pairs they can. If you happen to come across some night vision goggles that you like make a note of the brand and the model. Hold onto that information so you can do some research and make an informed buying decision.

Your next course of action should be to check online for consumer reviews. You can get some real valuable insight from people just like you. This is especially great if those people need them for the same purposes as you as well, so you can really apply their experiences to your decision. Once you have read some in depth reviews, look for night vision goggles for sale and see what price range the model you’re looking for usually sells for. With this knowledge, it is finally possible for you to figure out if the ones you liked at the store are really the ones for you.

The truth is, you can probably find a pair of night vision goggles rather easily. Almost any department or specialty store has them in stock, and there are hundreds of online retailers offering them. The only trick is finding a really high quality part of night vision goggles for sale, plus locating a pair that is not excessively expensive can be difficult as well. Try not to jump on the first ones you come by. Doing some research can ensure that you do not waste your money, and that you will be picking up a good pair. While the novelty of being able to see at night is great, you do not want to make a mistake when purchasing your night vision goggles.

Anyone who partakes in outdoor activities at night needs a pair of night vision goggles for safety purposes. Find night vision goggles for sale online or in your area.

If you own a Bowie knife, you’ll certainly want to know how to sharpen that blade. While Bowie knives are certainly larger than most other types of knife, sharpening them is really not very different. In fact, you will be able to use the same whetstone as you use for many other types of blades.

Generally, novice knife owners opt for the all-in-one type of system, as this allows them to control the angle of the blade, without having to do so by hand. However, those more familiar with the sharpening process often choose to use a series of whetstones or a whetstone and a strop. This results in a much better edge, though it takes considerable practice before you can call yourself an expert. As a note, if you choose to go it alone, practice with some inexpensive blades before you attempt to sharpen your Bowie knife, or any other knife that might represent a considerable investment.

The process of sharpening a knife is all about removing metal from the blade, but doing so in a controlled pattern. The angle at which you hold your knife will determine some of how much metal is removed, as will the duration of the sharpening process. If you choose to use a sharpening system, make sure that it offers several different angles in the guide, so that you can achieve the sharpness and blade shape that’s right for your knife.

Once you have your sharpening system purchased, you will need to know how to sharpen that bade. Bowie knives are quite large, so the best way to sharpen your blade is actually to grind it in circles, down the length of the blade (heel to toe). Make sure that you are able to hold the blade at the correct angle while doing this, or your knife will not take a good edge. The angle is quite important; the entire reason for purchasing an all-in-one sharpening system is so that you don’t have to guess at the angle of the blade to the whetstone.

Once you have a solid burr along the blade, you’ll need to switch to a finer stone. You can even use a strop here. The purpose of the second grinding is just to remove the burr and polish the edges of the blade a bit. This will ensure a clean cut each time (as the burr will catch during the cutting process, leaving ragged cuts). When removing the burr, it’s best to go heel to tip on the knife.

Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knife store featuring sog bowie knives. Additionally, Dylan is also the President of a specialty butane lighters store.

There are many different types of knives available, and as with many other tools, if you don’t have the right one, it’s likely to cause problems. A good quality knife will last a lifetime with minimal care. Here are a few tips for choosing the right knife for your outdoor sport.

The majority of hunting knives are designed for skinning. If you would like your knife to be favorable for skinning, the primary thing you should note is the blade form. You want a rounded or drop point so that when you are “ripping” the skin, the point of your knife will not dig into the meat. Also, you’ll likely want a nonmoving blade knife, as folding blades have too many crevices to trap blood and mess in.

Determining a knife for camping can be challenging because you need a knife with various uses. You may rely on this knife for preparing food, trimming branches, amending gear, as well as a hundred other purposes. Because of the many needs, you’ll discover that a Swiss army knife or multi tool may live up to your needs best. Also, you may opt to pack a saw, hatchet, or machete in your gear before setting out, for harder cutting jobs.

You should probably get a fillet knife for fishing. A fillet knife is well designed for cleaning fish, and it can also cut fishing line well, which is the other main task for a fishing knife. There are also electric fillet knives available for the fisherman that is constantly catching many fish. If you plan on fishing in salt water, be sure your knife is designed to withstand the corrosion of saltwater.

Trappers will commonly want a skinning knife, much equal to a hunting knife. A fixed blade or a foldable knife will work equally well; this would be a first choice of the sportsman. Tougher tasks are normally completed with an axe, so a second knife isn’t usually required.

A boater’s chief motive for a knife is cutting line. You’ll want a sharp knife that is convenient and promptly deployed, in case you need to cut a line quickly. Make certain that the knife will stand up to water, too. It is apparent that each outdoor sport calls for a particular knife. Purchase a quality knife and your undertakings will be easier and a quality knife will often be handed down to your kids.

Author Ethan O. Tanner shares his knowledge on diverse kinds of knives for outdoor sports and how to select the best knife for your sport.

We got to hunting camp at around 4:00 on Friday. The sun was just beginning to set to our west. The sky started to get very dark and the northwest wind began howling through the trees. We had to set up camp fast because it was going to get dark soon and a possible winter storm was heading our way. My job was to pitch the camping tent while my friends searched for the firewood.

After about 20 minutes the tent was up and my friends were walking up the trail carrying plenty of firewood for the entire weekend. My friend John said that they spooked three big bucks in the valley as they walked down the hill. He said they ran straight for the east side of the forest crossing an old dry stream. Now we knew where we were going to start our hunt early on Saturday morning.

Before we could think about hunting, we had to get a fire going because the storm was approaching quickly. We built a simple fire pit out of large rocks then started the fire and got the rest of our gear unpacked and put away. As soon as we got the fire going to a roaring blaze it started to snow like crazy. It was very cold out so we decided to leave our sandwiches in the picnic backpack and cook up some thick strip steaks. Since John had just bought new bbq tools, he got to do the honors. Besides, nobody in our hunting group will ever complain about John’s steaks. He really is the master of the grill.

The snow began to pile up very fast. In an hour or so we had two inches on the ground. My new four season camping tent was holding up to the wind and snow very well. Soon the steaks were cooked and we could get into our tent and enjoy our dinner. We grabbed the cooler out of the back of the SUV and headed for the tent for an evening of storytelling, food and beer.

As we ate, the snow and wind got even worse. The tent was shaking hard but we weren’t worried. I was very happy I bought the four season tent instead of the three season one I had been considering. If I had purchased the three season tent, we would have either cancelled the trip or we’d have been sleeping in the truck. Soon the steaks were just fond memories and it was time to climb into our sleeping bags and get some rest. The alarm clock was going to go off early because the hunt was at hand!

Please come back soon for the next part of this story about my bad weather hunting trip. In part 3 I’ll tell you the story of the hunt and the huge buck I bagged that day.