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Lots of great knowledge here, I slept not so well last night, thinking about my 411 and what I need to do to make this a great hunting knife. When you see these blades advertised you get the impression that they can do it all. I have seen some Bussekin blades put through the torture test of cutting large diameter hemp rope and then chopping wood and back to the hemp rope. After all that its back to the paper and cutting paper like it’s a hot knife slicing through butter. One would think that slicing meet and skinning a deer would be child’s play for a Bussekin blade.
I hate the idea of profiling this blade just so it can process deer out in the field. I also want to keep it as a camp knife and all round utility blade. What are the diehard hunters doing with their Wardogs, Rodent Solutions, and 411’s? One might say pick a knife and stick with it but these three blades scream camping, hunting, and all round use them for anything.
I would like to know what the Busse folks use out in the field and what type of profile they have on their blades?

Well...I have tried several kin blades in the field. The stainless versions work best. I have the Basic 04 and the ElMax blades to try this year (haven't spilled any blood yet). Any of the CM 154 blades seem to excel at edge holding in this environment. INFI next. I don't know about SR101 yet....

To answer your question...I'm still trying to find a Kin knife that will process a dear as easily as my Gene Ingram's. I think the ElMax blades might have done it...but I have yet to put them through the test. Time will tell. Gene uses S30V in 1/8". I'm curious if the dulling has something to do with the heat and moisture of cutting a deer up....effectively oxidizing the edge a bit on the SR101?

I personally think anything over 1/8" is not for processing deer. My opinion. You need a slicer. 3/16 is rather fat. You'll need to reprofile it to make it work "good".

If there's one thing I really need to do...it's learn how to hand sharpen a knife. I need to spend more time sharpening, as I currently have two left hands while doing it.


JYD #121
The chief cause of unhappiness and failure is trading what you want most in life for what you want at the moment.