best locking mechanism for deer hunting folder?

[wvguy8258]

Hi,

I haven't logged in in years. Glad everyone is still here. I got out of collecting for a while.

I prefer a folding knife due to weight and space savings. When I hunt elevated (from a tree saddle, if you've heard of such a thing) I have something around my waist that squeezes me (so I can't have a belt knife) and I want 1 or 2 knives on me in case I need to cut myself out of some things (you never know the future 100% when hanging from ropes 20 feet above ground).

I've been rocking a Stretch (regular variant) as my primary and Delica as my secondary for years (both in cargo pockets).

Once, I had deer fat and such get in the tang notch on the Stretch and I had to clean it with a little stick to get it to continue locking. Also, the closed back of these blades makes removing materials from the inside of the knife cumbersome.

I know a solution would be to carry a small fixed in my pack. Duly noted.

But if you were to have a folder as your primary deer field cleaning knife, which would you choose? And which general locking mechanism?

I currently also have liner locks, back locks, caged ball bearing, and compression locks. I wouldn't mind having an excuse to pick another up, if it will be better for my needs.

Thanks - wv

[ladybug93]

welcome back.

i would imagine the slippery conditions of cleaning an animal would make the backlock the most desirable lock since it allows manipulation without as much movement of the hand position and without sacrificing grip. compression lock would probably be the worst because of the way you have to grip the knife with only your finger tips. cbbl would probably be almost equally bad because of the tension of the spring and the need to have pressure in multiple points, but in ways that don't secure the knife in your hand. with the backlock, you can still have your fingers wrapped around the handle while disengaging the lock. the liner lock would probably be second in that kind of situation.

[skeeg11]

Everyone's different. Blood proof open back SpydieChef for me and a toothbrush in the fanny pack.

[TomAiello]

I'd go with an open back frame lock, personally. The frame lock has very few 'parts' to gum up, and the open back will help reduce the places that things accumulate. So I guess count that as another vote for the Spydiechef.

[JoviAl]

Cruwear Yojimbo with some contoured aftermarket scales would be my choice if I *had* to take a folder over a fixed blade and had to parcel a larger animal. For gutting and skinning small game maybe something small like a lil native - that thing is wonderful for neat precision cuts.

Admittedly I would take a mule in an kydex sheath over either of these any day.

[JD Spydo]

Well I've used probably about 5 different Spyderco folders as "hunter/folders" on deer hunting trips as well as other outdoor ventures and I liked all of them. However one model that still stands out to me is the Spyderco C-60 Ayoob model. We just had a successful Sprint Run of that great model and I've got first hand experience using it to field dress white-tailed deer. It literally unzips the hide off a deer ( providing you've got it super sharp). The overall design makes it near perfect for that type of a cutting job.
But there are other great Spyderco folders that also do a decent job. Among those are the C-36 Military, Para2, Chinook models, even the Endura can all do a really nice job. Yeah I tend to lean toward Spyderco's old school models>> but those old school models all work very nicely.

[Evil D]

Almost any lock can eventually get packed full of crap that can compromise the lockup or even the unlocking, so I would think about this in terms of which lock is easiest to clean out. I would think a back lock is a actually among the better choices since it's closed off while locked open, and there aren't any spots for gunk to get stuck in except up between the scales behind the pivot and tang. A compression lock or liner lock are wide open plus they can get gunk behind the lock bar that can prevent you from unlocking it. The same goes for a CBBL, though I have seen that lock completely packed with mud and they do rinse out fairly well but again is that something you can do out in the woods while cleaning a deer? Another thing I would look into is a knife design that puts as much space between the edge and pivot as possible, so it keeps the gunk at bay. I believe this is part of the thought process behind the Siren, but you can get similar benefits from knives with finger choils. A good example of this might be a Barong, where the edge doesn't come all the way back to the pivot so you can only get it so close to the gorey stuff.

[Manixguy@1994]

I am not a folder fan deer hunting , especially after trying one out . If you do liner-less , or open frame would be helpful . I don’t know of any that will not collect matter while dressing out a deer . It just the nature of the folder design . MG2

[ladybug93]

Almost any lock can eventually get packed full of crap that can compromise the lockup or even the unlocking, so I would think about this in terms of which lock is easiest to clean out. I would think a back lock is a actually among the better choices since it's closed off while locked open, and there aren't any spots for gunk to get stuck in except up between the scales behind the pivot and tang. A compression lock or liner lock are wide open plus they can get gunk behind the lock bar that can prevent you from unlocking it. The same goes for a CBBL, though I have seen that lock completely packed with mud and they do rinse out fairly well but again is that something you can do out in the woods while cleaning a deer? Another thing I would look into is a knife design that puts as much space between the edge and pivot as possible, so it keeps the gunk at bay. I believe this is part of the thought process behind the Siren, but you can get similar benefits from knives with finger choils. A good example of this might be a Barong, where the edge doesn't come all the way back to the pivot so you can only get it so close to the gorey stuff.

i was thinking the same as far as gunking up a knife. the simplicity of a backlock makes it easy to operate even with junk in the pivot and, even with the closed back, it's really easy to rinse out. i've had my salts full of beach sand and still able to function and it was easy to shake them under the water for a quick rinse. a cbbl would probably be the worst when it comes to getting gunked up with stuff (and i say that as a huge fan of the lock). compression locks and liner locks could potentially get gummed up between the lock bar and the scale, making them almost impossible to close without rinsing. the backlock wouldn't have that kind of problem. a frame lock wouldn't have that kind of issue either, but then you're using a metal handled knife in a slippery situation, which also isn't ideal.

[vandelay]

IMO, comp locks are the easiest to clean out. You can just pour water through the locking mechanism to get most of the gunk out. The only annoying spot would be if you manage to get anything deep under the lock bar. There's some slack space below the lock bar so you'd need to get a lot in there to jam it though.

I'm not a hunter, so I don't know the specifics there. I do use my para 3 for food stuff though, so I've had to give it a thorough clean a number of times.

welcome back.

i would imagine the slippery conditions of cleaning an animal would make the backlock the most desirable lock since it allows manipulation without as much movement of the hand position and without sacrificing grip. compression lock would probably be the worst because of the way you have to grip the knife with only your finger tips. cbbl would probably be almost equally bad because of the tension of the spring and the need to have pressure in multiple points, but in ways that don't secure the knife in your hand. with the backlock, you can still have your fingers wrapped around the handle while disengaging the lock. the liner lock would probably be second in that kind of situation.

You can close a compression lock like a back lock if you push the lock bar with your thumb. Only applies on models with choils though.

I do agree on CBBL though. Those are not fun with slippery hands.

[skeeg11]

Deer are pretty easy and just about anything with a bit of sweep will get the job done, but if I've got 3 pigs on the ground, having my SpydieChef in my pocket puts a smile on my face.

[Dnwrghtsr]

I used my police 3 serrated last year worked great. Slices through cordage like it’s not there.

[Evil D]

[a frame lock wouldn't have that kind of issue either, but then you're using a metal handled knife in a slippery situation, which also isn't ideal.

I totally forgot about a frame lock. Despite the maybe less grippy scales, that's probably the least likely to get crudded up since it's totally flow through no matter if the knife is opened or closed, there's nowhere for crud to get packed into.

What we need is more CNC textured titanium.

[Coastal]

My first choice would be (and was, for years) a backlock. A sturdy backlock is as close to a fixed blade as you'll find, and very unlikely to release under any sort of twisting force. Personally, I'd stay away from a compression lock because I'd be afraid of accidentally releasing it when working totally by feel and rotating the knife inside an animal. Admittedly this is purely theoretical because I've never taken one hunting.

I like David's comment concerning the Siren. As soon as I became aware of the Siren, in its LC200N form, I was struck by what a good hunting knife it would be. I like a pointy knife for processing game (I know many prefer a drop point), and also an upswept tip because of it's usefulness in skinning. The Siren has a reasonable combination of both, plus a nice guard to keep fingers off the blade, plus it doesn't rust. No longer in Spyderco's lineup, but easy to find.

[aicolainen]

Going through the same thought process some 5-6 years ago, my theories and hypotesises around how this would work out in real life led me toward titanium frame locks, but those never jived with me in actual use.
I’ve pretty much settled on the Native 5 salt for this type of use. Light, suitable blade shape, very solid back lock, almost maintenance free and super easy to disassemble/reassemble if you have to.

[skeeg11]

My Siren is a fine general purpose knife, but it collects gunk. For skinning it is half as fast as a SpydieChef.

[Dnwrghtsr]

The siren lc200n is in stock at Spyderco. I have the cf s90v. I have only skinned one deer you want a very curved blade.

[5-by-5]

1. Native

2. Spydiechef

3. Military

For the most part just a handy blade because most used in hunting and skinning is a fixed blade.

[Cl1ff]

I have and really like a Siren, but the Stretch probably performs about as good as the Siren, so maybe consider the new Stretch XL that gives you more blade length and reach and is also super light for the size because it is linerless. The Stretch XL is less money and going to feel more familiar to you. Compared to the Siren, it’s main advantage in design is ease-of-manipulation or safety as it’s choil will give you more leeway if you drop the blade onto your index to close.
There are other safer methods, though.

While I’m not really a Hunter, I am aware of a lot of the challenges that come with processing an animal, just because I’ve learned from watching hunters and even from learning about ancient stone tools.

People have been dealing with gunk clogging up knives and running up onto an edge for as long we’ve been using tools to hunt.
The serrated stone tools get clogged with hair and sinew and have to be wiped off sometimes and the glass-like flakes with no handles are quick to nick you and quick to dull.

If you do consider a fixed blade, Spyderco makes some really excellent ones like the Moran, Mule Team 2, Waterway, Enuff 2, and more.
All of those can be clipped to a pocket or elsewhere with the G-Clip on the Boltaron sheaths.

Im a little curious what steels and grinds you, and everyone else, prefers for processing game or food with a pocket knife or small fixed blade?

For example, I think the S110V Military with a toothy edge would make an excellent knife for this.

Are stainless steels preferred, or do you think something like K390 or Rex45 works well too?

For the end, because it might be considered an odd suggestion, I think the MagnaCut or LC200N UKPK Salt, the BD1N drop point, or the S110V versions are good options.

The UKPK does not lock, but I find it very safe. Even if gunk hinders lockup slightly, I wouldn’t be as worried about it closing on me, and it’s probably slightly easier to clean than the backlocks because of the partially flow-through construction and the FRN with no pockets.
All of those steels are very stainless and hold and edge reasonably well too, especially with the thin geometry of the UKPK.
I, at least, wouldn’t be afraid to use a UKPK for this, but you probably have to hold one in your hand and manipulate it to understand where I’m coming from.

[carrot]

I've never processed a deer but I can say that the Comp lock should definitely be a strong contender- the open back makes it easy to clean and you can simply unlock it using the same movements as unlocking a lockback, eg, full grip on the knife and thumb actuating the lock.