Do I need a knife with a gut hook?

[south]

Hi hunters,

I'm wondering how useful a knife with a gut hook really is?

I can't help but notice for a lot of guys it seems to be a bit of a tacticool feature?

Is the hook really of any benefit? Why not just run the knife blade down the front of the animal and make a shallow incision instead?

[Die Judicii]

Hi South,
If you are doing a lot of skinning, YES,,,,,,,, They are magic.
Even if you don't do a lot of skinning,
Once used, you'll never want to be without one.

I resisted buying one for ages, thinking they were just a gimmick, but now it is an invaluable aid.
I have a "BUCK 693"
Fairly good quality, but well worth it.

Seeing that you are a Taswegian, you might have to get one with a reverse hook,
(Just Jesting)

[MeccaOz]

"Need" , no ! Handy, yes very much depending on how you do things mate

[RoginaJack]

Hi South,
If you are doing a lot of skinning, YES,,,,,,,, They are magic.
Even if you don't do a lot of skinning,
Once used, you'll never want to be without one.

I resisted buying one for ages, thinking they were just a gimmick, but now it is an invaluable aid.
I have a "BUCK 693"

(Just Jesting)

Hang onto that Buck 693 as I believe it has been "discontinued"...

[Die Judicii]

Hi Rogina,,,,
Not that I was planning on moving it on,, but thanks for the heads up,
Its always handy to know this stuff.

[Combat_Wombat]

I've always been against them but I've only ever used one on a cheap and nasty knife. I'll have to give one a go! Any excuse to get a new buck haha

[Timb0]

I wouldn't call a gut hook a tacticool feature as its quite an old idea with a fair amount of benefit. Most features on so called tactical knives are nothing but marketing and a lot of the features are really gimmicky.

I believe you should learn to skin an animal without a gut hook and then later if your heart desires go with one if you want.

The problem I find with gut hooks are the features I look for in a hunting knife that I find more important are never really combined with a gut hook. A knife made of a high quality carbon or CPM ( crucible particle metal) steel with a drop point style blade, the correct size, good ergonomics and the correct grind geometry with a convex edge would far outperform and be more useful than the cheaper knives that are usually found in camping and gun stores.

The other problem is guys don't keep the hook sharp or sharpen them poorly. If you go that way make sure you buy a fine ceramic rod that fits the hook as perfectly as possible.

A method that can be used to slice an animal open without cutting into the gut is to use you knife in the reverse grip edge up, insert the knife under the skin and push two fingers of the other hand behind the knife spine ( one on each side like the peace sign with fingers pointing same way as the tip), pull the knife down the animals centre line with the fingers spreading the skin and holding the knife up a bit to stop it diving into the gut. You will need a sharp knife with a drop point blade and a bit of practice for this. Do it to the side as if the knife slips out you may stab yourself.

Remember you can always take two knives if you want one with the hook as well - you can never have too many knives

[AusC]

Is the hook really of any benefit? Why not just run the knife blade down the front of the animal and make a shallow incision instead?

For regular skinning the hook most definitely is a benefit.

It's use is to make a small cut just through the skin but not into the body cavity and insert the hook. There is a little technique to it but at the right angle and pressure you can pull the hook the length of the animals body and open the skin right up to be easily pulled off without piercing that internal membrane (whatever it's called, I don't know the medical jargon) which holds the organs etc.

You can do it with a regular blade, but no where near as consistently as with the hook. Expect more mess doing it with a blade all the time.

[Grrzrr]

If you're looking at one too make sure you get a hunting knife with a gut-hook.

Not a diving knife with a net-hook. I've seen a few blokes who picked up the wrong one...

They do diving knives which are shaped much the same but the hook is meant for cutting yourself out of a tangle, not skinning. The hook is too big to sit in that space between the skin and gut layer and just rips through everything.

[Combat_Wombat]

Try the buck omni hunter brilliant knife I have the same model but without the hook. Only downside is that it's a folder

[Bennybigbores]

I don't option to buy a hunting knife nowadays without one. Make skin/gut a breeze especially if taking game meat, you really don't want stomach and intestinal gizz through your meat via a ruptured stomach etc, a perfect tool on rabbits with delicate area have cut guts thousands of time without it and never with it. My favourite bunny knife if all things my leatherman charge, top steel on straight blade and nice little gut hook on serrated blade, my other bigger game knife is an old school, old timer, sharp finger style with gut hook, got the good high carbon steel, new ones same shape but stainless

[Aussier]

I don't option to buy a hunting knife nowadays without one.

If it's a dedicated hunting knife, might as well.

It will come in handy and is never in the way anyway.