Knife/Survival Knife Info.

**flandersander** · 12-31-2007, 03:40 PM

How would you go about stripping deer leg sinew? Because i shot 3 deer this fall and wanted to try ussing sinew for a bowstring or fishing line and couldn't figure out how to turn the sinew into little fibers.

**FVR** · 12-31-2007, 05:02 PM

Flandersander,

Break off the deer legs at the knees. You want the achilles tendon. Most times hunters who like to hang their deer from the hind legs, stick a stick between the tendons and the bone.

Quick cut through that soft skin, take the knife and pointing it away from you, slice as far as you can closest to the bone. Your knife will slowly gravitate up towards the skin. Turn leg around and do the same going the other way.

Pull the skin off the tendon, wala, you have deer leg sinew. Do not salt, stick out in the sun for a few days, in the cold or flies will leave you a present. Let it dry out.

12 sets of legs, wow, and Canadian deer, usually large, you have some good sinew.

You can also get back sinew, however I have not collected my own yet. Give me a minute and I will find you a link.

Going to take a little longer than I thought.

What you do, when you take the meat of the back of the deer, the white stuff you usually cut off, don't cut it, pull it the full length of the meat. It's tough, let dry same as the leg sinew.

I pref. using deer / elk (awsome) leg sinew for the backs of bows. I like the long thick strands (I keep them thick) of back sinew for hafting knife blades, hatchet heads, sewing, and the bigger projects. Back would be good for bowstrings as it's alot longer.

You can get 15 to 20" back sinew real easy, leg is usuall max at 12", unless it's elk (awsome.)

After the sinew is dried, give me a shout and I'll go through how to pound off the shell, and start pulling apart. Ahhhh, just told ya. Use a wooden mallet to pound it, this breaks it down and then pull, pull, and pull. You can even if your fingers last, pull the shell apart as I have done in the past.

Earlier today, I was downstairs taking a tally of how much I have left. Few years back, during hunting season, I collected 300 deerlegs from the local processor.

It's a great trade item.

If you don't use your legs, let me know, I'll trade you something.

Random legs are fine, but when you make a bow, and the components have meaning, the bow has medicine.

**carcajou garou** · 12-31-2007, 05:37 PM

Use the knife as a pry bar, most knives will fail either by breaking or bending (bending is better) I carry a small 8" flat pry bar as part of my repair kit.

**Nativedude** · 12-31-2007, 08:33 PM

. . .Pick your nose or clean your ears with a Kukuri!!

**Rick** · 12-31-2007, 08:47 PM

Pick someone elses nose or clean their ears with a Kukuri!!

**Nativedude** · 12-31-2007, 09:08 PM

. . .OUCH!!

LMAO!!!

**Nativedude** · 12-31-2007, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by Rick

Well! If the little kid in you was alive and well a little face digging would be just the thing!

There is only one place I like to go digging -- uhhh -- actually I should say -- exploring with my face. . .

**Rick** · 12-31-2007, 10:20 PM

It's a punny world isn't it?

**Rick** · 12-31-2007, 10:29 PM

I just ran across this superstition. Never use a knife or scissors on New Years Day or you'll cut off your good fortune. What timing!

**nell67** · 12-31-2007, 10:43 PM

Originally Posted by Nativedude

There is only one place I like to go digging -- uhhh -- actually I should say -- exploring with my face. . .

In a chocolate pie,eh Native Dude?

**Nativedude** · 12-31-2007, 10:54 PM

Originally Posted by nell67

In a chocolate pie,eh Native Dude?

"Y" pie. . .LMAO!!

**nell67** · 12-31-2007, 11:00 PM

TISK TISK...

**Bladesypher** · 01-02-2008, 10:13 AM

Coming onto the subject of First aid, could anyone recommend sites to me for it? I can properly dress a wound, address a broken limb and I know the basics of CPR... anything else I could go over? Any sites to look at?
Cheers.

**Rick** · 01-02-2008, 10:18 AM

You bet. Contact your local hospital or Red Cross and see if they offer a combination course for First Aid, Adult and Child CPR and AED training. The class is pretty common and runs around $45.00 US.

You can check out this site for a bunch of information on this subject including a number of links for online information and training.

http://safezonellc.com/personalzone1_3.html

**Bladesypher** · 01-02-2008, 10:20 AM

I purchased a knife a month or so back, it has no brand but has served me extremely well. Its a 4" blade with a full tang and natural birch handle. It has no brand so it was only about $25 but its serrated, easy to handle and manageable, it cuts wood pretty damn well too. So I recommend something like that for your first knife. You could try something cheap yet effective such as this? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BN-Lock-Knife-Silver-Blade_W0QQitemZ150200167992QQihZ005QQcategoryZ7204 8QQcmdZViewItem
Its a lock blade so it wont close on your fingers. Ah well... my suggestion

**Rick** · 01-02-2008, 10:28 AM

Hey, Blade, the item is no longer on there.

**Beo** · 01-02-2008, 10:41 AM

Again knives are open to each individuals taste, and Rick is correct, and Mitch loved the post it was great. Does that sound wierd? What I just said. Dunno, anyway Lupo should get training from a school or as Sarge said the Boy Scouts, problem I had with the scouts is I didn't want all junk that comes with th Scouts just the wilderness survival, I just wanted to go out and learn it but I am from a different age group then Lupo so I think today the Scouts is a good bet. Since Lupo's father taught him hunting I (shouldn't do this) assume he can teach him some woodsy craft also, but then again he is here asking so I answered my own question didn't I. Lupo don't go by my knife, when in the wilds of the North American forests I travel really light and keep moving, but then again I have a number years experience doing this and the military taught me a crap load too. there should be groups in your area that get together and do camping and survival try looking them up as these are great resources for learning just like this forum is a really good one.
Beo,

**Beo** · 01-02-2008, 10:44 AM

That is this forum and site... wilderness-survival.net is the number site on the internet and is actually rated number one for wilderness survival and preparedness. Just wanted to put that out there.

**Tony uk** · 01-02-2008, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by Beowulf65

That is this forum and site... wilderness-survival.net is the number site on the internet and is actually rated number one for wilderness survival and preparedness. Just wanted to put that out there.

We should all get a bottle of bubbily to celebrate

For my first knife i had a small one with a 10cm blade which served me really well, i carry a small folder with about the same blade size and i use it for more jobs than my larger knife

**MCBushbaby** · 01-02-2008, 08:42 PM

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

http://www.swblades.com/bllisukn15in.html

While it looks "cool" or "badass", this knife is possibly the worst example of a survival knife I could find. 16" stainless steel blade, hollow handle, giant serrations... can't think of anything more useless if you're fighting for your life against nature.

First things to look for when passing a "survival knife" off as a fake:

1) Length of Blade. Many manufacturers put gigantical blades on their knives so it looks more "survival-oriented". Do not be fooled. Anything greater than 7" that is not labeled a machete or kukri is useless. Bowies are made for fighting, swords are made for dueling... not surviving.
2) Serrations are stupid. Now, small kitchen-knife-type serrations like you see on some Ka-Bars aren't as bad as the ones on the knife above, but let's look at what serrations are for: Cutting by ripping. This is great on hard-crusted bread that you don't want to smush with a flat-edge, but in the bush there is no reason for serrations. Cutting wood? There are better ways to cut wood than with your knife. And how are you going to resharpen your serrated edges in the bush? Nope, eventually it'll become a smooth-ridged fish-scaler at best.
3) Hollow handles are for idiots. Not only do hollow handles usually mean it's not a full tang construction, but you'll probably get a knife where the blade is attached to the handle by a bolt or rivets. It'll break as soon as you whack something. Manufacturers will try to pack survival amenities into the handle such as a compass, matches, etc but you'll be sacrificing your only major tool for a simple carrying vessel.
4) Stainless steel and 'made in china'. DO NOT BUY STAINLESS STEEL KNIVES MADE IN CHINA. China has a notoriously bad reputation for inferior knife steel. Most of your kitchen knives are made in china and dull within a couple uses. They are soft and hardly hold an edge. Yes there are some exceptions but you're not going to find an exception on a $15 "ultimate survival knife" package. Likewise, it's very hard to strike a spark off stainless vs carbon steel.

So while you are looking around for a survival knife, you can knock off at least half the results of your google searches if they look like the one above.