All About Pocket Knives

Well Ol' GRIZ finally showed up in the Florida panhandle yesterday.

Funny thing, GRIZ left Dunedin, Florida the same day that Trevor sent a Rough Rider Barlow our way from Juneau, Alaska. We are 322 miles from Scott and 3,894 miles from IMBand, the Rough Rider was here in 4 days and the Case fixed blade took 7 days .

Will start processing a couple of does in a day or so and we will put GRIZ to work. Today I introduced my ol' stand by, a #39 Queen folding hunter to GRIZ, they met by the inspection port on the smokehouse. He'll take a little gettin' used to as the handle seems a little small in my hands.

Don't think we can live up to all the exotic places and adventures GRIZ has participated in the last few months, but we'll give it a whirl here in LA!
Treefarmer

Make him work for his room and board, Phil. He's got to learn he can't be wanderin' around on vacation all the time.

Didn't want to over work Griz, so he helped us with our dinner after church last Sunday. For a quick meal we had fried venison heart along with the red corn grits and some frog eyes (English peas).

Touched up the blade with my Lansky hones and noticed that the metal and fiber spacers on each side of the leather handle had a little movement/motion in them. This issue is probably from drying out of the leather disks in the handle since the last use. Probably will tighten itself up as we use it processing the deer in the cooler. Just preparing a heart did not add any moisture to the leather, but with a more involved job of butchering and processing moisture will go back into the leather.

The Case knife did well pruning up the heart, removing fat and plumbing from the top and then slicing it into frying size pieces. The size of the handle is too small for my hands to be real comfortable. Griz's handle fits my wife's hands very well, maybe I'll get her to bone out the deer .

A few pictures of Griz's 1st job and results...
Treefarmer

MAN that looks GOOD

Great pics Philip! Glad I sent Griz to ya!!

Now that's putting the old Griz to work! Keep it going gents. Scott, does the knife have to go back to Case at some point? If not you could send it around to a different group of AAPK Hunters next fall as well - make Griz the official hunting knife of AAPK. OH

Old Hunter wrote:Now that's putting the old Griz to work! Keep it going gents. Scott, does the knife have to go back to Case at some point? If not you could send it around to a different group of AAPK Hunters next fall as well - make Griz the official hunting knife of AAPK. OH

No, it doesn't have to go back to CASE....they sent it to me to review, and I felt I didn't do a good enough job in reviewing it so I had the idea to let some real hunters use and review the GRIZ. I probably won't do it again next year as most don't know exactly when or if they'll be going, and who to send it to next if they do have GRIZ. Bottom line.....it was a hassle on my end to babysit the idea. Lesson learned....no hard feelings.

TripleF wrote:

Old Hunter wrote:Now that's putting the old Griz to work! Keep it going gents. Scott, does the knife have to go back to Case at some point? If not you could send it around to a different group of AAPK Hunters next fall as well - make Griz the official hunting knife of AAPK. OH

No, it doesn't have to go back to CASE....they sent it to me to review, and I felt I didn't do a good enough job in reviewing it so I had the idea to let some real hunters use and review the GRIZ. I probably won't do it again next year as most don't know exactly when or if they'll be going, and who to send it to next if they do have GRIZ. Bottom line.....it was a hassle on my end to babysit the idea. Lesson learned....no hard feelings.

Wow Scott, sorry to hear you feel that way.
Certainly wasn't trying to cause you a hassle, and I surely don't feel I or anyone else who participated was in need of any babysitting. I think we all went out of our way to carry, use and photograph Griz in a wide variety of situations and post detailed reports of thoughts and observations.
Like you we all lead busy lives and don't always know in advance exact dates of when we will be able to carve out some free time to get out in the woods...and as far as knowing who to send it to next, I didn't see it being a huge hassle to simply ask you who I should send it to...it is after all your knife and I wouldn't want to send it off without your approval.
Anyways like I said sorry if you feel it was more trouble to you then it was worth. Just know that those of us on the other end put in some effort to make it work the way you hoped.

The Hunting Knife Pass continues:

After light duty, Griz did a little more work this past week. (He is still waiting for me to kill a buck so he can show his stuff from the ground up.) Actually we finished processing the 2 deer that were aging in a large ice chest and used the little Case fixed blade when we could.

There are 8 pictures showing certain phases of the processing. Griz could have been used in all of the procedures but there are certain things that the filet knife can do that a stiff bladed knife just doesn't do well.
1-separating muscle groups, Griz did ok
2-filet knife doing its' work while Griz looks on
3-shows a muscle sliced into fry meat, no silver skin, no bone and no fat, Griz again looks on
4-here Griz is removing an inside gland, a mess that is usually sliced and is part of round steak you try to eat when cut like a beef
5-Griz is removing some of the "scrappy pieces" that run along side the back straps (the discolored area on the backstrap is where it was in contact with cubed ice as it was aging in the ice chest) these scrapes are for ground venison or sausage
6-about to finish fileting a back strap-chops are about 1 1/2" thick, no bone, no silver skin, just pure lean venison
7-shows some of the chops ready to package
8-Griz and Russell resting after the chops are ready for the freezer

Griz's leather handle has tightened up as he has been washed several times, the handle is still too little to feel comfortable in hand but it is a very usable knife. Maybe we will be able to skin Bambi with ol' Griz before he has to return to Bro. Scott down in Dunedin!
Treefarmer

Does anyone else feel hungry after looking at those pictures ?

Great shots Phil. Looks like some good eatin'.

Awesome pics and info.....thanks Philip!

Very nice Phil - the saga continues......

This post should probably have been in the Outdoor Thread, but seein' how it's the same pile of venison that Ol' Griz has been involved with I'll post a few more pictures of the processing done this morning.
1-venison being ground through a course plate 5/16"
2-then reground through a 3/16" plate-ready now to package for chili, spaghetti and Taco salad. Use the same plates to make sausage, both bulk and link.
3-this is what the little electrified homemade grinder looks like. It is a #32, runs at 80 rpms. as it is set up. The sausage stuffer bolts where the grinder is sitting in the picture when we do the stuffed sausages.
Treefarmer

Knice stuff Philip!

Almost time to send GRIZ back, or you got more work for him......

BTW, my brother is sending me some venison jerky.........

I believe Scott is missin' ol' Griz a little bit . He agreed to let him stay in LA a little longer in hopes that he might be in on another field dressing before deer season is over here in the Florida panhandle.

It seems, I'm going to have to be a little more involved to make it happen. That warm bed and a lazy cup of coffee seem to win out over these frosty mornings that we are experiencing. Last Saturday morning, while I was draggin' around this little feller was doing his best to be turned into venison chops and sausage. Camera printed the temperature, 20 degrees. (I know that ain't cold to a lot of you boys, but hey, here in Florida that's is very cold!)
Treefarmer

NICE pic Treefarmer Once below 32degrees its all cold

Nice grinding set-up Treefarmer I always wanted a good meat grinder

313 Mike wrote:

TripleF wrote:

Old Hunter wrote:Now that's putting the old Griz to work! Keep it going gents. Scott, does the knife have to go back to Case at some point? If not you could send it around to a different group of AAPK Hunters next fall as well - make Griz the official hunting knife of AAPK. OH

No, it doesn't have to go back to CASE....they sent it to me to review, and I felt I didn't do a good enough job in reviewing it so I had the idea to let some real hunters use and review the GRIZ. I probably won't do it again next year as most don't know exactly when or if they'll be going, and who to send it to next if they do have GRIZ. Bottom line.....it was a hassle on my end to babysit the idea. Lesson learned....no hard feelings.

Wow Scott, sorry to hear you feel that way.
Certainly wasn't trying to cause you a hassle, and I surely don't feel I or anyone else who participated was in need of any babysitting. I think we all went out of our way to carry, use and photograph Griz in a wide variety of situations and post detailed reports of thoughts and observations.
Like you we all lead busy lives and don't always know in advance exact dates of when we will be able to carve out some free time to get out in the woods...and as far as knowing who to send it to next, I didn't see it being a huge hassle to simply ask you who I should send it to...it is after all your knife and I wouldn't want to send it off without your approval.
Anyways like I said sorry if you feel it was more trouble to you then it was worth. Just know that those of us on the other end put in some effort to make it work the way you hoped.

First off, great thread with pics, review and chronicles of the travels of the knife. Thanks very much to all that contributed to the post! Very helpful at least for me as I may choose to get a CASE fixed blade at some point, as I own none.

Secondly, this is my opinion as it relates to your post reply Scott, that I quoted above in this reply here above. Alot of guys spent some hard field and dressing time and overall use of YOUR knife to assist in your review. I personally had planned to carry the knife to contribute to the review and thread but we know that did not work out. I had a five week tag and for various reasons as I stated in this post, I was unable to participate in the knife pass. This knife traveled quite abit and enjoyed action, pics and review that would have otherwise not been attributed to the knife, had it not been "passed". I did also enjoy the pics you provided of your "Adventures and Missions" for sure. Not sure if you include the pass travel, review and pics in your blog, no offense intended but I have never read it.
I have to agree here with all points and responses in Mike's concise and articulate response to your post.

Please consider this for a moment...

Just like someone chooses an EDC for the day for task, favorite pattern, Dad's knife, carried for 20 years straight as it filled all the needs, etc. choosing a knife to take into the field to hunt is the same but goes abit further in my opinion.

As an example, unlike Dad handing you a knife for a task like cutting rope at home, etc, that may last moments or minutes, a Hunting knife is carried for a specific purpose for sometimes weeks on end until it get used. Difference here is your Dad passing you his knife to gut your first deer after 2 weeks in the field or doing the chore for you and teaching his son the task. Is a boy going to remember the cutting rope, maybe, possibly likely. Is the same boy going to remember the knife Dad and him gutted the son's first deer with after days or weeks of hunting? More likely. That is an example what makes some knives very near and dear to some Hunters.

My point is that in my opinion, choosing a knife to bring into the field to hunt is a ritualistic and sacred tradition to some hunters, if you will. Some knives have been passed on for generations to hunt and dress and used on every harvest, some just are favorites as they perform well, some may have sentimental value, from those who have passed and they in some small way become part of the hunt by honoring them to carry it, etc. How about plain old tradition for that matter.

Some participants in the knife pass/review you started may have given up the opportunity to carry a knife that fits the above criteria in the previous paragraphs. Maybe not. I know I was willing to give up carrying one of my Dad's knives for processing and dressing my hopeful harvest to contribute, but as i said, that just did not pan out. I ended up carrying a few of my Dad's knives on my Elk hunt and glad I did even though I did not harvest one.

No offense intended but the "Hassle on your end to babysit the idea" from behind your keyboard and monitor pales in comparison to the hard field work (sometimes without desired result), pics and information relating to the review, knife travels and experiences and dedication of the contributing members to assist in making this/your post and idea what it is, a great post and thread. Whom did all the work here (rhetorical question)? You ended your reply by saying "no hard feelings" but you may have rubbed some guys the wrong way with your reply in general based on all I have said. That would include me.

If anyone thinks my reply is inappropriate or corny, no offense intended but too damn bad. That falls into the category of "not my problem" in my book. I do hope however that my intent of this post reply is well understood. As always, I stand behind what I have said.

Regards, Jerry

WOW, this is going down the wrong trail........

Never said I had any "work" involved in this process......just wanted the share the knife with real outdoorsmen.

Thought it would be fun.....................oh well.

CLOSE the thread please.

Whoa!! Let's not close the thread just yet, seems like ol' Griz will be getting another work out in a few minutes . Bambi is hangin' in the oak tree waiting to be "undressed"! A few pictures and comments will be posted about the Case fixed blade known to us as Griz.
I have enjoyed following this thread and being able to participate. Scott,thanks for the opportunity to share the outdoors with AAPK readers .
Treefarmer

I also Treefarmer have enjoyed this thread and am looking forward to it's review.I also agree with Jerry and Mike oh well it was fun to follow

About 6:45 this morning, I killed the little buck that walk past the game camera last week. Since we hunt so close to our home, the traditional field dressing does not occur. We get the deer to the house and go to work. All the work on this deer, with the exception of cutting the hind leg bones and splitting the pelvis, was done with the Case 365-5 SS fixed blade that Scott Rauber allowed me to try. The knife had been nicknamed "Griz".

Griz performed well today, I had to adapt to the small handle, as was mentioned before, but all went well. Will attempt to set up the procedure, step by step and then post pictures to show what was done.

Overall I like the Case fixed blade, it did the job. Y'all know the ol' sayin', "Different strokes for different folks", I believe that can be applied to this knife. For some reason I have always used a pocket knife, a folding hunter, a large stockman or even a Trapper to dress deer, where some fellers like a belt knife for the same job. Had I learned with a fixed blade, I would have been more comfortable with ol' Griz. Having used it now to dress a deer and also having done some processing earlier I would have no problem recommending this knife!

Griz needs a good bath and he'll be heading home to Dunedin, Florida in a day or so.
Treefarmer

Nice report and pictures CONGRATULATIONS

Awesome pics Philip.............EXACTLY what I was hoping for!

Thank you!