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I've used a cleaver, tomahawk, axe and chainsaw.


(I'm lying about the chainsaw ... )

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I've used a chainsaw also, to quarter elk in the woods with pretty good results, and some fellows keep a small one on their ATV's just for game. They use peanut oil or other food grade oils for chain oil, and they work out pretty well.

I make bolo knives and in the woods normally use one of them for quartering. This cleaver I'm making is really too heavy to carry with me hunting, but should work out pretty well in the "butcher shop" back home.

I've used all sorts of axes when butchering, but the blade shape isn't optimal. I have a nice "Hunter's Axe" by Gransfors Bruks that has nice balance, but the edge is too short for some of the jobs I'll use the cleaver for.

I've seen old pictures of a huge two-handed cleaver being used in a butcher shop {before the days of powered meat saws} and run across various old antique ones from time to time, and they can usually be found for not to much $$, but thought making one would be more "fun" than buying one. Plus, the blades on most I've seen are about 8 inches long, and I wanted a longer blade.

Some, actually, lots I've seen, have VERY thick blades of up to 1/2 inch thickness, which is something of a disadvantage for some uses. Billhooks and fascine knives have such thick blades, but I've never picked up a fascine knife that possessed anything like a comfortable balance. I think those things are fairly common in the UK?? Of course, due to blade shape they cannot make square cuts like the cleaver can.

Here's the thing after heat treatment, ready for the handle scales.

I'm 6 foot 8 and weigh 320 pounds, so you can see it is pretty big.*



* Just kidding. 'Bout half that. The knife is still big, though.



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What are the Rosary, the Cross or the Crucifix other than tools to help maintain the fortress of our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

Edited by 9.3x57 (11/05/09 09:36 AM)

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