GEAR 101: A Cut Above
I spent one fall semester slinging carcasses at a meat processor in Bozeman, Montana. After a couple of 10-hour days with a cheap, dull knife, I found a long-forgotten high-quality blade tucked behind some boots on the shelf. Devoting a lunch-hour to honing its edge, I gave it new life, and it made my tasks infinitely easier. Every night, I hid that knife in the same spot. The right knife will make gutting and cutting your elk an enjoyable effort, and there is certainly no limit to the knife options out there today. We hope the following guide can help you find your perfect edge.
Rockwell Scale
A hardness scale based on indentation hardness of a material. Examples of Rockwell:
56-62 kitchen knife
48-55 hatchet
55-59 hunting knife
Gransfors Bruks compiled nearly everything you need to know in a wonderfully illustrated and instructional “Axe Book.” Visit www.grandforest.us and download it yourself.