who here uses the guthook on their knife?

do you use a guthook?

  • Yes

    Votes: 60 32.8%

  • No

    Votes: 112 61.2%

  • This question is too politically charged. I abstain!

    Votes: 11 6.0%
  • Total voters
    183
I've always done the two finger shuffle but one of my hunting knives does have a guthook I've just never used it. I'll shoot a trophy buck this year and give it a whirl then report back.
 
seth said:
I've always done the two finger shuffle but one of my hunting knives does have a guthook I've just never used it. I'll shoot a trophy buck this year and give it a whirl then report back.
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My Dad bought a Wyoming knife for me when first available. I use that combined with the two finger shuffle,cutting away, for quite good zipper effect. I always have spare blades and do two offset stages/passes for each moose/caribou.
 
sookie_69 said:
I've been looking at grabbing one of those swing blades. Does it work good or is it gimmicky?
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Fantastic. I've never looked back. The main blade dulls relatively quickly (but not terrible by any stretch of the imagination). If you know how to sharpen your knife it is not a big deal. A few swipes and it is sharp again. For example, I gutted and skinned an elk by myself in February and I stopped to sharpen it 3 times. No big deal. 30 seconds each time.

The "gut hook" portion rarely needs to be sharpened and works so well, you will never use anything else. Literally like opening a zipper - zero chance of nicking anything.

The no questions asked lifetime warranty is amazing. I ruined the main blade on mine by smashing it through snowshoe hare leg bones. A lot of them. Eventually had several chips out of the steel and it was pretty ragged.

I contacted support and was 100% honest about how I was using the knife. They asked me to send a few photos.

I didn't hear anything back, so assumed I was SOL. 3 weeks later I got a brand new Swing Blade in the mail. Zero charge, zero questions asked.

I use a cheap cleaver for the snowshoe hare leg bones now.

You can see the Swing Blade in action in my video below. Works just as well on bigger critters.

 
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The only useful thing about a gut hook is if you get mail at your hunt camp. Two finger method around the blade is still as good and easy as it gets. Gut hooks should fall in the same pile as the butt hook.
 
ironsighter said:
Fantastic. I've never looked back. The main blade dulls relatively quickly (but not terrible by any stretch of the imagination). If you know how to sharpen your knife it is not a big deal. A few swipes and it is sharp again. For example, I gutted and skinned an elk by myself in February and I stopped to sharpen it 3 times. No big deal. 30 seconds each time.

The "gut hook" portion rarely needs to be sharpened and works so well, you will never use anything else. Literally like opening a zipper - zero chance of nicking anything.

The no questions asked lifetime warranty is amazing. I ruined the main blade on mine by smashing it through snowshoe hare leg bones. A lot of them. Eventually had several chips out of the steel and it was pretty ragged.

I contacted support and was 100% honest about how I was using the knife. They asked me to send a few photos.

I didn't hear anything back, so assumed I was SOL. 3 weeks later I got a brand new Swing Blade in the mail. Zero charge, zero questions asked.

I use a cheap cleaver for the snowshoe hare leg bones now.

You can see the Swing Blade in action in my video below. Works just as well on bigger critters.

Click to expand...

+++++++++1 shamless plug but the swing blade rules. I doubt I will ever own a different knife for field dressing game! Buy the orange one so you won't loose it !!!
 
I don't like the point profile the knives with gut hooks tend to have, so I just use a regular clip or drop point knife. I've seen guys use them to good effect, but I'd get a dedicated gut hook tool instead of a knife/hook combo.

That being said, a sharpened blade of some sort has done the job since the beginning of our species...
 
Most knives with a gut hook does not have sufficient opening to use where the hide is thick.
When it does come in handy is on the inside of the legs but only up to the thick hide.
They are a pain to sharpen.
 
I’ve had really good luck using them on deer. But I’ve found that most have too small of an opening for moose and elk. But they’re slick for deer. I’m thinking of trying one of those swing blades, they look like they’d work great, but I’m reluctant to add yet more kit....
 
I bought a really nice Remington knife years ago to try the feature out. Just didn’t like it though compared to the old fashion way so I chopped it off and now I love the knife even more. I have a big gut hook on a kershaw Alaskan blade trader which is a great tool
 
I'll use a gut hook for cutting string or thin rope...... but that is the only time I use one LOL
a proper, sharp knife and my index finger is all I've ever needed to skin/gut an animal. Everytime i see my buddy using his gut hook he is constantly having to pull hair from it and then there is hair bits all over the place..... I never seem to have that problem and I don't use a gut hook .
 
barry1974w said:
I’ve had really good luck using them on deer. But I’ve found that most have too small of an opening for moose and elk. But they’re slick for deer. I’m thinking of trying one of those swing blades, they look like they’d work great, but I’m reluctant to add yet more kit....
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Just buy it... it works well. awesome for splitting the belly open and great for caping too.
 
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