# Whats the Gut Hook is used for on a knife?



## gjw

Hi all, I hope you will bear with me by me asking what may be a dumb question. Here goes, What is the use for the gut hook on a hunting knife? I'm going to get a Buck Zipper (need a new knife) and will be used only for field dressing. In the past I've always used a fixed blade, but not with the gut hook. Why do you need one and any tips on using the gut hook.

Also, what your opinion of the Buck Zipper knife?

Thanks for all your help!!!!!

Greg


----------



## Gohon

The gut hook is suppose to prevent the hunter from cutting into the paunch area of the animal and possibly affecting the quality of the meat. They do work but the drawback is the hook section is difficult to sharpen. In the end you will wind up purchasing a round file but will never be able to get the hook razor sharp again. At least I can't. I think a better alternative is to purchase small gut hook device sold in the sporting goods department that uses replaceable blades. Very cheap and just as effective if you feel you need the added protection when field dressing game.


----------



## gtbuck

I agree The one knife I have with a hook I never use because you can't keep it sharp.


----------



## fox412

If you don't want the gut hook go with the buck vanguard. Same knife no gut hook


----------



## Greenhunter

to pull the guts out of a deer of course!


----------



## davy

I use what is called a wyoming (brand name) gutting knife . It uses changable blade similar to a utility knife . The blade stays sharp if cleaned and dried after each use . I find it works well.


----------



## Plainsman

A round ceramic stone sill sharpen the gut hook as sharp or sharper than factory. I puchsed a cheap retractable round sharpener that looks like a pen. I think I paid $6 for it from Wal Mart.

Many of the gut hooks are to small to work well, including the one I have on a Gerber. It will not cut through the hide, including hair like the Wyoming knife. With the small gut hook on my Gerber I try to slide just under the hide with the blade, then use the gut hook to split the thin muscle layer over the gut and intestinal area.


----------



## shizuo

Well a gut hook is often used by hunters for field dressing, the hook in the spine is placed in a small cut in the the underside of the animal and pulled like a zipper and the small hook opens the abdomen of the animal without slicing the muscle.

united cutlery throwing knives


----------



## Plainsman

shizuo said:


> Well a gut hook is often used by hunters for field dressing, the hook in the spine is placed in a small cut in the the underside of the animal and pulled like a zipper and the small hook opens the abdomen of the animal without slicing the muscle.


I always slice the hide and muscle. I only use it because a couple of times I have hit the gut. Not good.


----------



## alleyyooper

After I hit the stomach just once I learned the blade between two finger method real quick. then I got a new Sharade knife with a gut hook. I feel it had two big problems, one it gathered hair as it cut and clogged. the second was getting it sharp. They sell Dremel brand chain saw sharpening stones in 3 sizes that I found worked to sharpen the hook. I made a small handle to put the stone in so I could handle it.

 Al


----------



## Habitat Hugger

The two fingers and knife or scissors technique is how docs open tour belly without puncturing any gut. Works fine for deer too.
I've tried gut hook knives but have never been impressed. About 10 years ago I switched to the so called " gutless" method and haven't even seen ( or smelled) any guts or gut contents since. As long as you shoot Em in the front half, that is.

This is off the original gut hook topic, but I'd encourage anybody to learn the method. Much easier to transport out a dead animal, cools the meat much better, less waste, etc. even an old guy like me with a horrible back can load a big muley buck unassisted, leaving all the heavy and inedible stuff behind, yet never having any gut content contamination. 
Like Plainsman said, you can sharpen a gut hook on a knife, but IMO they are gimmicks anyway. I AM interested in some of the replaceable blade knives on the market. To me they look exactly like overgrown scalpels. They look fabulous as long as the blades are thick and tough enough not to shatter or break too easily when you inevitably cut along bone and gristle. BTW, when you replace a blade be careful of how U dispose of it! Simply tossing it in a plastic trash bag is an accident waiting to happen!


----------



## Plainsman

> To me they look exactly like overgrown scalpels.


 I could not tell the difference in those knives and my large scalpel blades under the microscope. One day during lunch break I was looking at scalpel blades, the Piranha blades, and my knife. Believe it or not I think I had a cleaner more polished edge on my knife. It strikes me odd that we save aluminum cans and throw away very good steel.

Years ago we had to transport our deer whole. Today I bone them out and don't gut them. The deer I shoot are within 1500 yards of my camper with freezer. It's only slightly slower than gutting.

I'll find out how things work this fall. I have a bad back and it's hard to get my 5th wheel hitch out of the truck. So I designed a two piece lift that lifts my hitch and swings out over the side of the truck and lowers it to the ground. Rather than use a hand winch I use a 3000 lb ATV winch. It lifts ten feet. This fall I am going to start skinning my deer then tie it to the bottom support beam. When I hit the winch and lift the deer it should also skin the deer. Skinning should take 30 seconds. That should make boning even easier.

This year I am considering taking the vacuum packer with. I have not made sausage since 1989. Steaks, roasts, jerky, stew, and stir fry.


----------

