Inside Out Outdoors

So I wanted to write a review on the Mundial 5-inch Boning Knife that I recently purchased.  I bought this knife from Bass Pro about two months ago and have used it multiple times since.  I recently put on a North Carolina Pig Pickin' and used this knife to carve up the pig.  For the price of about $11 you really can't beat this product! 

Pros:
- The blade is made of a high carbon stainless steel.  This has two benefits:
    1) The high carbon steel holds an edge longer.
    2) The stainless portion of the mix keeps the knife from rusting.
- Handle is sturdy
- Blade holds a great edge!  I carved an entire 134 pound pig without sharpening.

Cons:
- A couple more inches in blade length would be nice for larger jobs, not really a Con since you can buy larger boning knives but worth mentioning that the 5-inch blade won't be the right choice for larger game.  However, average size deer, etc would be a good fit!

If you do your own butchering or are just looking for a good knife for kitchen butchering then this is a good buy.  We all need a few good knives and this one won't break the budget!

-Paul Nicolucci

I'd like to preface this post with the warning that there may seem like there is a lot of initial cost to process your own deer, however, it is really just a one-time cost.  Once you have all the basics, and if you buy quality equipment, you'll be set for many years!  Another thing is that I've collected my equipment over a couple of years;  yet another way to spread out the cost.  My process has been buying the essentials at first and then purchasing the tools that make deer processing easier and quicker.

Outline:

1) Knives and a sharpener - Every butcher needs a few essential knives.  For starters, you'll need a good field dressing knife (if you deer hunt, I'm sure you already have one) so probably not any ground breaking news here.  If you don't, one of my favorites are the Buck brand of knives.  You'll want either a locking or fixed blade knife that has at least a 3 inch blade on it.

Second, you'll need a good boning knife.  This knife will be used to do the majority of your butchering as it has a flexible blade allowing you to easily remove meat from the bones of the deer. The Mundial 5 inch boning knife is a great knife and fits any budget at around 11 dollars.

A third knife that I would recommend would be a Butcher knife; this is not an essential but it does make life much easier when trying to quarter your deer. The knife I use is made by Cutco and can be found here. These type of knives usually run around 100 dollars or so. This knife falls into the category of "purchase once you have everything else you need to make your life easier!!"  Another example is the Victorinox Butcher's Knife, with a purchase price around $50.

Now once you use your knives, they will dull over time and you'll find out that the easiest way to cut yourself is to use a dull knife!  In order to keep your collection in working order, you'll want to purchase a sharpener of some sort.  If you go to your local sporting goods store you'll find both electric and block stone sharpeners.  I prefer the manual stone sharpeners as they allow you to sharpen a variety of knives easily and effectively.  Bass pro sells one here.

2) Bone saw - A deer can be quartered without a bone saw, using just a knife to dislocate the joints.  Although the latter method is effective, it is quite time consuming when just starting out and takes some practice to get it correct. With a bone saw, you can make quick work of the hind quarters of the deer among other tasks! BassPro also sells one here.

3) Game hanger - A game hanger is a basic piece of equipment that everyone needs.  This will be used to hoist up your game so that you can skin and quarter it easily and keep it off the floor out of the dirt and grime!

4) Meat grinder - The grinder is going to be the most expensive tool you'll need to purchase.  Grinders have a very large range of prices ranging from $50 to $700.  A hand grinder works but will require some muscle to use (if you only do a deer or two a year and just want to do burger this might be the best choice on a budget).  A cheaper electric grinder that has plastic gears internally will also work but don't be surprised if you break the gears during heavy use or doing sausage.  My honest opinion is spend the money upfront and buy one of the LEM grinders here.  I have the .75 HP model and it works great for everything! The LEM models have all steel internal components and offer every accessory you can imagine.  You can usually find great deals on these during the Holiday seasons!

5) Cutting boards and table - Any table will do...really!  Just ensure that it cleans up easily! It is a good idea to purchase a nice cutting board or two so that you have a good solid surface to cut on without marking up the table you are on.  The ones I use are available here.

6) Sanitary supplies - I find it's much easy to cut when wearing latex gloves.  You can find these in the pharmacy section of most stores.  Wearing the latex gloves allows you to keep a good grip on what you are cutting and allows you to remove and replace gloves without having to wash your hands all the time when going from task to task.

7) Vacuum Sealer - These are great!  A vacume sealer will prolong the shelf life of your game in the freezer almost double what it would be in any other method of storage.  Now, if you don't want to spend the money up front you can wrap your meat in platic wrap and then again in freezer paper.  This method will give you a good shelf life and is quite cheap.  However, if you want to really get the best "bang for your buck" then you should look into a sealer.  FoodSaver makes multiple models in all different price rangers.

I've now covered what I feel you'll need to get started!  Please feel free to post any questions or comments and I'll answer them the best I can.  I have quite the collection of knives, sealers and grinder accessories.

-Paul Nicolucci

I don't know about you, but if I am wearing pants then I have at least two knives on me.  Pocket knives are just incredibly useful tools.  Almost every day I find myself needing to open a box, trim some cardboard, cut a rope to length, or accomplish any of a myriad of other precise cutting tasks and I find myself  extremely grateful that I have an appropriate tool on my hip that I can access, one handed, in a matter of seconds.  That convenience and efficiency is the primary reason why clipping a pocket knife into my right hip pocket has become as much a part of my morning routine as shaving or putting on my socks.

There are of course fringe benefits to having such an essential tool on your person at all times.  These will be realized if you ever find yourself in a survival situation, be that situation of the wilderness, trapped-by-seatbelt, or two legged predator variety.  Another fringe benefit comes from watching your metro-sexual coworkers nearly faint when you deploy one of these blades to make quick work of a task that would have sent them running for their safety scissors.

I've been through a fair number of daily carry knives, but for the last few months I've been carrying the SOG Twitch II and I've been very happy with it.  The edge of the 2.68" blade was razor sharp out of the box and has so far proven itself to be quite durable despite frequent abuse.  In the past I've usually carried significantly larger knives in the 4" range and I was initially skeptical of the comparatively compact blade.  However, I am happy to report that I've been using the knife for nearly four months and I have yet to encounter a situation where I caught myself wishing for a longer blade.  I should also note that the Twitch II has a straight edge from tip to base.  I consider this feature a must-have in my carry knives,  I find that pocket knives which have both serrated and straight edges on the same knife offer too little blade real estate to function effectively in either capacity.

The hinge mechanism has also impressed me.  The fit and finish of the knife in general and the hinge in particular is exceptionally good.  There is absolutely no noticeable play in the hinge joint and the overall machining quality is higher than you would expect for its reasonable (~$50) price point.  The opening is a lightning fast spring assisted affair that can be initiated either by using your index finger on the "kick" that protrudes from the back or by using your thumb on the more traditional stud.  There is a safety lock on the back of the knife that prevents the spring assist mechanism from opening the knife.  However, employing this feature dramatically impedes your ability to quickly press the tool into action.  So, I employ Glock safety philosophy and keep my finger off the "kick" until I'm ready to get the party started.  Your mileage may vary, enter at your own risk.

Now, I don't use the Twitch II as a hunting or a fishing knife.  For those specialized applications I have fixed blades that I carry on my belt.  But, for an everyday carry knife, I've yet to come across a product that I would recommend over SOG's Twitch II, and that's saying something given the pile of worn out and broken folders I've left in my wake.

Pros:

• Lightweight (2.6oz) without being so light that it feels flimsy in your hand
• Fast, easy opening
• Fit and finish second to none
• Full length straight edge
• Full stainless steel and Aluminum construction (nearly corrosion proof)
  

Cons:

• Blade length is on the small side for hardcore backwoods use
• "Safety" is difficult to quickly disengage with one hand 

-K.M.