Good In The Woods? Old Hickory 5.5" Hunting/Butcher Knife

[@hillbilly4christ638]

I just got mine in the mail a few days after the news that they are closing the doors on a 130yr old business. I am really going to miss this company.

[@andrewmize823]

My grandfather had an Old Hickory paring knife that he'd been using to clean fish and quail since at least the 1950's. By the time I came along it had been sharpened so many times that the blade was half as wide as it had been when it was new. My dad still has that knife in his kitchen.

[@mwillblade]

Used the same knife to clean game when I was younger, the blade is more like a spear tip now.

[@281covfefe5]

I have one, it's all one needs for camping You dont hve 2 spend 300. for a knife to enjoy the outdoors. Baton w/ hatchet or axe Old Hickory / Sportsman AWESOME Knife 👍🏻🇺🇸💯

[@mikerobbins5049]

I have modified a couple of Old Hickory’s over the past couple of years and love using them every once in a while.

[@Clambelly]

Those old Green River knives were patterned after decades of real world use on the American Frontier.

[@strontiumdog3344]

I’m pretty sure old timers used axes rather than batoning with a butchers knife 😆 . I just bought this with the paring knife for all my camp cooking. Just remember to stick some olive oil on it once in a while.

[@isaakwhitt13]

I've carried one for years as a backup belt knife and have always used it instead of my belt knife for cooking.

[@donaldcole4070]

The handles are riveted on so it's pretty easy to pop them off and re-pin them and epoxy them or just mod them. Great review!

[@theWZZA]

yes, +100,000

[@larrykramer6057]

I just ordered one for $20 with Xmas special free shipping. I love that carbon steel because of the traditional look and that you can actually sharpen it without wasting an hour on stainless steel. I will put the blade in a couple of potatoes for 2 days to get a nice patina on it. If you baton with a knife it is because you forgot your hatchet.

[@larrykramer6057]

@Marcus Maximus I would agree except that "let it happen" takes too long. I do have some good used knives that are natural patina.

[@kriskabin]

These knives patina real quick with just regular kitchen use & not oiling them afterwards. Believe me, they get an old rustic look damn quick. (Once you get the look you want, a good cutting board wood wax that's a combination of mineral oil & beeswax, is a good thing to rub into the blade & handle. **Walrus Oil Wood Wax. It's food safe & like the knife, USA made.)

[@haroldhdknoxstreet-glide5331]

For this price USA made needs no comments... It’s awesome 😎 love the classic look and design. Great review 😎👍🙏

[@RT804]

That's really cool for under $30. I read that most 'mountain men' back in the days just used a butchers knife of various quality and grinds even after the Bowie knife became popular. They'd laugh at what people spend on knives these days.

[@Wildwestwrangler]

Some people spend as much on one knife as an 1800's mountain man's entire yearly budget!!!

[@brandtbollers3183]

14in butcher knife is a "Bowie".lol.

[@brianmiller3884]

I have several old hickory knives I use for butchering hogs an beef..my friends are scared of them because of how scary sharp they

[@brandtbollers3183]

James Black and the State of Alabama dissagee.Mate.Maybe You should Look Up Resin Bowies Knife

[@CrimeVid]

They used to send barrels full of trade knives like this round the world from Sheffield.

[@enzowarren9832]

It took them 95 years to realize and respond to the fact that people use the knife for outdoors tasks.

[@michaelbrannon8796]

Well do many of them do it so many different ways that it didn't make sense to do it as each person does it differently.

[@B61Mod12]

Actually my dudes, they used to have almost this exact knife in their line up decades ago (minus the sheath). When I first got into Old Hickory knives I thought their 7" butcher knives were too long for field use and so I went looking and came upon a 6" version which was no longer in production but still being sold on places like eBay. It had a thicker blade than their current 7" models and had the ubiquitous old hickory roll stamping. As at today's date (31MAR21) there are three or four for sale on eBay. I consider this new version to be an improvement still, as even 6" is excessive for field use. I would just love to see a bit more shape in the handle, or even an oversized handle which people could shape to their own needs. That would be sweet.

[@Hankhillismrbig]

@Squirrel Chaser I hope this is supposed to be a joke.

[@randomguyfromtexas1185]

@Squirrel Chaser not everyone has the tools and/or equipment or the know how to properly grind a finished knife blade without destroying. To assume everyone has the knowledge and know how to grind a finished blade without destroying it shows your lack of knowledge when it comes to the real world, don’t be that guy.

[@archiebunker3686]

@@B61Mod12 facts

[@bencessna7232]

I literally just found out that I had an okc old hickory knife sitting in my knife collection. I found it in the garage of the host i moved into a couple years ago and kept it so its pretty cool to have find this knife because someone left it behind

[@JuandelaCruz001]

Definitely frontiersman nostalgia right there!

[@jeffstrong8280]

I received mine straight from OKC in September. Pretty sharp right out of the box. Think I'll ise it for food prep and light cuttimg tasks. No batoning for this baby.

[@Roman-lu1xn]

"It'll do everything but batoning" I'm okay with that, the estwing can handle wood splitting.

[@isaakwhitt13]

Hell yeah I love both my estwing hatchet and axe.

[@garethbaus5471]

I found that my estwing hatchet is a good tool, but it tends to transmit a fair bit of hand shock.

[@gregzeigler3850]

Well, it is made for skinning and food work, not hatchet work...I got a Hawk for splitting wood.

[@hunterthompson6295]

@@gregzeigler3850 hawks arent meant to spilt wood. They are meant to be thrown. Splitting wood would probably be serviced best by a Maul/axe.So by using your logic is null and void.

[@gregzeigler3850]

@@hunterthompson6295 My hawk will split small diameter wood. Most small hatchets will do the same. There is also a number of small axes that will do the same. Only fools throws their tools around...

[@HarveySpectre415]

I'm not entirely surprised about the handle situation with the wood and brass pins, it just doesn't seem like any knife with that same handle would hold up too long under heavy thumping like that. That said I very recently bought 2 of the 7" Old Hickory butcher knives, (got them on sale for $9, a complete steal!) one for the kitchen and one to keep in a $5 leather sheath that went into a bag and will come camping or into the woods with us. I freakin' love them.

[@brianmiller3884]

I've been using my butcher knife on hogs for close to ten years...handles are holding up so far..I have the butcher the skinner an sticker...as far as I'm concerned the only butchers knives a guy will ever need love them

[@davidtate166]

Old timers hunters love this knive..

[@michaelkraus4135]

I have several old hickory's .Good ole 1095.

[@downside7752]

All the scales need is a little linseed oil to protect them, I have one my dad bought in 1952. I've had it for 23 years now I have used it heavily and it has never let me down. It keeps an edge Needs very little care and will stand up to what ever I throw at it.

[@MrNatureboy2010]

Use several Old Hickory knives in my pack outs. They are more for back ups but I've used them all performing primary tasks with no problems. For the price and performance , you can't go wrong

[@DaryooshF.Sh.P-vq6mu]

For me, it’s best option for outdoor activities. I’m a gear guy, always my little x5 hatchet and my beloved laplander with me. If not more. It’s master of butchering, field dressing, and veggies prep that I need a knife to do 99.99 % of occasions Love from Iran

[@Seamus3051]

Have found that very few belt / bushcraft knives will stand up repeated batoning and other forms of misuse. A short handled hatchet can be used as wedge for batoning, which is much closer to the function for it was originally engineered.. Cheers.

[@samcole2381]

Love mine.Best camp knife ever.Sharpens up like a razor and feels good in the hand.I liked it so good that I bought several and give to my camping friends.Sheath is nice too.Got one in my truck,kitchen,and a couple in my camp kitchen

[@Winchparts]

The scales are held on by cutlers rivets. Easy to pop apart and then epoxy back in place. I jute and epoxy wrap the scales makes it tough as nails and grippy like micarta.

[@alphapatriot8405]

Old Hickory it's all one really needs

[@bryanbushby2754]

Old hickory best lingcod beheading knife I have used for over 40 years rusts up a bit from salt water that just means you weren't using it often enough

[@Phaminator525]

I dont have much experience with high carbon steel, could I prevent rusting by oiling the knife after use? I plan to fillet and gut yellow tail st the ocean

[@brianmiller3884]

Absolutely..evening if you just dry it good after you use it..but a touch of mineral oil or olive oil would work great

[@Phaminator525]

@@brianmiller3884 sweet I just ordered it right now. I really want to modify the sheathe so it has a pocket clip lol.

[@csh6220]

My grandparents and parents used a knife exactly like it for years. The soft spine is so you can pound it through animal bones/tendons. It isn't real pretty but it works.

[@shawnlizeleatherdale4052]

I had complete sets of the old hickory and the Ontario knives from the same era. I absolutely loved those knives, came from my grandmother, travelled with me every country I have lived in, until the last move. They have somehow managed to grow legs.

[@PerceptionVsReality333]

I bought one 2 years ago & replaced those wood scales with brown micarta + mosaic pins. I love this knife & 1075 is fine by me.

[@jamesfleming555]

I have a similar knife, although quite a bit older. I ground off the end and reshaped it as a Nesmuk pattern. I also drilled out the rivets and epoxied the handle back on with 2 new cutler rivets. Problem solved. Great knife.

[@YankeeWoodcraft]

Thanks. I just ordered one. I have a vintage original 6", but that one stays in my house actually doing what it was made for (butchering). The 5.5" would be nice for the woods for a budget kit for "real world" camping chores. BTW, not being happy with the fact that the handles came lose after you abused it is being a little unreasonable, don't you think? That's like being disappointed with an axe for not being able to filet a bluegill. I'm pretty sure it's not advertised as a survival knife, right? I mean hunting & butchering means that the worst treatment it would see among the majority of hunters would be cutting through a whitetail's sternum max. 😉

[@victorcastle1840]

For all the young ones here, these knives use to be found in every farm house and the paring knives in about every other house. As far as butcher knives went, they went with the frontiers men and the Mountain men . Older than dirt :-(

[@tbrew8222]

I never heard of old hickory when I picked up my first. It was a paring or slicer. one of my first gorlfriend's family had a bunch for steak knives. Her dad was going to toss it because the rivets came out (it was at least 50 yrs old). I wasnt big into knives back then but recognized it was a great metal and rescied it. I made my own handle out of manzinita and used some chicago screws to reattach it. Its been a great knife. Anywhere I pull it out, someone recognizes it and says they have one, or their parents did. Every other house is right..

[@whynottalklikeapirat]

I dunno man, dirt is pretty damn old …

[@JDM297]

How ! This video maker is incredible.... I dont know how I could live without his blathering

[@inthewoodswithbigfoot3941]

Definitely an old standard! Glad to see that they have done the mods that some guys don't think that they can do. Thanks for sharing!

[@eddiemason4316]

Game changer for sure. Took a good proven design, and made it better.

[@orendz7740]

I like how your vids show you using it out in the woods etc instead of just having talking points, weighing, and measuring the item you're reviewing. Makes the vids, well not boring.

[@johnkeck1025]

So it's a knife that does knife things well.. awesome.. I might just go get one now lol

[@mrj10101]

I have an old KA-BAR that look just like that , it was great great grandfather’s hunting knife

[@DannyB-cs9vx]

Another similar knife is the Dexter-Russell 5-Inch Fish Knife. They been making the knife since the 1800's. I bought one yesterday for $14 plus shipping. from a kitchen supply.

[@timbo4374]

There is an awful lot of old timers that have used them for years. There has to be a reason..inexpensive, 1095, thin blades slice so much better. Great camp knife or butcher your game knife, that can feather and notch well too.

[@cashdingo6386]

just a heads up to anyone looking to rescale this knife, the pins are 2 piece. One hollow and the other one has a taper and friction fits into the hollow. So if you pry them apart you can reuse the pins just dont drill em out like I did.

[@peternorthrup6274]

I bought a few of these. Everyone should have one. I reach for one of them before most of my good knifes. They make great Xmas gifts. Easy to keep razor sharp.

[@patriotrob7066]

Your channel and opinion is why I bought the Rat 5..from OKC. love it and still performs awesome

[@kaisermojica4216]

Super late to the party on this, just ordered a couple of the 7 inch knives off of ebay. I wanted to have a dedicated food prep knife in our car camping set up (Camp Kitchen), but wanted it to also be able to function well for some light chopping and fire prep if needed. Thanks for a great review as always.

[@mikeboone4425]

A tip on the old Hickory keep that handle oiled . great all around knife at 76 I still have my grand dads he did buy it in the 1920.

[@timkeeton4548]

Thanks for the review. Pins on the handles loosening has been a common complaint with the 7" butcher and mods, etc. I think you really need to secure it a little better for long-term use (e.g. batoning, etc.). That being said, if you use them for "kitchen" purposes, they will last, pretty much, forever. I have similar old school butcher knives that are pushing 100 years old, and the handles are still attached.

[@justafrog5641]

It's been my experience that handles with those sorts of woods always develop problems. Some soften, some warp, some rattle. But with a couple hours of work you can replace it with epoxied hardwood, drill your pinholes with a wider edge on the outside, and then you can use a slightly longer brass rod and peen it to fill the wider section of the hole. It might sound complicated, but it really is a quick project and it should give you a handle that will last through years of abuse.

[@jeebusyaweirdo3733]

I have my grandfathers he got back in like the 40’s or 50’s, and it’s still in great shape. Second sharpest knife I own, still haven’t been able to beat the cutting edge on my opinel but it is super, I mean almost identical close. Can’t speak on the new ones so though it is a thinner blade, the steel used is incredibly strong and stiff. Way more durable than many realize, and the cutting ability than many realize. I think mine may be a bit larger than this specific one but I enjoy the blade

[@knifelyfe6565]

OKC just went tits up.Sad day in the Knife World.

[@gideonstactical]

Ya very sad

[@brianbender8752]

The original old hickory I had one was my first knife which was give to me by a jack of all trades old trapper friend I made a cardboard sheath for it did everything from batoning carving to skinning deer and fish

[@tomwilson7202]

If the wooden handle scales do come loose, you can always epoxy and pin prettier handle scales on. -tom

[@richardvisneski506]

That’s a wooden handle, if a wood handle loosens up a little bit you can soak the knife handle in mineral oil and the wood will swell just a bit and the knife handle won’t wiggle anymore. The same thing works great for axe/hatchet handles. In a pinch water can be used but it will rust the blade & water eventually evaporates so mineral oil is best…

[@quinntheeskimooutdoors6234]

Made in USA good basic knife. Thanks for sharing. Take care.

[@ArcheryDad2024]

Mine was super sharp out of the box, so much so that it quickly cut the thread on the sheath the 1st time I put it in. I may replace the insert & re-stitch it later on.

[@FATMAN-EATZ]

Sooooooo easy and fun to put a mustard patina on the 1075.. beautiful

[@13bravoredleg18]

I made curly maple handles with solid brass pins for mine.

[@The_OG_MP]

Seems like it would be a great camp knife for sure. I might get this for my son.

[@Jimthechevywheelman]

The backwoodsman magazine did an article on the larger butcher knife and pointed out that the keyboard fighting knife sheath fits it perfectly!! I know I bought a bunch of them and a bunch of knives for me and my kids … you just have to keep the sheets well oiled I use black rock leather conditioner… which doesn’t soften the leather too much… some leather conditioners make it to floppy and you don’t want to go through the sheets with it loosin shape … that said … to be budget minded sometimes I’ll even use fluid film… Just use something! With these carbon steel old hickory’s ,,, it’s just so important to have a sheath that’s water resistant … and on my old hickory that I keep in my truck I don’t use it for food prep, so I keep the blade polished with eagle one metal polish … it wipes easier before sheathing!

[@kennethking8943]

I have an old Hickory knife like this but I have had it for 35 years and it was old when I got it . And it is stamped with Remington Arms on the Handel , if any collectors are familiar with it , I would like a reply .

[@TheDarkSkorpion]

I know Remington ran some specials in the 1960's. They did have a few deals my dad told me about, one was you got a hunting knife with a case of .243 or 30-30, another was a pocket knife and pocketwatch with a case of 12 gauge. He still has the watch somewhere, I have the pocket knife (good knife, too. Don't know who made it, all it says on it is Solingen, Germany. Two blades with brass scales with a hunter and his dog stamped in it). The hunting knife he lost in the woods when I was too young to remember it clearly, maybe that's what you have? If I remember right, all those old Remington knives had the model engraved into the handle, like it would say Remington 4806 on it.

[@brianbender8752]

You can get Chicago screws long enough to replace the pins

[@gregblake2764]

I have given several Old Hickory knives as gifts. First think I do with them is pop the handle scales off and epoxy them back on using the same set of pins. Totally solves the problem of the handles coming loose. Otherwise the 1095 steel is fine grained and these things take a really sharp edge. I like them better than a Mora.

[@kriskabin]

I have this Old Hickory knife & a Mora Black, & I use the MB more,..a lot more. The Hickory is a slicer with it's thin blade, the MB is a beast that I don't have to worry about. I've abused the Mora for a decade now & it's still in solid shape. The OH is for camp kitchen work & for nostalgic reminiscing when I look at it,.. it was both my grandmother's knife.

[@shaundouglas2057]

ordered mine a week ago, should be arriving soon. Needed a new general purpose knife for just about everything outdoors, fishing, skinning, camping, shelling aboloney. My old excalibur 5 inch hunter that I've had since 1989 has been worn down so much that it's now had its day, and for only $25 dollars it was my most used knife. This old hickory knife has some big shoes to fill but it looks like it will be a fine replacement.

[@solomonkane408]

Like the others version I removed handles and expoxyed them back on and it is still kicking I also have this version and have done the same great belt knife and all around for the price

[@benathens3294]

This is my go to Hunting knife. Works well for cleaning game. I did put a patina on the blade and a finish on the handle.

[@jimsmith5756]

I got one of these for Christmas, and I love this knife!

[@Roosterdad50]

Just ordered one for the hell of it. They are around $25.00 now. I actually modded one a few years ago and cut it down to5" blade, but i did it from the handle end. I also left a portion of the tang out on the end and drilled a hole for a lanyard. I may make a video of it some day.

[@gideonstactical]

Nice that is excellent

[@barrybueler3356]

Very cool but my favorite camping knife for cooking is my tops small version of the frog market special AKA the FMS nice and thin sharp with a good bend for slicing same 1095 steel full tang pinned wood handles with absolutely no problem with loosening plus u get a pretty loud whistle with it and it comes with a good kydex sheath though it will cost you $70 more but if your a guy that’s in the woods all the time cooking it’s worth the extra money if u have the extra cash of course. A even more exspensive thin blade I love is my bark River kephart in 3v with a beautiful curly maple handles with red liners and with 3v steel so u can put more force on the blade without worrying about breaking it comes with a gorgeous leather sheath with a firesteel loop handles are also pinned in very well so u don’t have to worry about the handle loosening but it’s much more pricey at around $300 but it’s a knife so well built and beautiful it would be a hand me down knife for your grandkids. If you worry about weight in your pack it’s super light lighter than some mora knives it’s like carrying a mid sized folder u don’t even notice your carrying it.

[@brianbender8752]

This was actually my first knife I was little running the woods and cliffs camping overnite hunting it was my mom's kitchen knife I never told her where it went

[@buddybell7107]

i have the longer version, i use it for carving roasts ,hams,ect. it was dull when i got it but i tuned it up. great for slicing.

[@cameronchicken8439]

i got an outdoor kitchen knife a year ago for under $70 the cjrb silax has been my most carried knife since.

[@CommonCentsOutdoorsman]

Mine arrived with a lose handle but its really not for hard tasks anyway. Thinking about doing g a copper wire wrap like condor does.

[@metroplexchl]

I have one and agree. For the price and quality, this is a really cool camp kitchen knife. If needed, you could press a steak knife into service. But this is best left (and is designed for I suspect) for camp kitchen and light woodsman duties.

[@johnsanders8287]

I ve used a balance on oil amd water, to tighten(swell) the handle. Simply, it works.

[@bosse641]

Awesome choice.

[@Spockfucious]

A little superglue on the stitching will stop the fraying. Works on button stitching as well.

[@tbrew8222]

This reminds me. If you get a stitch awl at harbor freight, toss the thread ot comes with. It wont hold any kind of knot. I stitched a #17 canvas into a sleeping bag in sections every time I had 10 minutes.. Had to superglue every knot because they started coming undone before I could even use it.

[@Twiceborn_by_grace]

Maybe it’s because I’m not an outdoorsman, but I think feather sticks are...pretty. I can’t find another word for it lol.

[@jeremyjennings4085]

You should look at some actual feather sticks by real bushcrafters then, not aarons garbage bushcraft skills 😂

[@eddiemason4316]

Check out the bushcraft channel NW Primate. (Northwest Primate ) his curls are eyegasmic.

[@jamesarends894]

Mine will be here today or tomorrow cant wait it try it out

[@greer776611]

The 7-10 and 7-14 are absolute beasts for machete work!

[@larrykoroush6995]

The majority of old Hickory I've bought used, tended to be corroded under the handled. None had loose handles, but probably were just used in the kitchen.

[@richkramer1841]

Can not imagine how you made that blade move. had mine for years.

[@LoveChromeOS]

Ontario knife store says its instead of 53-58 HRC its 55-57 which sounds more logical to me. Love that knife. Greetings from Germany.

[@daveburklund2295]

I love this knife. Inexpensive and very hardy. The handle can be fixed by popping the pins, epoxy-ing the tang to the handle and re-inseeting the pins.

[@WannabeWoodsman]

This style has been used for well over a century by fur trappers. They weren't meant to be a all in one tool. Men of the time also carried a jack knife (clasp knife, folding knife) and a tomahawk or small axe. Not to sound condescending, but the context in this case is important. While Old Hickory may be out of business, Green River, the Grand Daddy of American butcher knives, is still in business and makes them just as they in the mid 19th century.

[@Jameskenomis3]

I love old hickory knives.

[@brandtbollers3183]

Not Broke No Fix.My first Scout knife.GrandMother spent a dollar on a New One.GrandFather made Me a Safety sheath from roofing Flashing and Colth tape.had it 20 yrs.

[@mikepreslar8686]

Carefully remove the scales with a flat screwdriver, the pins can be reused. Clean the steel beneath and apply epoxy. Put the scales back on and re-set the pins.

[@joelilley3554]

Great review lol I have the same knife except I think mine is very slightly different. Anyways I don’t use mine very much except during hunting seasons when I get some game and use this to process deer, turkey, hell ive even processed pheasant with this thing and is one of my favorite blades for processing meat and I usually use my tops Mohawk hunter when I’m actually in the backwoods and need something to gut the animal and/ or process it right there bc it’s to far to drag. Mohawk hunter also works great on the trail and also would recommend it to anyone for about anything.

[@Hoozer32]

Pop off the handle with a butter knife. Epoxy and put the scales back on, put it in a vice, no more rattle.

[@chloehennessey6813]

You just can’t beat an Old Hickory Knife for the prices they give these things away at. You can get a set of these for with wooden block for $48 delivered. I use a Granfors Bruk Hunters Axe for wood. I mean $20 versus the $145 I spent on the BOB. They both do the same thing for me equally well.

[@OGFreedom1776]

The first thing I do with my old hickory knives is pop the scales off and epoxy them back on

[@Ghost_Os]

Replace the brass pins with some steel sex screws/Chicago bolts. Put a little threadlocker on them.

[@brianbender8752]

What options are there for a similar use knife game processing and field work looking for a one And done knife

[@southernyert7597]

Grt review. Being able to see the knife at work helps

[@davidsanspree5568]

Those knives were only carried for the purpose of skinning and meat processing, they had other knives for camp chores

[@Texo_McKevo]

If my handle broke tbh im adding a guard on it before I reuse it

[@fredcourtney03]

I’m late to the show but better late than never. Great channel

[@gideonstactical]

Thanks for watching! Welcome to the GT family

[@redriver6541]

Just found your channel man. Fellow blade and pew lover here..... Subbed and watching your old vids..... Love from KY man!

[@chewher4171]

This is all I need. I find that if the blade is too beefy, I won’t carry it. Anything that requires bigger jobs I will have tools for that. This knife is really good.

[@michaelfitzell2741]

Maybe you could use a hatchet or a small ax for splitting firewood instead ruining a good knife?