What makes a good patch knife?

[Mad L]

Saw a guy in a video once, perhaps Montana or Wyoming area, he skins bison for a living he said, he had a fine Coffin Handled Bowie type knife, said it's the same blade he uses on the hides; he just places a sheet of patch and ball on the crown, pulls out his Bowie, using the handle he Slaps the ball down, then slices off at the crown like cutting through hot butter.

 

[brushblind]

My Wife's paring knife works good! Just don't get caught, but if you do make sure you have an excuse or two worked out in advance!

 

[Ohio Rusty]

My patch knife was from an old 19th century butter knife with the rounded end and has a bone handle. The blade was cut down and filed down to a better knife blade shape. The blade is thin, flexible and hones to a really nice cutting edge. You can find these old round end butter knives with bone handles for about $3 at flea markets.

 

[Freedom]

A hole saw, polished razor sharp, one pull on the clicker press handle cuts 20 perfectly round patches. Pillow ticking for shooting, and terrycloth for cleaning.

Made lots of patch knives and tried for years to enjoy them.. just No-Joy compared to using the round wet patches.

 

[Will]

I tried these two yesterday with my first time cutting at the muzzle. I found the longer ( 5 inch bade) worked much better for me. It's a Green River knife that I honed razor sharp. One easy swipe and I had a clean cut patch.

View attachment IMG_1668.JPG

 

[beardedhorse]

George Andrix, It might surprise a lot of folks but many Native Americans often sharpened only one side of their knives. A single bevel on the left side of the blade for left handers and right side for right handers works quite well for cutting patches. The reverse for scrolling out meat when making jerky. A planer blade makes such a single bevel knife. Straight razors for shaving are tempered much too hard (65+ RC) and will chip with repeated sliding across the muzzle.

Thanks Old Sparky for sharing how you haft the San Mai style blade. It is difficult for many to find the pre drilled hole/s in a rat tail tang from the outside of the antler handle. Measure and mark carefully and hope for the best. In pre-epoxy days pitch would have been used but a cross drilled pin to secure it was good insurance. For a full rat tail tang peened at the butt end over a metal cap the tang can be bent to match the curve of the antler and heated red hot then burned in. Two blind holes drilled from each end of the antler and hopefully meeting close to the middle make the burning easier. A relatively straight antler handle is less worrisome as a straight unheated tang can slide into a straight hole..

While there weren't dedicated patch knives per se, you can find knives and sheaths attached to many old hunting pouches. Check out Madison Grant's the Kentucky Rifle Hunting Pouch. Might find some good examples for inspiring your design. Opinels made in France are handy and cheap but the chrome plated, twist lock mechanisms are too modern for period friction folders. Those who aspire toward authenticity may elect to avoid them and use the more dangerous, non locking friction folders.

Non locking spring back folders like a Barlow that "walk and talk" could be kept in the shooting pouch. I know of a flint shooter in Colorado who uses his big Bowie to start the ball and blade to cut the patch and can do it in half the time it would take for someone to take his folder out of his bag, open the blade, cut the patch, fold the blade back and replace it in the bag. A fixed blade in a easy to reach sheath seems more efficient.

Not everyone is into re enactment so what works for you is what you should carry and use. A patch cut on a thumbed ball off the muzzle is no more accurate than one cut on a loading or bullet block. You can load from the block twice as fast as the muzzle cut patch method.

 

[pwbsmokey]

Those Opinel folding knives are great for everyday carry. I have one in my pocket every day around the house. If I go out I then trade off for a Kershaw (Ken Onion assisted opening made in USA) or a Benchmade folder. The steel in the Opinel is good steel. The blade is thin and easy to sharpen and will hold a good edge. My only complaint is that of the blade shape on most of their folders. I'm not a big fan of the forward upward curve of the cutting edge. I like their "garden" style blade profile shape better. They have a "mushroom" knife that is neat also Old Bear has a nice "mushroom" knife check them out. I would cut off the brush end first.

The number 8 pruning knife is also nice

 

[ZUG]

Here are two #9 Opinel folders one carbon and one stainless steel that I modified the forward portion of the blade. Notice that the forward sweep of the blade is now more of a drop point style similar to a Case Sodbuster. The lower blade looks straw in color but in fact it is shiny silver color got to be the florescent lighting. The size of the two knives is also deceiving they are both the same size. Must be the pocket camera - old Panasonic Lumix.

 

[Absoroka]

I like the small green river from TOTW. The blade is flat and lies on the muzzle very smoothly to cut the patch. With a little work they make a nice looking knife. They also work well around the antlers, nose and lips of game if you want to save the cape for later mounting.

 

[TDM]

Here’s one of mine. 19th century bone handled butter/table knife. Shaving sharp, works very nicely.

 

[bronko220002]

I have a couple "patch" knives. One in my shooting box is an old kitchen steak knive. Another I picked up at a Dollar Store. But my favorite is one I bought at a gun show several years back that is razor sharp, a 3" sweeping blade and fits in a leather sheath that hangs from my neck.

 

[garypl]

I have a few small patch knives but when shooting targets at the range I use a folding straight razor with replaceable blades. I use one blade and keep honing it until until it wears down and replace it with a new blade. Works better, longer than any patch knives and they are cheap! Been using the same razor for at least 40 years and it should outlast me. Not PC but I don’t care. The few times I shoot from a bag I do use a small patch knife that hangs from my shooting bag. Do what works for you and make your shooting as enjoyable as you can!

 

[Bubajunk]

I'm with Ohio and TDM 19th century make pretty good patch knives ...

 

[Sasquach]

Hi, I'm new here but I've been into Buckskinning and shooting muzzle loaders for quite some time. I have a question that you guys may be able to answer. Why do many knives sold as "patch knives" have three small notches, the center notch being circular, in the choil? Is there a purpose for that?

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Hi, I'm new here but I've been into Buckskinning and shooting muzzle loaders for quite some time. I have a question that you guys may be able to answer. Why do many knives sold as "patch knives" have three small notches, the center notch being circular, in the choil? Is there a purpose for that?

Thanks in advance for any info.

I was told it's just decoration, but somebody else on The Forum may know of something else that it's for...

LD

 

[Sasquach]

Thanks LD. I've seen it frequently but have never been able to find a function for it. It seems odd that the same particular pattern of notches appears on so many knives yet has no purpose or meaning. My curiosity has kept me searching for an answer. Just as a side note the pic attached is of the patch knife I made for my BP kit. It's modeled after a Green River pattern and made from an old saw blade with white tail deer antler scales.

 

[DementedMindOfJac]

I have never liked folding knives. Swiss Army knife bit me as a kid. This is my EDC working knife with the lanyard so I can attach it to my wrist so I can leave it dangle while I use that hand. This is a cheap(ish) Schrade with a 2 1/2" blade made out of D2 toolsteel. It serves very well as a patch knife as it takes a very keen edge. Mine cuts cigarette paper when I'm done with the polish stone. Bit of a pain to get it there 'cos it's pretty hard steel, but it'll keep that edge petty good. The steel is pretty rust-resistant but it's not stainless. Not an issue for me as I use it daily for everything from clipping cigars, cleaning my nails, removing splinters to cutting patches.
I don't think a patch knife needs to be big, just sharp.

Disclaimer: I'm not shilling Schrade. When they were a US company, the quality was invariably very high. Now they are Chinese and it's hit-and-miss. Personally, if it's Chinese or Taiwanese and it just says "Stainless Steel," I don't buy it. If it's made in Pakistan, I don't buy it, regardless what it claims. Caveat Emptor!

 

[pacanis]

I like an Opinel #6 for cutting patches. It's small, light, and cheap. Sand it and stain it darker and it's a presentable little knife.

Someone gave me a knife that I modified and strapped to a bag.

It's as sharp as my Opie.

But I've been known to use a British MOD survival knife because it's all I had handy

 

[Banjoman]

I’ve used all of these, but I prefer precut patches.

 

[holzwurm]

try lurking around in an antique store and find an old straight razor.I have several around my shop that I used for this very purpose. Easy to put a piece of antler or wood handle on. It's ust a tool.