Gear Review: Wiebe Arctic Fox Knife
All my life one thing that hunting season meant was sharpening knives. Yes, there is a ton of other stuff to do in preparation for season but one extremely important tool that I always had on hand was a sharp knife. I've found a couple brands that I've stuck too over the years and have used folding and fixed blades both. I've used stones and ceramic sharpeners and even recently got an electrical belt type sharpener. I have to admit though I had never used one of the replaceable blade knives that have somewhat recently joined the scene. Fortunately for me I was introduced to Wiebe Knives who happen to have several different replaceable blade cutting tools to choose from. Specifically I tested out the Arctic Fox and was impressed with my first foray into simply replacing my blade rather than sharpening it.
First Impression
SHARP! Not only sharp, but scalpel sharp. I can't put an actual sharpness number to it but this is most likely the sharpest knife I've ever used. The knurled polymer handle fit nicely in my grip and gave the sense I could get a confident hold on it once things got bloody. The Arctic Fox was light in weight but still felt like it was more than sturdy enough to handle field dressing and skinning activities.
Specs
In the closed position the knife is 4.125" long.When opened it measures 7.125" long.The knife comes with 24 replaceable blades and a nylon sheath that holds the knife and extra blades.The knife, extra blades, and pouch weigh less than 7 oz so you won't even know it's on your belt or in your pack.
Skinning and Quartering
The hunts I used the Arctic Fox on required I store my meat in a cooler so I needed to not only skin but quarter the fine boar hogs I was able to shoot for the ride home. As I previously stated I likely have not used a knife this sharp before and it made the job a relative piece of cake. If you've never dealt with a hog then let me tell you they are not the most delicate of animals to care for in the field. I was able to easily and precisely make the incisions around and down the back legs once the animal was hung. Often times this initial process can lead leaving a little meat behind and getting unwanted hair on the hams. I was pleasantly surprised as the cuts were so easy to make that I was able to get the skin on the back legs peeled back without any issues. The remainder of the skinning job was pretty straight forward and unlike other instances I have performed similar duties, I had little to no fatigue in my wrist.
Disclaimer: I received this knife at no charge in return for an honest and fair review. The above article details my experiences and thoughts on the knife. I receive no additional compensation whether you choose to purchase one or not.
