Roselli Hunter R100

I am a hunting guide for my full time profession, licensed in Maine and California though I am native to Texas. I do a great deal of gutting, skinning, caping, quartering and de-boning every season. So this review is based largely on using this knife for those applications and less as a bushcraft knife. I have to date used mine to breakdown and process four roosevelt elk and a moderate sized wild pig. For an elk or moose knife I don’t believe you could find a knife any better. The slight curve to the blade skins very well, the thickness and weight of the blade are perfect for jointing the legs and head, though it is still thin enough to be an excellent slicer. The edge from the factory is quite sharp and it is easy to resharpen. It has a sort of convex-scandi grind from the factory. Because of this I do not think you could sharpen it as a traditional scandi knife, however I like to lightly micro bevel my scandis anyways so this wasn’t a problem at all. The edge holds up well to bone and won’t chip easily, though like all scandis, don’t use it as a pry bar. It holds an edge nearly all the way through an entire elk, but usually I touch it up with a pocket stone about 3/4 of the way through. I have used it for some light fire-making duties at camp and feather-sticking woods like fir and cedar do not seem to dull it hardly at all. The handle is excellent, large and comfortable so no cramps or trouble holding it even after long periods of use. Like all wood handles though it does dry out when washed so be sure to give it some oil periodically. The fit and finish of the blade, bolster and handle were all very good. The bevels on the blade were nice and even. It is not full tang, but feels very robust nonetheless. The sheath comes in the raw and needs oil right away, but it holds the knife very securely and rides well on the belt. On the wild pig, the knife was on the large side for some of the processing tasks, though not problematic. But I would opt for the carpenter by Roselli if your intension was to use the knife primarily to dress and butcher deer and smallish wild pigs. For elk and moose though I would say heartily that the hunter is the better choice. I have enjoyed mine thoroughly and received quite a few compliments on the knife from my clients. Overall I would highly recommend this knife and encourage anyone afraid of taking a “traditional” knife out in the field to try it. You won’t be disappointed. These knives worked for our grandfathers and continue to work well to this day.