Case Bird Hook Yellow Hunting Knife

This unusual knife style -- discontinued by many manufacturers -- is so far still a standard offer at Case. Nevertheless the bird hook knife may be a collector's item unless you're a game bird hunter. The 3.5-inch clip point stainless steel blade could serve as an everyday pocket knife but was intended for dressing small birds like pigeon and quail. Probably only bird hunters will know the purpose of the hook.

Inserted into the anal vent of a bagged game bird, the steel hook blade of the Bird Hook Knife removes the entrails with a deft twist and firm pull, simplifying the cleaning process. The yellow polymer handle slabs pinned to the folding knife may help locate the knife if dropped in tall grass but were probably chosen because of their similarity to the more traditional ivory or bone.

Only 3-7/8 inches long folded, the Case Bird Hook Knife is an old pattern which opens with a fingernail notch instead of a thumb stud. Without pocket clips or projections, it sits smoothly in the jeans pocket or the pouch of the hunting vest. Though the clip point blade doesn't lock back, the knife is still well suited to the task it was designed to handle. Just remember the blade folds if you put pressure in the wrong direction. It's a lesson people learn quickly.

To most people, the Bird Hook knife has an elegant and somewhat mysterious look. If you don't want to explain it in polite company, you can pass it off as a parcel hook for grabbing boxes tied with string.

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