A few months ago, Rick Young of Rick Young Outdoors sent me one of his E-Z Open knives to review. It was after the hunting season, so I wasn’t sure that I would be able to use it until next spring. I did do some mountain lion hunting, but we never caught a good one. Things were looking bad for the review, but on our way to a Christmas party I got a badger. I decided that this would be a good enough test for the knife, plus I could make a cool hat for my kids.

The E-Z Open knife was invented and field tested by professional hunter Rick Young. The E-Z Open Metolius is 9” long and made from 440A Stainless Steel with a firmly embedded composite ball for guiding the blade between the animal skin and muscle structure.

By cutting from the inside outward in long continuous cuts, the tool ensures clean cuts and eliminates problems with opening the entrails during field dressing. Here are my thoughts:

Ease of Use:
Super easy to use. ‘Nuf said.

Functionality:
The knife performed exactly as it was supposed to. The ball on the end, although it looks kind of goofy, keeps the blade from getting into the guts and opened up the badger just like a zipper. Mutch better than traditional hook knives.

Is it Practical?
It is practical for most situations, although I don’t believe that I would keep one in my day pack if I was on a strenuous hunt such as archery elk. In that case it would be an extra knife and not a neccesity. That isn’t to say that I wouldn’t keep it in my truck though. If I was hunting on a stand, I would definately take it along.

* That said, check out the 2-Blade Folding Metolius EZ Open & Skinner

Will My Buddies Make Fun of Me?
They might at first, because like I said before, it kind of looks weird with that ball on the end. Once they use it though, the jokes will be over.

TOTAL SCORE:
If you’re in the market for a good knife, check out: www.rickyoungoutdoors.com.

See the original article at GotHunts.com