Posted: 1/31/2012 8:16:38 AM EDT
|
I would like some suggestions for a good all-around hunting knife. I do not have one and would prefer not to take an Emerson out in the field with me.
Let me see what everyone carries. |
| Any quality folding knife will do the job nicely. You definitely don't need a big assed Rambo fixed blade knife to gut a deer. My go to deer gutting knife is a Schrade Uncle Henry folder from back when they were still made in Ellenville, NY. Buck still makes a similar product but they have a reputation of being harder to sharpen. |
|
I have a couple of knives I use. On my belt, I have a Buck Crosslock folder in S30V in a sheath and a fixed blade Gerber Freeman S30V. My wife uses a Outdoor Edge Hybrid Hunter AUS-8A. It was about $40 three years ago. Might be more now. All of them have been bought @ Cabela's. If I did not already have far too many knives, I'd have a Buck ErgoHunter. Feels quite nice in the hand. Some guys I hunt with use the Outdoor Edge Swingblade, or Gerber EZ-Open. Others still swear by a gut hook. |
|
For years, I carried a Schrade OldTimer Sharpfinger. I lost it in the woods this past season. All I have of it, is the sheath. It served me well over the years.
For Christmas, my sister got me a Lone Wolf MountainSide Skinner after a little hinting on my part. It feels good in the hand, and is very sharp to boot. Now the wait 'til fall, to put it to work. 
|
|
I don't have the experience many here do, but here are my dedicated hunting knives for what it's worth. I have other survival or bushcraft knives that would work as well, but these are most suited. 1. Buckbuster - Given as a gift, I've never used this one in the field. It is quite heavy, but seems well made. It came with an instruction DVD, and seems like it would work fine. 2. Gerber Gator Fixed Blade w/gut hook - Excellent game processing and bushcraft knife. Light, good blade, and very grippy handle even when wet. 3. Buck 119 Special - A classic. Low cost, great blade. Handle can get a bit slippery, but not bad. No gut hook is the only downside ( Not a big deal with patience and practice.) 4. Wyoming Knife - Nothing tops it IMHO. Light, replaceable blades. Very safe. 5. Buck 110 Folder - Another classic. Low cost, great blade. No gut hook. A bit heavy. For non-back country dedicated hunts, I will usually go with one of the fixed blades and the Wyoming Knife. Back country hunts, I go with the WK and a Becker BK2 ( Not a hunting knife, but great for bushcraft/survival.)  |
|
I really don't own any expensive knives. I do own some medium priced knives Bucks, Spyderco etc..
But what I find myself using for Game prep and butchering is good inexpensive knives. This includes Moras approx. $10-$30 depending on model. I use a carbon model but their stainless models are good too. Moras can be found on line Ragweed Forge or Smokey Mountain Knife Works. Butchering: Old Hickory and Victorinox Fibernox. Folders: Opinels are great. I like the carbon steel models. Light weight very sharp great slicers. $10 or less. Kabar Dozier have a great blade shape, AUS8 steel. light and approx. $20. Orange handles are great in the field. Carbon Sodbusters great blade shape, can be made very sharp but they do not lock if that matters to you. I lust after more expensive knives and customs, but I really do not need them. $100 could by me 4 to 5 of the above knives and probably have enough left for a sharpening system. |
|
Quoted:
I really don't own any expensive knives. I do own some medium priced knives Bucks, Spyderco etc.. But what I find myself using for Game prep and butchering is good inexpensive knives. This includes Moras approx. $10-$30 depending on model. I use a carbon model but their stainless models are good too. Moras can be found on line Ragweed Forge or Smokey Mountain Knife Works. Butchering: Old Hickory and Victorinox Fibernox. Folders: Opinels are great. I like the carbon steel models. Light weight very sharp great slicers. $10 or less. Kabar Dozier have a great blade shape, AUS8 steel. light and approx. $20. Orange handles are great in the field. Carbon Sodbusters great blade shape, can be made very sharp but they do not lock if that matters to you. I lust after more expensive knives and customs, but I really do not need them. $100 could by me 4 to 5 of the above knives and probably have enough left for a sharpening system. excellant post. I tend to agree, and ponder why I should carry a $200 knife in the woods and to get it destroyed or lost. I may head to walmart or Dick's this weekend and pick something up. ****I think I have decided on either a "knives of alaska" or one from "outdoor edge" |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
any thoughts on using an ESSE-4 for hunting? I may pick up one. I like the 3 better. Thinner, lighter and more than enough blade for a hunting knife. Just my .02 The ESSE 3 will be a better skinner. Quality wise they are hard to beat. Lifetime no BS warranty. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
any thoughts on using an ESSE-4 for hunting? I may pick up one. I like the 3 better. Thinner, lighter and more than enough blade for a hunting knife. Just my .02 The ESSE 3 will be a better skinner. Quality wise they are hard to beat. Lifetime no BS warranty. Thank you. I'm on ebay right now looking. |
|
I have an Uncle Henry folder with the 2 1/2 inch blade. That is my "hunting knife." I have other, various 2-3 inch folding knives, which are around everywhere (backpack, truck, etc.), but that knife sees a lot of use. I also have a 10 year old + Gerber tool which I carry on my belt as well. In my pack, I carry a Cutco serrated blade 4 or 5 inch knife. It is good for splitting the breast bone of a deer or antelope, and that is about all it gets used for.
My Schrade has been responsible for skinning and quartering 2 elk completely, and skinning a couple lions and a bear, and numerous deer and antelope. I like that little knife. I do also have a Havalon knife which was a gift to me from a friend last year, who just passed away in a 4 wheeler accident. I am not sure if I am going to use that knife, or keep it as a constant reminder of how precious life can be. Marcial |
|
I guess my all time favorite hunting knife is a Buck Outdoorsman, however lately I've been using a Sog Seal Pup Elite.
Though the Seal Pup Elite sounds and looks somewhat tactical, its actually a neat knife. Its about the right size, not too big or too small, excellent solid rubber grip that doesn't slip when wet, sharp edge with serrations, that sharpens real well. I have a Seal Pup Elite and a Seal Pup. I use the Seal Pup on my boat for general use but it also cleans fish real well not quite a filet knife but sharp enough and thin enough to do just fine and certainly better on bone. The new ones aren't quite as good as the old MIL models but they're on sale as the old classic Buck Outdoorsman is from time to time around $50. Now that's a knife you don't mind using and abusing if you know what I mean. Tj |
| Been using a Buck 119 for years. It's really the quintessential hunting knife. It takes a scary sharp edge and works extremely well for gutting and skinning tasks. Downside is that it's a heavy chunk of steel and a little longer than it needs to be. If your hunting involves walking a lot of miles, there are better and lighter options out there. |
|
Like someone else mentioned, I used the sharp finger for years Sadly, I to lost it in the woods and all I have left is the sheath. My replacement knife was the Buck fixed blade gut hook ( zipper???? , I forget the name). It is a great knife , holds a great edge. The problem is sharpening the gut hook. It can be done, just takes time and practice. I honestly don't use the gut hook anymore. Just gut them like I was taught before "new fangled improvements". I have found bigger is not always better in regards to hunting knives.
|
|
I don't have a specific knife model to recommend. The hunting knives I carry are either my old marbles with stacked leather handle and approximately 5" blade (it's rather large really and I use it more elk hunting) or a handmade knife made by a man out of Arizona named Steve Hostetler. The handmade Hostetler knife really holds an edge, is made of ATS34 steel, and I carry it more than the Marbles any more.
My main concerns with a hunting knife are edge retention, blade shape, grip shape/feel, and I prefer a fixed blade. As far as blade shape, I prefer something with lots of "belly" for when it comes down to skinny. A knife with a clip point or other sharp tip really doesn't appeal to me as you can in my experience rupture a gut easier if you aren't careful. Fixed blades are nice purely because they are easy to clean up when you're done. The grip of the knife should fit your hand well, and something like stacked leather or some kind of textured grip is nice if the handle gets bloody/wet. Shop around, find a knife that fits your hand well, is in your budget, and has good reviews online. Just my .02 worth |
| my dad gave me a marbles bone handle knife when i started really deer hunting a lot. i love that knife. its been my go to since then. its a great overall knife for gutting, skinning, and deboning. it holds an edge really well too. when i process a deer, i use the marbles, a filet knife, and a bone saw. with those 3 things, i can do most anything. i need to get a new sheath for it. |
I'm no knife snob my most expensive knife is a Knives of Alaska bushcamp but I would strongly suggest avoiding anything made in China or Taiwan. The deer hunting knife I use the most is an old Remington R3 it has served me well for 20+ years unfortunately I broke the snap on the sheath this year  got to try and fix it when I have time.
Tried to get by with my much lighter Seal pup elite over my Bushcamp elk hunting and it was dull before I got one skinned. Im a big fan of SOG but not so much for the made in Taiwan ones. My hunting partner also uses a bush camp he skinned and butchered 2 elk 2 hogs and several deer with out sharpening. Very good knives and scary sharp out of the box |
|
Quoted:
I'm no knife snob my most expensive knife is a Knives of Alaska bushcamp but I would strongly suggest avoiding anything made in China or Taiwan. The deer hunting knife I use the most is an old Remington R3 it has served me well for 20+ years unfortunately I broke the snap on the sheath this year got to try and fix it when I have time.
Tried to get by with my much lighter Seal pup elite over my Bushcamp elk hunting and it was dull before I got one skinned. Im a big fan of SOG but not so much for the made in Taiwan ones. My hunting partner also uses a bush camp he skinned and butchered 2 elk 2 hogs and several deer with out sharpening. Very good knives and scary sharp out of the box Wow they have some nice looking knives at great prices! I might have to pick up a couple ... |
|
The KoA Magnum Wolverine would make a great knife and is on my "BUY" list
HERE |
|
I like the little KABAR USMC knife.
http://www.kabar.com/knives/detail/74 |
|
Quoted:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41WlfXXy4sL.jpg Cold Steel Canadian Belt Knife Cheap, good grip, easy to sharpen and easy to clean +1 It's a good quality knife with very useful design at afforable price. |
|
This is what I used next to Stonewall last time I got to hunt animals. A Benchmade Osborne and a seat cutter that was issued. I give nephews new a Benchmade Nimravus when they kill their first deer on the farm. Great knives just not very inexpensive.
Button buck was great eating but was doe hunting for meat. 
|
|
Quoted:
.....Back in the day they never had all this fancy shit and did well. Great statement, doesn't take a whole lot to gut a deer. A very very sharp blade however does make skinning quite a bit easier. My first deer was skinned with my father in law's Smith and Wesson knife/axe/skinning knife kit, worked great. For XMas he bought me the same 3 piece kit, and replaced the new knife in my kit for the knife I used on my first deer. Hell of a good present! Kit works great and they are like $20. |
|
The comment on $200 custom knives in the woods has me scratching my head.
If you can't afford one, that's one thing, but if you can, and choose to use something cheap instead, I have to wonder - why? How much did your rifle cost? Scope? How much are you really going to use it on your game? One shot, because we're all steely-eyed one-shot-one-kill snipers? Okay, how long are you going to take gutting, skinning, boning (depending on how far you go field dressing and processing your own meats)? My Savage .243 cost $400. It currently is wearing a Burris scope that cost $150 (on sale) that is a MUCH better scope than the cheap one that came on the rifle. So, I'm packing a rifle around that cost me $550 dollars. My range finder cost ~$250 (I live in Arizona, I really do need one). If I'm packing my spotting scope and binos, that's several hundred more. Just in glass and rifle, I'm probably using over $1000 worth of gear. If all goes well, I will use my binos and spotting scope more than my riflescope, and my riflescope more than my actual rifle. I will actually shoot once or twice, and then I will have the privilege of cleaning the game - with a knife, mostly. Why carry a nice knife? I have to ask, why not? If it actually works better (as my Burris works better than the cheap scope that came on my rifle), if you can afford it, a $100-$200 custom is just a really nice thing to have and use. Some call it a joy to use. You can use it in camp, you can use it on the trail, you can use it on your game. Just makes sense to use something nice, rather than a box-cutter or some other knife you basically consider disposable. |
|
Quoted:
The comment on $200 custom knives in the woods has me scratching my head. If you can't afford one, that's one thing, but if you can, and choose to use something cheap instead, I have to wonder - why? How much did your rifle cost? Scope? How much are you really going to use it on your game? One shot, because we're all steely-eyed one-shot-one-kill snipers? Okay, how long are you going to take gutting, skinning, boning (depending on how far you go field dressing and processing your own meats)? My Savage .243 cost $400. It currently is wearing a Burris scope that cost $150 (on sale) that is a MUCH better scope than the cheap one that came on the rifle. So, I'm packing a rifle around that cost me $550 dollars. My range finder cost ~$250 (I live in Arizona, I really do need one). If I'm packing my spotting scope and binos, that's several hundred more. Just in glass and rifle, I'm probably using over $1000 worth of gear. If all goes well, I will use my binos and spotting scope more than my riflescope, and my riflescope more than my actual rifle. I will actually shoot once or twice, and then I will have the privilege of cleaning the game - with a knife, mostly. Why carry a nice knife? I have to ask, why not? If it actually works better (as my Burris works better than the cheap scope that came on my rifle), if you can afford it, a $100-$200 custom is just a really nice thing to have and use. Some call it a joy to use. You can use it in camp, you can use it on the trail, you can use it on your game. Just makes sense to use something nice, rather than a box-cutter or some other knife you basically consider disposable. All good points. My rig I take out Coyote hunting cost me about $2200, 18" upper with Leupold glass. The rifle I take hunting deer is a 30-30 my grandfather gave me when I turned 12, so thats priceless to me. I like having nice things and research and try out all sort of equipment before I actually spend money on something. I dont care if it cost $10 or $1000, if it work, it works. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41WlfXXy4sL.jpg Cold Steel Canadian Belt Knife Cheap, good grip, easy to sharpen and easy to clean +1 It's a good quality knife with very useful design at afforable price. Another vote here for the Canadian belt knife. It is a natural extension of your hand and a bargain at the price. I also recommend Mora's as well. Cheap, sharp, and durable. |
|
I don't like any folding knife for field dressing/processing deer. I do my own processing and they get too much gunk inside the knife where its hard/takes too much time to clean. Now days, I use a falkniven F1. I have never handled any knife that cuts and stays sharp like this thing does. I can go all season without sharpening it and process several deer. Previously, I used a Buck Vanguard with gut hook. I did not use the gut hook but do use the saw blade on my leatherman to split the pelvic bone. The Buck would usually start to get dull about half way through processing one deer. That's not fully processing, just skinning, quartering and removing tenderloin and backstrap.
Anything over 3.5 to 4 inches is too long to work well for me. In fact out of the esee 3 or 4, I'd take the 3 for field dressing all day. You can pick up a falkniven F1 for a little over 100 bucks. Not too bad in my book. |
|
I have all kinds of knives, I've fairly recently discovered the Blackjack Classics. The blades are made of A2 tool steel. I managed to find two of the model 125 heavy hunters on EBAY that were used just enough for the blades to have some discoloration. These two have quickly become my favorite knives.
One of mine is a stacked leather handle, the other is green micarta. The leather sheath is excellent too. There is one just like this (stag handle) on EBAY now, with a buy it now of $159. 
|