# Hunting Knives



## Bow hunter mojo

Gentlemen, with so many different brands of knives out there, what are your preferences for hunting knives out in the field? Also what type of sharpener do you carry with you while in the field?


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## Packout

Buy one or two of these:
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/vic...ogleShopping&gclid=CNKBv9amr80CFQiUaQod9OIFEA

And pick up one of these:
http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/.../Diamond-Sharpeners/prod99999030818/cat100813

And then you can use one to skin and debone a whole moose, 5-10 deer, and a couple elk. Of course it isn't as nostalgic as a fancy knife, but at least I don't feel bad when loosing one....


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## Critter

Get what you yourself prefer.

A lot will suggest the Havalon where you can just replace blades as needed.

If you like a sturdier knife with replaceable blades check out Outdoor Edge.

For sharpening in the field I like a ceramic sharpener. It doesn't treat the blade as rough as the one that Packout suggested and if you have a good edge on your knife you don't need to get drastic with the sharpening.

For home I have a Work Sharp for all of my knifes.

I am a knife junkie and have just about any type of knife available and have used them all to either clean, skin, butcher, or anything else you can use a knife for. I personally like Buck knifes in their fixed blade such as the Woodsman and in a folder I like the Gerber Gator. Both hold a edge quite well and once you learn how to sharpen them will hold a edge for quite a while


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## muleydeermaniac

I prefer anything made by Buck. I have three I use for hunting and they hold an edge extremely well. I carry an old school wet stone. Nothing beats and edge it gives you. That being said I do carry a little keychain sharpener to help get me through an elk.


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## derekp1999

I usually carry two knives with me. One is a Browning Cocobolo folding knife and the other is a Schrade Old Timer folding knife. I usually do the skinning with one knife and switch to the second to quarter with a clean blade... I don't know if that even matters but it helps me feel better about keeping the meat clean.

To sharpen I use a Gatco system which isn't bad. I bought one of their ceramic hones separately and I use that almost exclusively, I rarely use any of the other more aggressive honing rods.


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## CPAjeff

For gutting, skinning, quartering, and caping I use;
http://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-11-Blade-Utility-Knife/50109012

For deboning and processing meat I use;
http://www.outdooredge.com/collections/folding-knives/products/fish-bone-fb-1


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## Bax*

I have been using this Benchmade skinner for the last couple years. It has held a great edge and is easy to work with due to its size

http://www.benchmade.com/saddle-mountain-skinner-family.html


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## Packout

So I've had a couple questions about those Victronix knives I posted-- Yes, I am 100% serious that those are the best knife I've used in the field and even dealing with a couple hundred critters each year in the shop. They are light wieght, flexible, hold an edge, return to an edge easily, and are cheap-as-chips. In the past 15+ years I have broken one. That is over two thousand big game animals either caped, gutted, deboned, skinned, etc. I used one of these knives 2 years ago to cape and debone one moose, 3 elk, 6 deer, 2 antelope. Then used the same knife the following year to handle 2 elk, 4 deer and 2 antelope, then use the same knife last year on 4 deer, one elk and 2 antelope, and I plan on using it this year on a few deer, elk, and lopes. 

As for the sharpener, I agree with Critter on using a ceramic to touch up a blade. But the same can be accomplished with the medium sharpener I posted-- just use less pressure on the fine tune-ups. It is nice though if you need to deal with a duller blade-- just use more pressure on the steel. 

If you want something fancier, Buck knives are good. I also have used Knives of Alaska and they are fine too. I have far too many knives just sitting around because I keep going back to the little Pairing knife....

As for the razor type knives-- please be careful if you go that route. Every year I have multiple people come into my shop who had to visit the Dr or ER to get stitched up after they cut themselves with Razor type knives. And those razors can really damage capes if a guy isn't careful.

Anyway, I shouldn't have been so vague in my first post. But for $5 what more can a guy ask for.....


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## trclements

Mora knives. They are cheap. Super sharp. Hold and edge and if you lose one it's no big deal. I have 3.


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## DallanC

I have alot of knives... alot of _nice _knives. The one I've used more than any other, by orders of magnitude, is the Leatherman PS4 Squirt. Its the one that is always in my pocket. My other knives are usually in the truck, on the ATV or elsewhere. Maybe its just lazy getting up to that animal and wanting to get to work on it quickly, vs walking back for a better knife... but the PS4 is so small it is always there, so it gets used the most.

Cleaned half a dozen elk with it... maybe a dozen pronghorn and god knows how many mule deer over the years. Probably a few thousand fish thrown in there as well for good measure.










-DallanC


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## Huntoholic

Buck 102
Ka Bar "Little Finn"

Lansky Quadsharp 4 in 1

Both knifes are small but sturdy. Both hold an edge and to be honest I don't recall having to sharpen the knife in the field. I take the sharpener just in case. I love knifes almost as much as firearms but these two are the ones I will take. I also stay away from the razor knifes. My knifes are sharp enough to shave with and I have been stitched a time or two. Scares me to think how bad I could cut me with a razor that light.


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## BigT

Packout said:


> So I've had a couple questions about those Victronix knives I posted-- Yes, I am 100% serious that those are the best knife I've used in the field and even dealing with a couple hundred critters each year in the shop. They are light wieght, flexible, hold an edge, return to an edge easily, and are cheap-as-chips. In the past 15+ years I have broken one. That is over two thousand big game animals either caped, gutted, deboned, skinned, etc. I used one of these knives 2 years ago to cape and debone one moose, 3 elk, 6 deer, 2 antelope. Then used the same knife the following year to handle 2 elk, 4 deer and 2 antelope, then use the same knife last year on 4 deer, one elk and 2 antelope, and I plan on using it this year on a few deer, elk, and lopes.
> 
> As for the sharpener, I agree with Critter on using a ceramic to touch up a blade. But the same can be accomplished with the medium sharpener I posted-- just use less pressure on the fine tune-ups. It is nice though if you need to deal with a duller blade-- just use more pressure on the steel.
> 
> If you want something fancier, Buck knives are good. I also have used Knives of Alaska and they are fine too. I have far too many knives just sitting around because I keep going back to the little Pairing knife....
> 
> As for the razor type knives-- please be careful if you go that route. Every year I have multiple people come into my shop who had to visit the Dr or ER to get stitched up after they cut themselves with Razor type knives. And those razors can really damage capes if a guy isn't careful.
> 
> Anyway, I shouldn't have been so vague in my first post. But for $5 what more can a guy ask for.....


I took a chance on this knife last year after watching a video on how to properly cape a bear. The guide who was caping the bear was using this same Victorinox paring knife. There's not a better knife. I have a Havalon with 30+ blades I'd sell you if you want one of those. It'll just be taking up space. Not to mention I hate changing the blades on those little things. Then when you break a blade and you've got to find it in the animal, that's always fun too. I didn't ever cut myself with it, but as Packout stated, they can damage a cape real quick.. I won't use another knife after my experience with this cheap little Victorinox blade!

This little cheap blade caped that big bear I got never losing any type of an edge. Was so impressed with it, it ended up in the kitchen drawer at home, but put it back into my hunting pack as it's too sharp to risk with the kids. I would like to find a good solution for storing it though. Maybe Packout has something he uses or suggests!

Best knife, hands down... Not the prettiest, and your buddie's might laugh at you until their knives dull and all of them borrow your same knife to cape all of their game!


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## Critter

Take it down to a leather shop and have them make a sheath for it.


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## BigT

Critter said:


> Take it down to a leather shop and have them make a sheath for it.


That'd work... I wonder if it would fit in one of those travel tooth brush holders... The long tubular ones...


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## bekins24

My sister brought back some homemade filet knives from North Carolina with her and they sandwiched the blade between two pieces of styrofoam with tape holding them together. You could do something like that if you just needed to keep the blade safe in your pack and it would be dirt cheap.


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## Packout

I have left them in the plastic case they come in and throw some duct tape on the bottom, made a cardboard sheath and I bought a sheath from a knife store that fits the sharpener in it.

Or you could just order one of these:

http://www.swissknifeshop.com/victo...knife-sheath?gclid=CMKZv4m-t80CFYkCaQodgVcHmw


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## BigT

Packout said:


> I have left them in the plastic case they come in and throw some duct tape on the bottom, made a cardboard sheath and I bought a sheath from a knife store that fits the sharpener in it.
> 
> Or you could just order one of these:
> 
> http://www.swissknifeshop.com/victo...knife-sheath?gclid=CMKZv4m-t80CFYkCaQodgVcHmw


That would work. I was just putting it back in the box it came in but I think it was tossed. I ordered a couple more of those Victorinox knives. I'll just duct tape the bottom and try and keep the box out of my wifes sight!


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## KineKilla

A knife with a gut hook changed my life! I use a Buck folding, lock blade with gut hook in the field and keep my Havalon Piranta in camp for the detail work and skinning. 

The Havalons are excellent, but as mentioned not something to get careless with...the blades will snap off if sideways pressure is applied, and they are ridiculously sharp. A deep cut with one of those will surely ruin your trip.


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## Cazador

I guess I must be a traditionalist, but I like to have a nice knife that I know will do a good job and that is razor sharp. The first one is the knife that I have been carrying since I was 16 and the second is one that I just made and am in the process of making a leather sheath for. The third knife is a Benchmade Barrage that is my Every Day Carry. All three are razor sharp thanks to my lansky sharpening system. I have a 600 grit eze lap diamond stone that I throw in my pack for field sharpening along with a small double sided ceramic stone that is 1000 and 2000 grit and to finish it off I throw in a piece of leather that I have loaded with jewelers rouge to finish a blade off with. In my lansky system I have a leather strop that I use to finish sharpening blades with and I load it with .5 micron diamond paste to get them truly shave sharp. I have yet to have to use the sharpening stones in the field as I am able to do start to finish gutting caping and quartering all with one blade without touch up. I also carry a havalon in my pack with some extra blades as extra insurance. Call me paranoid but I would hate to not have a sharp knife if I needed it, so I usually pack four or five in different places.


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## Bax*

Anyone use a Hard Arkansas to sharpen with?


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## 2full

I have Buck, Old Timer, Schrade, Winchester, Leatherman ,RMEF, Ducks Unlimited, and about everything in between. 
As long as they are locking blade and have a good edge, they all work just fine.


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## .45

Bax* said:


> Anyone use a Hard Arkansas to sharpen with?


I do. A Browning I bought in the 70's was the hardest to sharpen, dull from the factory, but the Arkansas Stone made short work of it. Stays sharp but every once in awhile I rub it on the stone to get the dust off it.


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## swbuckmaster

I won't own a havalon knife! Junk and dangerous.

Prefer a simple skinning knife from old timer or buck. 

I also don't like to clean up folding style knive. The seem to get hair and fat stuck in everything. I like the look and feel of them though.

I think the best skinning knife I've used to date was a cheep Rapala fish fillet knife. Made quick work out of skinning and boning a cow elk . Easy to sharpen. If you stay out of the guts they are quick. The longer blade inside the cavity can be more dangerous to accidental cuts if your not careful. They look stupid though. 

A guy needs a good looking hunting knife so I'm still lm still looking for the perfect knife.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## Bax*

.45 said:


> I do. A Browning I bought in the 70's was the hardest to sharpen, dull from the factory, but the Arkansas Stone made short work of it. Stays sharp but every once in awhile I rub it on the stone to get the dust off it.


 Glad to hear it. I had one years ago and used it to sharpen some kitchen knives that are impossible to sharpen... but I have no idea of where I put the stone or where to buy another locally.

Any ideas of who might carry one locally?


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## .45

Bax* said:


> Glad to hear it. I had one years ago and used it to sharpen some kitchen knives that are impossible to sharpen... but I have no idea of where I put the stone or where to buy another locally.
> 
> Any ideas of who might carry one locally?


Get it where I got mine......Allied, Duke's Sporting Goods, Sunset Sports, Angler's Inn from Gene Snow....

Google is showing a few.


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## Hoopermat

i have used the cabelas Alaskan guide by buck. For the last few years. 
It holds an edge extremely well. Can easily get through an elk and still be sharp. 
The down side is its hard to sharpen. But you can send it to buck and they will sharpen it for free for life.


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## TommyGun

Boker Tree Brand Classic 2002


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## stillhunterman

Alaskan Guide Buck 110; a classic with a touch of 'pretty' added on ;-) Love the C30V blade steel. More than does the job.


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## APD

i carry a havalon for skin only and two other knives. one is my grandfathers old skinning knife, which is a small curved fixed blade. the other is this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KXJU5WQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

its cheap and gets the job done without a ton of sharpening. i usually get a couple animals done before touching it up.

i also like the mora knives. very economical, lite weight and relatively high quality.


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## DallanC

Pfffttt ... and yet another this morning with the old PS4 Squirt. This makes at least 30 big game animals. My awesome buck knife was back in the truck, again.


-DallanC


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## pushtmpersy

My son's b'day is coming up in a couple of weeks and he wants a new hunting knife. My thought is to get him a good one and it will last forever(unless he loses it). I was looking at the Grohman knives and so far I like them the best. However, $100 best pocket knife for women is a lot to spend on a knife. Just wondering what others' opinions are regarding this topic. I know Walmart sells Winchester knives for around $30 that look good as well as some others that seemed to be decent knives. What other knives are out there that I should be looking at?


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## Bax*

pushtmpersy said:


> My son's b'day is coming up in a couple of weeks and he wants a new hunting knife. My thought is to get him a good one and it will last forever(unless he loses it). I was looking at the Grohman knives and so far I like them the best. However $100 is a lot to spend on a knife. Just wondering what others' opinions are regarding this topic. I know Walmart sells Winchester knives for around $30 that look good as well as some others that seemed to be decent knives. What other knives are out there that I should be looking at?


A quality fixed blade will generally be pricey unfortunately. Supersteels really can throw a premium on top.

If anything, a Havalon knife with replacement blades would be a great gift for a hunter and angler.

If you’re set on a more “conventional” style, I’d say that it’s helpful to determine blade shape (drop point, clip point, skinner, etc) to find the right knife for the intended purpose. The Benchmade Saddlemountain Skinner is a great knife and sturdy but more expensive. Love mine.


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## KineKilla

I have always carried a Buck folding knife with a gut hook. Used it for many, many deer and even some cow elk. I carry a small Smiths sharpener always.

Then, I had to field butcher a bull elk a friend shot. His Outdoor Edge Razor Pro put my knife to shame. Now that is what I carry and the Buck stays home.









RazorPro | Replaceable Blade Hunting Knife | Outdoor Edge


Never sharpen your knife again with Outdoor Edges new Razor-Pro double blade folder hunting knife. The RazorPro is the sharpest, strongest, replacement razor-knife available with blades that change safely and easily at the push of a button.




www.outdooredge.com





Mine came with a small folding bone saw as well.

Sent from my SM-N976U using Tapatalk


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## middlefork

CPAjeff said:


> For gutting, skinning, quartering, and caping I use;
> http://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-11-Blade-Utility-Knife/50109012
> 
> For deboning and processing meat I use;
> Fish & Bone


Same as Jeff but a 6" fillet knife I picked up for about $12.00. But I have a Buck 110 I have had for 50 years and a Buck folding blade for backup. My EDC is a little 2" Buck that I've used on more than one occasion when help is needed.


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## williambwallace5

Work sharp guided field sharpener is the best hunting knife sharpener to use in the field.


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