# Now That's a knife



## UT Elk Stalker (Apr 17, 2009)

I have been in the market for a new knife for a while. Today in a gun mag I read an article about knives and how back in the day hunting knives were 4-5". It said that the new preferred length is 2.5-3". 

This got me wondering what everyone else uses. We all know each of us have a preferred brand so save that for another time. What I am curious about is. What length knife you use and if more than one, what size do you use for each job (skinning, quartering etc).

Also if you wish you had something else what would it be.

I'll start:

3.5" for skinning and a 5" for quartering and deboning. I wish I had something smaller for caping.


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## lunkerhunter2 (Nov 3, 2007)

5" for everything. I tried a WY knife and don't care for it. I also tried a gut hook and prefer the regular blade. 8)


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

I have a 3 inch blade I use. Its just easier to manuver in tight spots and doesnt make me feel like Crocodile Dundee when I carry it with me either. It gets the job done, so thats all I can ask for. I have wondered about the gut hook though...


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## gwailow (Jan 20, 2008)

This is what I throw in my bag, and I love it.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... hasJS=true

My other favorite knife was the "middleman" made by Old Timer back in the day. Gutted many a deer and elk with that little knife.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

gwailow said:


> This is what I throw in my bag, and I love it.
> http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... hasJS=true
> 
> My other favorite knife was the "middleman" made by Old Timer back in the day. Gutted many a deer and elk with that little knife.


I like the idea of having multiple knives for each step in the field dressing process...


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

I have many knives for hunting. The one I use most is an ugly little thing. Black rubber on the handle, about a 3 inch, curved locking blade. No serations on the blade like you see on a bunch of knives these days - I don't like that. I have much prettier, larger, and smaller knives. But for field dressing an animal, the rubber handle grips easy when covered in blood, the lock back is a must. I have a beautiful knife my Dad gave me - antler handle, 5 inch non-locking blade. I appreciate the gift, as it was important for my Dad to hand it down - but I've had it fold on me two many times and I don't like cuts across the top of my fingers. And it gets slippery when covered in blood - another bad feature. Give me the rubber handle ugly little lockback. 

I also have a wyoming knife with teh gut hook. It is only good for skinning around the legs. When using the gut hook though, it leaves the curved blade exposed right where you want to put your thumb. So if the blade guard isn't on, you slice your thumb deep and ugly (something I've done). I con't like the curved blade on it at all. And I dont' use the gut hook for the gut - as my little ugly knife works better.


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## sportsman (Apr 17, 2009)

I like my traditional buck special with the black handle and 6 inch blade, it can handle any cuts and its been passed down through the family. I like using one of the wifes fancy kitchen knives when doing the fine cutting and trimming at home.


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

Buck 110 Hunter , it's about 30 years old now.  I'm not a knife guy. Seems like your into them or not.


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## idiot with a bow (Sep 10, 2007)

a sharp pointy one...


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## truemule (Sep 12, 2007)

I carry two knifes while hunting. A buck 119, and a gerber folding 3.5" blade w/ a gut hook. The gerber is the blade of I use most to skin and the buck is used for deboning and skinning in tight spots. These two knifes and a diamond stick are all you need. If I could make the perfect blade for hunting it would be 4" long with a thin strong blade, and a g-hook. Much like the buck pro-line blade but with a smaller web between the blade and the back edge of the knife.

I would love to work with a knife maker and come up with a knife that I really love.


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## Treehugnhuntr (Sep 7, 2007)

Fixed blade, 3-4" with a gut hook, field to my butcher block, then I use my great grandpas butcher set which includes a 12" cimeter and a 6" swiss skinner. Saws are for wood.


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## NHS (Sep 7, 2007)

Treehugnhuntr said:


> *Fixed blade, 3-4" with a gut hook*, field to my butcher block, then I use my great grandpas butcher set which includes a 12" cimeter and a 6" swiss skinner. Saws are for wood.


Actually I think Fixed blade is more along the lines of 1.5-2'' with a gut.


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

I have a Buck 110 and a folding Buck. That said the last few critters I have delt with were done with Utility razor knife and and a 6" Fillet knife. Use the utility knife with a Shingle blade to make the cuts in the hide for the cape. Change the blade to a straight razor blade and skin away. Fillet knife works great for boning out the meat.


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## Gumbo (Sep 22, 2007)

You don't like the Wyoming knife? I love mine, and have had it for probably 20 years. It's great for opening up the abdomen of big game, and it's great for fish too. I also carry an old Buck knife my dad gave me when I was probably 12, and it's still working great. I like the combination of the two when field dressing big animals.

Now I need to buy my son a knife, and I'm still trying to figure out which is best for him.


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## Dekashika (Oct 23, 2007)

This is the set I like, made by Knives of Alaska. I prefer the more practical rubber grip, for reasons already mentioned. This combo will handle all your needs, and the lifetime guarantee, and customer service is awesome.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

I always carry my old Uncle Henry 2 blade trapper model in my pocket. My grandpaw gave it to me; I once misplaced it for a time in a pair of old jeans, I was sick until I located it. I don't have any idea of the number of critters I've gutted and skinned with it thru the years.

Recently in the last few years I have taken a liking to the Knives of Alaska brand of blades, I now have a couple of sets of them. I really like the Bear Cub skinner; I usually carry it on my belt while hunting.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

Dekashika said:


> This is the set I like, made by Knives of Alaska. I prefer the more practical rubber grip, for reasons already mentioned. This combo will handle all your needs, and the lifetime guarantee, and customer service is awesome.


Yeap, the rubber grips are better (I have the Brown Bear and Brush Camp combo sets). My friend got the "bone" grips on his, they get real slippery.

Those Brown Bear cleavers are not to be taken lightly, I once loaned mine to a guy at my deer camp back home, he almost took off a finger with it. :shock:


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## DBCooper (Jun 17, 2008)

I'm considering adding this to my "tool chest"

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Cu...?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1240028052&sr=1-11


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## sagebrush (Sep 8, 2007)

NHS said:


> Treehugnhuntr said:
> 
> 
> > *Fixed blade, 3-4" with a gut hook*, field to my butcher block, then I use my great grandpas butcher set which includes a 12" cimeter and a 6" swiss skinner. Saws are for wood.
> ...


Now that there is some funny stuff NHS :lol: Im sure Tree and Fixed wll get along fine no matter about the size.


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## wapiti67 (Oct 2, 2007)

I guess Im abnormal...I usea Home Depot utility knife with the hook blades for all my initial capping and skin cutting...works so well and you can keep a razor sharp blade in contact with the skin all the time. I then switch to my Knives of Alaska, Muskrat/Cub bear combo...does everything I expect with only having to use a very fine ceramic to keep everything razor sharp....


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## BUCK50 (Sep 8, 2007)

I have a Cutco Drop point with the Double-D edge.

I probably would never have bought this knife but I was suckered into buying my wife a the whole cutco kitchen knife set and the Sales lady threw this in for free and told me that a guy she sold one to used it to clean and process 2 elk and 3 dear in one season w/o needing sharpening.

BUT...
I used it this knife on my deer last season and was quite impressed. I used it to skin, quarter debone and it is still every bit as sharp. I was worried that the Double D edge would make it hard to skin without damaging the hide but it worked great. I think this will be my goto knife for quite a while.

Check it out at
http://www.cutco.com/products/product.jsp?itemGroup=5718


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## James (Oct 7, 2007)

My go everywhere every day knife is a Schrade Old Timer (34OT) with 3 blades, the largest a 2.5 inch blade. It is all that I require to quickly gut out a deer or elk. 

When going hunting though I often hang a 4 inch lock back on my belt. 

When it comes to skinning, boning, cutting steaks, fileting, or gutting fish there is a knife for each job. No use hampering your performance by using poorly suited tools for the job at hand.


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## lehi (Sep 13, 2007)

Just ordered my coldsteel American Lawman , should be a really good knife.


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