Hunting knife?

mscher

Lieutenant
Joined
Apr 21, 2004
Messages
1,424
Taking up deer hunting and have not had a decent hunting knife in 25 years. All I can seem to have left is my old Schrade Uncle Henry, that I carry daily.

Looking for a good knife for field dressing and hopefullys skinning and finishing later. Probably don't need a custom built model, but something better than a steak knife, which is what I usually use. ;)

I get anxiety just looking at the 150+ different knives at the sporting goods store.

What do you carry and why do you carry it?
 

j_martin

Admiral
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
7,474
Re: Hunting knife?

Buck 379 3" pocket knife and 6 inches of binder twine. It's all I need in the field.. When I skin and butcher I use real butchering equipment. Usually use a broad blade butcher knife for skinning, and a boner for quartering.

my 02
John
 

insanity

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 7, 2009
Messages
227
Re: Hunting knife?

Buck 110 lock blade is what I have used. I have seen a deer field dresses with a small 2 inch blade knife before.
 

MRS

Commander
Joined
Jul 10, 2005
Messages
2,555
Re: Hunting knife?

Schrade knifes are excellent I skinned a lot of wild hogs with them. Carbon steel is the best it looks awfull compared to stainless but keeps and edge and easy to shapen with a steel in the field. Remember you do not need a big knife to skin or gut with but one that fits your hand and handles easy. I would take carbon steel over stainless any day.
 

dwco5051

Commander
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Messages
2,326
Re: Hunting knife?

Schrade changed ownership a few years back. Quality and customer service went downhill since. I currently carry and older 3" Schrade lockblade. It replaced an Uncle Henry that I carried for years and the carbon steel blade is now about 1/2 the original width from years of sharpening.
 

Bob_VT

Moderator & Unofficial iBoats Historian
Staff member
Joined
May 19, 2001
Messages
26,019

dlindeblad

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
256
Re: Hunting knife?

Whatever you do make sure you buy one with a gut hook. For years I did the small slit, placed my pointer and middle finger inside to hold back the guts, and then carefully cut upward hoping not to hit a blade broken off from my arrow head when I got up to the chest. Last year I tried a gut hook or "ripper", that my father had. It makes quick work of the stomach muscle likity split. Now I have two of them.
 

JRJ

Commander
Joined
Sep 11, 2001
Messages
2,992
Re: Hunting knife?

My Browning folding 3 blade has a gut hook and a saw in addition to a knife. I use all three in the cleaning, skinning process. Have fun.
 

aspeck

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
May 29, 2003
Messages
18,588
Re: Hunting knife?

For deer I have a 2 inch Case XX locking pocket knife ... don't need much for deer in the field and as much walking and stalking as I do, I like to keep weight at a minimum.

One of my hunting buddies (a contractor) carries his Stanley utility knife and uses that. Elk and bigger game where you need to get EVERYTHING out and cut from but to throat, you need the larger knives, but for white tail, all you need is something to open them up and let the heat out and remove the stomach and intestines. The rest can wait till you get them dragged in to the camp where the serious skinning and cleaning happens.
 

rbh

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 21, 2009
Messages
7,939
Re: Hunting knife?

russel knife, 5 dollar garage sale special, 6 inch blade.
 

BF

Lieutenant
Joined
Apr 8, 2003
Messages
1,489
Re: Hunting knife?

gerber gator locking folding knife... not the one with the serrated blade... I like the rubber grip. I also carry a swiss army "camping" knife... the "wood saw" is really handy for zipping through pelvic bones. The tooth pick is also handy.... for picking jerky out of my teeth... :)

I have some fixed blade skinning knives (but those stay at camp)... I also like a reciprocating saw with a hack saw blade for doing quick "chunking" after skinning.... Don't forget to buy a small diamond impregnated sharpening rod for whatever you get. I got a pen sized one at cabela's that puts a great edge on.
 

Bass Man Bruce

Lieutenant
Joined
Jul 9, 2004
Messages
1,378
Re: Hunting knife?

My Browning folding 3 blade has a gut hook and a saw in addition to a knife. I use all three in the cleaning, skinning process. Have fun.

Times two, have had it for years and used it many times, love it!
Good luck, and be safe!
 

j_martin

Admiral
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
7,474
Re: Hunting knife?

gerber gator locking folding knife.......... The tooth pick is also handy.... for picking jerky out of my teeth... :)

You animal. Don't you remember where that tooth pick's been?
 

bdblazer1978

Cadet
Joined
Sep 8, 2009
Messages
27
Re: Hunting knife?

My last boss gave me a knife he never used. It's a Wyoming Knife original. Got made fun of by some of the more "traditional" hunters that only used fixed blades. Until the first time I skinned a dear and it was slick. No chance of cutting the finger.

http://www.wyomingknife.com/
 

i386

Captain
Joined
Aug 24, 2004
Messages
3,548
Re: Hunting knife?

I like a locking folder with a 2.5-3" drop point blade. They work pretty well for field dressing, skinning, plug chewing tobacco, vienna sausage and sardines.;)

Like most guys, I have more than I will ever use. Most of them are Gerber. My favorite knife (which I lost) was a Shrade SP2. It came as a "bonus" with a fishing reel I bought at Wal-Mart around 1990.
 

Cofe

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Apr 23, 2009
Messages
1,883
Re: Hunting knife?

My old Buck 119 is my hunting knife of choice. Holds a edge, and is as tough as an ax.

But to fillet fish, my choice is an electric knife.
 

4JawChuck

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 7, 2009
Messages
504
Re: Hunting knife?

Buck 119.;)

This is the knife I bought for my boys when they turned 12, we have three in the family now. Virtually indestructable and well made for the price, I told them they would be handing them down to their kids and even though they were basic fixed blade knifes it could save their life one day since they are so rugged and versatile...you could even cut down a tree with them if necessary.

You could pay a lot more and get a lot less. I got them for $69 each on sale at Cabellas, every store carries them even Canadian Tire.

http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=product.detail&productID=3051

31NQ9V55H4L.jpg
 

i386

Captain
Joined
Aug 24, 2004
Messages
3,548
Re: Hunting knife?

I wonder how many boys have that knife and a Marlin 30-30.:)
 
Top