Best 3-1/2-4in folder for hunting expedition.

E

ECT

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Sep 7, 2013
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Hello all, this is my first real post on this forum. I'm looking for some help in knife selection for a friend. He is going on an elk hunt in Montana in October, and he needs a general purpose folding knife around 4 inches to take. As I said, he will be using it for general purpose camp tasks, including possibly dressing elk with it. He is a knife noob, and his budget is around $150. In that price range, what kind of steel would be the all around best choice? I do not foresee him using it to chop or baton trees, etc, so would something harder with good edge retention, like s30v, be a good option?

I thought a really good fixed blade might be a better choice for the hunt, especially when it comes to skinning and cleaning game, but he kind of wants to be able to use it for EDC afterwards. Thanks for any info on the subject.
 
Benchmade 810 Contego with a 4" blade of CPM-M4 can cut all week without re-sharpening and goes for under $140 delivered.
 
The douk douk? 25$, carbon steel have a good edge retention and are easy to sharpen

look at how these guys are having fun with their douk douk

vh5a.jpg
 
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Benchmade 810 Contego. Almost a 4" blade of M4 steel for under $150. Nothing else compares for this application.
 
Thanks for the quick responses. The Benchmade seems perfect, but I don't know if I can get him drop $180 for it. Where is it available for $150? The Voyager looks nice, and he would have enough left over for a nice Endura or Griptillian for EDC. And he might really like a Douk Douk in stainless, because they're made in France, his home country. Would he have to worry much about rust with M4? It sounds pretty resistant as long as you keep it relatively clean and wipe it down occasionally.
 
ECT said:
The Benchmade seems perfect, but I don't know if I can get him drop $180 for it. Where is it available for $150? Would he have to worry much about rust with M4? It sounds pretty resistant as long as you keep it relatively clean and wipe it down occasionally.
Click to expand...

The Benchmade Contego has Cerakote on the CPM-M4 blade and just rinsing/drying after a day is sufficient to keep rust away. Try KnifeWorks.com and on the page you'll see a coupon code which you need to enter. Delivered pricing will be under $140.
 
Lots of knives fit the bill but I'm still a fan of the Buck 110 for hunting. Has never failed me and keeps a good edge.
 
He needs two knives. Tell him to get a Buck Vanguard as his main hunting blade and a Victorinox Hunter XT for a folder. The Hunter XT has a belt pouch for EDC. It also has a gutting blade and good sized main blade, both with liner locks. It has a wood saw and Phillips screwdriver too. Both will set him back under $100 shipped. I paid under $80 shipped for the two. Will do the job anywhere in the world.

Joe
 
The Benchmade Contego probably will do the deed just fine. The blade is CPM M4 and is 0.156" thick, so is NOT going to break when he needs it.
One good competitor would be a Spyderco Military. It comes within your price with plain edge or half-serrated, and the 4" long blade-steel is S30V, at the same blade thickness as the Contego. S30V will not hold an edge as long as the CPM M4 of the BenchMade knife, but S30V is very commonly used in today's folders, by some of the very best (and priciest) manufacturers. I'm sure the blade would hold its edge just fine through his trip. And you could get a pocket sharpening stone for five bucks at Lowe's or Home Depot.
BTW, it's a nice thing you're doing.
link: http://www.knifeworks.com/spydercomilitarypartserratededgecpms30v.aspx

This below is taken from Spyderco website.

Spyderco Military ~ C36G

Military Black G-10-CombinationEdge Military Black G-10-PlainEdge
length overall 9.5" (241 mm) blade length 4" (102 mm) blade steel CPM S30V
length closed 5.5" (140 mm) cutting edge 3.687" (94 mm) weight 4.2 oz (120 g)
blade thickness .145" (3.7 mm) handle material G-10

Spyderco Military G-10

A cornerstone in Spyderco's Save and Serve line up, the Military Model came about after someone asked Spyderco's owner Sal Glesser, "If your son were going into the military what folding knife would you send him with?" For certain, it had to meet the requirements of a high-performance, light-weight folder designed for hard use.

Since the steel is the spirit of the knife, CPM S30V seemed the logical choice for the blade given its reputation for long-term edge retention and rust resistance. The 'Millie' has a modified clip-point blade laser cut with a 14 mm Spyderco Round Hole for quick deployment and for use with gloves. Texturing above the hole hold the thumb in contact with the blade's spine during cutting for confident control over the sharpened edge.
 
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If I were him, I'd concentrate on a small fixed blade for the hunt and then take his time getting a EDC folder that he likes. I like the Spyderco Moran as a hunting knife. There are lots of good choices. Lots! You know of course that just about any knife is capable of doing field dressing chores. I prefer something bigger once the hide is off myself for meat processing.
 
He's a knife noob? Get the man a Buck 110--for that $$$ you might even be able to find one in S30V. It's a classic and the man should start out with a classic.

DJK
 
Another vote for the 810 Contego. For the price, it can't be beaten by any knife on the market.

I lived in Montana for most of my life before coming here to Oregon for school. Where is he hunting elk?
 
Thanks again for all of the positive feedback. I have been a member of this site for only a very short time, and have already seen what a great community Bladeforums is. I will share this info with my friend, and can post back what he decides on. And if anyone is interested, later I can post some pics from the trip.
 
I think he would do better with a nice fixed blade for camp chores and field dressing. Folders are too hard to clean with guts getting into the pivot and all. An ESEE 3 or 4 would be perfect.
 
C'mon Man,....no one has suggested one for the best designed folders ever made? get him a Spyderco Military or Para Military II
 
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