Best GP hunting knife

6

6.5Jeffrey

Joined
Dec 5, 2005
Messages
1
I know its an impossible question but ill ask it anyway.
Whats a "best" general purpose hunting knife?
+/- $100
3 1/2 - 4 inch fixedblade
Have sampled many of the household names and have found most wanting in one way or another. I currently use a Cold Steel Pendleton Hunter. Love the size and shape, especially the thickness, but after each deer or elk Im having to resharpen it. Have an old Buck that stays sharp but gets little nicks and chips in general use. Local boys that skin and gut a couple hundred buffalo a year are Benchmade fans but when its cold and wet they dont seem to fit my hands well.
I dont have a science degree, never been to a cutting contest, failed geometry in school.
I just want a really good knife I can depend on and dont have to baby.
 
Welcome to Bladeforums! :)

You're right, there is no "best", but there are a lot of very good, and they don't have to cost a lot, either.

Start by looking for a Cold Steel Master Hunter in Carbon V. AUS-8 is not a bad utility steel, but you probably need a high carbon steel instead.

Now go to www.ragweedforge.com and look at the Scandinavian knives Ragnar sells. I'm partial to the puukko style from Finland, but the Swedish and Norwegian equivalents are also fine. Helle is excellent and not expensive, and the Swedish Moras are so cheap that people don't believe how good they are. (You should get a couple just for backup, general utilty, and stashing away in an emergency kit.)
 
Ragnar's top shelf. I have used many knives over the years to dress game and among my favorites, I really like the "10cm" carbon steel puukkos from various makers, (which are bladed anywhere between 3.5 and 3.85 inches long) and their generous handles for game dressing and even caping.

Were I starting over with these thinner bladed, razor sharp, Scandinavian knives, I'd start with ones that have some suggestion of a finger guard. It took awhile for me to get over the lack of a guard, though these knives lack guards for very legitimate design and use reasons.

Best thing about puukkos and the like is that you can still get very finely crafted specimens for well less than $100 and if you are feeling bold, the blades of many makers are sold seperately so that you can put handles on them yourself at a significant savings.
 
The Cold Steel Master Hunter in Carbon V is a very good knife for its price.

If you are willing to spend a bit more, Bark River knives are probably the way to go. They have lots of different models, in both stainless and carbon steel, with dozens of handle materials to choose from. I've been using the Sperati Point the past few weeks, for general outdoors and farm work and I love it.
 
Bark River Highland is a great choice for a knife under $100. And for a little more you can get the Fox River.

They cut very well and are easy to maintain in the field with a strop.
 
I just ordered the Scrapyard street scrapper 4 in INFI but at 140$ a little pricey.
Can't get carbon V anymore which is to bad it is an awesome steel.
Buck 119
+1 on the Moras
Benchmade NRA
 
the cold steel LP , the large one, is an excellent knife that is balanced and holds an edge forever....ok maybe not, but gutted, skinned and deboned 2 deer and 3 mouflon sheep and its still shaving. Humongous bang for the buck, you can find it on line for about $50.00. I can honestly say that guys in our hunting group have bought this one after feeling it and more so seeing it work.
just an actual field test observation. :) * NEWER MODEL USES VG 1 STEEL OLDER USES AUS8
 
Don't forget the Buck Vanguard. There are many others, but most of the ones I prefer are over your $100 limit.
 
2 Quick stories...
1 BRK&T games keeper, 2 caribou no steel, no strop, no stone, no problem!

2 moose 1 BRK&T huntsman, 1 SERE 2K, 1 SWKW HR
huntsman used for over 1/2 of each, stropped 6 times per side between animals

SERE and HR used for other 1/2...needed sharpened between animals and used BRK&T to cut tenderloin out when finished.
 
I have had my SS4 for a while now and am very impressed. I cut cardboard strips all day trying to dull it and so far it is still razor sharp.
I have a Brusletto carbon "nostalgi" blade coming from Ragnar that should be here monday or tuesday, I feel like a kid on xmas eve.
 
sog hunter revolver, great for gutting and coreing the poop hole. THe saw side is great for clearing shooting lanes. In general, I am able to gut and skin 2-3 before I had to sharpen.

Reed
 
In terms of knife steel -- I'm not a steelhead myself, there are many many others in BF that are far more proficient in that area -- I would think about what you mean by "baby".

Stainless? Easy to sharpen? Holds an edge well? Doesn't chip? Easy to clean, handles included? Production knife with good customer service? Some of these are mutually exclusive -- different people like different things.
 
I'd also recommend one of Eddie White's knives
(shadowknives on this forum).
I love the Model 9 he made for me.

Knives of Alaska makes the Alpha Wolf in D2 with
a Micarta handle. Convex edge. Great knife for the money.
Bark River has a few models to look at
The Cold Steel Master Hunter was a great knife
for the money, but my sense is that all the Carbon V
ones are gone. (And of course no longer being manufactured.)
A.G. Russell DeerHunter IIRC in D2. A winner.
Ragweed Forge for the scandinavian knives, probably
the best all around value in a hunting knife.

Hey, there are lots of good choices.
 
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