Deer hunting TRADITIONAL fixed blade suggestions

[Horsewright]

Whole nuther thought. How bout what you want? My Sonoran Camp Knife was designed by a professional guide and outfitter. He sent me a cheap $35 (literally) knife and said this is almost my perfect knife. But if we do this and we do that, man that would be it. Then it would be my perfect knife So we did this and we did that, A2 tool steel at 62RC and cocobolo handle and this is what we came up with.

My Sonoran Hunter and Sonoran Skinner were designed by a well know TV personality/international sportsman as his perfect knives. Here in sheep horn and the Pack Pac they go in, as he keeps them in his pack until the animal is down (we also did a Sonoran Belt knife that he wears but thats another story).

But the point of this is I had another experienced hunter come in and say I really like that Sonoran Skinner but if we did this and we did that it'd be perfect. Here it is with a little of this and a little of that looks like and its perfect for him:

So whats perfect for you? Especially if its a generational memory deal. I wanna stress this isn't just me that can do this. In fact I probably couldn't by this hunting season. There's all kinds of guys on this forum that could work with you and make this happen for YOUR knife. I'd really explore that.

 

[WolfyW]

I'll throw in for the Grohmann #2 "Trout and Bird", and an overlap sheath. From cleaning bluegill to deer, does it all. Light on the belt. Sturdy sheath. Great price. Comes in stainless or carbon. 4" blade, handle. Popular up here.

 

[Ripcord 82]

Whole nuther thought. How bout what you want? My Sonoran Camp Knife was designed by a professional guide and outfitter. He sent me a cheap $35 (literally) knife and said this is almost my perfect knife. But if we do this and we do that, man that would be it. Then it would be my perfect knife So we did this and we did that, A2 tool steel at 62RC and cocobolo handle and this is what we came up with.

My Sonoran Hunter and Sonoran Skinner were designed by a well know TV personality/international sportsman as his perfect knives. Here in sheep horn and the Pack Pac they go in, as he keeps them in his pack until the animal is down (we also did a Sonoran Belt knife that he wears but thats another story).

But the point of this is I had another experienced hunter come in and say I really like that Sonoran Skinner but if we did this and we did that it'd be perfect. Here it is with a little of this and a little of that looks like and its perfect for him:

So whats perfect for you? Especially if its a generational memory deal. I wanna stress this isn't just me that can do this. In fact I probably couldn't by this hunting season. There's all kinds of guys on this forum that could work with you and make this happen for YOUR knife. I'd really explore that.

Wow, I like how you do this and that.

 

[Whetstone39]

I think the 420HC offered by Buck is fine - have gifted several to hunting friends and they use them regularly. I use ceramic sticks for honing SS, once sharp all you need do is keep it sharp - I rarely touch mine to a stone, the one pictured above has never seen a stone under my ownership. If you want to up your ante just a bit, the limited run Buck 118 in D2 steel was done a few years ago but are on the bay nearly constantly for about what a good used 440C will cost - there are enough out there to be no problem buying a nice one if you are just a bit patient. The D2 is another durable edge steel. There are also some Buck 118 limited runs out there in 5160 steel; I own one but have never used it. Here is my D2 variation below - I find the grip to be comfortable (not fatiguing) when working two or three whitetails in a morning. OH

Thanks again Bruce, I would not have known about the D2 version were it not for your post. Apparently I need to visit the Buck forum more often . The D2 118 is now on the list.

Buck 103

View attachment 1152248

Looks good, thank you for the reply.

I’ve been enjoying following this thread.

Thanks for the great posts and advice, particularly Paul @Chui and my friend Old Hunter .

My standby traditional fixed blade for field dressing game (mostly Sambar deer these days) is a custom 4” Loveless style drop point, in CPM S30V, made by Adam Parker, the head of the Australian Knifemakers Guild.

It has a full height hollow grind, which I’ve reground very thinly behind the edge. I tend to sharpen with a coarse edge at around 600 grit, finishing with very light passes, then give a few ultra light finishing passes on a UF ceramic rod, and a very light strop on 3, 1 and 0.5 micron CBN loaded leather, before use.

Among my hunting crew, I’m responsible for sharpening and knife maintenance. One of my good mates who leads and organises our hunts uses a Buck Vanguard, which I have thinly reground, and sharpen periodically throughout the season.

I think it’s a very decent hunting knife, and when I was customising its edge, I was pleasantly surprised by the behaviour of the steel on the stones.

Old Hunter - I always listen keenly to your advice and based on your previous recommendations I have the Buck fixed blades, particularly the 118 pencilled in to try.

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the S30V models, if you’ve used them much in the field?

I agree with Paul @Chui ’s advice, to try a few different types of traditional patterns to work out what you like. As has been noted before in this thread, many knife patterns are quite functional, but your personal preference may be based on a whole number of factors which are entirely down to individual preference.

If I can make a few recommendations which haven’t been mentioned, based on my personal experience:

In terms of user knives for field dressing large and medium game, the Mora Forest is, IMHO, a superb knife.

Some of the knives in this thread probably blur the line between what a traditional hunting fixed blade is, and what it is not.

I’m guessing you’re after a more traditionally styled knife, though.

Im terms of Scandinavian type hunting knives, can I recommend the Ahti Jahti in 80CrV2 steel?

To my mind it’s about the best traditionally styled Scandi blade, in terms of being optimised for hunting tasks.

It works well in the usual hunting holds:

Also, the Suomi Tuplaleuku double knife sets might be worth looking at, if you’re interested in making the connection to traditional hunting cultures.

And maybe check out the Traditional Knife Hunting thread for some more patterns which are currently used.

Thank you for the thoughtful response and the fantastic photos Chin, much appreciated. I think I am beginning to adopt your and Bruce’s advice regarding trying more than one, the Vanguard and the 118 are strong contenders so far.

Another Buck you might look into that is the newer Buck 101 fixed blade. It is the fixed blade version of the 110 Hunter. I picked up a couple at the end of last deer season and haven't gotten to use it on game yet, but it is a fixed blade 110 so I know what to expect. Great looking knife around $60 give or take.

Thanks for the response jec88, those are intriguing as well. I had a 110 folder at some point but gave it to an uncle, I was only vaguely aware of the fixed blade version.

Not quite sure how I left them out earlier, but Great Eastern Cutlery makes several styles of traditional fixed hunting knives. Made in America and reasonably priced, definitely worth a look.

https://www.dlttrading.com/great-eastern-fixed-blades

Thanks again, the H10118 Hunter is interesting (and great looking), I wonder how the sheath is for that model.

Again I greatly appreciate the responses so far, this forum is amazing for knife education

 

[Rebel Nimrod]

Randall Denmark Special, check it out!

 

[Whetstone39]

Whole nuther thought. How bout what you want? My Sonoran Camp Knife was designed by a professional guide and outfitter. He sent me a cheap $35 (literally) knife and said this is almost my perfect knife. But if we do this and we do that, man that would be it. Then it would be my perfect knife So we did this and we did that, A2 tool steel at 62RC and cocobolo handle and this is what we came up with.

My Sonoran Hunter and Sonoran Skinner were designed by a well know TV personality/international sportsman as his perfect knives. Here in sheep horn and the Pack Pac they go in, as he keeps them in his pack until the animal is down (we also did a Sonoran Belt knife that he wears but thats another story).

But the point of this is I had another experienced hunter come in and say I really like that Sonoran Skinner but if we did this and we did that it'd be perfect. Here it is with a little of this and a little of that looks like and its perfect for him:

So whats perfect for you? Especially if its a generational memory deal. I wanna stress this isn't just me that can do this. In fact I probably couldn't by this hunting season. There's all kinds of guys on this forum that could work with you and make this happen for YOUR knife. I'd really explore that.

Thanks for the reply Dave, and the beautiful knife photos. Your suggested route is probably the path I will eventually take, having something custom made more or less to my specifications. I think my issue for now is, I don't know what exactly my specifications would be . I have used different knives for this purpose in the past, and they worked, I think I just want to find something new for me to use. Then maybe establish some parameters, the this and that, for what would be perfect for me. And then contact you to build it

I'll throw in for the Grohmann #2 "Trout and Bird", and an overlap sheath. From cleaning bluegill to deer, does it all. Light on the belt. Sturdy sheath. Great price. Comes in stainless or carbon. 4" blade, handle. Popular up here.

Thanks Wolfy, I am sure it is just my perception but that style always looks clumsy to use (to me) for some reason, clearly that is not the case due to the popularity. I think I need to handle one of those myself some time, thanks again for the suggestion.

Randall Denmark Special, check it out!

Thanks RN, Randall's are all beautiful to me. But can be hard to find, or is that a misconception of mine?

 

[Rebel Nimrod]

If you got $500 it’s no problem! My neighbor just picked one up and it’s an impressive knife, nice thin blade, beautiful high grade stag and fits the hand like a glove. It screams hunting knife! The only Randall I personally would use for hunting.

 

[Old Hunter]

Absolutely no flies on a Randall. I've used this droppoint #26-4" (picture taken when the knife was new) for skinning and deboning deer and been quite pleased with it. Not sure the steel type, but something like a 1095 based on performance - blade steel does discolor from blood slowly, but eventually. OH

 

[CVamberbonehead]

There sure are a lot of Buck fans here! My suggestion is a bit different. The bucks are pretty plain looking, and I dont like the square handles, though I like their 420hc steel actually. I suggest getting a Hess. I have 2, one Whitetail (which Id recommend) and a Frontiersman (which is too big for hunting use but it looked cool and I got a good deal lol). They make old school knives and make them really well, for a good price. My Whitetail did a fine job on my last whitetail I shot. My other suggestion would be a Blackjack knife. Theyre made by Bark River but are a bit fancier, more classic looking I think. My favorite is a model 125 Heavy Hunter.

 

[Whetstone39]

If you got $500 it’s no problem! My neighbor just picked one up and it’s an impressive knife, nice thin blade, beautiful high grade stag and fits the hand like a glove. It screams hunting knife! The only Randall I personally would use for hunting.

Absolutely no flies on a Randall. I've used this droppoint #26-4" (picture taken when the knife was new) for skinning and deboning deer and been quite pleased with it. Not sure the steel type, but something like a 1095 based on performance - blade steel does discolor from blood slowly, but eventually. OH

Thanks for the Randall suggestions, I was under the (false) impression that they were difficult to find and prohibitively expensive, wrong on both counts. And I have always found them to be just gorgeous knives.

There sure are a lot of Buck fans here! My suggestion is a bit different. The bucks are pretty plain looking, and I dont like the square handles, though I like their 420hc steel actually. I suggest getting a Hess. I have 2, one Whitetail (which Id recommend) and a Frontiersman (which is too big for hunting use but it looked cool and I got a good deal lol). They make old school knives and make them really well, for a good price. My Whitetail did a fine job on my last whitetail I shot. My other suggestion would be a Blackjack knife. Theyre made by Bark River but are a bit fancier, more classic looking I think. My favorite is a model 125 Heavy Hunter.

Thanks CV, the Hess Whitetail is a model I looked at initially, I really like stacked leather handles. It looks like I can try one for not too much of an investment as well.

 

[tongueriver]

I see a lot of great knives here, for the purpose, and a couple that are not. The OP just wants one for field dressing, not skinning or butchering. I could, for that purpose, be completely happy with the diminutive Buck 102. And a little knife like that would get a nod from guides. I could never pay for a guide, but I know three guides. Buck knives have a strong showing here, for good reason. The 121 (one of my favorites) and the 118 and 105 are all top-notch, in my book for all purpose hunting knives. I could list a good many other knives but these are affordable highly functional darlings.

 

[g123]

I am a knife user that loves Bushcraft and hunting deer. I particularly like hunting knives. I have Dozier’s and other custom, but the truth is that field dressing a deer can be done with any cheap knife. When you butcher a deer that gets a little more complicated, but you do not need anything expensive. If I could only have 1 knife to process a deer it would be a 6” semi stiff Victorinox boning knife.

If you want something traditional that you do not see too often I would get the Case Twin Finn set. It carries well and will do the job.


Geoff

 

[Whetstone39]

I see a lot of great knives here, for the purpose, and a couple that are not. The OP just wants one for field dressing, not skinning or butchering. I could, for that purpose, be completely happy with the diminutive Buck 102. And a little knife like that would get a nod from guides. I could never pay for a guide, but I know three guides. Buck knives have a strong showing here, for good reason. The 121 (one of my favorites) and the 118 and 105 are all top-notch, in my book for all purpose hunting knives. I could list a good many other knives but these are affordable highly functional darlings.

Thanks for the response tongueriver, my Buck knowledge is severely lacking apparently. The 105 looks great, much appreciate the suggestion.

I am a knife user that loves Bushcraft and hunting deer. I particularly like hunting knives. I have Dozier’s and other custom, but the truth is that field dressing a deer can be done with any cheap knife. When you butcher a deer that gets a little more complicated, but you do not need anything expensive. If I could only have 1 knife to process a deer it would be a 6” semi stiff Victorinox boning knife.

If you want something traditional that you do not see too often I would get the Case Twin Finn set. It carries well and will do the job.


Geoff

Thanks Geoff, the Twin Finn looks fantastic, I was not aware of this model.

 

[screened porch]

but decided instead to just design my own, which I'm still working on.

Hurry up and show us!

So whats perfect for you? Especially if its a generational memory deal. I wanna stress this isn't just me that can do this. In fact I probably couldn't by this hunting season. There's all kinds of guys on this forum that could work with you and make this happen for YOUR knife. I'd really explore that.

Great work and gracious post.

I'll throw in for the Grohmann

I was just wondering when we'd get to Grohman.
I don't have the real thing, myself, but the KOA balances at the first rivet, as I believe the original does. (The CS balances at the front of the handle, which is close enough for my kinaesthetic sensibilities.)

I believe Case and China Schrade both still make the thumb-ramp in 5" and 4.5" versions. It surprises me that the market will float two lengths so similar for so long.
I often wonder if a knife curved like the Schrade, or more so, with a point clipped to bring it nearer the center line, would be usefull.

 

[DrHenley]

but decided instead to just design my own, which I'm still working on. I went back and forth between clip and drop points on the design, and my cardboard pattern has a clip inked in just in case I swing back that way...

Hurry up and show us!

First try: (like a 7" Canadian Belt knife in D2)
Too long

Second try: (6" Clip point in D2)
Not enough belly

Third try: (6" Drop point or possibly clip point in AEB-L)
After making three knives in D2 (one was for a friend), I decided to use something that didn't eat diamond stones like candy.

 

[screened porch]

First try: (like a 7" Canadian Belt knife in D2)
Too long

Second try: (6" Clip point in D2)
Not enough belly

Third try: (6" Drop point or possibly clip point in AEB-L)
After making three knives in D2 (one was for a friend), I decided to use something that didn't eat diamond stones like candy.

Nice! I particularly like that finished clip-point. Interesting offset on the knife to be.

 

[DrHenley]

Nice! I particularly like that finished clip-point. Interesting offset on the knife to be.

The offset is pretty much the same as first one, but the blade is 1" shorter and wider at the heel which makes it look more drastic. I may bring the heel up some, I'm just leaving a lot of steel to play with. The first one was supposed to be more like the third one, but in trying to straighten out the grind line, I lost some of the edge near the heel. There were several OOPS's on the first one where I took too much steel off in places.

The second knife went pretty much as planned, but it was made from an odd shaped leftover piece of D2 from my first two knives, and I didn't have much to work with. I would have liked to make the butt larger, but couldn't. I thought it turned out pretty good though. Just not what I would have made if I had a bigger piece of steel to work with.

 

[cut it out]

I think a Bob Dozer knife would be perfect. I have one and it’s awesome for that purpose. His heat treat holds a edge a long time. And makes a lot of traditional designs and modern. Also check out Grohman DH Russel Canadian belt knife. Also a great hunting knife. And proven design.

 

[cut it out]

The Randall model 3 is also great one

 

[Misplaced Hillbilly]

When I was growing up the sharpfinger was THE quintessential deer hunting knife. Couldn't find a pic of mine by itself but what they heck,ALL of these are good for deer imho. Although personally I feel the 119 is a tad large just for field dressing.
From left to right, Schrade (USA made)152,144,PH1, Browning bushcrafter, Falkniven frej NL4( my 99%EDC fixed blade) Buck 119. The Schrade 158ot was also very popular where I grew up, basically the sharpfinger with a guthook.