Favorite production hunter?

J

Jason Fry

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
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As we come into hunting season, what's your go-to favorite production hunter?

1. Fixed, not folding or replaceable blades.
2. What about this one makes it your favorite? Handle shape? Edge retention? Good stories?
 
Cold Steel Master Hunter. Great blade geometry, Kraton handle works hot or cold, wet or dry, even covered with fat and blood. Mine is Carbon V but it's now available in 3V. Reasonably priced. I don't care for the plastic sheath but it should be functional.
 
My favourite hunting knife is still the buck 110. Preferably with ebony and finger grooves.
It just works great for me, and the nostalgia factor is strong.

Edit: My bad, no folders. For fixed, the Buck Vanguard variants and 100 series are my favourite. When it comes to hunting, Buck has my favourite blades.
 
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I like the Alaskan Guide from Cabelas by Buck , cuts like scalpel ,
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Some of my favorites are:
Grohmann #1 & #3
Buck 105 & 119 (although outside your parameters, the 110)
Cold Steel Master Hunter & Canadian Belt Knife.
Outdoor Edge with gut hook and Old Hickory Hunting Knife.
 

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The classic leather handled USMC KA-BAR is another go-to for me, when we’re looking for moose or Elk. Takes a head off with ease, separates shoulder joints, etc.
 
The Puma folder (Flugwildmesser) and Rigid skinner have been my go to on most hunts (deer and hog). These two have gutted, skinned and quartered many over the decades. I used to carry the Puma Universal as well but I almost lost it one time stuck in the ground by a gut pile so I retired it from this kind of service.
 

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Way back before I was into knives or even thought about knife steel I started using a Knives of Alaska Cub Bear. It's still my favorite. For whitetail, I've found I don't need anything bigger to field dress. I don't like opening the rib cage, so this knife allows me to get up in there and work blind without worrying about cutting myself. No idea what the steel is--it was a gift probably 20-25 years ago--but I've only had to sharpen it a few times.

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I don't hunt but my neighbor does. I sharpen all of his knives (hunting, edc, kitchen, etc) in exchange for some venison and fish each year. It works out well for both of us.

He was using a Lionsteel T5 in Niolix for a few years but traded it out and got a White River Urses 45 in S35VN for this year. I just touched up the edge the other day. Very nice knife. I'm curious to see how the Richlite handle holds up. It was my first time seeing that handle material up close.

Being in MI, I see a lot of Bark River knives as well.
 
Alberta Ed said:
Cold Steel Master Hunter. Great blade geometry, Kraton handle works hot or cold, wet or dry, even covered with fat and blood. Mine is Carbon V but it's now available in 3V. Reasonably priced. I don't care for the plastic sheath but it should be functional.
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I agree. We are deer hunters down here in S. Texas and don't need the larger knives some need for the big boys like elk, moose, tough hided goats, etc. A knife that will take a scalpel edge is the ticket for us, that makes the CS MH a great choice.

The good news about the plastic sheath is its utility value. It isn't always possible to get the knife of choice perfectly clean, and if I am not around some hot water and soap, I wipe down the blade and douse it with alcohol or lighter fluid, knowing I will clean it properly before the next use. Still, putting a knife used to clean an animal that hasn't been properly cleaned (think finishing up cleaning chores by headlights, Colemans and LED battery lights) can result is some pretty nasty smells coming out of a sheath if you forget about it. Those smells are nearly impossible to get out of the sheath.

IF you don't get your knife perfectly clean, or even if you do, you can dunk the whole sheath into hot soapy water to clean, or if it is just maintenance, add a capful of bleach to a gallon of water and swish it around, then set it out in the open air to dry it out. I used to do some catering (pre-pandemic) and that is how we treated our service knives to keep them clean and sanitized. Just one little microbe can really screw things up, so we sanitize the knives and sheaths/holders as well.

They make these in all sizes and are dandy for transport of a knife that needs to be sanitized;

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Victorinox 7.0898.9 8" to 10" Knife Blade Cover

Keep your blades clean and safe with the Victorinox 7.0898.9 blade cover! Made of clear polypropylene, this cover is suitable for all types of blades between 8" and 10" long. The blade cover protects both the knife and handler, and features locking, rubber tabs to securely hold the knife.
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They are cheap, sturdy and last very well.
 
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