Good knife for hunting?

[JJ_Colt45]

For hunting I would definately prefer a fixed blade so much easier to clean up and stout. In the price ranges I've seen mention ... the Buck Vanguard is hard to beat ... it can be had in 440 inexpensive or you could get a Cabelas Alaskan Series in S30V if you want a little step up in steel ... both stainless steels ... and buck does a nice job on 440 ... its easy to touch up and I have field dressed a couple deer without needing any touch ups ... can get it with wood grip or a rubber if you want a gripper handle.

But it's a well designed drop point and I still use mine often even owning alot of higher end hunting knives ... because it just works so well.

 

[Dan of Bazz Clazz]

I agree rimfire. The bigger the knife, the less useful it becomes for hunting. A lot of my favorite hunting knives are the "bird & trout" variety. If I were to focus on the top 2 criteria for a hunting knife, they would be Physical size/shape, and edge retention. I don't know what it is about tallow on deer, but that stuff will dull a knife faster than trying to cut concrete.

 

[Dan of Bazz Clazz]

Spyderco Bill Moran Drop Point Fixed Blade Knife (3.88" Satin Plain) FB02P

You don't need a big honker of a bowie to dress most game. A smaller blade if often easier to use. I have used and recommend the
Spyderco Moran Drop Point Fixed Blade. It has been around and widely used by many hunters. The price is right too.

I don't own a Spyderco yet, but pretty sure my first one will be the Sprig. Another good knife for hunting.

 

[Ruzster]

Not so easy to come by these days but, over the years, I find my consistent go-to hunting knives are a Spyderco Chinook 1 and Howling Rat gen 1. Chinook is a superb skinner and the rat great for quartering, deboning, etc. Old habits, I guess.

 

[DocT]

Spyderco Phil Wilson Southfork, designed by a hunter for hunters: https://www.knifeworks.com/spyderco...green-g-10-handle-plainedge-discontinued.html

Spyderco Bill Moran, designed by a hunter for hunters: https://www.knifeworks.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Bill+Moran

Spyderco Gayle Bradley Junction: https://www.knifeworks.com/spyderco-fb38gp-junction-psf27-plain-blade-g-10-handles.html

 

[Velitrius]

Sharpfinger from Schrade USA.... USA mind you.

My favorite of all time, and I've used cheap, spendy, custom, factory, San Mai, Damascus... dang near everything.

Try a Cold Steel Pendleton Mini Hunter or a Bucklite Max 673 in your price range as well.

 

[Frisky]

I just skinned and butchered another deer on October 19th. I try a lot of different knives, just because I have a lot of them. In a fixed blade, the Vanguard is excellent. The Marttiini Condor series, with rubber handles are better. They cost around $25 and out-cut Bucks and Moras. In a folder, I use a Buck 110 and also a Victorinox Hunter XT. Both are in your price range.

Joe

 

[GIRLYmann]

First rule is not to go over the top
Whist choosing a knife for a person
who is a non-knife guy.
He may or may not like or appreciate your gift.
He has near specified the blade for his needs.
The grohmann #1
Sometimes a finger guard is necessary at times you're gonna wish it wasn't.
Strange looking but it works well.

Best of luck with the hunt!

 

[JBradley500]

Buck 103.

 

[maximus83]

get a good stainless fixed blade 3-5" long, no need for super-steels unless you plan to dress multiple animals on the same hunt imo. rest is personal preference, really. you can get a cheap disposable gut-hook tool to go with it, and you are done. as far as some of the suggestions already, serkirk would be about perfect for the $, as well as the buck 119.

+1 with the folks who've said for hunting, a fixed blade. You do not want to have to disassemble your folder to thoroughly clean it every time after you process an animal with it.

+1 with the Buck Selkirk fixed blade recommendations (the large or the small size would work). I have the large, it has a fantastic factory edge, grips, sheath, flat grind blade profile, good belly for processing game. Got mine for $46. This is a phenomenal knife at this price point. I'm basically replacing all my trunk knives with it, and it'll also be my go-to hunting knife since it has more belly than my Bradford Guardian 4.

ETA: One more thing. I like this knife design so much, I wish Buck would offer a US-made version in a higher end steel like S30v, with the BOS heat treat. Offer this knife, with that steel, for around $65 to $70, that would be a fantastic all purpose field and hunting blade.

 

[Dan of Bazz Clazz]

Sharpfinger from Schrade USA.... USA mind you.

My favorite of all time, and I've used cheap, spendy, custom, factory, San Mai, Damascus... dang near everything.

Try a Cold Steel Pendleton Mini Hunter or a Bucklite Max 673 in your price range as well.

That Pendleton is the only Cold Steel I was interested in when I went to one of their parking lot sales.

 

[Dan of Bazz Clazz]

First rule is not to go over the top
Whist choosing a knife for a person
who is a non-knife guy.
He may or may not like or appreciate your gift.
He has near specified the blade for his needs.
The grohmann #1
Sometimes a finger guard is necessary at times you're gonna wish it wasn't.
Strange looking but it works well.

Best of luck with the hunt!

That Grohmann #1 is going to find its way into my collection one day. Just want to find a dealer who sells them with the new style sheath. Seems everyone stocks them in that loose loop configuration.