Hunters - Do you use a folder or a fixed blade for field processing?

Hunters - Do you use a folder or a fixed blade for field processing?

  • Folder

    Votes: 12 18.5%

  • Fixed Blade

    Votes: 53 81.5%
  • Total voters
    65
I've used both.
Buck 110/Old Timer 7OT and an Old Timer Sharp Finger. (Sorry, I don't recall the model number of the Sharp Finger.)
 
The poll is flawed because it only allows us to choose one or the other. I always used both depending. For smaller game I like a medium stockman. For deer, I used a Buck 110 or a custom D2 fixed blade skinner. After that it was up to the butcher or the slaughterhouse to process the deer.
 
Have used both and much prefer a fixed blade. Easier to clean/keep clean and absolutely no chance for it to close. I prefer a stainless blade, 4-4.5” blade with a hilt, and a drop point for rabbits, deer, bear and antelope. I use a Randall Number 5 but also like the Cold Steel Master Hunter.
 
The odds of a knife cutting a finger or hand when field dressing may be a little higher with a folder than a fixed blade, but with the locks on today's folders I think it would be a rare occurrence.

Here is a good video showing the use of a folder for field dressing.

 
I've field dressed deer with both, from an ESEE Izula to a TOPS Pathfnder School Knife (Way overkill IME) to a small Outdoor Edge Grip-Blaze folder, and either will get it done, and both are going to require cleaning afterwards. Warm water faucet, dish soap and a toothbrush, and it won't take any longer with a folder than a fixed.
 
I mainly hunt Whitetails, and for that a fixed blade is my first choice. I will say that my Dad used the same 110 every time I went hunting with him and he had no trouble whatsoever. I started out with a fixed blade, so it’s just what I’ve gotten used to.
 
I’ve used what I have but a fixed blade is always my first choice.

Still, most of my hunts were guided so field dressing was usually done by the outfitter. I just carried a folder in the event I needed a knife.
 
I use a fixed blade on deer, bear, elk and moose. It’s a custom from Dan Crotts with S90v, tapered tang, mosaic pins, thumb notches on the spine, red liners and mammoth ivory scales. There’s also a dozier yps in exhibition grade ironwood, red liners and a few other custom touches that gets the nod occasionally.

I’ve used folders before but the cleanup is to much work. The last time I did it was because the knife was in the pack which was back in the Jeep and my hands were already dirty so I used the PM2 from my pocket. Once home I had to take it right apart, clean and re apply lube to the pivot before putting it back together. In hindsight it would of been easier to clean my hands and dig into my pack.

Small game up to wolves I use a custom Crotts bird and trout, fish I use Phil Wilson filet knife.
 
Generally when I hunt bigger game like deer or moose I carry my Grohmann #4. If I'm doing grouse or rabbits any small folder will do the trick
 
McFeeli said:
I mainly hunt Whitetails, and for that a fixed blade is my first choice. I will say that my Dad used the same 110 every time I went hunting with him and he had no trouble whatsoever. I started out with a fixed blade, so it’s just what I’ve gotten used to.
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Getting used to a certain knife or type of knife is a good point..... I got used to using traditional knives and used them for years for both small and medium sized game. I honestly had little need for a fixed blade, but I see the utility of one for the woods. I carry one now and it varies. If I were hunting whitetails today, I would carry both a traditional folder and a small fixed blade such as you mentioned. Dozier's come to mind, but I have a lot of choices available. I have cut myself cleaning out the heart-lung area in the woods where you are going pretty much by feel. But never big injuries. A locking blade is not necessary and cleaning a folder is no big thing.

The problem is unless you feel pain from a knife injury, there is so much blood around that you are not likely to even notice the bleeding cut until you clean up afterwards and you continue to see blood.
 
22-rimfire said:
Getting used to a certain knife or type of knife is a good point..... I got used to using traditional knives and used them for years for both small and medium sized game. I honestly had little need for a fixed blade, but I see the utility of one for the woods. I carry one now and it varies. If I were hunting whitetails today, I would carry both a traditional folder and a small fixed blade such as you mentioned. Dozier's come to mind, but I have a lot of choices available. I have cut myself cleaning out the heart-lung area in the woods where you are going pretty much by feel. But never big injuries. A locking blade is not necessary and cleaning a folder is no big thing.

The problem is unless you feel pain from a knife injury, there is so much blood around that you are not likely to even notice the bleeding cut until you clean up afterwards and you continue to see blood.
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I’ve cut myself more than once cleaning deer, especially when I was still learning the ropes, but never severely. I seemed to notice it when it happened. Though there was a time where I was rinsing off my hands after getting home and saw a thin cut along my left index finger that I hadn’t notice at all. It was already done bleeding, but I was surprised I didn’t notice it until then.

Weirdly enough I’ll liken it to eating hardshell crabs, doesn’t matter how good you are at doing it, you can still draw blood. At least with deer I don’t have Old Bay finding it’s way into the wound, haha. I’ve actually had more accidental cuts cleaning my knives than using them.
 
Years back I gutted and skinned 3 elk with a pocket knife. It's all I had with me. Nowadays I keep a fixed blade on my belt or in a day pack. Fixed is easier for me and cleans up a lot better. Pocket knife is ok with me for birds and small animals. A 3-1/2 blade is good for me.
 
steelhog said:
Hey all - just a general question for the BF hunters. Do you use a folder or a fixed blade for field processing? Mostly asking for those that hunt small to medium game but if you find yourself regularly processing a moose or elephant feel free to also share. Also drop a comment on what your preferred folder or FB is for the task.
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In the backcountry, I like to work with a fixed blade. I used one I forged (5" blade). For moose, I must use more than that one knife, mainly because of the fur cutting. I like my Boker multi blade, which gets me through the job.
 
mushka said:
Years back I gutted and skinned 3 elk with a pocket knife. It's all I had with me. Nowadays I keep a fixed blade on my belt or in a day pack. Fixed is easier for me and cleans up a lot better. Pocket knife is ok with me for birds and small animals. A 3-1/2 blade is good for me.
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I second this. Small folder for small game works just fine.
 
Dad always used a fixed blade so I naturally started with a fixed blade when I started hunting over 35 years ago.
For about the last 7-8 years I’ve used a CRK nyala, the knife is perfect for field dressing white tail deer- not too big, not too small.

I’ve accidentally left my knife on the sleeping bag in camp when getting ready for the day and had to use the Sebenza that I had in my pocket. It worked great for the job and was much easier to clean than the Benchmade Stryker that I once let a buddy use to do the same- that knife was basically a loss.
 
I didn’t answered the survey because I don’t field process.

I field dress with whatever I have with me and process at home.
 
I just assume 'field process' is whatever you do in the field to prep game for getting home. Sometimes it requires a lot more work than other times.

I too did 3 elk one season w/a cheap Ganzo folder in 440c just to see how it would perform in the real world much to the amusement of my partners. 440c was 'good' steal back in the 70's, something my dad would look for in a quality hunting knife. I quartered 2 to cart out and gutted the 3rd to get them to the barn. I even did quite a bit of the skinning w/the same knife doing nothing more than stropping it on my belt a couple times. That $20 knife did just as well as any of the knives I have w/higher end steel.

When I 'process' game I do it on the covered kitchen table w/lots of cutting boards. My wife is a meat cutter by trade so we have a bevy of Victronox and Dexter Russels but sometimes I like using my old fixed Buck 1095 (not really sure of the model, it's not on the blade but looks like a smaller 119) for boning. It just cuts and has no blade flex verses traditional boning knifes when working around really large bones.

I only did the Ganzo thing that one year and carry much "better" knives as a rule but it just proves that all the other steels don't really mean squat when it's time to work on game. One of my favorite knives for 'field' work is a BM Mini Barrage for everything, big or small. I have 2, one is de-assisted, they've done a lot of 'work'. I don't mind cleaning knives, I see it as part of the job.
 
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