Input on survival/hunting knives

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frito

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Feb 10, 2008
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Up to this point in my life I have survived fine without a "big" fixed blade. However, I am starting to venture out of my normal urban environment and into the woods more and wanted to get a strong and versatile knife as a companion.

I will be hunting and if successful at it skinning as well. I will be camping and such too so all the normal associated stuff applies. I also prefer a stainless blade but am not tied to a specific metal.

Can I get some thoughts on the better knifes that fit this description?

I can prime the pump by saying I have been reading up on these:

1. Fallkniven S1/A1. (Can you go wrong here?)

2. ESEE 6. (Don't really want a coated blade)

3. Ontario SK-5 Blackbird. (Read some negatives)

4. Benchmade 162 Bushcraft. (I like my Benchmade folders)

5. GSO 4.1 (Hmm this looks very nice)

Thanks so much.

Stephen
 
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For me, the hunting knife (field dressing, possibly skinning) is a different knife from a general purpose woods knife if you are leaning in the direction of a ESEE 6 size. But the large knives can be used for this purpose, but not as comfortably as a smaller knife.

I use a two or three blade approach to the woods. SAK or comfortable folder, middle sized knife, and if needed, a chopper sized knife or folding saw. If I know I will be chopping, I'll bring a machete.

If car camping, you can bring an axe, saw, machetes and pretty much not be limited with weight or volume. I have been known to bring a cross cut saw with me..... The middle sized knife may be used for hunting applications.

The bird & trout sized knives are clearly the most useful of all knives I have used.

When I started looking at fixed blades, I immediately gravitated to the big ones (big = >6") because they are so cool. But with use, I found that I am much more comfortable with a smaller knife overall even for a "survival" knife. Might just save you some money..... that's why I'm mentioning it as I have quite a few "big" knives that just sit in a box unused.

My most used size in the woods is the Kabar Becker BK-16/17 size and I often carry one with a 3" blade over that.

As far as big knives go, many like either the ESEE 6 or Kabar Becker BK-9. I would choose the "9" as it is less expensive and probably a more effective chopper. I have the BK-7 also and it works for this purpose as well with a 7" blade versus 9" blade. I would have find the BK-7 clumsy field dressing a deer. Clumsy for me means that I am more likely to cut myself.

The Fallkniven knives are excellent. I have a F1. The S1 is a good knife too.

Many like the Bark River knives. There is a wide selection of sizes and they are well made and popular.
 
I have an ESEE 6 and a Benchmade 162.

The ESEE is a great all around canping and woods knife, but it is pretty big for a lot of tasks. It takes a great edge and can be made to do about anything you want. A set of aftermarket scales really help make this knife better as a user. The coating on these knives is pretty easy to strip, if it bothers you.

The Benchmade 162 is one of my favorites. Wonderful blade size and shape for most any outdoor task. The handle is really quite comfortable. even though it looks blocky. It carves quite well. The stainless blade steel is amazing. Super sharp with exceptional edge retention. Benchmade really nailed this one! A lot of folks criticized this knife when it first came out, but I have grown to love it. I spend a lot of time outside. Much of it bowhunting. My 162 went everywhere with me this year and served me very well. I probably will never have to carve netting shuttles with it, but I am sure I could if I have to.

It sounds like you are looking for one knife to do a lot of tasks instead of having a knife for each. That means you will have some compromise. Good skinning knives, may not carve wood well ect. With that in mind, I would seriously look at the Benchmade 162. It will serve you well for a lifetime. Good luck in your search
 
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I strongly suggest separate knives. I always want my field dressing knife to be as sharp as possible when its needed, so I'd be reluctant to use it for general tasks. Therefore, a 3-4 inch drop point fixed gets stashed in my bag and 5-6 inch fixed goes on my belt. A small slipjoint is also nice to have along, BTW.

Many people like to look down on longer knives these days, but in my experience a little bigger knife is quite handy in camp and in general use. YMMV.
 
I have the Fallkniven S1, and I adore it. VG10 is one of my favorite steels, and this is the knife that made me love the convex grind. The sheath (zytel on this one) is also perfect for me. I've found this knife to be the one I take with when I only take one, almost every time. I haven't tried the others on your list, but I have yet to find a single aspect of the S1 that I don't like. For skinning, you would be better served with a model more dedicated to that task (which is not to say you can't use it for that purpose, because you certainly can), but for general use, the S1 is quite good. I think you'd be happy with it if you want to carry only a single blade.
 
Thanks so much for the input. I am not generally opposed to carrying two knives. I have an assortment of EDC knives and really like my Mini-Grip.

Perhaps a good folder for skinning in addition to a general purpose knife?

Bark River knives has caught my eye as well.

They don't make this easy :)
 
What are all the tasks you want the knife to do? We know skinning.. what about food processing, shelter building, wood processing, etc.

I like a 4-5" fixed blade for a "do everything" knife and depending on far I'm packing it can change. I always have a folder on me for small tasks. I also prefer a folding saw and hatchet/small ax for wood processing. I find a knife for wood processing to be VERY inefficient. But, if doing long lightweight hikes I'd skip the hatchet and use the folding saw to portion the logs, then baton with the knife to split as need.. this is where a little longer blade helps.

All the ones you've chosen are high quality knives and will do a great job. It's really going to come down to what you like the looks of and how they feel in hand. Ergos are a pretty big deal with a hard use camp knife. Try your best to read up on how they feel. Hotspots suck when working hard with a knife. Take a look at Bark River also.. they make some great knives.
 
Before I spent a lot of time outdoors, I had a few big knives (ESEE-6 and similar). Once I actually got out there and built shelters and fires, dressed a goose, cleaned a fish, etc. I realized that the bigger blades were constantly getting in my way and making cutting chores difficult.

For "hunting" (dressing out critters after you've killed them with something else) anything bigger than 3.5" gets in the way. There isn't a single part of skinning a critter that requires more cutting edge. A coworker of mine, who dresses out more critters than everyone else I know combined, uses disposable razor blades and a hatchet.

For woods bumming, the biggest blade I'll use is 5". My "do it all" knife is a Bravo 1 in S35VN stainless steel. I used to have several knives that I rotated for hiking and woods use, but I've been using a Bravo 1 exclusively since I got my first one a few years ago. Any of the steels offered (A2, 3V, S35VN) are durable and take a great edge.
 
I will second the advice of Blue Sky and strongly recommend a dedicated skinning/game processing knife that is separate from your field/bushcraft knife. For field use, I want a thicker, stronger blade and an edge that will work well with wood. For skinning I personally prefer a very thin, stainless blade with no more than a 4" blade. Also, if you plan to hunt larger game you'll probably want a means to split the pelvis/ribcage. A hatchet or saw work well (although a bigger knife can certainly do this as well). Bark River and Knives of Alaska are two manufacturers that have a good selection of hunting specific blades.

As far as folders for field dressing, you can certainly do very well with one. Plenty of old timers field dressed a deer quickly with nothing but a slipjoint. I carry a Griptilian as my EDC, and have often thought it would serve quite well in a pinch as a skinning knife. However, I would not want to plan to use it as a first choice because I don't want to get blood, hair, tissue or fat inside the mechanism. It can be tough to clean out 100%.
 
Costs a little more, but possibly the Fehrman Scout might work for the 6"(measured to the grip) class Field/Bushcraft role. CPM 3V. 5.25" actual cutting edge. Comes with a fire bow bearing hole on one grip scale. 2 top/1bottom choils. Shape of the short grip makes for easy light duty chopping. For me, this knife would be one of a 3 blade system that I'd choose if I had too, like for a SHTF type scenario of some sort.
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Fire bow Bearing hole.
FehrmanScout004_zpscf711204.jpg



Fwiw, also the well thought of, and one of my favs is the 4.75" Dozier Professionals Guide in D2 might do.
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That Dozier Professional Guide model is the next one I am going to buy. I like it a lot. Have the Wilderness knife model that I purchased at the Blade Show.

Added: I just ordered me one.
 
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You seem to have decided on big heavy knives. I find smaller & lighter more usefull.
Hunting & food prep knives are slicers. Start with something light. Get a heavy knife later if you need it.

Fallkniven F1
Helle Fjelkniven

Both these work well as slicers, skinners, & are tough enough for a bit of wood work.
 
Thanks for all the GREAT input.

I think this and some more reading has convinced me to go a little smaller or at least not really larger. The Fallkniven F1, would be a good knife but the larger Bravo 1 in S35VN stainless steel looks compelling too.

That Dozier is simply beautiful.

I am going to do a little more looking and pull the trigger on one of these.
 
You have "big knife" on the brain and I suspect you wil still buy a larger knife, perhaps in addition to a smaller knife. Not a thing wrong with that. To keep costs down, take a look at a BK-9 as your chopper. Good knife too.

You have to discover what you prefer. The F1 is a great knife. Any of the Bark River steels are good. They just recently (this year) came out with knives in S35VN.
 
The only concern I have with the Falkniven F1/S1 is some think the handle is too thin. I do have fairly large hands and that may bother me. The Bark River knives do seem good but a bit harder to source with the S35VN.
 
The Blackjack 125 (5.5" blade) has a substantial handle. They are made in A2 steel and by Bark River for Blackjack. I have one of these and like it. It in fact is the knife that I take in the woods if I want a larger knife, but not too large. I don't do much batonning.

For me it is right at the edge of being too large for hunting. The chroil (slot in front of handle unsharpened) allows you to choke up on the blade for detailed tasks.
 
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Koster Bushmaster in 3V. 5 inch blade, canvas micarta, V grind, very tough .200ish thick blade but it does slice. It can do big stuff too. Around $230 or so.
 
for me, a 'survival' knife, and a hunting knife serve different purposes, and are not interchangeable. I want a larger blade for my woods bumming/ survival knife, and for field processing dead animals, I like a much smaller, sharper knife.
 
The Mastiff said:
Koster Bushmaster in 3V. 5 inch blade, canvas micarta, V grind, very tough .200ish thick blade but it does slice. It can do big stuff too. Around $230 or so.
Click to expand...

This knife REALY caught my eye. It is a very good looking knife to my eye and I do bet a super functional knife. I actually think the smaller bushcraft knife is great too. I had really been thinking that I should only go stainless but 3V sounds so darn good for a knife like this.

I do realize one thing however, one knife is not going to cut it :D
 
Two knives is the way to go. As Mannlicher said, one for hunting tasks and one for woods bumming or bushcraft (at least to start :D ). The larger knife goes with you when you're out scouting. My suggestions have all been from knives that I already own. I generally don't recommend knives that I don't own or have not used. If you want to go really inexpensive on the bushcraft knife, take a look at the Condor Bushlore or one of their other blades.

I am very big on their machetes and short machetes. The Pack Golok and Village Parang are my current two favorites for carrying in the woods if I know I am going to do some chopping. But a longer machete is better for briars and flexible stemmed vegetation.
 
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