Looking for a hunters knife

hate to say it...go with a havalon...blade gets dull, swap it for another...oh and these blades are like scalpels...can be used from cleaning your game to processing it!
 
I prefer a 3-4" fixed blade for field chores and something with a longer blade for processing meat. My practical limit would probably be 6" for field chores, but I am much more comfortable with a smaller blade length as the work is all about control of how deep and where you cut.

Take a look at Knives of Alaska blades also. They are all made with D2 steel and I have heard good reports with them. They make some interesting two knife sets that fit in the same sheath for hunting.
 
As already stated..Old school 1095 by Schrade takes a lot of beating..easy to sharpen and holds an edge..Sharpfinger and deerslayer will handle any deer..period....................FES

 
Buck makes many fixed blades that work great for deer or larger. Queen also has some very nice fixed blades, at very reasonable prices, in D2 that also work great. Only problem is that you will probably have to sharpen them up beyond what the factory does.
 
If you haven't already it's worth having a look at the custom/ member made offerings over at Fixed Blades for Sale. Suitable knives come up from time to time, not too far from your price mark.
 
I really like the Sharpfinger knife but for me it isn't the best choice for field dressing deer. I prefer a drop point because when I am opening the belly skin with the blade edge facing up I don't want the point of the knife pointing down towards the organs. A drop solves that problem. For skinning the animal a Sharpfinger would be an excellent choice though. I don't think that the quality is what it used to be with those Schrades anymore.
 
The originals are still available new in the box, or used if you prefer. I have a deer on the gambrel this morning to gut, skin and butcher.
 
Buck Vanguard is a great knife for field dressing deer. Been using one for many years. I use butcher knives for cleaning it.
 
I'd go with 3-3.5". No more is necessary, and arguably compromises control. For me the formula is a full-size handle with a modest blade.
Someone mentioned disposable knives - weird, and not appropriate for a gift. A quality knife made of quality steel will need the edge cleaned before it needs to be sharpened. You can do A LOT of cutting as long as you keep the gunk from drying on the edge bevel. Yeah, stick with a fixed blade for a dedicated hunting knife.

There should be a number of solid factory options in the ~$100 range. You could get an excellent custom for ~$120-$175.
 
Just about any knife can be used to gut a deer. A friend of mine found himself with a downed deer and no hunting knife. The only blade he had was a SAK which he said worked fine, making the chore just a little more difficult.
 
Agreed on the (you can use anything)....when i was a youngun ,i was with my father when he shot a large red stag..no knife (which somehow was my fault??)...He bashed the neck of the .308 case flat with rocks...Several hours and an education in swearing,and it was gutted...Not pretty ! but gutted.....FES
 
Today's deer is in the refridgerator and freezer awaiting further processing into jerky tomorrow. All skinning, gutting, disjointing and butchering done with an old Schrade Sharpfinger. I need to sharpen it. I'll have another deer on the gambrel in the morning, Monday morning at the latest.

Oh, and speaking of extremes, here is the first deer of the season done with a 1950's Imperial Jackmaster Midget keychain knife.

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