Looking for some guidance: Hunting/Survival Knife

I

IbrahimSS

Joined
Oct 18, 2013
Messages
39
Hello

I was looking for some guidance in purchasing a hunting/survival knife. The primary use would be hunting but if it can double as a survival knife all the better. I thought this process would be simple but all the different metals, price points, etc are just blowing my mind. I was hoping I could get a kickstart on what knives to look at so I can focus and narrow down my selection.

Here's what I'd like:
* Sub $100 that's not a hard limit
* Strong enough to go through bone (just deer rib cage so nothing that crazy)
* Sharp
* Preferably retains edge and/or has some kind of lifetime sharpening service
* medium sized blade

I was looking at the Cutco 1769, SOG NW Ranger, or Fallkniven F1. I'm not sure if I'm even looking at decent blades or if I'm just lost in space.

Any advice or basic knife reading articles would be helpful.

Thanks
Sam
 
you are not going to find a Falkniven for under $100

Start by looking at the sub forums here, for hunting, and outdoors activity. Many suggestions, pictures and reviews.
 
Bark River, check them out, but you would have to look for a used A2 version or a Ebay find.
 
The Fallkniven F1's seem to start just over $100... like I said the range isn't hard. $120 is fine.
 
Also where is the hunting knife forum? I found a general hunting discussion forum but it doesn't seem to be focused on knives.
 
Welcome to the forum! You're going to get a lot of opinions, everyone has a favorite knife they are enthusiastic about talking up, and there are some amazingly knowledgable guys here on this site to share their expertise.

Any decent knife can work fine as a 'survival' knife, the real 'survival' tool is your brain and the knowledge/skills you acquire that enables you to put a knife to use. By 'survival' most people seem to mean general camping and woodscraft--turning branches etc into kindling, making a small fire, trimming branches to make a lean-to, all the Boy Scout skills. You can do all that with a wide variety of knives, from big heavy choppers down to a lightweight 3 or 4 inch blade. So you have a lot to choose from, and the good news is that there are so many good knives to choose from, most of them only a fraction of your $100 target. It's a matter of taste and what you personally like, which may evolve with time.

You also don't have to confine yourself to a quest for 'just one' ultimate all-purpose knife. Many/most people outdoors carry a 'primary' medium to larger knife (5 to 7 inches) and a smaller knife for detailed work like whittling, dressing small game, food prep etc. A Swiss Army Knife is worth toting, something like the SwissChamp model gives you a lot of tools in just a few ounces. Something like a Leatherman Squirt or Micra, ditto. Then pick a medium blade you like for deer hunting.
You might look at the Ka-Bar 7" straight edge knife in kraton handle ($50ish on Amazon, often for sale used here), or an Ontario SP1 ($37 Amazon), both are sturdy versatile proven all-purpose 7" outdoors knives.

You'll get lots of opinions and this forum is a fine place to get them.
 
Well here we go! I will dive in...

For less than $100 dollars you have a pretty wide variety of blades you can purchase... which is the first reason I am going to recommend to you any of the KA-BAR Becker Knife and Tool Line... specifically anything like the Models BK14, BK15, BK16, BK17, BK10, or the BK5. (see what I am mean...) They are all solid built blades that will serve you really well. I recommend http://www.tomarskabars.com/ to purchase one because he is a forum supporter and has good prices and service. Take a look at the different blades and find something that appeals to you... The smaller/medium Beckers are going to be a little more up your alley when it comes to game processing and a general purpose woods blade.

Now you do what you would like when pounding through sternum... some guys are going to say no you shouldnt do that with a knife get a saw, others are going to say go right ahead... Either way, A good saw is only like $15 bucks, and the Beckers are well under your $100 Price tag so if you feel the need you could get both... KA-BAR's 1095CV is some tough stuff and can take a beating. I just wouldnt be surprised about any edge retention issues with any blade or steel at that point though.

Most knife companies are going to have "life sharp" services for their customers... (Kershaw and Benchmade com first to mind.) But I am a huge advocate that will tell you, if you are going to own a blade... you need to know how to sharpen it... Its a transferable and rewarding skill. The interwebz is an immense world of advice when it comes to this subject. You can free hand or use a guided system it is all up to you! For an easy and quick system, that doesnt take a lot of time or experience, and is good and reliable without breaking the bank check out the Spyderco Sharpmaker... I free hand sharpen but will recommend this too you because Its just one of those things that will work.

Check out the forums here and read read read... dont be afraid to ask questions but understand that some of your questions have probably already been asked. Utilize the search function, or use THE GOOGLE! to find answers. Of course check out the rules of each forum/subforum, but this place is an immense library of all sorts of amazing information. Read a bit, then buy what you need.

Thanks, and good luck
 
Thanks! I have the multitool (Leatherman micro and a larger one) and skinning & small game knife (Havalon Piranta Bolt) categories locked down. Since I already own those I'd like to get something with a bit of a larger blade that will allow me to do just what you said ie make kindling, trim branches, etc. However those activities will be less frequent than the day hunts so I wanted to make sure it worked for both.

thanks for the advice and keep the opinions coming.
 
iwouldhurtafly said:
... Now you do what you would like when pounding through sternum... some guys are going to say no you shouldnt do that with a knife get a saw, others are going to say go right ahead...
Click to expand...

90% of the time I'll probably forgo the need to go through the sternum and just reach up through the chest and pull everything out but having the option is nice. I'm kind of confused how bone is considered so much worse than wood for the knife.
 
There's a YouTuber from Japan who goes by the handle of "vituovice".
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZLaWayFxnhCAoCWqASKeDQ

I find his videos to be mesmerizing. I dig his accent and delivery. Anyway!

He's both a hunter and a bushcrafter. I think that as you dig deeper into hunting, survival and bushcrafting designs, you'll start to see some overlap.

Hunting knives of the 50s and 70s favored extreme clip points but since the time of Loveless and others, hunting knives have been moving towards drop point designs. Hollow grinds are often used. Also, lengths have tended to move down from 6" and 7" blades to blades in the 4" range.

Bushcraft knives tend to have blades around 4" too, as well as drop points. Primary difference tends be more convex and scandi grinds and more frequent use of full tang construction. EDITED TO ADD: I *hate* hollow ground knives for working with wood.

Survival knives tend to be bigger choppers. These don't make much sense to me. About 5" is as big I can see the need for, even when battoning. YMMV.

All of this to say that if you look for a drop point blade in the 4" range with possibly full tang construction, you're going to be pretty safe.

In terms of steel, I suggest thinking about 3 simple sets: a) carbon steel, b) mid-grade fine grained stainless (Sandvik 12C27, 420HC, Aus 8) and c) super-steels. All three are fine. All three have their proponents. It's a religious choice.

Here are some inexpensive but decent knives to consider.
Buck Bucklite Max 4" blade (420HC)
Mora Bushcrafter (Sandvic 12C27)
Svord (carbon)
Utica Drop Point Hunter (carbon)
Queen Drop Point Hunter (D2)

I wouldn't drop $100 on a knife until I got a better handle on the styles that work for me. Spend on the $100 on getting several inexpensive but decent knives. Later on, you spend more for bling.
 
There's a series of videos on youtube of a guy cleaning game with various knives he has, you might wanna check those out. I am not a hunter, so I can't comment on what makes a good hunting knife, but from his videos it looked like the Becker BK16/17 did very well. Typically when someone starts out down the knife addiction road, I recommend Beckers because they are incredible knives made by a great company and designed by a man that really stands behind his products; they also have a variety of different models to suit your needs. I frequently (almost daily) see Ethan Becker responding to customer concerns and just shooting the breeze with them over on the Becker forum. Give Beckers a shot and if for some reason you don't like them you won't have any trouble selling them.
 
* Preferably retains edge and/or has some kind of lifetime sharpening service
Click to expand...

If you learn how to sharpen that knowledge will last a lifetime and the savings in postage for "free" sharpening will more than pay for the abrasive materials and tools. Plus how are you going to send in a knife for sharpening if you are in a survival situation. Plenty of excellent sharpening information in the Maintenance sub-forum here.

I like the Fallkniven F1 for an versatile mid-sized knife although I much prefer the H1 for hunting duties. You might want to look at the Spyderco Moran, which is an excellent hunting knife and its street price would allow room for a second more utilitarian knife like the Becker BK16 all for about the same as the cost of an F1.
 
Condor has a great lineup. And they're cheap. I own a toloza and a lifeland hunter, and if your willing to put a bit of work into the, they're great. The toloza is a bit too big and thick to be a hunting knife, and the lifeland hunter is a great hunter, but a bit small for survival. The condor garuda looks nice for what you want. Beckers are always nice. You really cant go wrong with a becker
 
Becker bk16 or 17 ( depending on your blade tip preference-i like drop points) you can get them for around 65- then grab a BK14 to accompany it for fine/detailed tasks -, both knives should cost you around 100 and will last forever if you take care of them
 
I will make comments about knives I own as possibles. The Fallkniven F1 is an excellent knife. I bought one of the more expensive ones (pushing $300), and now have reservations about using it. Typical for me.

You can buy a lot of knife for $100 these days. I would not necessarily get the F1 unless you are committed to learning how to sharpen it.

It is hard to beat a Ka-Bar Becker BK-16 or BK-17 for a geneal purpose fixed blade. They are fine knives and a good one to learn with. I only recently purchased one and love the knife and its design. They are pretty easy to sharpen and the blade is not long enough that the length results in sharpening difficulties. This is the one I would recommend for you. The BK-7 is probably a bit large for a hunting knife and many use the smaller BK-14 (neck knife) for this purpose. But I still think the BK-16 is the right choice (considering value, price, quality, and usefulness).

The SOG Northwest Ranger is in fact the first fixed blade I purchased once joining this forum believing it would make a good "hunting" knife. Back then, they had the partial serrations on the blade and I really don't care for that look or particularly using them. The current one does not have the partial serrations and could make a good general purpose hunting knife. It may be a bit large however.

Spyderco makes the Moran which is an excellent little fixed blade for hunting chores. You will find it to be razor sharp when you get it and the steel holds a very good edge.

I don't recommend the Queen drop point hunter. I have one and it looks like a good knife in D2 steel. But in all likelihood it would be dull when you open the box, so I am not going to urge you to look seriously at this one.

Once you are comfortable with the "hunting knife", I would suggest that you think about the survival knife thing. But my general belief is that something like the BK-16 is all you need for this purpose also. You have to ask yourself just what you think you might be surviving. And honestly, a Victorinox swiss army knife (SAK) is most of what you need in that department. I would suggest you carry a folder and a fixed blade in the woods. I do.... but honestly, I usually use my folder the most and it is a SAK. I like traditional folders, but modern folders work just fine. I went for years just using a Case or Camillus traditional slip joint folder for all of my hunting field chores. So, you don't necessarily need the fixed blade, but they are stronger and easier to clean.
 
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I was reading a bit more. People really seem to love the BK2. Is that one a good option as well or is the BK16 which seems to be on everyone's recommended list the way to go?
 
bk2 is an awesome tank of a knife, but it's 1/4 in. thick. too thick for processing game in my opinion ( trust me if you buy one, you will eventually own them all)
 
+1 on the BK16 and 17, they are very good knives like all things Becker and Ka-Bar. +1 on not needing some whopper of a chopper for a 'survival' knife.
The BK2 is very popular and almost indestructible, but I don't own one because IMHO it's too thick a chopper for its short length; a BK7 is a better length for wood batoning/chopping up kindling, and I don't (so far) own a BK7 because my KaBar 7" USMC model handles baton-ing just fine while being better shaped IMHO for other tasks besides just splitting my firewood into smaller and thinner pieces. Which seems to be the BK2's main draw. YMMV.
+1 on sharpening your own knife, a good sharpener is money well spent for a lifetime.
There are some pretty foolish (but entertaining) videos on youTube by guys who IMHO have no clue what a knife is for, or how to use it. There are guys 'reviewing' their 'survival' knife by whacking at a 12" tree trunk with it like a maniac, or baton-ing ridiculous logs like zombie lumberjacks. A knife is not for building a log cabin, and building a log cabin is not 'survival'. If I were told I had to spend a weekend alone in the woods and could have only one knife to 'survive' while making my way back to civilization I would choose my SAK SwissChamp. Other good SAK models for woodscraft would be the Huntsman and the Fireman, both have good saws, the Fireman has a locking blade, you can pick these up for $20-$30 on eBay. But at a $35-45 price why not go ahead and get the SwissChamp, you'll want one eventually so why not give yourself the whole deluxe toolbox goodness right from the start. Good for EDC also.

Everybody's knife suggestions above are good ones, and most way under your $100. Amazon has generally good prices and once you decide what you want you can usually find the popular models for sale here on The Exchange forum for pretty fair discounts off retail. Price something on Amazon then see if you can beat it on eBay, or here. Rumor has it other knife forums also have 'for sale' sections of their own.

And yep, as The Disease progresses you're going to own a lot of knives eventually, one way to look at this is just choosing from the start some choices that will serve you well from the git-go and you won't outgrow later as your tastes evolve.
 
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Thanks for all the advice so far.

Is the real difference between the BK16 and BK17 really just the drop point vs the clip point?
 
Fallkniven F1 is my choice and serves me well for everything I do outdoors.Great blade,highly recommended.Good luck in your search.
 
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