My Idea for Hunting Knife Setup....Like to know what you Think and get your Opinions.

N

Nalapombu

Joined
Oct 26, 2001
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303
Hey all,

I have had an idea for a setup of hunting knives and would like to get your thoughts on it. I would like to get a larger knife, say 6 inch blade or so, and then have a smaller blade of maybe 3 inches and carry them BOTH in a custom sheath. I figure the small one would be used for darn near all the game dressing chores and the bigger one would be for camp stuff and quartering an animal out if you needed to.

I think a set like that would work great. I have thought of all kinds of knives that could fit what I am wanting and I quickly noticed that there are a LOT of really nice knives out there. For instance, a Puma setup with one of the large Bowies and then a 4 inch Hunters Pal. Then how about a Buck 119 and one of the smaller brothers like the Woodsman or Vanguard. Case also has a nice 5 inch or so as well as a smaller blade. What about a Cold Steel Recon Scout or the SRK for the large blade? I also like the looks of TRADE KNIVES and I have seen several that could make up a cool set like I am talking about.

I have also thought about having a BIG fixed blade and then a folder. I love the Case Folding Hunter and those new ones from AG Russel. Victorinox makes a Ranger 58 that would work perfectly in a situation like this. The only thing is that I have read that using a folder for game cleaning leaves you with a real mess that is hard to get out of the inner workings of your knife. I can see that, but don't know from first hand.

I would be using this setup I am talking about while hunting wild pigs in Texas and maybe surrounding southern states like Florida. I'd like to get your thoughts on the idea. Have you ever thought about a setup like this or do you have one?

Lastly, I'd like to hear some recommendations on the LARGER knife. What would you build your carry kit around if you were going to set up something like I am talking about? Oh and the budget for the knife would be no more than $100 for each one.
What LARGE knife would you INSIST on having on your side whenever you go into the woods hunting, hiking or camping?

Thanks for your time.

Nalajr
 
I do a lot of hunting. One of the handiest knives I have found for gutting an animal without puncturing the guts is the spey blade on a trapper slippie. I like Case and use many. For gutting I like the stainless model. Rinse with some water immediately after and you will have no trouble with gunk inside it. The rounded tip of the spey blade really does well for gutting.

As for skinning and quartering, I have used all sorts of knives. One of the best for me has been a Queen fix blade with D2 steel. Queens D2 holds an edge for a long time and is real good for skinning animals. Just rinse it off and wipe it down afterwards.

I have also used Buck 110's, 119, Kabar, a few low end Kershaws, a ZT or two, and will be using some Spyderco. They all worked. Some steel holds its edge better than others. One thing that I insist on is a knife I can skin at least two animals with without needing to touch up or sharpen. Here in Texas I kill a lot of feral hogs. The hide on them will dull a blade real quick. So I like the D2 from Queen real well. And I like s30v pretty good. I think any comparable steel or above would work well.

What I hate, and no longer tolerate, is using a knife steel that I have stop and sharpen midway through a skinning job. So steels like 440, aus8, and the like dont make it to the skinning tree with me. My Case Trapper only get used for gutting and does fine for that. For skinning and quartering I like the better steels.

Size and shapes, types of knives for skinning is real personal. Find what your comfortable with that has decent steel and have fun with it. With proper technique you can skin, and quarter a deer or hog with a small traditional slip joint. I have done it many times, with no saws or larger knives. But it is much easier with a knife that is a bit larger. I like a knife with a 3-4in blade with a little belly in it.
 
I use a CS Master Hunter. Bought it when they first came out. Made of CarbonV and truth be told it is the best I've used. keepem sharp
 
Large knife, Small knife, rescue hook

Kabar Heavy Bowie, BK14, Benchmade 5blkw

The hook makes opening without hitting organs easy. It's light, very light, and hangs on my pack.
 
Hunting knives are very personal; everyone has what they consider the “best”.

I hunt primarily waterfowl and whitetail. I have used folding and fixed blades with an array of steel types. I have gone away from using folding knives as a primary tool but always carry one “just in case”. A number of years ago I was cleaning my folder and noticed that the other guy’s were cleaning their knives and done while I was still cleaning. One said “that’s why I switched to a fixed blade, easier and faster to clean”. I followed and have not regretted it. As always there has to be some one different and he uses a Buck 110 for everything, field to freezer, and would never consider any other knife.

I always carry a folding knife while out hunting, fishing and woods bumming. I like my Buck 110’s as well as My Benchmade Rift 950. I have added a few Spyderco’s and ZT’s to try. At or under $100 the 110 is a nice knife, especially for the price of $35 or sometimes less. The Benchmade Griptilian should be under $100 and has 154CM, I have several and like them a lot. I also believe that the folding Bone collectors are in the same price range and have D2.

For white tail I find 3” – 4” blade works the best. It’s enough to cut through the ribcage and the pelvic bone and still small enough for cleaning the insides, some call a knife like that “quick in the hand”. I would take a good look at the Benchmade Bone Collector series. I don’t have any but I am considering adding 1 or 2 to my collection. These are D2 with wood or G-10 handles and some with drop point blades (my all time favorite blade). Processing a deer I use the same field knife for skinning but a traditional boning knife or a knife with a blade very similar for the quartering and breaking it down. I also like that same boning style for cleaning waterfowl. The steel I am currently using is A2 but I like D2 a little better. It takes a very nice edge with out too much work and it holds it well. There other steels that may work a little better but may not fall into your price range. S30V, CPM 154 both would be a nice step up. 154 CM should be in your range and as much as I do like it, D2 for hunting is my preference.

I have some larger knives that you could call camp knives but I have never found a need for them while hunting. If you are looking in the same price range there are a number of Becker knives that would work and the folks in that forum could guide you better than me.


Good luck with your search, that’s part of the enjoyment.
 
For small game and whitetail hunting, I carry two knives similar to your approach. For the most part, I carry a Remington Camillus trapper bullet knife (folder of course), and a larger fixed blade for just in case kinds of things. At camp or home, you can break out a battery of blades for butchering (quartering, de-boning and so forth). I mostly use the folder in the field. I used to use a Schrade folder similar to a Buck 110 for years. My fixed blade choice gets changed as my mood changes. I carried a SOG Revolver Hunter for a couple seasons and the saw came in handy for trimming around my stand. For using, a 3 > 4" fixed blade works best from my point of view. I have more than a couple candidates in that department. But the Spyderco Moran is hard to beat for a practical knife. I like a thinner blade for small game however and use my folders pretty much exclusively.

So, your approach is pretty much the same I use. I just don't limit my choices once I get the deer home. But frankly, for the last few years, I just took the deer to a butcher and had them skin it and make the requested cuts I wanted with the rest being deer burger with pork fat.
 
the best knife ive found is a 15 dollar mora sharpen it at the end of every season and dont worry about it,
gut quater and bone about 7 to 15 deer a year hold an edge for a long time
 
longbow said:
I use a CS Master Hunter. Bought it when they first came out. Made of CarbonV and truth be told it is the best I've used. keepem sharp
Click to expand...

I have a carbonV MH also. Never really got the love it should have did it. Great all around knife.
 
I like my Alaska Knives combo of the belt knife in D2 and a bone saw also from AK for large game. The belt knife is an unusual but ergonomic shape that provides for a lot of the various grips that come in handy when taking apart a large animal. I used to carry bigger blades as well for working through joints, but another pound on top of the load of my 30-06 and 15-20 lbs of other gear is actually noticeable while I'm moving fast through rugged elk country. A bit of finesse can outperform or match a heavy blade's brute utility--I don't think it's necessary to carry one in the field. The saw is light and necessary. When I get the meat home I use an array of butcher's knives to process.
For small game like rabbit I generally just use a folder like a Benchmade 940. I love D2 and 154cm for hunting, they've never let me down yet.
 
mley1 said:
I do a lot of hunting. One of the handiest knives I have found for gutting an animal without puncturing the guts is the spey blade on a trapper slippie. I like Case and use many. For gutting I like the stainless model. Rinse with some water immediately after and you will have no trouble with gunk inside it. The rounded tip of the spey blade really does well for gutting.

As for skinning and quartering, I have used all sorts of knives. One of the best for me has been a Queen fix blade with D2 steel. Queens D2 holds an edge for a long time and is real good for skinning animals. Just rinse it off and wipe it down afterwards.

I have also used Buck 110's, 119, Kabar, a few low end Kershaws, a ZT or two, and will be using some Spyderco. They all worked. Some steel holds its edge better than others. One thing that I insist on is a knife I can skin at least two animals with without needing to touch up or sharpen. Here in Texas I kill a lot of feral hogs. The hide on them will dull a blade real quick. So I like the D2 from Queen real well. And I like s30v pretty good. I think any comparable steel or above would work well.

What I hate, and no longer tolerate, is using a knife steel that I have stop and sharpen midway through a skinning job. So steels like 440, aus8, and the like dont make it to the skinning tree with me. My Case Trapper only get used for gutting and does fine for that. For skinning and quartering I like the better steels.

Size and shapes, types of knives for skinning is real personal. Find what your comfortable with that has decent steel and have fun with it. With proper technique you can skin, and quarter a deer or hog with a small traditional slip joint. I have done it many times, with no saws or larger knives. But it is much easier with a knife that is a bit larger. I like a knife with a 3-4in blade with a little belly in it.
Click to expand...

What you mean you can't gut, skin, quarter, bone and butcher 25 deer or hogs without touching the edge with some simple cheap knife....... LOL

I love it when someone rings in and speaks of reality. :thumbup:
 
I like a knife somewhere around 3 to 4 inches. The older I get the less I like to carry.
 
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