Recommendations: new 4 inch hunting knife

I like the F1, but mine cost a bit more than what you have been looking at.... it is one of the Fallkniven ones with micarta handles. I think you'd be happy with the F1 as a general purpose hunting knife. I know I prefer the blade design to the classic drop point.

The Spyderco Moran is an excellent hunting knife. Not a full tang knife, but very good hunting use.
Something less expensive but good; The Cabelas Guide Series Buck 192 with leather sheath in S30V.

My latest "hunting knife" is a Blackjack 124 with a 4.3" blade (3.5" cutting edge) with a stag handle. It is very traditional and classic. It of course is made by Bark River in A-2 steel. Fits my use hunting perfectly. The choil allows me to chock up on the blade for finer cutting if I need to. It isn't a bad general field blade as long as you aren't expecting to do a bunch of chopping or bashing it with a baton.

If you decide to wander away from the F-1, I'd look at the Bark River stuff.
 
Considering the prices I don't think I could bring myself to ever "use" a Kiyoshi Kato knife. LOL
 
FA1BladeGuy said:
Jhasenak, as much as I've tried to rationalise getting an F1 3G over the VG10 version, I've also haven't read anywhere that the 3G was markedly better than the standard F1.
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I have owned the F1 and H1 in both steels. 3G is a great steel and isn't very hard to maintain an edge through regular stropping, anything beyond that and it takes significantly more passes than VG10. 3G seems like it dulls at a slightly reduced rate as well, but it isn't a significant improvement and not a worthwhile tradeoff IMO.
 
I will cast another vote for the F1. I have used mine (VG10) pretty consistently for the past three years, and have come to really like/depend on it. Quite easy to maintain, and is a great value for a real-use no-worries edc. The thermorun handle version is quite practical and the ergonomics (slightly thinner profile) are great if you tend to wear gloves while at work. Just my opinion, of course, but I have never regretted picking mine up. Good Luck!
 
FA1BladeGuy said:
matus, I just watched a video of Kato-San making a Gyuto. All I can say is WOW! Blades made with a traditional Japanese forging process are a whole different kettle of fish. Oh BTW, I need one.
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I basically wanted to provoke a little :) Kato is in the first place a kitchen knife maker (very highly regarded among users). I personally love his work, but I am not sure I would pay this much for a hunting knife (if I were become a hunter). I have a small 80mm petty/paring knife from Kato and a 240mm gyuto on a 'long term loan' (do not ask, it is a long story) and those knife are incredible. I have never handled his hunting/outdoor knives though. Still - one from the last batch (from the shop I linked) was made from Tamahagane steel an was $5k, so this one is a bargain ;)
 
matus said:
I basically wanted to provoke a little :) Kato is in the first place a kitchen knife maker (very highly regarded among users). I personally love his work, but I am not sure I would pay this much for a hunting knife (if I were become a hunter). I have a small 80mm petty/paring knife from Kato and a 240mm gyuto on a 'long term loan' (do not ask, it is a long story) and those knife are incredible. I have never handled his hunting/outdoor knives though. Still - one from the last batch (from the shop I linked) was made from Tamahagane steel an was $5k, so this one is a bargain ;)
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Well, Kiyoshi Kato does make Kitchen knives. But he is a registered Swordmaker, one of the few in the Tokyo area (Meguro district if I recall) and he does make hunting knives as well. I have seen some of his Damascus knives and they are both beautiful and pretty darn expensive. Another well known Swordsmith is Kuzan Oda who worked for and studied under Robert Loveless in the US, then returned to Japan and studied under the swordsmith Yoshindo Yoshihara. His hunting knives
also, if you can find them, are in the thousands of $. Still cheaper than his swords lol.
 
it's a little jumbled. The Nyala is more expensive than the F1, not at the same price point. The Nyala is more orientated toward processing dead animals, while the F1 is touted as pilot survival knife. They are not really designed for the same purpose.
I could find better examples of both, for their intended purpose, so I'd pass on the pair of them.
 
Mannlicher, I was comparing the cost of the CRK Nyala and the Fallkniven F1 in 3G steel, they're about equal in price. I've got an A1 for bushcrafting and clearly sight lanes when hunting. I just wanted some different opinions on a complimentary hunting blade.
 
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