what blade length is most comfortable for you for field dressing

For game up to deer size under 4 inches is best. The narrow clip point of a Buck 110 or a classic Schrade Sharpfinger can handle rabbits through deer very nicely yet are on the rugged-side if you have to cut some bone. Around here the more serious hunting is done for elk. For that I like a 4 to 5 inch blade like a Buck Vanguard or a Cold Steel Master Hunter.
 
i like about 3 inches i usually take squirrels and rabbits so i have no need for bigger
 
I use my Marbles Bird & Trout on rabbits, squirrels, fish up to 5lbs, and various birds. For critters up to deer size I've used my KOA cub no problems, though jointing out takes some time with a smaller sub 4" blade due to lack of heft. I like a FB, and a clean, non scaled one at that. I just take the knife(s) when I'm done and chuck them into a pot of boiling water to disinfect them. A good drying off and away they go without maintenance issues. I sharpen at first chance afterwards, then oil them and away they go. Since I never clean game bigger than deer I have not desired a blade more than 4" in 35 yrs.
 
3"-5" works, but I find the blade sharpness and ability to hold that edge is FAR more important. I have field dressed and butcher to package 8 deer. My brother in law many times that many. He and I were talking and agreed that we were tied of having to re-sharpen our knives 2 -3 times for each deer. We were both using classic deer knives by big name manufacturers. Then I found bladeforums and KF. I now have several dozen deer size knives that stay sharp thru whittling many hardwood walking sticks (and one deer). Good knives in BG42, D2, A2, stay sharp. I even have a CS in AUS8 that seems not to dull now matter how much I cut, hack, chop with it. Length and shape are important, but steel, heat treatment, and edge configuration are what really matters.
Oh, I do have a bunch of Infi and SR101 but haven't actually used them. I bet they will work too.
I did try a 6" + knife once for deer skinning. Do you know how hard it is to field sharpen a 440c blade at 64.5 RC w/o diamonds? Only used it once.
Ron Athay
 
I am most comfortable and efficient with a knife with a 3-4" blade for deer. I've used both fixed blades and folders and don't have a significant preference. I've tried longer fixed blades and have less control. I tend to reach for my folder first it seems. I prefer a folder for small game.
 
dd61999 said:
I am finding smaller knives (2-3") are more enjoyable to work with for field dressing.

What knives do you guys like to work with?
Click to expand...

I agree with the smaller knives for field dressing. This usually only involves removing the entrals after carefully making a long incision. For many years I've used a 3 1/2" bladed Sharpfinger for this on game from squirrels to deer.

For me, the same size knife later works to skin as well. I have used much smaller knives to do the field dressing, and larger. My personal technique on deer involves reaching up high in the chest cavity and a large knife just won't do. I try to keep the opening as small as practical on deer so as to minimize exposure to insects and trash.

I have to say that I field dressed, skinned and butchered eight deer here this year. Some years the number is lower. Back in the 70's and 80's it was a lot higher, as many as 60 or 70 a year for a large hunting club (110 members).

This year, just to try out a new knife, all eight were processed start to finish with a Becker Necker. I was impressed with how well the steel stayed sharp until each deer was done, and resharpened quickly on a pocket hone. The 3 1/2" blade profile was larger than I prefer, but it did the job.
 
I keep the Outdoor Edge Outpak. This is an exhaustive kit that includes a Gut-Hook Skinner, a Caper, and a Folding Filet Knife. In addition to the three knives, it includes a Saw, a Hatchet, a Ceramic Sharpening Rod, and a Steel Stick (rib spreader). They even threw in latex gloves, a small tape measure, some zip ties, handi-wipes, and a pen for filling out my tag.

Outpak1.jpg


The Skinner, Caper and Saw are with me. The Skinner has a deep belly and a gut hook. I was leary of the gut hook, but it unzips critters just fine. Having a small, seperate Caper for delicate work means you don't have to compromise on the Skinner. I have also seen foldiing Capers.

Kodipak1HS.jpg


The rest rides strapped to my packframe waiting for one of our group to get an animal on the ground. I like this kit but would do fine with just the parts I'm carrying and the Steel Stick. This thing is AWESOME! It completely opens the chest up so you can see what you're doing, without having to jury-rig something with sticks or tying off to nearby trees.

SteelStick1.jpg


-- FLIX
 
3 to 4 inches is best for me. I prefer a drop point, but have used a variety of knife configurations and they all work.
 
dd61999 said:
I am finding smaller knives (2-3") are more enjoyable to work with for field dressing.

What knives do you guys like to work with?
Click to expand...

I prefer a 3.5" fixed blade with a gut hook for field dressing anything from rabbits to deer.
 
I've used a Buck Nighthawk on slaughter hogs and a KABAR on a deer but for skinning out a deer at least the best knife I've ever used was a A.G. Russell Woodswalker. Didn't have to worry so much about stabbing/slicing my partners who were working on the same animal.
 
3-4 in blade works well for me, for just gutting a smaller blade, sak or slippie blade works just fine for me.
 
for small critters , like rabbits and hares , a small blade it good for me , 1 inch pen knife type thing ...

for goat / roo / small deer / medium pig sized game a 4 inch folder does it for me real good , not just gut and bleed but skin and part out too .

I only take what I want to eat tho , that means its coming back to camp over my shoulders ... so I dont go for size or trophy , I go for tender and fat looking instead , as well I dont want to cart a big critter a long way .

Im lazy
 
My favorite field dressing knife is a Buck 105 Pathfinder. I like the long(5") slender blade. Makes it easier to cut around the anus.
 
More important to me is shape. I like 2.5-4" blades with point and belly. I have used the caping knife by Knives of Alaska that some people have talked about but it's too straight and pointy for me. Good chance of stabbing something I don't want poked!

I process mostly caribou and have done up close to 100 over the years

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I finally settled on the Grohmann original as a fixed knife but my favourite blade shape is the Wegner designed folder.

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Even used the Mouse for a caribou but it's a bit short.
The Spyderco Wegner C48 at the top is still the one with the best ergo's for me. The combination of point for fine work, belly for skinning action and blade length for efficiency is the best I have used. Good enough that I put up with the messiness of using a folder as a hunt knife. Gunk gets inside and freezes and then I need to use some precious hot water to clean it up before I can close it.
 
For a folder I really like the Wenger blades too. I have the pro hunter lite, but have thought about the regular pro hunter.
 
I am not a hunter so I never had the chance of fiel dressing anything but somwhere here on BF I read that for skinning game you don't need a blade much longer than your index finger. Maybe you need something a little bigger to split joints... I am not sure.
Mikel
 
The control and ease of use on a small blade I prefer on field dressing. 2.75" to 3.25" are ideal. I have a Pete Semich custom fixed blade with 2.75" cutting edge and 6.5" overall that is perfect for field dressing whitetail. Great control with point and belly that is easy to use. My Vic Hunter I use for the saw to split the pelvis and ribcage, the blade is 3" and does work well for field dressing. I've used my Spyderco Native III and it worked GREAT. My Pete Custom has a very similar blade design to the Spyderco, but in a fixed blade that cleans up easier. Finally, a medium Stockman is probably one of the best for field dressing, it gives me the abilty for extreme precision.

I guess I would say...2.75" to 3.25" would be my choice for field dressing small game up to whitetail. Butchering or larger game would be different.
 
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