What's the best hunting knife?

S

scole

Joined
Oct 3, 2005
Messages
4

I want to purchase a knife for the upcoming hunting season, but I would like some input on what kind. I'm looking in the $100 price range. I'm interested in opinions on the type of steel; the three I'm looking at were VG 10, AUS 8, and D2. The knife I buy would not be used alot, but when it is it will take a beating. Skinning deer and butchering meat would be the primary functions, but also used around the camp for general purpose like pealing potatoes, onions, cooking, etc.

I want a knife that will hold a razor edge for a good while, but one that I can sharpen quickly.

So what's your ideas on the best knife for the money?

Thanks!
 
They are all three good steels. The AUS-8 will be the easiest to sharpen and should stay sharp through the processing of a deer. The VG-10 will stay sharp longer and is the best choice if your blade stays wet long enough for edge corrosion to be a problem (since it is stainless). The D2 is the most wear resistant of the three and will hold an edge the longest (if you don't have a corrosion problem). D2 would be the hardest to sharpen. This is primarily a problem if you get a knife that is not hollow ground or that does not have a thin grind profile.

Here is a detailed comparison of three identical knives with AUS-8, VG-10, and D2 blades. Note that these knives have very thin blades and are easy to sharpen.
http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sstamp/knives/deerhunters.html
 
For a number of years my primary hunting knife has been Cold Steel's Master Hunter with AUS-8 blade.This is a very practical knike well designed handle and the checkered rubber gives a firm grip even when hands are cold or wet. The 4 1/2" blade has a slight drop point .It's within your budget. I highly recommend it.
 
Jeff, thanks for the info. As a matter of fact I have a deer hunter in ATS 34 and I very much dislike it. It's hard to sharpen and won't stay sharp for long.

Mete, what thickness is your knife? I have a folding Spyderco in ATS 55. It's about 5/32 inch thick and tough as hell but the drop point is not much for skinning.

I have my eye on a Junglee large skinner made out of AUS 8 for $75. What do you think?
 
For ease of sharpening your best bet is to get a knife that is hollow ground and factory honed at a low angle. This contour will also not dull as fast as others. My favorite hunting knife with those characteristics is the Buck Vanguard. With the standard 420HC alloy blade it should be comparable to AUS-8 for edge holding and it will be easy to sharpen. If you are willing to take an alloy that is harder to sharpen you can get a Vanguard from Cabela's with an S30V alloy blade that is harder and more wear resistant. It is Cabela's Alaskan Guide version of the Buck Vanguard.

http://www.agrussell.com/var/storage/original/image/phpen98nE.jpg


In general I find ATS-34 hard to sharpen to the kind of edge that I like. If you otherwise like the ergonomics of the AG Russell Deer Hunter you might try the VG-10 alloy version. It is easier to sharpen than ATS-34.
 
The Master Hunter is 3/16" at the spine. ...I don't really understand the need for a "skinning" knife. If we are talking about deer most of the skinning is actually pulling the hide then cutting some membrane and repeating that until done. Gerber used to make a purely skinning knife , it had no point.I still have mine which I think I used once ! Hang the deer from a gambrel and with one hand get a good grip on the hide ,pull down cutting membranes when needed. I,ve done many deer without a skinning knife. The Master Hunter does a fine job of dressing, skinning and completely butchering a deer.Mine does not have a gut hook either it's not needed.
 
I'm using a Bark River Mini Montana Guide with Amboynia handles this year. If the deer gods are looking after me, for game processing I will use a BR Wolf River. The Mini Montana is A-2 and the Wolf River is 12c27. Both with a hair popping convex edge.

Scott
www.sagecreekoutfitters.com
 
Scole, I assume you don't litterally mean a special purpose skinning knife, you mean a hunting knife which can do whatever is needful with a deer in the field. And with that in mind I wouldn't say that there is a manufacturer that categorically makes the best hunting knives, because the "best" hunting knives depend on what fits your needs.

When you requested a knife that could clean and butcher a deer as well as work around the camp you got a couple particular models suggested in short order. For example the Cold Steel Master Hunter and the Buck Vanguard have features in common that seemed to meet your needs. They have blades in the 4 to 4.5 inch length range which is long enough to handle your butchering needs while short enough to not get in your way while working around the body cavity. They are also long enough to be handy around camp. They both have handles that provide a good grip with the blade turned either edge-down or edge-up. They both also have finger guards. The grip and guard combinations work safely when your hands are bloody or cold. Both knives have accute edge profiles that are easy to sharpen. Both come in alloys that are easy to sharpen.

There are actually a lot of interesting knives out there, but you start making some tradeoffs when you go that way. You are better off looking at the designs then at the materials as you make your choice rather than looking at brands. I like Spyderco knives a lot, but I haven't seen a design that fits my needs as a hunting knife as well as the Vanguard. Benchmade has a hunting knife that is very much like a Vanguard, but it is so extremely hollow ground that it might not be sufficiently durable for some people and the handle kind of presses into my hand uncomfortably when I grip it. For me the AG Russel Deer Hunter handle is a bit small for my hand. I have a bit of the same complaint with the Fallkniven F1.

The Outdoor Edge Kodi Skinner Drop Point is a good design: http://www.outdooredge.com/product_detail.php?cat_ID=4&prod_ID=4

Anyway, see if you can find a large knife store and experiment with gripping various knives. If you want knives that are easy to sharpen try: AUS-8, 12C27, AUS-10, VG-10 or carbon steel blades. The tool steels, A2, D2, and M2 might frustrate you. Look for hollow ground blades for easiest sharpening.
 
I can't say enough about my fallkniven F1. VG10 steel holds an edge like no other knife that I have-including BM 806d2-good belly for skinning and quartering. Great size for a true hunting knife and built to withstand more abuse than you'll throw at it. As far as size goes I have large hands and am very comfortable with it.
Having said that one of my next purchases will be a swamp rat camp tramp or battle rat for camping. For hunting however I can't say enough about my F1
 
I'll be using my SwampRat Howling Rat this year. Time will tell whether it will be on deer or whittling sticks, but I'll be using it on something.
howlingrat.jpg


That said, I really like the looks of the Bark River Woodland for more specialized work also.
woodland-black.jpg
 
Dozier D2 or Ingram D2 is a great choice. Both make some top shelf hunting cutlery for sure and their prices are very reasonable considering you are getting something truly handmade.

Also, look at Scotts knives. (Razorback here on the forums) He is an avid hunter and outdoorsman and also makes some superb hunting knives.
 
how much does the Fallkniven F1 cost? and how do you think it compares to the swamp rat's Camp Tramp?
 
Dnnice87. Both the F1 and the Camp Tramp are two very different knives that are not really designed to do the same things. There are some areas of course where they can cross over to do them but overall one is a military style survival type knife with a 3.5" blade or so and the other a 7.5" blade Bowie style camping companion.

For more info I recommend you ask this question by starting your own thread to ask it so we can stay on topic here with the one started for this thread by Scole for the best hunting knife. :thumbup:
 
The F1 starts at around $75.00 at the Bladeforums-affiliated One Stop Knife Shop. It depends on the sheath:
http://www.1sks.com/store/fallkniven.html

The laminated F1's make good survival knives since laminated blades can be bent, but will not break. That isn't a big issue with a hunting knife, but the blade shape and length is good. You would need to reprofile the edge on your F1 to make it perform well as a hunting knife (some significant effort) and if you don't it would be a bother to sharpen. The Camp Tramp may be more robust and has a better handle (the F1 handle is pretty thin), but it is way too long for a hunting knife. You would be cutting things better left uncut with a 7.5-inch blade. Better choices would be a Howling Rat or a Bandicoot each with 4.5-inch blades. I don't like the way that the Swamp Rat blades are tilted forwards. This makes it harder to guard the point with your fingers when you turn the blade edge-up for opening the abdominal cavity of an animal. It is easy to guard the point on an F1. You should also know that the Swamp Rat knives are not stainless.

Here's the list (it is sort of out of date) of standard Swamp Rat designs.
http://www.swamprat.com/knives.html
 
I use a Nieto semi skinner to do almost all my deer work, it has a swept blade and a Rosewood handle. I know its not from your usual maker but I use it and I love the hell out of it. I also use the knives of alaska series with the jeager and the bear cub. i just got a razorback this year and its outstanding I will gut and butcher many a deer with that knife.
 
I'm a Buck knife fan from way back. I love their traditional black phenolic handled fixed blades. The model 103 skinner being my favorite. I prefer the 440C steel they used in the 70's. Being a maker of big game hunting knives I tend to use my own more now for design testing purposes in the field. This is the model i'll be concentrating on the most this fall.

point7.jpg



Early muzzleloader in two weeks. :D I hope between my hunting partner and I we'll have several down for gutting, skinning and butchering.
My buddy will be using this one I made for him.

elkhunter.jpg


Both are O1 steel which i haven't taken to the hunting fields yet.
Scott
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top