Which Hunting Knife are You Using This Year (Traditional)?

JM2

JM2

Joined
Mar 11, 2013
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Deer season is upon us here. We had a 2 day special season as part of the states efforts to monitor CWD, and our regular gun season will be in November. I don't get a deer every year, but I am hoping that this year I'll connect as I have a couple of guns I want to blood.

After which gun to use, the next most important question is which knife to use?

The last deer I field dressed with a Buck 110. Before that it was a Buck 119 and an Uncle Henry 153 Golden Spike. The 119 was a but large, but the Golden Spike worked just fine. The 110 did just fine, and I appreciated the locking blade, but cleanup was a but more involved.

I think this year it'll be my Buck 192 Vanguard.
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Or perhaps the Buck 684
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Tough decision. What's everyone else using this year?
 
wish i could go hunting this year.
knife choice would be between a D date code Western L66, D date code Western 062 folding hunter, Mora #1, Cold Steel Finn Bear, a Spyderco fixed blade (I forget the model name) 1 of ate Buck 110's, a (U.S.) Old Timer 6OT/7OT, a offshore Old Timer and Marbles 2 blade folding hunter.
I suppose my CRKT M-21 would be a viable option, as well.

edit:
of course no matter which of the above was my "primary" knife either (and/or both) my SAK Huntsman or Hercules would come along.
the saw would come in handy to split the pelvis (or to quarter the "big deer" (elk & moose) Idaho has.) and to cut fire would.
a large stockman would likely tag along as well.
 
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Someone made this up and gave it to me when I was about 19 or so. It's been the hunting knife ever since. I don't get out anymore but I dug my bow out of pops attic recently. Might be nice to get it restrung and go throw some arrows around.

I believe this was a kit knife but I don't know. It takes a razor sharp edge and fits my hand perfectly. The acute clip point is nice for field dressing.
 
Although I renew my hunting license every year and get all the tags, I don't actively hunt anymore - too old and decrepit. However, if I were to take the field this year this old Schrade Wolverine would be a great carry - 1982 to 1985 era.

1982 - 1985 Used Schrade 1 .jpg
1982 - 1985 Used Schrade 2 .jpg
1982 - 1985 Used Schrade 3 .jpg
 
The Victorinox Hunter has been on every hunt since I got it in 2003 so that’s a no-brainer. Headed over to Idaho next weekend to help a couple buddies fill elk tags. I still have a bear tag in my pocket and plan on looking for some grouse and a fall turkey. A little indecisive on what to take. The Western lock-back hasn’t been on a hunt in years and the Helle never has so those two are on the short list. The Buck 102 would work great if I bagged a turkey and would be plenty useful for everything else. The Hess hasn’t been out in a couple years either.🧐🧐🧐

1st world problems I guess…


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315 said:
The Hess hasn’t been out in a couple years either.
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I’ve never hunted anything bigger than whitetail deer so my experience is limited but that Hess looks just about perfect to me. That Western lockback looks pretty sweet too.

I am planning on hunting this upcoming firearms deers season. So far I’ve narrowed my hunting knife choices down to a Buck 110 with a 5160 clip point blade, a drop point 110 with a 420HC blade or a carbon steel Case 6265 from 1981.

I started out using a folding knife for hunting. Clean up is easier with a fixed blade but folders are more comfortable and convenient to carry imho. I don’t have to travel far to hunt so I’m always home the same day and all I need in the field is something to cover field dressing duties. In my current situation a folding knife works great. If I was hunting out of a camp or needing to process a deer I would definitely bring a fixed blade.

Good luck to all the hunters this fall/winter.
 
For folding knives, what's everyones way to clean them after using them for deer or other large game?

I take it under the faucet with hot water and lots of dawn. Then I dry it the best I can with paper towels. Then I soak the knife in WD40 or Remoil, and dry that with a paper towel. Finally, I oil the joints.

I want to use my Case 6265, at least once, but I also don't want to deal with this process when it's so much easier to use a fixed blade.
 
JM2 said:
For folding knives, what's everyones way to clean them after using them for deer or other large game?
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I drop the open knife into a sink of warm/hot soapy water for about 10 minutes. If it makes sense to rinse it before hand I do so. After the soak I use running water, preferably a spray nozzle, to blast as much gunk out as possible. I repeat until clean. My experience is that a Buck 110 or similar knife is easier to get clean than a Trapper or Stockman. I think it’s because the slot for the blade in the handle is a little wider. Sometimes paper towels and toothpicks are helpful but not usually necessary if I clean it up the same day I use it.

Once it’s clean I use compressed air to blow the knife dry and then oil the joints. That’s it. Access to hot water and a sink makes using folders a reasonable choice and clean up isn’t terrible. Without that I wouldn’t recommend it.
 
My dad didn't really connect with this drop point that I made him a few years back. The handle was a little small for him since I made it to fit my hand, since it was what I had to pattern it with. And he likes the clip point / bowie style blade, not the drop point. So I made him another with those specs and I'm going to reclaim this one as my main hunting knife. 154CM and Elk antler. I was really fond of it, so I'm not actually sad I am getting it back ;)

 
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I’ve already shot one deer this year, a doe with my recurve on the second evening of season.
Like usual my GEC 23 was used for dressing and then skinning and quartering. An Old Hickory 10” butcher knife I found for a quarter and rehabbed was used for butchering chores that I just finished a few minutes ago.

In a normal year my 23 will account for somewhere between 3-8 deer and 1-3 elk between October and January.
 
The Kidd said:
Like usual my GEC 23 was used for dressing and then skinning and quartering. An Old Hickory 10” butcher knife I found for a quarter and rehabbed was used for butchering chores that I just finished a few minutes ago.

In a normal year my 23 will account for somewhere between 3-8 deer and 1-3 elk between October and January.
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I love that you use a traditional knife for this, If it does the job, and you have a sharpening stone you can work your way through anything.

And I need to go hunting with you ..... then again, cleaning an Elk sounds like too much work.
 
The Kidd said:
I’ve already shot one deer this year, a doe with my recurve on the second evening of season.
Like usual my GEC 23 was used for dressing and then skinning and quartering. An Old Hickory 10” butcher knife I found for a quarter and rehabbed was used for butchering chores that I just finished a few minutes ago.

In a normal year my 23 will account for somewhere between 3-8 deer and 1-3 elk between October and January.
Click to expand...

You will have to forgive my ignorance, the only hunting I have done was for game birds and squirrels. What are those in your hand?
 
They are the ivory “whistlers” from a bull elk. Each elk has a pair in their top jaw. Possibly some remnant of fangs that they’ve almost evolved away from? I don’t know really what their purpose is, not sure they have one, but they’re the only deer species with them and they’re commonly kept as a trophy or good luck charm. There are also companies that specialize in elk ivory jewelry.

Some Indian tribes used to make elk tooth shirts, a buckskin or trade cloth blouse with silver rings holding elk ivories on them. Fancy shirts for maidens. https://share.google/aGmiyXQWw0bWNizKT
 
Had the H-10 mini bowie on the hip for yesterdays hunt in these pics. No deer showed up so the only use I had for the knife was to cut and trim some brush for a natural ground blind set up. I have a handful of fixed blades I'll rotate thru on different hunts depending on my whims. For years I carried a Buck vanguard only but traded it away about 7 years ago
and now miss that knife due to sentimental reasons.

H10 10-14-25 hunt - 1.jpegH10 10-14-25 hunt-2 - 1.jpeg
 
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