Recommend a good value hunting knife

Creature

Great knifes are made up there aren't they? I've found the laminated stainless knives are also great products.
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I dont know about that, but the Finnish puukko knife is as good a design as as it gets for general duty for hunting small/medium game and all around utility. I have tried the laminated stainless steel blades...but have come to prefer carbon steel, fixed blade knife for hunting and camping.

The Kellam-made puukko knife has an excellent carbon steel blade which is VERY slow to dull...edge retention can be a real problem for certain stainless steels. Carbon steel is especially handy when you are working up to your elbows on a buck...and your hands are so dirty that constant stopping to resharpen a poor blade becomes a real pain in the butt. Carbon steel does rust if uncared for; carbon steel needs regular attention.

The other thing I really like about my Kellam puukko knife is the sheath. It is very strong and secures the knife very well...plus it is easy to keep clean and requires zero care.

The value from the Kellam puukko far more that its cost of under $25. Great knife that wont break the bank and doesn't bring on the tears if it lost or damaged.
 
Mora is another manufacturer who makes Swedish sandwich high carbon steel knives. They are not very pretty with bright poly handles, but they are very practical and a good value.
 
Carbon steel is especially handy when you are working up to your elbows on a buck...and your hands are so dirty that constant stopping to resharpen a poor blade becomes a real pain in the butt.
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Resharping of my swed laminates in not required and that includes splitting the sternum and the the pelvic bone. Even my little Moras can do that w/o requiring a resharp, actually, "Bring on deer #2"

I carry a Karesuando for my hunting knife now but the Moras are still priced about $10 or 15 last I checked. I don't like the Mora sheaths but for that pirce there's no need to carry a dull knife.

Best

S-
 
Gerber anything. I like how they hold their edge. I have 4 of them, varying from 2" to 6". All folding lock blades. Nice and compact. And yes, I once gutted a deer with the 2". No problem.
 
I like my Buck Vanguard. Not fancy but a handy size, sturdy and you can get it in either plain blade style or with a gut hook. With the kraton handle it is very grippy when wet/slimy.
 
My stag handled Puma Bowie is far and away the finest knife I've ever been privleged to hold. Have hunted with it for 24 years. The last two seasons though I have put aside my puma (in the safe actually) and taken up an SOG Revolver. It's the SEAL knife but with a gut hook.

I carry a Victorinox 4 inch locker in my pocket 24-7 that would gut anything on the planet:D
Ken
 
I would have to second the Gerber line. Probably my favorite of all was an old Buck two bladed folder that I lost in the woods some 25 yrs. ago. IMO the Bucks of today just don`t seem to have the steel in them they used to. Believe it or not, one of the sharpest knives I`ve ever used and one that would hold an edge seemingly forever was an old worn down tile knife.Have never been a fan of the gut hook.
 
As per Creature's advice, I took a chance and ordered a few different types of Puuko knives from Kellam -

http://www.kellamknives.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=129

http://www.kellamknives.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=199

http://www.kellamknives.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=202

For under $70 delivered, all made in Finland - I'm a HUGE fan of Finnish products (all my bolt-action rifles are made in Finland), plus my wife needed a fishing knife - I'll let you know how they work out in a few weeks.

Thanks again for all the great advice.
 
wyobohunter

I use CPM s30v for my camp knives. The "Last Tag" models have CPM D2. All knives are heat treated by Paul Bos. The s30v has great edge retention.
 
I'm a Buck Vanguard fan. But if you want an economy, hunting, fixed blade - I recommend a rubber handled Marbles. The sheath that comes with it is very cheap (I'm making my own for it). The knife will cost under $20.

MarblesBuck.jpg
 
I got three knives (Puukos) from Kellam Knives in the mail today. TWO DAYS after I ordered them! They were packaged like $2000 knives, with a personal letter thanking me for my purchase, warning me to be careful since the knives are so sharp, and it included a very nice certificate of authenticity as well as some history of Finnish knives and their importance to their culture. I was, frankly, extremely impressed with all of this - especially when you consider these knives each cost about $20.

The knives themselves are quite sharp, ergonomic, practical, and while they won't win any beauty contests, seem to be well-suited for most tasks I will use them for. My wife loves hers, and even though our hands are very different in size, each of us can use all three of the knives easily.

Thanks again, Creature, for the suggestions of going with Kellam. I'm already thinking of buying some more as gifts this Christmas for my brother and father.
 
I got a schrade hunting knife as a gift several years back. It has a green rubber handle that is easy to grip and a gut hook. The knife is very inexpensive and works great. I see them onsale at big 5 for $20 once in a while. I have only used it for field dressing deer and like it fine for that purpose. For someone like me that only ocasionaly guts deer the gut hook makes it really easy.
 
SOG Field Pup

I am really loving the SOG Field Pup since I got it. It runs about $35, has an excellent ergonomic synthetic rubber handle, balances well, and the blade is proportioned nicely; strong but not too thick.
Oh, yeah, and its razor sharp out of the box.

Eli W.
 
Some of the Buck knives are made in China - I bought one last fall on sale - big mistake - shot a doe archery early season this year. Anyway its a folding lock-back knife ( I dontknow model,skeletonized silver frame) went to gut her and blade would not stay locked.Almost cut my finger off- dangerous.I guess you have to buy one made in U.s.a,watch out for Chinese Out-sourcing!!!:(
 
Some of the Buck knives are made in China - I bought one last fall on sale - big mistake - shot a doe archery early season this year. Anyway its a folding lock-back knife ( I dontknow model,skeletonized silver frame) went to gut her and blade would not stay locked.Almost cut my finger off- dangerous.I guess you have to buy one made in U.s.a,watch out for Chinese Out-sourcing!!!
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And/or clones...

Has anyone used a Tom Brown designed Tracker Knife?
 
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