What kind of knife set will I need to hunt?

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brockgl

New member
I am brand new to hunting, and I want to buy a knife set that will allow me to do everything I need when it comes to field dressing. I want to get all the type of knives I will need for birds and large and small game. I plan to hunt rabbit, deer, turkey, and lots of other birds. Also squirrel, and other small game. Any suggestions on brands and types of knives that are 'must haves'?
 
Well, first of all forget about brands. What you need is quality. Quality is defined by the type of steel used in the blade, the heat treat, the resulting Rockwell hardness of the blade, and then more to the personal note, the blade shape.
The old standby steel by which all others are judged 440-C stainless. It is a high carbon, high chromium alloy steel that started the custom knife business. Other good quality steels following along this line are 154 CM and ATS-34. These are the same steel, one an American steel and the other a Japanese steel. Lately makers have swung to AUS-4, AUS-6, AND AUS-8. These are steels used by the "Brand name" knife makers, fairly good steels but suited to easy and fast machine manufacturing methods.

Probably the most copied and most carried knife going is the Loveless drop point. I was down in Riverside a couple years ago and stopped and visited with Bob Loveless, and he said that now all his knives are going to collectors and are bringing around $2000 each. So, if you arent able to swing that for a 3-1/2" bladed knife, then you will need to settle on a copy.

A good using knife does not need to be over 4" long blade. It should also have a drop point, or it will snag and cut the paunch and guts while butchering, ruining the meat. The resulting trade off on the blade is the hardness which helps determine the ability of the blade to stay sharp. The harder it is, the longer it stays sharp, also, the more difficult it is to resharpen. A blade stamped R-56 will sharpen easier than a R-60, but the R-60 stays sharper longer. This is the range of hardness you need to select for.

This brings you to 1. a brand name knife, or 2. a custom made knife. The custom makers get $300-500 for the same knife design that they franchise out to the brand knife maker who sells it for $50-$75. The difference is that the brand name seller has the knives made in China by machine and slave labor.

Good brands are Benchmade, Lone Wolf, Columbia River Knife and Tool, Case, Fallkniven, and Buck for hunting knives. Benchmade and Lone Wolf is excellent quality but expensive for what you get. Fallkniven is an import but top shelf. Case is the old standby, and I find Buck to be my last choice, an old line brand but using clip points, and being tempered very very hard. I have seen Buck knives break by being dropped on concrete. That leaves Columbia River or CRKT which is in my book the best bang for the buck. Their designs are excellent, especially the Russ Komer designs, their steel is excellent, and they stand behind their products unquestionably. They keep their prices down by using Chinese manufacture to their specifications.

Study what is out there. Study the steel qualities. Make a selection based 1. on blade shape, and 2. on steel quality, then find the brand that gives that to you for the best price.
 
I use a folding Bucklite knife or my Helle Odel fixed blade knife for the chores of gutting and skinning. I find a Wyoming saw a great item to have as well for cutting through bone. I use just a regular old fillet knife $8 from Wal-Mart for most of my meat processing needs. A good knife is very important but learning how to keep one sharp is probably more important.
 
I carry a Buck 110 daily and I buy all my kitchen cutlery at yard sales. Folks will buy a set of junk knives and sell the old carbon steel stuff for a buck or less each. Since my wife thinks sharp knives are dangerous, she calls all the good knives His and never notices when they are outdoors for butcherin' duty. I will buy most any american made knife and if it won't take or hold a good edge I let it go...
Brent
 
Buck makes affordable, quaility hunting knives. You don't need any thing fancier or more expensive but beware, you'll be tempted. :rolleyes:
 
Me'n' predator 86. I've gutted many a deer and skinned them out, with a 4" folding Solingen pocketknife. Tap the back of the blade with a rock to split the pelvis bone. And, truth be told, most of the butchering, too.

Main thing is "sharp", with steel that will hold an edge. Most any decent carbon steel and a medium fine stone will let you disassemble most any critter.
 
I've never had any trouble taking deer apart with a Buck 110 folder or a Case "yellow handle" folding trapper. It doesnt take a giant knife to do it, just a good, sharp one.
 
Just stay away from the big Bowie knives:D yea, they look cool and I have seen many people that are ill informed take one to the field to TRY to clean a deer. I say try because it is much too big and unwieldy and they usually butcher the job. Stick with the above mentioned suggestions, a 3-4" blade is all you really need, folder or fixed blade, stick with a "big name" knife company (buck, case, etc...) and you should be fine. Also as others have said, learn how to keep it sharp.
 
"Only thing I hate about folders is getting the gunk out of them after using them."

Scalding hot water and a toothpick.
 
Art, similar to what I do - just seems there would be a better way. I am wondering if peroxide might work...guess I'll just have to try it.
 
You could always get one of those folders with interchangeable blades. Remove the blade when you clean it and probably get a tooth brush down in there.
 
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