Which knife?

G

gunner4391

New member
I'm going on my first hunt and I plan on taking a good sized deer or a nice boar :D but I don't have a good knife for field dressing, all I have are my tactical knives. So I was wondering what type of knife I should get, and please try to keep it under $50.
 
my 2 favorites are the Buck 110 or the Buck 119... Both under $50 and both at walmart...
I use the 110 as a pocket knife and never needed more than the 3.75 inch blade to stick a hog. My next knife will be the 119.
Brent
 
Not many things in life that I know a whole lot about but as I spend, and have for the last 30 years, part of every day with a knife in my hand I will offer this.

First off you don't need near as big a knife as you think you do. A 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inch blade is more than sufficent for most any deer/hog. I like a drop point as it's easier to miss guts as you field dress with one.

It's also nice to have a handle that is slip resistant, especially when wet.

If you go for a folder, and I'll say that I like them for carrying in the woods, be certian to get one with a RELIABLE lock. Remember that in the field all you are doing is getting the guts out and that does not take a big knife.

Back at the cleaning station you should have not only the knife but a saw and a sharpening steel, or stone, to finish the job.

Good steel is a must. I have a couple of Bucks, one is 40 years old and on it's second blade ( And that second blade they put on for FREE after I wore the first one down so far that it would not stay closed without a rubberband on it.) and a Gerber. The Gerber is a newer model with a half serrated edge. I did not think I would like it but have warmed to it. You still have to sharpen the serated part ( Yes it can be done easily. ) after splitting a pelvis or a brisket but it does job in the field so long as the deer or hog is not to big. Makes field dressing a little faster.

Buy a name brand with a good warrenty and learn to keep it sharp.

One final thought, if you have big hands be sure to get a knife that has a handle big enough for them. I don't but have seen my brother in law toss my knives aside in aggrivation because they were to small for his big mits. Be sure it feels secure in your hand.
 
I'd like to echo bswiv's advice.

Small, sharp knife works very well. Most of my field dressing is done with a folder. I have quite a few and can't seem to remember one that didn't do it's job if I did mine in keeping its edge maintained.

I have also used the Buck that Adventurer 2 posted a link to and it is very good. Another good fixed blade knife is the old Schrade 152 "Sharpfinger". Sadly they are no longer made or if they are they are made elsewhere and not of the same quality.

Also as a side note, I do not split the pelvis on my deer. I started a thread on this some time back and will see if I can dig it up from the grave. I basically cut the reproductive and digestive systems out as a whole unit. Everything from the windpipe/esophagus down to the backend comes out together. No bones split at all.

I don't hunt hogs (though I'd like to) so I don't know if that would work there. I also don't hunt gigantic gators like bswiv and wouldn't know where to start on one o' those critters. :)
 
bswiv brings a point up I will address with the 119... I am going to have a machine shop put it in the milling machine and put a sure grip texture in the grip as it is slick and sticking a hog is a bloody mess demanding a heck of a safe grip.
Ivory was originally a knife and saber handle cuz it didn't get slick when bloody.
Brent
 
First off you don't need near as big a knife as you think you do. A 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inch blade is more than sufficent for most any deer/hog. I like a drop point as it's easier to miss guts as you field dress with one.

It's also nice to have a handle that is slip resistant, especially when wet.

If you go for a folder, and I'll say that I like them for carrying in the woods, be certian to get one with a RELIABLE lock. Remember that in the field all you are doing is getting the guts out and that does not take a big knife.

Back at the cleaning station you should have not only the knife but a saw and a sharpening steel, or stone, to finish the job.

Good steel is a must. I have a couple of Bucks, one is 40 years old and on it's second blade ( And that second blade they put on for FREE after I wore the first one down so far that it would not stay closed without a rubberband on it.) and a Gerber. The Gerber is a newer model with a half serrated edge. I did not think I would like it but have warmed to it. You still have to sharpen the serated part ( Yes it can be done easily. ) after splitting a pelvis or a brisket but it does job in the field so long as the deer or hog is not to big. Makes field dressing a little faster.

Buy a name brand with a good warrenty and learn to keep it sharp.
Click to expand...

Excellent advice. I have had good luck with Gerber and Kershaw, but as long as it's good steel the manufacture doesn't matter much. A feral pig will dull a knife post haste. Have a sharpener with you. I keep a diamond impregnated single crock stick. I'm not a fan of serrated blades, but that's just my preference to have a nice long flat keen surface for clean cuts when working the backstrap and fillets out.
 
Last edited:
My 110 is 33 years old now and still going strong. I liked it so much I later went out and bought a 119 for a fixed blade. It's got to be over 25 years old.

I can't begin to think of all the countless critters cleaned and skinned with these two, mostly the 110 though. I'm pretty sure they both will outlive me. I try and take care of them, and they are both tight as when I bought them.

The photo will show the size difference.

P1000102.jpg
 
I have Buck,Schrade and Case in about every configuration available and what bswiv said is spot on.I believe one of the best deals on a knife is the Schrade Sharp Finger 3 1/2" fixed blade great handle and one of the easiest knives to sharpen.Available most any place knives are sold for less $20.00.I carry a small steel to touch up the edge when something bigger than a deer is expected.No knife is any good if it ain't sharp,so knowing how to sharpen is more important than what knife you bring.
 
I agree on the schrade sharp finger, the bear paw folder is also a great knife. The carbon steel takes an edge much faster and easier than stainless. I also have two bucks, I use them at home for skinning in the garage, takes too long to sharpen them in the field.
 
+! on the Buck 110. Mine is from 1965, has been rehandled with stag, and is still going strong. It is a Folding Hunter from before the model numbers were used <g>.

P1000725.jpg


P1000726.jpg
 
I'll go along with what most of the others say about blade size. You don't need much. Too much blade is a hindrance. I don't like Stainless Steel blades. I prefer a good carbon steel blade with a gut hook. Nothing unzips a deer out of his hide like a gut hook. I mostly use an old U.S.A. made Schrade Old Timer 1580T. The only bad thing about it is the bone scales get slick when bloody.
IMG_0040.jpg
 
Well, here goes, I am certainly no fan of Buck knives. I find their heat treating to make the blades too brittle. I have used some Case knives with good luck and I carry one in my pocket, and have for about 30 years.

The best bang for the buck right now are the CKRT knives. Their steel is top quality, and they are heat treated properly. They keep an edge well, and they will resharpen with the proper stones.

The thing that I advise is that you take 2 knives. One a pocket folder and the other a belt knife. 3.5 inches is plenty of blade for either of them. I like to use one knife to open the hide and remove scent glands from deer and hogs--in that order--and then put it away and use the other knife for the remaining field dressing. A dirty knife will carry nasty taste from the scent glands to your meat. Also, I find a clip point knife to be a detriment in field dressing any animal and much prefer a drop point blade. Clip points will snag guts and leave you with a nasty mess, where a drop point will much less likely snag guts when you open the body cavity.

My much preferred favorite belt knife is the CRKT Kilsbuck. It is a small knife, very attactively priced, holds an edge a long time, gets the job done, and importantly the sheath rides high on my belt and does not flop or snag on brush. I carry a CRKT Carson M21-14 as my locking folder. Any folder that does not securely lock open is a hazard in a field dressing operation.

I have 4 knives on the bench right now in various stages of completion, and they are all drop points. The clip points are a carryover of the bowie blade days. If the clip is sharpened, then they have value as a fighting knife, but not as a field dressing knife. I have only fieldressed about 125 animals, so thats my limited experience.
 
In the price range you speak, I would suggest a Case Trapper folder or Buck 110. I have also used a Gerber Gator with a plain edge. It does not take a big knife. It takes a knife you can make sharp and can handle safely both inside and outside the carcus.
 
Since Gerber got bought out by the scissors company, their quality has gone straight down the toilet. Colombia River is a good Oregon Company and light years ahead of Gerber in quality for really affordable prices. It isnt the brand, it is the quality of steel and the design of the blade. Sweeping upturned points on blades just cause headaches in field dressing.
 
Over the many years I've hunted, I think I've probably tried most of the more popular knife designs.

Buck 110's and 119's, Case, Uncle Henry, Old Timer, Gerber (older Gator model), Marbles, some off-brands, and even a custom or two. I've even tried several Multi-tool type knives, and field dressed an antelope once with a Leatherman Wave tool.

Lots of pocket knives too. In addition to the above brands, Smith & Wesson, Kershaw, and some other odd-ball knives come to mind.

They'll all do the task; some better than others. I've finally settled on a few that I REALLY prefer over the others. A older Marble's Fieldcraft comes to mind, made of the older carbon steel. A custom knife with a slightly thinner blade works wonders as well. I have a Knives Of Alaska "Cub Bear" that's great for caping and tight work, and I almost always have a Buck 119 when I'm out hunting, even though it really comes up a bit short of the others.

And each person's preferences will differ from other folk's preferences. Find a knife that looks and feels good to you, and give it a try. Chances are it won't be long before you find another that you like better, and that'll happen again, and again.

You'll end up with a pile of knives, and if you're like me, only a few that you really use. The ones you don't use will be there for when you lose a better one, and it's all good.

:)

Daryl
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top