Are the higher end knifes that much better?

[Luked]

Was just courious on your alls thoughts.
Are the higher end knives hold an edge that much better than others?
I carry a Havalon and also a Gerber Exo Mod caper fixed blade with me hunting all the time.
The Gerber does most of the work all the time as far as field dressing and also skinning when I get back home.
It holds and edge pretty well for what it is.
Was just wondering if you all thought the higher end knives from like Argali, Montana etc are they really that much better of a knife than say a Gerber or a Buck?

 

[LoggerDan]

I don’t like too hard a steel. Lots of men no longer know how to keep a knife sharp without some sharpening apparatus beyond a stone, so I guess hard steel is the thing nowadays. Folks use em then drop them off to be honed or they use some sort of kit or something.

I’ll take soft steel that sharpens in three quick strokes.

 

[peppy870]

Until the last few years, I have always carried a cheaper knife. Gerber, buck, havalon, you name it. I went to an Argali Carbon knife and don't plan on going back. Love mine.
But to each their own...

 

[Marbles]

Depends. Higher end knives are more enjoyable to use for me. That said, low priced options like Mora and Vic work well. No one needs a higher end knife.

Premium steels can all be touched up in the field, but they hold that edge longer and need it less often. S30V will get through one animal, but has notably less pop to the edge by the end, enough that I would not want to start on a second. Real, about one touch up in the middle is needed.

S90V holds that razor edge longer, but chips against bone, which is harder to repair in the field and really needs bench stones.

I've not done an animal with a Magnacut blade, but based on edge holding I expect it will need touching up much like S30V while being tougher and less prone to microchipping on dirty hides.

440C needs to be touched up multiple times per animal.

Softer steel like 440C is more forgiving of poor technique when using a stone or touching it up.

 

[Krieg Hetzen]

I think it depends on what you are doing with it. For cleaning moose I prefer my 5” clip point, 3/8” thick spine and A2 steel. It’s got a big belly to it for skinning and separating quarters, hard enough I dont have to sharpen it even when dealing with knuckles, lasts a whole moose and after 16 moose I have yet to chip or damage the blade. After cleaning it, I sit down with a worksharp at camp and bring the edge back to pretty damn sharp.

The counterpoint is Havalon. I dont like using a Havalon for anything but the initial cut through the hide and cleaning up a skull for a European. The guy I’ve hunted with the last 6 years (who has helped cleaned all 16 of those moose) only uses Havalons because they are what he likes.

Steel of sufficient quality to clean an animal without a touch-up, blade geometry YOU like and a great handle material (G10 or Micarta for me, they’re sticky when bloody) are worth the extra investment in my mind. For my buddy though, Havalon is where it’s at.

 

[snowymtnwolf]

If you want to buy a knife for a lifetime or for many years - then expensive knife makes sense.

If you lose/misplace your knife often then cheaper is best option.

If you know how to sharpen and care for a knife, then yes, expensive is better option.

If you need the newest, fanciest item, then yes expensive is better.

For for most occasional uses, anything will do the job.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mahonsr]

Assuming the tasks asked of the knife are geared towards field dressing and quartering… I like a nice knife. Not just for performance but also aesthetics. But the more animals I process the more I realize it doesn’t really matter. Most any knife will get it done if it’s starts out sharp and has a good edge geometry. It’s really the user. I mean we’re cutting through hide, connective tissue and meat - not all that much to ask of a knife. Now start throwing other things in there too, camp chores, year round woods use, etc than yah maybe some other factors start to become more important. Nice to have choices though!

 

[Desk Jockey]

I like sharp pokey things. Always have. IMO spending more on a knife generally increases the quality of materials and the functional aspects of the knife up to a point. After that point you are paying for names, aesthetics, more exotic materials, etc.

for example:
- a $10 dime store knife, made in china out of 420 steel and pot metal can honestly Do a lot.
- a $20 mora is a HELL of a knife.
- a $60 Gerber isn’t a bad blade
- $150 ESEE or bench made is probably about where price and quality converge IMO.
- my +$300 Winkler hunter is arguably a better made knife than an ESEE or bench made, it has some slightly better steel but neither dimension is 2x better so somewhere in there, you are paying for brand cache or a semi custom / small batch knife maker.
- beyond that, knives get more expensive and prettier with bigger names of makers, but you might have a hard time arguing that they actually perform better than lower priced options.

 

[Marbles]

I slaughtered 3 pigs and used a Magnacut MKC Jackstone. Magnacut is everything I wanted. Resistant to corrosion, which is important in wet AK, holds an edge well against abrasion, and does not chip like S30V.

My S30V Bugout needed two touch ups on 1 pig, and had some very small chips that would need a stone and work to get out. On that pig I used a sawsaw for cutting the sternum and taking the feet off.

I cut the ribs and feet off with the Jackstone. It still needs a touch up half way through to keep an edge that will cut with the amount of pressure needed to write with a good pen, but for the sake of testing I got through 2 pigs without touching the edge and it was still quite functional. No chips in the edge either even with cutting two rib cages, 6 hoof joints, and a pelvis (I was working with another guy).

Over the course of multiple animals, I think the Jackstone is worth hundreds more than the S90V Benchmade Altitude, or S90V Saddle Mountain Skinner, or S30V Bugout, or S30V Hidden Canyon Hunter (knives I have used on animals). Most of that is for steel and heat treat, a little is due to blade geometry and ergonomics. Put another way, I would trade two hundred cups of fancy coffee for black gas station coffee or forgo eating out 20 to 30 times to have the Jackstone over the others.

That said, a much cheaper knife will still get the job done.

 

[hereinaz]

So much goes into the choice. Lots of good info above.

My two cents:

A Mora for a larger knife and a check kitchen Vitrenox paring knife for $35 bucks total will do everything more expensive knives will.

The Outdoor Edge, Havalon, scalpels as well.

The big choice factors I think are:

How careless/careful you are?
Can you sharpen a knife?
Do you want a razor profile out of the box?
How often do you want to sharpen the knife?
How does the size, shape, form factor work for/fit you?
How much money do you have to spend?
Are you slow and precise or rough and fast?

When talking about “better” those are really some of the factors that make a knife better or worse.

If the steel is decent, it can be made to hold an edge with minimal touch up required while processing an animal, if required at all.

Cheaper manufacturing might require reprofiling the edge geometry, even though the steel is the same quality.

Blade size, thickness, shape can make a knife easier for skinning, depending on your technique or lack thereof.

Handle size, length, texture, weight, etc.

 

[feanor]

I slaughtered 3 pigs and used a Magnacut MKC Jackstone. Magnacut is everything I wanted. Resistant to corrosion, which is important in wet AK, holds an edge well against abrasion, and does not chip like S30V.

My S30V Bugout needed two touch ups on 1 pig, and had some very small chips that would need a stone and work to get out. On that pig I used a sawsaw for cutting the sternum and taking the feet off.

I cut the ribs and feet off with the Jackstone. It still needs a touch up half way through to keep an edge that will cut with the amount of pressure needed to write with a good pen, but for the sake of testing I got through 2 pigs without touching the edge and it was still quite functional. No chips in the edge either even with cutting two rib cages, 6 hoof joints, and a pelvis (I was working with another guy).

Over the course of multiple animals, I think the Jackstone is worth hundreds more than the S90V Benchmade Altitude, or S90V Saddle Mountain Skinner, or S30V Bugout, or S30V Hidden Canyon Hunter (knives I have used on animals). Most of that is for steel and heat treat, a little is due to blade geometry and ergonomics. Put another way, I would trade two hundred cups of fancy coffee for black gas station coffee or forgo eating out 20 to 30 times to have the Jackstone over the others.

That said, a much cheaper knife will still get the job done.

I completely disagree with you.

Trade in 200 cups of good coffee??? That’s where I draw the line.

I’ve used Magnacut the past two seasons and see no reason to change to anything else. It’s one of the best if not THE best steel for what we as hunters do.

 

[tumbleweed419]

I use the WOOX 62. It holds the edge and easy to sharpen.

 

[BDWMT]

All the knives you mentioned are very similar other than blade steel and design. There is very little difference in quality of craftsmanship. They are mass produced blades with mass produced handles typically attached with mechanical fasteners in a mass produced sheath. Choose a steel that matches your sharpening ability and a blade design that is comfortable to your hand with blade geometry for your anticipated use. There are many custom makers including many on this site that can make a knife specific to your expectations with finishes of your choice that will perform as well as any mass produced knife but personalized to you and one of a kind. It comes down to how important your knife is to you and what you are willing to spend on one. It’s comparable to purchasing an off the shelf rifle versus a custom built rifle. Some see value in it, others don’t.

 

[Marbles]

I completely disagree with you.

Trade in 200 cups of good coffee??? That’s where I draw the line.

I’ve used Magnacut the past two seasons and see no reason to change to anything else. It’s one of the best if not THE best steel for what we as hunters do.

Notice, I said fancy cups, if I had to give up 200 cups (about 2 months without coffee) I would probably use a piece of junk gas station knife instead.

 

[fwafwow]

I slaughtered 3 pigs and used a Magnacut MKC Jackstone. Magnacut is everything I wanted. Resistant to corrosion, which is important in wet AK, holds an edge well against abrasion, and does not chip like S30V.

My S30V Bugout needed two touch ups on 1 pig, and had some very small chips that would need a stone and work to get out. On that pig I used a sawsaw for cutting the sternum and taking the feet off.

I cut the ribs and feet off with the Jackstone. It still needs a touch up half way through to keep an edge that will cut with the amount of pressure needed to write with a good pen, but for the sake of testing I got through 2 pigs without touching the edge and it was still quite functional. No chips in the edge either even with cutting two rib cages, 6 hoof joints, and a pelvis (I was working with another guy).

Over the course of multiple animals, I think the Jackstone is worth hundreds more than the S90V Benchmade Altitude, or S90V Saddle Mountain Skinner, or S30V Bugout, or S30V Hidden Canyon Hunter (knives I have used on animals). Most of that is for steel and heat treat, a little is due to blade geometry and ergonomics. Put another way, I would trade two hundred cups of fancy coffee for black gas station coffee or forgo eating out 20 to 30 times to have the Jackstone over the others.

That said, a much cheaper knife will still get the job done.

You suck. You made me look up the Jackstone. Then I remembered having looked it up before (probably also your fault). I’m glad they are all out of stock.

Since I’m very confident I won’t look for other Jackstone sellers, what’s your go-to 440C blade?

 

[LaHunter]

I slaughtered 3 pigs and used a Magnacut MKC Jackstone. Magnacut is everything I wanted. Resistant to corrosion, which is important in wet AK, holds an edge well against abrasion, and does not chip like S30V.

My S30V Bugout needed two touch ups on 1 pig, and had some very small chips that would need a stone and work to get out. On that pig I used a sawsaw for cutting the sternum and taking the feet off.

I cut the ribs and feet off with the Jackstone. It still needs a touch up half way through to keep an edge that will cut with the amount of pressure needed to write with a good pen, but for the sake of testing I got through 2 pigs without touching the edge and it was still quite functional. No chips in the edge either even with cutting two rib cages, 6 hoof joints, and a pelvis (I was working with another guy).

Over the course of multiple animals, I think the Jackstone is worth hundreds more than the S90V Benchmade Altitude, or S90V Saddle Mountain Skinner, or S30V Bugout, or S30V Hidden Canyon Hunter (knives I have used on animals). Most of that is for steel and heat treat, a little is due to blade geometry and ergonomics. Put another way, I would trade two hundred cups of fancy coffee for black gas station coffee or forgo eating out 20 to 30 times to have the Jackstone over the others.

That said, a much cheaper knife will still get the job done.

Question: why are you cutting the feet off of a pig? Please do not say that you eat them

 

[gelton]

"Better" is subjective. I carry an Argali and Benchmade folder to do most anything I need either of them to do. But as far as the Argali is concerned - I didn't buy it because it was "better" I bought it because I wanted to move away from havalon (tired of breaking blades) and didn't want to add a bunch of weight.

My Benchmade Redoubt is my EDC and does all the work till I get an animal down, then I pull out the Argali once the animal has been skinned with the BM.

 

[svivian]

"Lynx" Hunting Knife - North Arm Knives

The Lynx hunting knife, made in BC Canada, has the blade geometry and edge holding you need to process game efficiently and look good at the same time.

northarmknives.com

Someone else had recommended one of these in another thread and now this is my go to hunting and filet knife maker.

 

[Marbles]

Question: why are you cutting the feet off of a pig? Please do not say that you eat them

Do you leave the feet on the carcass? They go to the butcher in sides, but I cut the feet off quarters in the field as well.

The feet make great stock, but I did not bother salvaging them.

You suck. You made me look up the Jackstone. Then I remembered having looked it up before (probably also your fault). I’m glad they are all out of stock.

Since I’m very confident I won’t look for other Jackstone sellers, what’s your go-to 440C blade?

I've not used 440C in a very long time. Mora's have a good reputation, so do Victorinox. Gerber has been known to run batches of blades in 440A for knives normally made with 440C (they did this years ago with the LMF, which is heavily sold to the military), so on principle I do not buy Gerber and will not until they stamp the steel type on the blade.

Thin blades with full flat grinds slice the best. A saber grind comes in a close second. I like belly on my blades and a point that drops below the spine. Shapes like the Benched Altitude or Bugout, or the MKC Jackstone or Stoned Goat or Stonewall Skinner.

Pick the blade shape and handle you like and give it a try.

ESEE has made 440C knives, but while cheaper than MKC they are quite a bit more than a Mora and no longer made.

The SOG Tellus FX looks decent for a reasonable price. It is thicker than I like though at 0.147 inches https://sogknives.com/tellus-fx-blaze/#tech-specs

 

[Marbles]

"Lynx" Hunting Knife - North Arm Knives

The Lynx hunting knife, made in BC Canada, has the blade geometry and edge holding you need to process game efficiently and look good at the same time.

northarmknives.com

Someone else had recommended one of these in another thread and now this is my go to hunting and filet knife maker.

That is a nice looking knife. If I had been aware of it, given the price difference, I would probably have it instead of the Jackstone.