Best hunting knife

[Ucsdryder]

I wasn’t that impressed with the ridge knife my first go with it, but when Kyle finished it up, it was a different knife. If someone buys a knife make a deal with Kyle that he’ll sharpen it for free for life. Can’t go wrong!

 

[TheViking]

I bought two, I made this one up for @TheViking but haven't sharpened it yet. I'll do that tomorrow and let you know.

I do drill those small holes to 1/4" using a $50 fancy carbide bit. From how the bit responds I have a good idea of how the steel will sharpen. For example, with Zmax I had the steel chip out twice on the backside. PD1, Zwear, Magnacut, all drilled out easy with no heat. Rex76, M398, pma11, s90v all drill fine but produce heat. Those last four also sharpen up smoothly at the correct angle with the two stainless being lightly more finicky. I don't forsee any problem sharpening but I also haven't checked the Spyderco forum for any feedback from others yet. I do think it's a steel that should stay away from joints.

@Ucsdryder has the only Rex76 I have finished up yet (of the four I bought), and his s90v ridge knife. he can let you know his opinion of what I think is sharp.

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Excited for this knife - looks awesome man!

 

[sndmn11]

That’s great feedback and beautiful scales. Nice work! Thanks again, I appreciate it.

M398 sharpened up like a dream, I am impressed.

 

[jayhawk]

I use only fixed blades. I carry one of those diamond credit card sized sharpeners from DMT. They weigh nothing and they’re really small.

 

[Honyock]

I keep reaching for my Benchmade Hidden Canyon. Not for sure what it is but I really like it and it holds an edge. A couple of strokes on the hone tool and it's good to go.

 

[Loper]

I keep reaching for my Benchmade Hidden Canyon. Not for sure what it is but I really like it and it holds an edge. A couple of strokes on the hone tool and it's good to go.

I’ve been eyeing a Hidden Canyon for a long time and may get one a some point. I handled it at REI a month or so ago and it felt amazing. Did you get the version with the S30V steel or the upgraded S90V steel?

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

I love my buck knives ranger 113 with the s30v steel. It’s a fixed blade not too heavy 6oz ish. I also carry a smith diamond sharpener with the corse and fine on it another 5-7 oz. Love the setup. Easy to touch up the blade if you get a little careless and it’s strong. I have had mine for 10 years or so and touch it up a few times a year unless it’s trapping season and I’m skinning 30 coon a week where the heads can be hard on any blade.

 

[Honyock]

I’ve been eyeing a Hidden Canyon for a long time and may get one a some point. I handled it at REI a month or so ago and it felt amazing. Did you get the version with the S30V steel or the upgraded S90V steel?

I have had the older s30V steel for a few years. Not for sure what the new steel does better, but you can break down at least three deer without any sharpening with mine. The key is to touch them up from time to time and not let it get dull. If it gets dull send it to Benchmade and let them recondition it.

 

[LockStock&Arrow]

I have several very nice custom fixed blade knives, buck fixed , the Kuiu Kestrel ultralight, etc. I now carry Outdoor Edge…

It’s sharp, if not I can make it sharp in a quick second, it works well, and if I leave it in the mountains by accident i won’t have a coronary.

 

[sndmn11]

I've been searching for the perfect hunting knife since I was 12yrs old. No luck yet but it never deters me from adding more to the collection.

After being very tempted by @sndmn11 to pick up the new mule team m398 (still might), I instead pulled the trigger on a Spyderco Moran fixed that I've had my eye on for a long time. I'm thinking I might have a good contender as it ticks multiple boxes--Lightweight, quality steel, sharpening ease, ergonomic, flat ground with a good belly, forward finger choil with tapered bolsters, kydex sheath for ease of cleaning:
View attachment 491494View attachment 491493

I wish they'd remake that in magnacut.

 

[roosiebull]

I've tried a lot of hunting knives from fixed to disposable ones. It seems like I'm wanting more when it comes to the disposable ones as far as their ability to hold a blade. For the fixed-blade ones, I have to carry a sharpening stone which means more weight in my pack.

Best is tough… my tyto gets the most use, but I also carry a benchmade altitude, as well as a dalstrong shogun series paring knife… if I could only carry one, it would be the dalstrong, it’s my favorite blade steel I have used, holds an edge almost as well as the altitude, but comes back a lot easier… I could get by with the altitude with a worksharp guided field sharpener, but as compact as it is, it would weigh more than my 3 knives and spare blades for the tyto, and I really don’t care for sharpening during the process of breaking something down, just the little pieces of meat that won’t wipe off turn it into a pain to get a knife really sharp, and I don’t like “good enough” sharpness, I like sharp.

 

[Wilderlife]

I sometimes carry a Gerber Havalon copy in my kit 'just in case' but I usually carry a couple of fixed blades. One of them being a skeleton-style s35vn smaller knife and the other usually being something more substantial. I also carry a Fallkniven DC4 and sometimes even a small smooth butcher steel. Seems excessive but I cut up a lot of animals and don't mind the little bit of extra weight if it means I can maintain my edge. Too many people buy a knife with tough steel and use it for too long without sharpening or honing and then they have a hard time getting it sharp again. I've had weekends where we've dressed out many animals and all I've used is a Dexter 1375 made from regular old 1095 steel and that knife could shave before and after the weekend.

Knowing how to cut properly is a big deal, too. Going over and over a joint hoping you've got the right spot is a really good way to dull a knife fast.

 

[Seeknelk]

You can find fancier or more expensive but tough to beat Morakniv. They just have great steel for such little $$. Stainless or carbon. But the stainless has been awesome. It's also my only knife I pack and serves ANY cutting chores very well.
Bone out a complete elk with zero need for touch up . I tried havalon and outdoor edge but didn't like them at all.
I liked them so much I got a couple fillet knives of theirs also.

 

[long hunter]

I have a few different knives as most here, but my go to knife 99% of the time is a custom-made drop point with a 5 in. blade, holds a scary sharp edge rides nicely on the belt and will do everything required. Along with that I carry a small hand forged hatchet in my pack, for splitting the chest cavity and crotch bone. These have never left me down. These two items are going on 30 years old and lost count of the big game animals they have worked on and still going strong.

 

[TL616]

Buck 112.

 

[540-Virginian]

For anyone who carries the DMT little 4” whetstones if you were to carry one in field what would be? Fine, extra fine, etc.

 

[mtwarden]

asking what the best hunting knife is kind of like what's the best rifle

after using a $hit ton of different knives, I've settled on a Tyto (w/ a couple of spare blades) and a custom from Charles May- it's Bird & Trout LB (long blade) - same profile as his B&T but a little longer blade (4"), removing the backstraps and breaking down hind quarters on larger animals, a slightly longer blade just works better

I went with SV30 steel, I can break down a couple of smaller critters (or one larger one) w/o sharpening, sharpening at home has simply been just a few strokes on a strop

of course orange (G10) scales as I would hate to admit how many knives I've set down and the hours finding them (and a few lost for good)

 

[prm]

No need for a stone with my Benchmade Altitude (S90V). Definitely make it through deboning a bull elk.

 

[mtwarden]

No need for a stone with my Benchmade Altitude (S90V). Definitely make it through deboning a bull elk.

I love the profile on the Altitude, love the steel, love that it's orange, love the weight- just wish the blade was longer- it's doable as is, but for less than 0.5 oz it would be even better imho

 

[huntsman22]

I think my next attempt at finding the best will be a Rick Menefee dumpling…

Nirvana, baby....