What knives do you carry on your hunt?

[robtattoo]

Last 14 years, this'n. I used to be a full time knife Smith before I moved stateside. Forged it out myself & it was the last knife I ever made. 4.75"ish blade, 5" handle. Super simple O1 carbon steel at 57 RWC. I carry a Tyto too, but this does 99% of my meat work.

 

[robtattoo]

Oh. My opinion only, but if anyone quotes the "I've done x-number of x-critters without needing to touch the blade & it's still sharp" they don't know how to maintain a knife.

Hard lesson: it's much, much easier to keep a knife sharp than make a knife sharp. There is ZERO shame in touching up, honing or stropping a blade as you use it. That's just regular maintainable & 100% normal. People that brag that they've never had to do that, generally, are dumb as hammers. Seriously. Ask any cook or butcher how often they touch up their edge.

 

[bridgerlake]

I carry 2: Outdoor edge and a Havalon.

Do you like the outdoor edge or the havalon better?

 

[TonySkyline]

Havalon type knife and a fixed blade knife. The Havalon makes processing game easier but you should never be in the back country without a fixed blade, full tang, knife. It will process game if needed, but also can be used for a variety of other reasons that may keep you alive in an emergency. Personally, I carry a Havalon and an ESEE IZULU or ESEE 4 (depending on if I have a wood stove or no stove).

Almost same thing I carry. I got a bright orange handled esee 4 with custom sheath that holds a fire starter and I use an outdoor edge for most of the game work. If I had to pick one though, I'd probably go with something in between but would definitely want a full tang knife for the reasons you mentioned.

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[NorCal 707]

Benchmade, Outdoor Edge and a Gene Ingram slim. The Havalon just broke too many blades so I like the fixed blade knives. I have a few Kershaw and Boker in my kill kit that I can break out if we are close to camp or the truck.

 

[coiloil37]

Oh. My opinion only, but if anyone quotes the "I've done x-number of x-critters without needing to touch the blade & it's still sharp" they don't know how to maintain a knife.

Hard lesson: it's much, much easier to keep a knife sharp than make a knife sharp. There is ZERO shame in touching up, honing or stropping a blade as you use it. That's just regular maintainable & 100% normal. People that brag that they've never had to do that, generally, are dumb as hammers. Seriously. Ask any cook or butcher how often they touch up their edge.

In my experience that indicates you’ve never used good steel or you don’t know how to stay off bone.

I’ve got an extremely high standard for my edges, I expect to feel zero resistance when cutting and they better blow hair off my arm with essentially zero pressure. If I’m opening an animal up I expect to push the knife smoothly and have the skin part off the blade like I’m opening a zipper. I would be unhappy if I needed to apply pressure or slice with the knife to cut anything.

My knives will go through multiple animals without losing an edge. Gut, skin and debone. I tried one year to see how far it would go and did a bear, three elk and six deer without touching the edge to a stone or strop. It still effortlessly shaved my arm, cleanly sliced paper with and across the grain and aggressively dug into my thumb nail along the entire blade. Knives like that aren’t a myth and anyone can buy one.

I don’t saw across bone and I treat the edges with due care but I would absolutely stop and sharpen the edge if there was ANY drop in performance.

Butchers and cooks, probably using cheap steel. Heck most are still using a victorinox. By no stretch of the imagination are they an acid test. I’ve actually never met one with a high quality custom. Yes I agree it’s much easier to maintain an edge then wait until it’s severely damaged before attending to it.

 

[AJRICH]

I use the Outdoor edge for the grunt work and havalon for trimming. The Outdoor edge backbone likes to get plugged up with fat which makes it a pain for switching blades if you need to.

 

[MuleyFever]

Do you like the outdoor edge or the havalon better?

The Outdoor Edge. My last couple of animals I only used the Havalon for the gut hook to run down the hide and did the rest with the OE. I have broken a blade on the Havalon at least every other animal so it got annoying. I love the Havalon gut hook though and its so light its worth carrying for me. I bring a coupe of blades too so I can use the Havalon to cut as a back up if needed.

 

[Titan_Bow]

The Outdoor Edge. My last couple of animals I only used the Havalon for the gut hook to run down the hide and did the rest with the OE. I have broken a blade on the Havalon at least every other animal so it got annoying. I love the Havalon gut hook though and its so light its worth carrying for me. I bring a coupe of blades too so I can use the Havalon to cut as a back up if needed.

Have you tried the Outdoor Edge gut hook blades? I wonder how they compare to the havalon?


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[Dirtbag]

I carry a Spyderco Brouwer for general purpose and around bone, sockets and joints and a Havalon for a lot of the skinning.

 

[big217boy]

Hard to beat a Benchmade Steep Country. You can find them online for $110.

I also have the Argali Carbon Knife which is what I prefer but it’s a little more expensive.


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[MuleyFever]

Have you tried the Outdoor Edge gut hook blades? I wonder how they compare to the havalon?


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I have not but I am sure they would work just as well. Its just easier to have the havalon with the gut hook in it than to mess with changing blades. Then I have the havalon as a back up too if needed.

 

[Zdub02]

For this year I upgraded from a benchmade grip in 154CM to a bugout S30V. I also use a skinning knife for skinning and butchering. Have a scalpel set that I'll use from time to time while butchering but not in the field.

 

[RSather528]

Picked up a havalon this year from a fellow Rokslider and regret not having one earlier.

 

[PredatoronthePrairie]

6in folding rapala filet knife, carried the work load this year so far. Cheap enough to abuse, tough enough to do the dirty work. Also carry a havalon, never left the kill kit.

 

[Shraggs]

Lucas Forge. Hard to find a better knife.

I have a couple of his knives and love them!

My first O1 so time will tell

 

[Still Hunter]

Buck Knife 192 Vanguard w/ rubber handle (won't slip immersed in blood), EZE Lap Knife sharpener

 

[Parker173]

i Carry a benchmade saddle mountain skinner

 

[FLS]

I’m low tech. I’ve had the same Gerber Gator for 20 plus years. The rubber on the handle is starting to disintegrate. I have no idea how many animals it’s skinned and cut up in that time. A couple of gators here in SC, a bear, no idea how many whitetails, a similar number of hogs, a couple of mule deer, half a dozen antelope. I added two more deer to the total last weekend after a successful bow hunt here in SC. My every day carry pocket knife is a Benchmade Mini Griptillian. It’s accounted for a few animals as well.

 

[chutinlead]

For this year I upgraded from a benchmade grip in 154CM to a bugout S30V. I also use a skinning knife for skinning and butchering. Have a scalpel set that I'll use from time to time while butchering but not in the field.

What differences have you noticed between those 2 grades of steel? I like the look of their meatcrafter which is CPM-154 and I like a little flex for processing.