Guest columnist: Is there a perfect knife for hunters?

[HuntingNY-News]

Guest columnist: Is there a perfect knife for hunters?17 December 2010, 6:27 amTom Adessa By Tom Adessa Is there such a thing as the perfect hunting knife? In the last two decades there has been an explosion of new hunting gear, and hunting knives are no exception. Browse through almost any outdoor...Source: Outdoors Blog

[CNYScott]

Switched to a 3 1/2 inch blade this year myself; dressing my two deer were never easier.  A small, basic knife was by far the easiest tool I've used to dress-out whitetails. 

Good article.  Post Standard outdoor reporting has gotten really good.

[Doc]

I guess I'm one of those guys that feels best going afield with a big knife. I carry a military style Kabar knife that can be used in a survival situation if need be. Unless you are going to carry an assortment of knives, I want one that will perform any cutting function that I may encounter on a hunt. Often, one of those functions may be to trim out a fairly stout branch. Field dressing game is only one function of a hunting knife.

Doc

[CNYScott]

Doc -- I'm a bigger is better knife guy for the same reason.  I'm a former paratrooper, and the comfort of a big knife is probably old habit more than it is practical - but I still carry one. 

I threw my small fixed blade in my pack after watching my buddies carve through deer much easier than me.  Granted, they've been at it longer but I've got enough under my belt in 12 years of hunting that I should be able to reasonably match them. 

I noticed they all used 4" or less blades.  I tried it this year and went through my two kills far quicker than any before them.  The small knife was just easier to use, got in the way less, less risk on knicking good meat in the process and less chance of stabbing myself when two hands are at it. 

My system now - bring the big knife for heavy work and emergencies, but bring the small, almost negligible weight fixed blade to do the work at the end of the successful hunt. 

[Gthphtm]

Reminds me of a time years ago when we were younger an would stop in the local bar for a few after dinner.There was this older fellow sitting at the bar sipping on his drink and in walks a couple of fellows with wide pistol belts with ammo pouches and bwoie knives on them.He asked what are you going to do with them knives, they said gut the deer when we get them.He puts his hand in his pocket pulls out his folded kinife with a 3" blade and said I have been using this knife to gut deer for 55 years without any problems. 

[Nomad]

Just found this thread ! I'm a knife guy, been in Blade magazine a couple times and wrote a piece that was in Tactical Gear magazine . I'm  no expert, just like knives and learned a thing or two along the way.

There is no perfect knife for hunters as we all want  and do differant things with our knives. Once we know what those are we can find a good one for THAT person.

If you just want to gut whitetails then yes a 3-4 inch fixed blade seems  to be a great chioce.

But what about the guy who skins and quarters his animal , to pack out ?

Or guys like Doc ( and myself) who find comfort in a large fixed blade that can help build a shealter or chop firewood if things go bad and a night in the woods is in order ?

I've gutted deer with every type of knife from a swiss army knife to large FB.

Today I use an Old Timer Stockman. Thats a slip joint with 3 carbon steel blades, the largest about 3 inches long. Yes carbon steel requires maintenance and its a pain to clean. But I like the old school folder. I also carry a large FB mostly a Puma White Hunter. I have a pre '64 and a new one as well.

This allows me to chop any branches that I may not have trimmed,gives me a tool I can use if things don't go quite as planned.

Plus I'm a knife guy and I like a big FB, and where else but the woods can I run around with one on my belt ?

The saying is a large knife can be made to do anything a small one can do, but a small one can't do everything a large one can. I don't quite believe that 100 % but theres a lot of truth there.

[MuzzyLoader]

My system now - bring the big knife for heavy work and emergencies, but bring the small, almost negligible weight fixed blade to do the work at the end of the successful hunt.

Arm... 

That's been my strategy for years.  I carry my 'big' knife in my pack. The first time I pulled a jackknife (now I carry a fixed blade) from my pocket to eviscerate a deer, I thought my brother was gonna' laugh himself to death.

[132 eight pointer]

I use a 3 inch lock back made of surgical steel and a Gerber gut hook tool that is a replaceable utility razor blade.I like the Gerber very much.It is quick to open up the body cavity and can't puncture the internal organs.After a couple deer you throw the utility blade out and put in a new one.

[fasteddie]

I have at least 3 knives in my backpack . My favorite is a Ka-Bar with a 4" blade and the Gerber Metolius E-Z Open (for cutting open the deer) .

[Doewhacker]

I have a Case that looks alot like the Kbar of Eddies, works great.

[Mr VJP]

I think a Buck 110 folding knife makes the perfect hunting knife.  If you also carry a Buck 105 fixed blade knife along with it, there is nothing you can not handle in the hunting field.

[Robinson446]

My friend from Ohio i think is where he is from has his own hunitng company called SIX SENSE. its an amazing hunting line. He is sending me out a few knifes to try out and tell him how i liked them. Ill post pictures of them when i get them. Might take alittle while to get them though due to weather and his busy schedual. but i beilve every hunter has his ideal "perfect knife" and has his or hers favorite knife.

[Nomad]

The buck 110 is a classic amoung classics for many reasons. It was THE folder that really made lock backs what they are today.

Fasteddie thats ka bar is a classic style as well. I love the look of stacked leather washers.

Bark river makes sone top notch FB hunters as well.

[camper4lyfe]

I use a folding blade Gerber with a rubberized grip.  It works great!  I may look into a fixed blade, though, as they're much easier to clean.  Incidentally, I got this knife as part of a "kit" at Walmart a while back.  It came with a gut hook and a folding saw and a pouch for them all for $20.  The knife itself is listed on Gerber's site for $40!