Knife

[picksbigwagon]

I am thinking of getting new knife for hunting. with so many choices out there, I am looking for recommendations that people might have.

Basically a deer knife that will be used on skinning yotes too.....The Knives of Alaska Wolf series knife looks good, anyone here own a knife from this company?

What do people prefer a drop point or a clip point? WHY????

I have beef skinning knife that will roll a deer out of its hide nothing flat, but a little big and cumbersome on smaller critters. thanks in advance.....

P.S. I fully realize this could turn into a marcum vs vexilar debate...........

[Gissert]

Coming from the trapping side of life, Dunn makes some terrific knives, especially skinners.

Not cheap though.....

Do a search for Dunn, and you'll see.

[gspman]

A Buck 110 folding hunter knife will work great for gutting deer and coyotes. It's the best selling hunting knife of all time. Kinda the Remington 870 of hunting knives. Nothing fancy but just plain works and you can get it for under $40.

I'm no expert on skinning but my guess would be that the 110 doesn't have enough belly to do that job well.

[picksbigwagon]

I am trying to stay away from a folding knife if possible, I have a folding buck right now, and I am really at the point where I want a knife that I don't want to replace after each season......I'll check out the Dunns.....

Just checked out the dunns, man they ain't cheap.........haven't ruled them out, but that is a lot more than I am truly comfortable spending on a knife.

[harvey lee]

I have numerous knives for many different chores.I now use one folding knife with a 3 inch blade for gutting anything and also use it for capping out deer.I personally like the smaller knives to work with.The best bet is to get the best knife you can afford and a very good steel.Cheaper knives dull very fast especially when your are working on animal fat. you will spend the majority of your time sharpening.

For many years I used the 5-6 inch fixed blade knives and I personally dont think one needs anything bigger than a 3 inch knife.I have skinned deer and bear with it and never had a problem.If I am going to skin out a fox or coyote for taxidermy reasons then I will use a scalpel to remove all fat without putting a hole in thier paper thin skin.

[picksbigwagon]

I remember reading in one of my outdoor magazines of grades of steel and what is best, and for the life of me I can't find that magazine, it is what started me thinking seriously about getting a new knife. I don't want to spend more for a knife than I would for a pair of hunting boots, which is also going to be bought soon.

what kind of steel is best, then what is the best for the 70-90 range?

[harvey lee]

0-1 and 0-6 grade steel will both work well for knife steel.Forged steel knives are the strongest.

Carbon steel knives will hold a good edge.High carbon stain free steel will hold a very good edge and will not rust,corode or discolor.One needs to remember that the better the steel the more it will cost.

As stated above,remember to run your knife on a steel every so often to hold that edge.Also,buy a good steel.

My neighbor who was a butcher for most of his life told me that if I wanted a very good steel that I would need to spend at least 50 dollars.The one he recomended was 80 clams but he said it was well worth the money.I did buy one a little cheaper than 80 clams.

One also has to realize he is talking about very good quality items for a butcher and not average joe.

[BLACKJACK]

Don't forget to look at what type of scabbord your knife has if you're going to be carrying around while hunting. I've lost two knives while out hunting becasue of poor scabbords - if they would have been $100+ knives...

I also like to have several knives. One is a Buck that I use for all general gamebird cleaning etc, if I hit a bone or three thats Ok. Then I have two knives that I use just for deer hunting, I want them sharp!!

[lunker651]

I've been using a militery Kabar knife for 7 years. I've skin, quarter and gut everything I hunt, from squirrels to bears with this knife. If you know what you are doing just about any knife with 7" blade will get the job done. A good thing is to have a knife that will hold a very sharp blade.

Hope you find the right knife for you.

[Gissert]

Amen on the scabbard/sheaths!

Lost a nice knife when I was about 18 years old that way. I looked down and there was the empty scabbard staring at with the button flap open.

Since then, I never carry the knife on my belt anymore. It just goes in a pocket or in my daypack.

[picksbigwagon]

The only things I carry on my hip deer hunting or coyote hunting is a leatherman and a .357 magnum. the knife would go into a pocket or day pack as well. I have thought about the Kbar but the sheer size and weight is not what I am looking for.

[SUNNYD]

You have done your research!!! I have owned many varieties of knives in my 18 years of hunting but 2 years ago got wind of KOA knives. I have the Wolverine from their Hunter series of knives and I can honestly say that it may be the best knife I have ever owned. Very tough and extremely sharp. They may be a bit spendy but they offer a great range of knives for a variety of purposes...

I say if you like the look and feel of the KOA buy it, you won't be disappointed with its performance....

Take care!