HunteressToBe

Hi,
I hope to hunt this fall for whitetail with my uncle and my mom's bf and I sorta want to have all my own gear to show I'm into it and dedicated after all the time put into teaching me.
There are so many different knifes at our local sportsman store, but i really don't want to spend more than $30.
any ideas?
~c~

mrbb

the cheapest and maybe most under rated knife for this task is a simple razor blade, they can be had dirt cheap and are as sharp as they come!
you can step up for a few extra bucks to a GOOD razor blade utility like knife, with a retractable blade set up! then they will also carry extra blade in it in a safe way!
and if your NOT one that is good at sharpening a knife, this is a very reasonable way to go! as fast and easy to swap blades out as needed! and the
replacement b lades are cheap and sold all over!
the newer generations of utility knifes are much better designed, and user friendly, many have better rubber textured grips to help when wet or bloody!

But to be honest, all anyone needs to field dress a deer is a simple sharp knife, they don;'t need to be fancy or costly
and there are no shortage of options, from cheap to as costly as you wish to go!

HunteressToBe

Thanks!
That makes lots of sense. I looked on line a lowes has a craftsman for less than $10 that even has the hook for skinning, so I will go look at it.
<3

Bocajnala

I was given a cheaper buck maybe 18 years ago. Since then it's gutted and skinned over 100 deer, two elk, a black bear, four antelope, and lots of small game.

What you need to find is a knife that fits your hand well, has some type of a locking blade or fixed blade so that it doesn't close on your fingers, and that can be sharpened and hold an edge. These don't have to be expensive.

My buck sold for $ 30-$40.



There's plenty of better knives out there. I own some of them. I cannot get this knife as sharp as some of my others, but it's a sentimental thing that I keep carrying it.

Point being you don't have to spend a bunch. Go look at some knives and see what you like and decide from there.

-Jake

mrbb

I was thinking more like this

they can be had cheaper, but this link is for a GOOD one from Home Depot

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauke...c&gclsrc=3p.ds

elkman30

Kind of what Biocajnala said Go to a Walmart and look at the folding knives that lock. See what fits your hand the best. Buck is a good quality brand that will last for years as Jake pointed out. It's also relatively inexpensive and affordable.

HunteressToBe

thank you!
thats lots like the ones i looked at. but, i dont know the brand names. i have small hands and they have ones that fit me perfect. the one i liked most i cant really hold cuz its too big for me, but it was $55 and im trying to stay under $30.
I will look at these again also the craftsman cuz i dont know anything about sharpening (yet )

HunteressToBe

thank you!
thats lots like the craftsman I am looking at. it even has the same little hole/hook for skinning.
i hope to buy something this weekend. i will let everyone know what i get :P
Be Kind
<3 C

HunteressToBe

im going there this weekend. they have both kinds. the one i like most is more expensive and too big so i will find something for my hands.
thank you for helping
~c~

elkman30

Before you go shopping, you can do more research online. See what the comments are on both of the knives you're looking at. There will be somebody who posts about the hardness of the knives, how easy it is to sharpen them (or not) and other things that help you pick the best one for you. Another source is to check out some Youtube videos on gutting and skinning the animals you're considering hunting. You can see what those people are using and how well it works or not. Some of the videos are done by fish and Game wardens, some by butchers, etc. so you can get a good idea of what would work and then tailor that to you. One last thing. I know your budget is $30 or so. I have found that many times a self imposed budget limit tends to limit the quality of what I can buy. You don't need to spend hundreds of $$ to get a good knife but sometimes going up by $5 or $10 can make a big difference in quality and how well a knife feels in your hand.