shott8283

not sure if it was mentioned, but I have always liked KA-Bar knives. American made, ( an hour away from where i live) and have been around for a LONG time....

i carried 2 overseas and served me very well, and didnt fail when i needed them the most.... made of a hard metal (not sure what type) and take some work to get them sharp but will hold and edge well,outstanding knives

grant it they are a little on the tactical side, but thats what i love in a knife. ....other then KA-Bar , i carry benchmades, which are topquality aswell. and for everyday stuff i like gerber. Ive broken many gerber blades, but there warrentys are good, price is good, and they can sharpen up really nice.. but i have a hard time holding an edge.

gerber is also nice for making other bladed items as well.. ie: pocket saws and hachets .. i have them too from gerber and they are nice aswell.

Eyedr

If you want a high end knife for hunting that will keep an edge for a very long time look no further than a Bob Dozier made custom knives. His steel is D2 and the RC is 61-62. I have 2 of his knives and absolutely love them. They are pricey but well worth the investment. I believe the website for his knives are

dozierknives.com

Arthur P

The last knife you'll ever use?? As a genuine knife knut, I have to ask what's the fun in that?

Better to have several (or, even better, MANY[8D]) really good knives of different types and sizes that cover all the things you will do with a blade, rather than have just one great knife that only does a few things well.

Just like with bows, I'm always looking for my next favorite knife.

Killer_Primate

I would strongly recommend learning about metallurgy and steel before all else. I’d also recommend rethinking your knife needs. When I’m hunting I carry at least three knives. I think everyone should, but there will be disagreement.
I carry a military bayonet. This knife acts as a utility tool. I can use it like a machete if I like, I can cut limbs, rope or dig a hole with it if I want. My second is a skinning and carving knife, in case I have some luck while hunting. I like for this knife to hold an edge well, and normally this is my knife of choice and probably the one I’ve made the biggest investment on. And finally the “butt hole” knife, for that ugly task that requires the normally unpopular sharp point. This knife has only one job and will not be used for cutting consumables off of an animal that I intend to eat or share with my family.

I would recommend that you go and buy a “Frosts” knife. I have a “Mora wood carving knife” by Frosts. And don’t confuse “Frosts” with “Frost”. This is a little knife that has probably one of the best blades that you can buy as far as sharpness and holding an edge. It is a laminated blade, meaning that there is really hard steel in the center of the blade for superb cutting, and softer steel on the outside to protect from breaking.
The Frosts Mora isn’t a fancy looking knife and it has a short fat handle. But the Swedes designs are a little different than what we’re used to. I think they look for a handle that is easy to hold with numb hands in extreme low temps and we look for “cool looking”. I’m pretty sure that you will like the steel that this blade is made of and the best part is, you can get them for like $15 off of ebay. This is the knife I carry for the butt hole task. I personally guaranty that you won’t be disappointed with this knife, especially if you use it for the same task as I do. If you don’t like it, I’ll buy it from you.

I couldn’t disagree more with gamespooker. I’ve found that Gerber knives are crap. Also, I’d recommend staying away from any knife made with ATS34 steel. This steel was designed for avionics and aerospace, which I guess sounds cool, but the molecules mover around too much, making it really tough to sharpen.

Woodsman of long ago survived with a knife and an axe. Have you seen the original Marbles #5 hand axe? I just got one as a gift from my father. Everyone should have one!

Good luck man,

KP

SteveO KanevO

Seriously Im a knife maniac. I love knifes so when I saw this post I had to add my 2 cents. I currently carry a hen and rooster bowie but if I had to pick out of the sharpest knives and the blades that carry their edge the longest, I would say Puma. I have 2 one is my dads and it doesnt get used anymore mainly because its worth about250 dollars but I ordered a Puma bowie and love it. Plus I like to carry a big knife, you know what they say about a man that wears a big knife...........No?.....yeah me neither..

You wont regret the puma. SteveO....Out

YooperMike

I have had my Buck 110 for 13 years and have used it extensively from field dressing to processing and eveerything in between when working with game, and I have had no trouble with it. Takes an edge real well, keeps it pretty well, and is small enough to carry and not look like Rambo.

Whitehorn

My 2 cents is don't write off or discount carbon steel blades, as in the non-stainless kind. That is my personal preference, I don't care about the stains and do like the patina. Doesn't rust because I keep them dry and oiled which is easy maintenance. I do notice a big difference between carbon and stainless, carbon is much easier to sharpen and holds an edge longer.

I typically carry one of3 different kniveswhen I hunt. I have a randall model 5, in carbon, and two Grohmanns, a model 3 in stainless and a model 4 in high carbon. I love my Randall but it's super expensive and a long wait. Excellent knife and steel. Also the Grohmanns are excellent knives too, very cheap considring they are hand made and they will customize at your request. Not made in the USA, but made in Canada, which isn't China...

http://www.grohmannknives.com/pages/outdoor.html

As for sharpening, you don't need any fancy kit to get a razor sharp edge. With a little knowledge and practice you can get a razor sharp edge with just water stones and a leather strope. I have and use the stone combo and strope from the links below.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=33010&cat=1,43072,43071&am p;ap=1
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=32999&cat=1,43072

One thing about sharpening knives that I learned is that angle guides are overrated, you don't need them. Also spend some time on the internet searching and reading about sharpening knives. I've learned a lot and you don't need to spend a lot of money. Also when you first profile your blade edge with a 200 stone, make sure you put in enough time to profile completely, some people lack the patients and don't completely profile their blades. After that just minimal maintenance with the 1000 grit stone or just the leather strope to keep a keen edge..

And I don't care what knife you have, getting through the initial elk hair and hide while gutting will dull any knife.. So I carry a small steel (from Grohmann) to touch up the edge after the belly's been open and that's all you need..

There are plenty of reasonabley priced knives available and any will be perfect for your needs, but I will only stress to not get hung up on "stainless" only... Blades should age like a fine wine.

Cheers.

BKE

Buck Pathfinder here.If I haven't had it for 30 years it's darned close. I'm happy with how it holds its edge and it'svery easy to bring it back while you're working if need be with a steel. And as TFOX said "for the average person who isn't an expert with a stone the Lansky system is hard to beat". No matter the material it's made of or who made it I don't think I've ever heard of a blade that doesn't require attention when used reqularly. G-luck with your search.

Huntm Up

Outdoor edge makes a knife called the swing blade. Amazingly sharp easy to resharpen and it has a gut blade that only has one cutting edge so you dont cut your fingures off.

GMMAT

Probably a lot of truth in that!

I want to sincerely thank all of you for your advice. I called the guy Matt/PA suggested....and he's sending me one like Matt's. Good price....and Matt swears it's a nice piece.

I'll probably end up in a few years with different knives for different tasks (right, KP?).....and I know where to ask this question, now. You guys are great.

Thanks, again.