gutting knife ques...
 

For years i have been using cheap knives to gut deer in the field. (only did one deer so far) I am looking to get a better knife that will last longer and work better. I am not planning on spending much because i believe a good knife can be had for under $75 for this use. It must be fixed blade for me.

Looking for opinions on;

what do you guys suggest as far as blade length for field dressing deer. I have seen suggestions on 4" blades but for some reason that seems to be too much but then again maybe not.

what type of blade style "drop point" "clip" etc...

and if anyone can suggest a knife let me know.

right now i use whatever i find in my pack. Usually it's a clip point fixed knife which i am not to pleased with. The blade gets dull quickly, and the thickness was way too much.

Um if you've only gutted one deer with your knife I dont understand why you already need a new one.

But if your going to get another I advise getting a fixed blade, so it doesn't close on you while gutting.

this will be my 35th rifle season. I still use a cheap thin lightweight folding pocket knife. I do this for a few reasons. I like to keep the weight down cuz I walk a long way and if it ends up staying in the woods (my last one is stuck in a tree in the middle of nowhere in northern Minn. ) it's no big loss.

http://www.bearandsoncutlery.com/ind...roducts_detail

http://www.bearandsoncutlery.com/ind...roducts_detail


Either of these will work...I bought the top one at an ACE Hardware store for $24.95...It looks like the old Schrade Sharp Finger which was a good knife but they are made in China now...
This knife is a great deal and has good metal in the blade...

Bear Cutlery is in Alabama...Any knife with a 3 inch clip or drop point works well, I've done several with a Buck Squire (2 1/2 inch) drop point that I keep in my pocket...

no stainless steel blade for me .they don't stay sharp and have to be sharpened all the time ..a 4" long blade carbon steel with a good rockwell will rust but it will stay sharp for a long time ..

if u ever get up north check to see what the guides use to skin and cut up BIG GAME ...

I have also used these...

http://www.anzaknives.com/

Here's what I use;



http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...set=ISO-8859-1




Hope this helps

I use a cheap Remington skinner with a gut hook. It works just fine. I also have an Outdoor Edge butcher kit but I only use that when I'm at home separating all the meat.

I use a Cabelas guide spirit.it is made buy Buick knives and it has a blade made of boss 5300 steel. This may cost more than what you would like but it is by far one of the strongest knives on the market. I have field dressed about 10 deer with it over the last 5 years and it is by far the toughest knife Cabelas sells(at least it was when I bought it) Just make sure what ever fixed blade you buy it must remain in it's sheath when not being used.
Doug

I like a carbon steel fixed blade with gut hook on tip...ya you can use your two finger tips to lift up belly skin....but damn that hook is fast...AND IMO....blade should be at least 4-4.5" min. I say this so when your cutting around the bung hole...your getting ALL of the skin so...when you pop open the inside...that area should be done or req minimal trimming at least...any shorter and your just cutting twice inside and out.

Cant go wrong with buck knives, although havalon knives are my new favorite but they are folding knives.

I use GERBER GUT HOOK it does a perfect job.

Inexpensive knives; expertise on Sharpening
 

I use an inexpensive Schrade gut hook knife, a company gift, from the mid nineties.

I even used a Schrade pocket knife, just showing off, to gut a deer and skin out its hide. Too bad I lost it.

No longer believe that young idea of a great big hunting knife and a large flashlight.

These are the two that I like and use the most.

Havalon makes a great knife, it uses a scalpel blade so when it gets dull you just swap the blade.

http://www.havalon.com/index.html




I also like the Outdoor Edge caping knife, and its not just for caping. Its designed to be easy to control.

http://www.outdooredge.com/



It also comes in a folding version, this is the one that I have.

Wal-Mart sell a winchester Knife with a gut hook and it has a macarta handle on it and is made by gerber the Rockwell hardness is really good and there $15.00 this knife is over looked by a lot of people or not mentioned because it is a winchester,but its still made by gerber and its a really decent knife

Ted

As centaur 1 said, Outdoor Edge are great knives. I have 3 of the folding version(Caper Lite), and one of the fixed blade(Kodi Caper). For a guthook, I have this combo pack of saw and Whitetail Skinner. They are all I need to field dress and take the meat off the bone in a hurry. I have used many over the years, but these are my favorites. My fav before these was a combo pack I got from ordering a 5 yr subscription to Buckmasters. It came with 2 knives in one sheath, with rubber handles and finger grips. They are also great knives. I believe they were made by Buck.

Can't really go wrong with gerber, shrade, or buck. I've been using the same shrade knife for 14 years. It was $60 when I bought it and it still guts deer, squirrel, and pretty much anything else I would hunt just fine. My recommendation is that you get something with a strong steel blade, good handle, and a hook tip on it.

Here are some random ones I found on cabelas website

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...233&hasJS=true

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...233&hasJS=true

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...233&hasJS=true

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...233&hasJS=true

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...233&hasJS=true

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...233&hasJS=true

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...233&hasJS=true

i prefer the case leather hunter knives ... made right here in the usa ..... nice 6 too 10 inch over all clip style blade very durable holds an edge... not as wide as the buck knives comes with a sheath...even make one now with a gut hook... I have had mine now for 30 years and it was handed down to me from my father... both my boys have the same knife and i bought one for my wife .I would never hunt with a different knife http://www.wrcase.com/knives/fixed_b...tem=%270385%27.

Bucksnortinted hit the nail on the head! Winchester fixed blade with gut hook for $15.00 bucks.

Gerber Freeman.

I have an Outdoor Edge knife called the Pocket Hook it's a Lockblade with the gut hook. It stays sharp (I touch it up with a steel) and I have field dressed quite a few deer with it. It's slim, light and doesn't take up much room in my pack. Lifetime Guarantee too. $35-$40

My favorite hunting knife was made by G96 in about 1970. That blade will take an edge like a razor and hold it. Have field dressed, skinned and cut up as many as three deer with that knife without sharpening it.

A couple of years ago my wife got me this Cutco knife for Christmas. I swear by this knife. I have field dressed 9 deer with this knife and it is still as sharp as the day it was new.They (Cutco) said if it ever goes dull, just send it back. What I really like about this knife it the type of serrated edge. It helps to make the job much cleaner. Once you get all the guts out and are going in for the pumpstation, this knife will cut or saw right through the ribcage to make the job much easier and cleaner. Especially for cutting the connective tissue when field dressing, by using just the tip of this knife it is like using a brand new razor. http://www.cutco.com/products/produc...itemGroup=5718

I use the outdoor edge swing blade and love it. It really cuts down on time and makes field dressing really easy. There is no worry of it coming unlocked and cutting you. They are on sale now at Cabelas...

For gutting I like the old USA scrade 154 drop point for skinning I'm kinda getting attached to and old 498 shrade

I am partial to my Buck Alpha Hunter with the gut hook. It has an ATS-34 blade that holds an edge and resharpens easily. Its pretty much the only knife I carry for hunting anymore. If you shop around you can find it under your price limiit.

As long as you can keep a good edge on the knife it don't matter. My wife bought me a $15 knife at kmart, it has cleaned 7 deer and 2bear. All I do is keep it sharp.

Buck Folding HUnter. Have had it for 30 some years. Keeps and edge and is strong. Just saw them advertised $20

semi

been almost 3 months share with us what you bought and how u like it

Ted