Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

I am kind of new to field dressing but I am looking for a good hunting knife for just that task. I have used cheap knives in the past and have lostfew along the way. What i am looking for;

1. Under $60
2. has to have a leather or nylon sheath (lost too many to belt clips)
3. comes out of the package sharp and stays sharp
4. Sturdy handle with something to grip

I have been using a 3.5" blade. Not sure if that is correct but it works for me. Can anyone give me any suggestions? i am ready to pick one up atthe local gander, cabela'sor online.

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

Buck folding hunter. 30+ years old and i still use it. Keeps a great edge.

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

Gerber has about a dozen knives that would fit your requirements for under $60.

I have a nice folding one that has a nylon sheath and cost right around $30. I think it is a gator. It has skinned and quartered an elk, 2 deer, an antelope and close to a dozen pigs. I carry a little Smith's sharpener with it because I like to keep a knife verysharp. I don't know of a knife that will hold it's edge skinning and quartering an elk. I think I paid $10 for the sharpener and it fits into the knife's sheath.

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

Semi,

I have a folding buck knife that I have had for nearly 30 years. Many years ago I broke the tip off digging a slug out of a tree and since then it sat in a drawer. This year I sent it back to Buck knives under their lifetime warranty. The blade was replaced, no questions asked, and the turn around was pretty quick.

That being said I don't use a folding for cleaning deer because the slot in the handle collects crap and needs a good cleaning afterward. I just got a Grohmann GR1 which is their original design. It feels great in my hand and I look forward to using it for many seasons. I like the elliptical blade point (modified drop point)much better than clip point blade on the buck knife.

It wasn't as sharp as I would have liked out of the box, but I am real particular about how sharp my knives and broad heads are. I am not happy unless shave hair with very little effort. If you look around you can get it in your price range.

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

Bob

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

I also have the Buck folding hunter, have had it for 20 years, sharp as the day I got it. My other buck knife is a fixed blade. I also have a gerber set that has a gut hook, 2 saws and and a folding blade, this is the set I use to field dress with.

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

Leather Hunter #0379
M3FINN SS
3 1/8" Clip Blade
6 1/2" overall; 2.5 oz.

The above info is for a fixed blade knife made by Case. I always liked Case knives.

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

I don't use folding knives to clean game. It's too much trouble keeping them cleaned. I would go with stainless steel rather than carbon steel. Stainless will not rust on you,unlike carbon. I use a whitetail skinner. It keeps a good sharp edge and you can get one for $40 or $50. There are a lot of good knives out there that cost less than $50 and hold a good edge. I do prefer a fixed blade. They are much easier to keep clean.

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

The main thing is it sharp. I have several I use. One I love but it isn't made anymore (a Westmark 702).

My others are all well under your price range. I have a sharade or old timer (can't remember) with a gut hook and a rubberized handle that does great. It stays sharp pretty good too. I usualy try to remeber to sharpen before season. But I have done several deer before resharpening it.

Good luck.

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

Disposable box cutter -$.99;) Seriously, Theyll zip a deer open quicker than any hunting knife and if ya lose it who cares? 1st click the blade out about 1'' to open the belly up and you dont have to worry about puncturing the stomach[:'(] then use about 3'' of blade to remove the organs. Best part is NO CLEANING:D, you can just chuck it when your done!

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

Just bought a "BUCK" field dressing knife with a gut hook for 20$. Couldn't pass it up. It is extremely sharp, the handle is made of easy grip material and the gut hook works great. I used it to field dress a deer last saturday. No problems.

EDIT: Oh, and it comes with a belt sheath too..

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

Buck

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

I have been buying new Cutco knives on e bay recently, they have an outstanding FOREVER gaurentee, and sharpen them for free just pay 3.00 shipping for the knife. dont buy direct from cutco, ebay has some decent deals, the quality is amazing with this name brand

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

i have the Gerber Freeman its knife i keep so sharp i am afraid of it which is good. it has a gut hook short blade about 4 inches i think, shorter is better imo because when your cutting where you cant see you wont hack your finger off:Di think i paid about 40 bucks for it. or like what was said before the gerber gator is an excellent knife.

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

buck 110 folder. great knife and buck has a great warranty policy which you will probably never use but is always good to have

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

The Boker Arbolito is a very good fixed blade knife that you should be able to purchase for ~$30 if you shop around. I agree with the box cutter idea with the exception that instead of a box cutter I carry a Stanley utility knife. I don't mean the utility knives that the blade slides in and out, but the folding blade utility knife by Stanley.

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

Muela Knives; Cloibri(olive Wood), Rebeco or Gazapo series.

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

Try getting a knife with a gut hook on it if not buy one seperately. It makes the task much easier.

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

I use the Buck Pathfinder it is sharp and sharpens up like a new blade and is perfect for coring out the butt hole.

Click here: BUCK [/align]

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

I bought a knife 2 years ago. It was a little more expensive. $85.00 It has been the best hunting knife I have ever owned. The brand is Cutco. www.cutco.com

Honestly the best knife I have ever used, or owned!

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

Love my gerber gator

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

Buck Alpha Hunter... has a 3.5 in blade, gut hook, rubberized handle and holds a really good edge. 60 or 65 bucks i think.

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

check BUCK knives....not only are they great knives, but they will sharpen the knife for you free of charge and pay to send it back to you as often as you'd like

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

I like the new Outdoor Edge swingblade. I think it's like $54.00. But it looks like a VERy nice knife.

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

There are lots of fine knives and if I were to own 1 knife for hunting, it would be a short bladed, fixed blade knife. Something with about a 3 inch non-serated blade. Narrow enough for cutting around the butt. Withfinger groovesto hold it very close to the blade.

In reality, any edge holding steel run through a Chef's Choice 120 will make a great hunting knife. The key to me anymore is the sharpener.

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

+1. I have a Buck 110 folding hunter. It's seen 25 seasons so far..........soon to be 26 in about 4 weeks.

Some Buck modelsare now being made in China so be carefull to look at the packaging.

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

i have a personal handmade knife but i think if i were to buy anything else it would be a Buck for sure. I have heard many stories and incidents where people have damaged and or broken their knives and sent them in and had them fixed or replaced free of charged no questions asked no hassle. for the money im sure you cant beat it

RE: Hunting Knife suggestions..
 

Another vote for the Buck folding Hunter. I've had mine close to 20 years. Great knife.