Let's See Your Hunting Knives

[Mortenson]

Here's the knife we got up at Reeds a few years ago. Maybe you MN guys know this one. It holds a pretty good edge.

 

[PatinPA]

Nothing special. I have two "go to" knives for hunting. The one that gets most use is the Schrade Isolate fixed blade. I like that the sheath has a sharpening stone, which helps keep the knife sharp for multiple deer or those accidental cuts into bone.
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The other I keep handy, and has gotten me through lots of deer is the Buck 110 Folding Hunter
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That's what I still use too. I think it's 25+ years old at this point.

 

[T-Max]

Leave the tender loins behind?

Haven't been around it much, but you can sneak in from the top and snag the tenderloins out as well.

 

[BenA]

For the last 10 years or so, I've been doing the gutless method, deboning, and packing out the meat (even on a 50 acre piece where I can drive close to the deer). I just find it easier/faster overall, and I can process the meat later at my leisure. I like Wiebe knives. They're made for trappers/skinners, and do a really good job.

 

[Electrodigical]

Some years back a local hardware store was going out of business. I bought a Fiskars hatchet for no reason other than it was cheap. Had it with me in camp that winter and used it to skin and break down a deer. I was surprised how well it worked. Knowing this and never being one to do smart things, or pass up an excuse to buy something, I bought a Gränsfors Bruk mini hatchet. I've since used it to field dress two deer. No knife, just the mini hatchet. Crazy sharp, it worked amazing. Love it. But it's also a couple pounds of weight in my pack. So my most recent hunting knife purchase was a Knives of Alaska Ulu. (I've had tourist trinket Ulu forever, but never one made for using.) Next year we'll see how she goes.

 

[Turkish]

Some years back a local hardware store was going out of business. I bought a Fiskars hatchet for no reason other than it was cheap. Had it with me in camp that winter and used it to skin and break down a deer. I was surprised how well it worked. Knowing this and never being one to do smart things, or pass up an excuse to buy something, I bought a Gränsfors Bruk mini hatchet. I've since used it to field dress two deer. No knife, just the mini hatchet. Crazy sharp, it worked amazing. Love it. But it's also a couple pounds of weight in my pack. So my most recent hunting knife purchase was a Knives of Alaska Ulu. (I've had tourist trinket Ulu forever, but never one made for using.) Next year we'll see how she goes.

How do you manage to trim around the butthole to free it and pull through with the guts if you had no knife?

 

[Electrodigical]

lol I knew that question was coming.

With a "butt out" tool. I laughed at them for years. "Why would you need one of them?" "I never needed one of those before!" Then one brutally cold, brutally windy night, with frozen fingers, struggling to see in the dark and being blinded by wind blown snow... I made a real mess of one. Then afterwards I thought "Hmmm... for $7 maybe they're not a bad idea." Been using one ever since.

 

[Thomasc19]

Leave the tender loins behind?

A little tricky to get to but my guide was able to get them without dealing with most of the guts. If you search it up on youtube there should be videos on how to do it. I'm still going to be doing the standard gut-skin-quarter for whitetail though; the gutless method is only better if you're doing it out in the field

 

[drycreek]

Built by Rob Kiebler, almost too pretty to get bloody

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Built by Rob Kiebler, almost too pretty to get bloody View attachment 74833

Real nice! I've always wanted a custom knife. Larry Benoit used to make them when he was alive. Would love to find one at a decent price.

 

[buckdeer1]

You just cut under spine from the side and reach in and pull them out. Easier to do gutless on elk than whitetail and we only pack out if too muddy to get something else including a deer cart back there

 

[b116757]

My grandfathers Old Timer 250T he passed in 1981 I used it exclusively for gutting deer until probably 1989 then started swapping between it and a Buck 121 that I have around here someplace can’t seem to be able to find it this evening for some reason most likely it’s out in my truck door. I no longer really carry the Old Timer because it would hurt my soul a bit to much if I lost it at this time. I would still use my old Buck 121 but usually if my kids shoot something now we use one of their Christmas knives they each get one every Christmas I started buying them for them the year the youngest boy was born so there are a lot to choose from.

 

[bigboreblr]

Old timers aren't the best knves out there, but I do like them.

I dont feel like I know how to sharpen a knife well. Since I bought a chef's choice 120 sharpener, I have been having pretty decent edges. Not amazing, but better than I can with a smith's setup. I clean up the edge on a good henkels deboning knife I got for christmas and a a few cheap basic kitchen paring knives. Does the job just fine.

I got a fiskars hatchet too Great little thing. I have a nice pair of fiskars shears I only use to cut muzzleloading patches with. I soak the patch strips in 7 parts water 1 part ballistol, then let them air dry. A nice cut edge with the patches help keep them together better.

 

[b116757]

I like a nice set of DMT diamond stones for sharpening most things that need an edge.

 

[Foggy47]

I really do not worry much about what knife I am carrying. I usually have a Buck folder that my wife gave me for Christmas many years ago....but also have a few other folders in my back pack....and they all do the job. I normally sharpen them with a Chef's Choice sharpener....and they all seem to do the job. I like a 3 to 4 inch blade....and much prefer a decent grip that fits my hand. I've always wanted a good fixed blade with a decent sheath tho carry. Tho I have used a small pocket knife to gut a deer.

Alas....I usually use folders and the folders I have simply fit my hands and needs better. Maybe I will find the perfect knife one day......but those I have certainly work fine. Knifes are kinda like guns....you may like one better than the other......but they all are effective to getting the job done. Some just seem to fit your style better than the others.

Philosophical Foggy.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

My grandfathers Old Timer 250T he passed in 1981 I used it exclusively for gutting deer until probably 1989 then started swapping between it and a Buck 121 that I have around here someplace can’t seem to be able to find it this evening for some reason most likely it’s out in my truck door. I no longer really carry the Old Timer because it would hurt my soul a bit to much if I lost it at this time. I would still use my old Buck 121 but usually if my kids shoot something now we use one of their Christmas knives they each get one every Christmas I started buying them for them the year the youngest boy was born so there are a lot to choose from.

Nice. I hear you about your grandfather's knife. I carry my gramp's knife and would feel awful if I lost it.

 

[b116757]

I love fixed blade knives for gutting but I do not like to carry a fixed blade on my person so I use folders for carry knives and usually have a fixed blade in the truck

 

[tooln]

It could be any one of many that I've made. I've made so many that I said were keepers but I usually end up selling them. Here the last 3 I thought I was keeping.

 

[Foggy47]

^. Mike.....does that Damascus steel require any different process'? I sure like the looks of that knife. Practical size and shape.

 

[tooln]

^. Mike.....does that Damascus steel require any different process'? I sure like the looks of that knife. Practical size and shape.

I just have to be more careful on the heat treating because of the mixture of steel. Then finishing to get the colors to pop takes more time.