knife set for field dressing

[elkhuntingcouple]

Christmas Gift: I want to buy a good knife set for my husband to pack, but am unsure of which brand is best and what to look for in a knife that will keep its edge when gutting and skinning. I have looked at kershaw, Buck and Browning, but don't know if they are the best. I am willing to pay good money if the knife set is all he would need in his pack. Thank you so much for your time.

 

[noharleyyet]

Take a look at the Alaska knives. I believe Cabelas or Bass Pro offers them and many others.

 

[Chef]

With knives, either cooking or butchering, you can't have best of both worlds. By that I mean, you can't have one that is easy to sharpen AND hold a sharp edge for a long time. Most knives nowadays consist of a carbon/stainless blend OR all stainless.

Carbon blended knives are easy to sharpen, but won't hold an edge as long as a straight stainless knife will. On the other hand, stainless is so hard, that when one needs to sharpen it, its a pain in the butt for most people.

I always go with a carbon blend and a nice packable honing stone. Let me tell you why. On a large deer or elk, you WILL need to sharpen a knife more than once anyway. Since I'm out in the field, I would prefer not to mess around and get the edge I need, right away. So I have to sharpen it a few more times than stainless...so what? I get a razor sharp edge to work with. A sharp edge is safer and more efficient than a dull edge.

Another thing, try to get a fixed blade setup. That means, not a folding knife. I tend to feel like the blade can fold on my fingers during rough work. I say this while I use a folding Browning knife. (nice blade on these BTW)

Another note. Stay away from these fancy gut hook knives for elk. The hooks you need for elk are HUGE in comparison to the deer gut hooks. You will know when you see em which ones they are.

Hope this helps!

I concur with noharley and second the Knives of Alaska blades.

Chef
"I Love Animals...They're Delicious!"

 

[elkhuntingcouple]

THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION, i LOOKED FOR aLASKAN KNIFES AND i FOUND lots that are for the kitchen. I went to huntingblades.com and see a Gaucho Gut hook knife should I be looking for a Gut hook knife? we do hunt Elk, and I really want to impress my husband with a good knife, but if I even talk about them then he will know what I'm up to. What knifes do you carry There seems to be a lot of different types. I don't think we would want a folding knife, but i was looking for something that had a leather sleave so he can put it in his backpack.
Thanks again for your help and information.

 

[grizzlyplumber]

try the Outdoors Edge for a set with a knife, saw and caping knife. Around 80-90 bucks for the set at Sportsmans Wherehouse.

 

[Chef]

http://www.knivesofalaska.com/index.aspx

I like the combination sets. They have a sheath that will carry the different knives. I like the light hunter combo and the bush camp combo. You don't need a Rambo knife for most jobs. By that I say, stay with something that is easy to control and get into the deep stuff.

They are on the pricey side and there are other options too. I would suggest you go to a dealer like Cabelas, Bass Pro, or Sportsmans Warehouse if you have them nearby. They carry a wide assortment and they are helpful in answering questions.

Chef
"I Love Animals...They're Delicious!"

 

[elkhuntingcouple]

Ok I found them and I like the light hunter pack to, wish it had the bone saw, but could add that separate or later. We don't have a Cabelas here just the catalog, I like what I see in the knives of Alasaka, Just am a little torn between a couple of the different packs. You carry the light hunter ones? and is the stone that is with it good? do you carry a bone saw? We don't pack way in but several miles to far to run to go get something and not pack out meat with you on the trip back. Thanks again, I think if I order right away I should beable to get them for Christmas.

 

[noharleyyet]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-20-05 AT 12:03PM (MST)[p]The Knives of Alaska Hunter Combo has a fixed blade with a gut hook & partially serrated D-2 blade, also a caper, and a very nice leather sheath for both...about 160.00.

Cabelas Hunting/Optics section, knives & tools item search.

 

[Chef]

Here's a good deal too, if you want a saw included.

http://www.aaknives.com/superpropack.html

Go to froogle.com and type in what you are looking for and you can find the best price. Remember to include any and all shipping charges too. Some sites ship for free.

Chef
"I Love Animals...They're Delicious!"

 

[2_Point]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-20-05 AT 01:26PM (MST)[p]The only thing a good knife can't do when field dressing, deboning, and cutting up an elk is cutting the skull cap from the head. I have 3 bone saws that I have never used. So I would buy a lock blade knife with a 4-5 inch blade for between $50-100. This should get a quality knife, that if your husband was to lose in a snow bank he wouldn't feel too bad. Get him a high quality stone, for around $40, which will be as important as a knife. Don't waste the money on a saw, a too expensive knife, or a gut hook. Good luck

 

[hunting1]

I have and like the Outdoor edge Kodi pak. Good luck and whatever you get your husband is lucky and will appreciate his gift!

 

[sagebrush]

I carry two Buck Alpha Hunters and a Gerber folding saw in my backpack. I don't have the time or skill to put a good edge on a knife, so I just take them down and have them sharpened between hunts. If you only do one hunt a year, you can send them back to Buck to be sharpened in the off season. I've had a number of knives over the years, but I will stay with the Alpha Hunter until someone can show me something better. As long as you keep the edge off the bone, one will stay sharp long enough to skin, quarter and debone an elk. And they look nice!

 

[Daxter]

I received a Kershaw Alaskan Blade Trader as a gift last year and have really liked it. It has interchangeable blades. It has a good boning blade, and a good skinning blade with a large guthook that will work on elk. It also has a saw blade that will work fine on ribs or pelvis but I wouldn't want to use it to remove a skull plate. The blades are softer steel, but sharpen up really well. I carry a shapening steel with me and a few licks here and there will get me through an elk until I get home and can touch it up on a stone again. It is not too expensive and might be worth taking a look at. Hope you find something good.

Dax

 

[COSA]

I was very unimpressed by the Knives of Alaska. They are heavy, rust quickly, did not hold an edge, and were not easy to sharpen. Plus they are expensive. Mine sits in the shed. A gut hook sounds great but I find it unnecessary. I've been using my lockback gerber with much better results for the past few years. They are lighter and not as pretty, but just plain work. As for caping, a scapel from walmart with a couple of extra blades is the best way to go IMO.

 

[huntindude]

Look a Dave Kauffman's knives at hunttools.com I think it is. I've tried a bunch of factory knives that are junk. Dave's knives are great,I've put all four skinned elk quarters on horses with one knife and it will still be razor sharp . the field series are not that expensive given the quality, I have several including one presentation stag and I can't say enough good about them.

 

[Ross06]

Thanks to everyone for the great information. I have a similar question. I have a knife for the field, but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a good knife for butchering deer and elk at home? Should I stick with something from say Buck or Alaskan Knifes, or should I go to a kitchen store and look for more of a chefs type of knife? Any help would be great. In regards to the original post, I have been really happy with my buck fixed blade w/ a gut hook.