What's your "goto" big game knife?

Clark · Jan 13, 2006

What knife do you use for field dressing big game. Looking for a new knife. Thanks

Clark

264Magnum · Jan 13, 2006

I primarily use two. An old Gerber that I got when I was about 12, and a Columbia River cobuk. I've also started carrying a Benchmade rescue hook for opening it up.

DallanC · Jan 13, 2006

LAST EDITED ON Jan-13-06 AT 05:11PM (MST)[p]Whatever I have with me at the time. Usually its either a folding gerber or buck... but I've done a few with a tiny leatherman micro. I've never understood why people think they *have* to use a 12" bowie ... LOL

PS: I did a cow elk once with a leatherman micro... those are a tad too small but it does work.

-DallanC

ktg · Jan 13, 2006

It used to be a Buck zipper, but a couple years ago, my wife bought me a Dozier Professional Skinner. That thing is scary sharp!

257Tony · Jan 13, 2006

Kershaw Elk Hunter, nice heavy blade, holds a good edge. Tough enough to axe through smaller bones if ya need to.

studpile · Jan 13, 2006

I have an older black, rubber handled, fixed blade Kershaw that hasn't failed me yet. The standby is my folding Schrade.

polarbear · Jan 13, 2006

I have 6 Buck 110's, 4 Schrade (forget the name, but like the 110) and a couple of old Case knives that all get used. They sit in a drawer and whatever I grab is what goes to the field. I have gutted a few bucks with my old, handy Case Stockman pocket knife. I probqably use the Buck 110's the most.

Eric

crabcreekhunter · Jan 13, 2006

My dad and I do mostly back pack hunting so we use a light knife. We use a Alaskan Knives Bear Cub caping knife. Not a big knife but we don't need a big knife to bone out an animal. If we had to break some bone with it it would probably a different story.

hunt4 · Jan 13, 2006

I have a Browning not sure of the model but it has the gut hook with saw blade all in one, keeps an edge pretty well.

dl19 · Jan 13, 2006

I use a wyoming knife (older metal not plastic) and a 6" fixed blade Schrade. I carry a small steel, and keep the knife sharp. I use the same knife on elk and deer. I also carry a Uncle Mikes pac saw, and a pelvis saw from cabelas. I only use the pelvis saw some times, and only carry them just in case.

Lowedog · Jan 13, 2006

I've always liked Buck knives. They hold an edge like crazy and are super tough. I usually cary a Buck Skinner. I just bought their Alpha Hunter though with the gut hook and can't wait to try it. It is razor sharp!

-Lowedog

kilowatt · Jan 13, 2006

A 10" Mini-Mac works good when nothing else around.

freedivr2 · Jan 13, 2006

I've used a lot of different knives (all quality) on deer and hogs. The knife that is my current favorite because it holds an edge for a long time and also is light, has a small saw and gut hook, is the Buck PBS (folding knife). Prior to that, I was using and swearing by the Buck Zipper.......

fatrooster · Jan 13, 2006

I use a peice of flint. Just joking. I really use a Uncle Henry pocket knife with a blade about 2.5 inches long. Uncle Henry is made by schrade and the model # I use is 5UH. fatrooster.

BuckSnort · Jan 13, 2006

I use the bowie knife that jim gave me

MrBaitnFish · Jan 13, 2006

I normally use my kershaw Black Horse 2, this last season I bought a buck alpha hunter because I like gut hooks. Skinned two bear in Alaska and still shaves like when it was new.

Craig · Jan 13, 2006

I got a new Buck Alpha and it works awsome. Thats one sharp knife.

Phantom Hunter · Jan 13, 2006

When hunting elk and mulies I always carry my KERN skinning/gutting knife. It is a heavy blade made from #1 tool steel made my one of my best friends father. It is shaving sharp and hold an edge real well. When hunting West Texas whitetails and hogs I use whatever I've got with me, a buck or schrade pocket knife or a couple of old 4-6" sheath knives.

Phantom Hunter

missinMT · Jan 14, 2006

To be honest, I have a history with losing knives. Not so long ago on a trip to WYO I left behind/lost two 110's and a 112 somewhere and needed something. Stopped a a local store in Livingston Mt and purchased two Rapala filet knives. Unbelievable sharpness and picks up a new edge very easily. They work really well on big game, for me anyway.

cbryant11 · Jan 14, 2006

i use benchmade and schrade,, i also have a gerber gator and a gerber saw for splitting the bone,,,cbryant

264Magnum · Jan 14, 2006

missinMT, you field dress big game with a filet knife?

ansonlynn · Jan 14, 2006

A friend and I once dressed and quartered 4 elk (2 cows, 2 spikes) with our Super Leatherman tools, AND loaded them in a pickup with a canopy. Don't recommend it, though (usually, the poacher gets to do that, but in this case he was 79 years old and disabled .. really! He killed all 4 too, plus a calf I found later).

However, I am extremely partial to a scalpel handle and a box of poultry blades. Haven't sharpened a knife in years!

Clark · Jan 14, 2006

I just purchased a "Frost Clipper" for 12 bucks. I was told this was a great knife for the price. Anyone use one of these?

http://www.ragweedforge.com/SwedishKnifeCatalog.html

sirfilbert · Jan 15, 2006

Clark, I haven't used the frost clipper but I over the years I have bought six standard Mora's from the Ragweed Forge. I think they run about 35 bucks each. I've kept two for myself, lost one so I had to replace it, but you won't find a better knife for the money. Yes, they are carbon steel and will rust but a little olive oil fixes that. The first year I had one I field dressed and quartered two elk and a deer before it needed to be sharpened. And the sharpenning part is easy with nothing more that diamond stones. No jigs and they hold an edge like no tomorrow.

missinMT · Jan 15, 2006

264 - I was desperate, what can I say. They really work just fine for just about any purpose, except cutting bone. I carry a good game saw and I am done with the job in no time. They work really well for skinning as well, and of course, I do enjoy a fillet from time to time

!! If you need a new one, they are ten bucks.

need2hunt · Jan 17, 2006

My "goto" big game knife is my Outdoor Edge combo set. It consists of a fixed blade 3" or 4" (can't remember the details)knife w/gut hook and it's also got a separate bone saw. Mine came with a leather sheath that holds both the knife and saw. The combo works great and having that bone saw is very handy. FYI the saw is very sharp and has the teeth that cut both forward and back...makes the job quicker. I'd recommend this Outdoor Edge set to anybody.

forkedhorn · Jan 17, 2006

I agree with need2hunt, I would recomend the outdoor edge knives to anybody. They work great.

meatmaker · Jan 17, 2006

Overall I like a straighter blade with a drop point. This lets me turn the blade upside down and slit the hide from brisket to vent without puncturing the stomach if I'm careful. if the blade has proper belly on it you can also do a good job of skinning if you want. I like the blade no more than four inches so it is manuverable inside the chest cavity. Any of the major makers are goind to be good. A brand that offers a very good performance/value at reasonable prices is Columbia River Knife and Tool CRKT.

Get a good one. Nothing I hate more than having to sharpen in the field.

Good luck

meatmaker

johnathanjcbs2 · Jan 17, 2006

I use a box cutter, you know the plastic type with the snap blades. Watch the hardware stores for sales on them, you can usually pick the blades up like 6 for a $1. Often you can find the whole knives for 2 for $1. They work really well for capes as well........Then a wyoming saw for the bones and pelvis...