Boning style knife in kill kit?

[gostovp]

For your big game kill kit where you have to pack out quarters, does anyone bring a boning style knife to break the animal down after skinning?
I have an Outdoor Edge RazorLite that I really like for general field dressing and field skinning, but I feel it’s just “ok” when attempting to get the quarters off, the back straps off, and especially getting the rear quarters off. I’m thinking of packing in a 5” or so boning style knife for this task , and wondering if anyone has any suggestions?

Here’s what I have currently which ‘might’ fit the bill.
Outdoor Edge foldable boning/fillet ( 5” blade. this one is ok, but the blade isn’t very stiff, pretty soft steel, the blade lockup is just ok and I’d prefer a fixed blade boning knife for big game field work).

Fish & Bone Folding Fillet Knife

The perfect folding knife for filleting fish and deboning big game. The flexible 5.0 inch 440A stainless steel blade is hand finished shaving-sharp and double-tempered for superior edge retention and flexibility. The double-molded Zytel® handle features rubberized, non-slip TPR inserts for a...

www.outdooredge.com

Victorinox 4” Boning Rabbit Knife. ( 4” blade, softer steel but easy to touch up, stiffer blade, but not the greatest big game boning knife)

Amazon.com

Victorinox 6” Curved Flexible Boning Knife ( same steel as 4”, and I like this knife for when I’m processing at home, but wondering if blade is too flexible for field work, and blade might be a tad long)

Amazon.com

Some that I was looking at wondering if they are worth it … and if you have any other suggestions let me know

Buck 636 Pac Lite Processor ( light weight and good price for the quality it looks like, 5.75” blade)

Amazon.com

Iron Will K3 Ultralite Boning

K3 Ultralight Boning Knife

Hunt with the high-quality K3 Ultralight Boning & Skinning Knife from Iron Will Outfitters. Designed for lightweight reliability for deboning wild game. Upgrade your hunting knife today.

ironwilloutfitters.com

Benchmade MeatCrafter 4” or 6”

Meatcrafter® 6" in Dark Olive Santoprene® | Benchmade Knives

Have the best trimming, deboning, and slicing game in the field. Shop our new 15500-04 Meatcrafter®, engineered to be the seasoned hunter’s go-to hybrid fixed-blade knife.

www.benchmade.com

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

100% breakdown with havalon replaceable blade knives, quartering every animal did 12 this year myself, bear, mule deer and elk. Even getting the skull off with a havalon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I have been using the outdoor edge razor bone 5” for the last couple years to process all my big game. So far i have done 4 Alaskan moose, 3 elk and a couple Mulies. I don’t even bring a fixed blade knife with me anymore.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Havalon here too. I’ve never felt under knifed on anything except moose.

 

[Jethro]

I have Havalon Baracuta in my kill kit. Longer, replaceable blade.

 

[justinspicher]

I have two KOA knives in my kill kit, a muskrat and a Yukon. Both have served me well.

 

[Tick]

Buck 636 has been the only knife in my pack for the last several years and no complaints. I prefer the boning blade for quartering and deboning.

 

[Mosby]

I have an older Knives of Alaska Jaeger knife with ATS-34 steel that I keep in my kill kit. It's basically a small boning knife.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

100% breakdown with havalon replaceable blade knives, quartering every animal did 12 this year myself, bear, mule deer and elk. Even getting the skull off with a havalon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Same for me.

 

[gostovp]

For all that carry the havalons for all your field work, are you carrying them for their weight savings, or are they really that good for breaking the animal down? I have that OE Razorlite which I can indeed break down the animal, I’m just wondering if carrying something like Buck PakLite Processor would be worth the extra 4 oz it weighs if it does a better job.

I used to have a havalon piranta and ended up giving it to a buddy as I just never really liked the thin blade, and I would never trust myself to change a blade in the field without using a pair of pliers, which to me defeats the purpose of the light weight of the knife.

But I’m totally open to using a Havalon if it’s indeed a superior product.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

For all that carry the havalons for all your field work, are you carrying them for their weight savings, or are they really that good for breaking the animal down? I have that OE Razorlite which I can indeed break down the animal, I’m just wondering if carrying something like Buck PakLite Processor would be worth the extra 4 oz it weighs if it does a better job.

I used to have a havalon piranta and ended up giving it to a buddy as I just never really liked the thin blade, and I would never trust myself to change a blade in the field without using a pair of pliers, which to me defeats the purpose of the light weight of the knife.

But I’m totally open to using a Havalon if it’s indeed a superior product.

Went for weight savings then ease of changing blades instead of sharpening with bloody hands. Havalon has a thing to switch blades, typically I can make it through an entire elk with 1 blade.

I’ve switched tons of blades out without any tools, I always have 2 of them in my kill kit so if it’s that big of a deal I just go to the next knife.

I’ve gone through a ton of knives over the years as a guide, used to have a fixed blade for necks and hip joints, until I found out how easy it was with a havelon and just knowing where to cut you don’t dull out blades. The biggest part that dulls my blades is cutting up the neck on rutty bulls.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jtb.kfd]

Same here as most. Carry an Outdoor Edge and use it 99% of the time. If I am not going super deep (where weight/bulk matters) or during our elk season I add a Buck Paklite for caping. Only reason for that is to save some blades for work that will dull one fairly quick. Never used a Havalon but the Outdoor Edge has thicker blades as I understand and they change really easy.

 

[BBob]

Went for weight savings then ease of changing blades instead of sharpening with bloody hands. Havalon has a thing to switch blades, typically I can make it through an entire elk with 1 blade.

I’ve switched tons of blades out without any tools, I always have 2 of them in my kill kit so if it’s that big of a deal I just go to the next knife.

I’ve gone through a ton of knives over the years as a guide, used to have a fixed blade for necks and hip joints, until I found out how easy it was with a havelon and just knowing where to cut you don’t dull out blades. The biggest part that dulls my blades is cutting up the neck on rutty bulls.

Pretty much exactly the same to the T except the guiding

I carry two as well but one short blade and one long. The short is for caping and I can generally do an animal with the one long blade. In the beginning I broke a few blades from side pressure but it’s been years since I broke one off. Really easy to cut yourself so you need to learn to keep your fingers clear and or get a cut proof glove for your off hand.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

Pretty much exactly the same to the T except the guiding

I carry two as well but one short blade and one long. The short is for caping and I can generally do an animal with the one long blade. In the beginning I broke a few blades from side pressure but it’s been years since I broke one off. Really easy to cut yourself so you need to learn to keep your fingers clear and or get a cut proof glove for your off hand.

Yep same, only broke a few usually when I’m working and someone moves a leg or something and pinches the blade, I carry a cut proof glove even though I haven’t ever wore it it the field. Usually get by with 1 cut an animal on a finger,


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wrench]

This knife has been through 3 elk and 2 deer this year alone. In it's life it's in the 30's. It weights 3.5oz and the gut hook blade simply doesn't cut hair, it cuts hide from below.

I bought this as a gag gift for a friend many years ago and he tried it and I watched how slick it was and bought my own.

I've never felt the need to improve upon it as it does everything. I can cut the ribs or skull cap (I typically have a silky saw which is better), skin, bone, cape....and it holds an edge like every other swiss army knife. The saw is just like your leatherman but longer.

Best $30 ever.

 

[wapitibob]

Havalon

 

[dirtshooter]

That Iron Will knife looks slick.

 

[hereinaz]

Outdoor Edge here for years. Have a Havalon that never gets used. The outdoor edge with the hook blade is very cool, saves my replacement blade some and cuts from under the hide so easy like a zipper to open the hide.

But, I will switch up to a quality fixed blade in the Canadian Belt Knife style. Have a new one. Hope to try it on a javelina this weekend.

I’ve never needed to switch a new blade out on an animal, elk included. Have gone two animals once, when I forgot to swap and put new one in the kill bag. It wasn’t as easy to finish for sure, but it was still relatively sharp. So, I can’t see myself needing to sharpen a blade of good steel in the middle of an animal or I am doing something wrong. But, I can if needed. It’s mostly a touch up to straighten the rolled edge, even on the replacement blades. I use a ceramic to resharpen them the last year, cause I was using them to bone and process at home.

If you know where to cut, you can pull the skull off and cut off the hooves without dulling blades. I also do everything to avoid cutting hair. ALWAYS from inside out. Keeps meat clean and less games that way.

I also do quarter and gutless, as I only started hunting a few years ago so I don’t know how to gut an animal. Haven’t fully boned out meat ever in t the field.

 

[Slickhill]

I have thrown my bait knife in the gear box on moose hunts, it’s a 6” filet knife of some kind Barracuda maybe? Used to keep a 4” Rapala in the box years ago. Usually end up using them to clean fish or slice cheese in camp.
Always kept an Xacto with a 6 pack of blades when doing fly out bear hunts, tiny pointed razor blades are perfect for getting down to the last knuckle skinning paws out.

For anything up to and including elk I just use my pocketknife. It’s always some sort of Jumbo Trapper, Camillus for ages and GEC for the past 5 years. I use it for many tasks during a day or week on the mountain and keep both blades sharp. No issue at all to break down an elk without sharpening if you pay attention and think before you cut.

 

[Poser]

Fillet knives don't make good boning knives and vice versa. For a boning knife, you want a stiff blade to be able to get in there and work the bone on a big game animal. For a fillet knife, you want a flexible blade to maximize the removal of the fillet between the bones of a fish.