Knives

I have a ton of knives, but if I want a fixed blade while backpacking, it’s hard to beat the Esee-3. Not too big, not tiny, not too thin or thick, takes an easy edge but stays sharp, and it can take a light beating. I can baton wood into smaller strips for starting fires and still dress game and eat with it. A small stone easily keeps a good edge on the blade. The micarta handles grip well when wet or bloody. Comes with a nice flat kydex sheath. Basically, it’s just a damn good, simple knife for under $100.

Whatever you do, don’t get a big or thick (i.e. heavy) knife, especially for hiking. If your looking for a survival/bushcraft type knife you don’t need to go big either. I’d rather pack a small knife and a smallish folding saw than a heavy knife.
 
I have literally hundreds of knives but my go to is still my trusty old timer 60t. been with me on hundreds of kills
 
I like a fixed blade with a 4-4.5" blade. I don't need that big of a knife, but I like them.

My favorites now are a Bark River classic clip point hunter in 3V steel, and a Dozier Pro Guides knife in D2. The Bark River worked awesome on the moose in the pic, but the leather sheath stretched out a lot. I don't trust it to stay sheathed in my pack now and I haven't sent it off to have a Kydex sheath made yet. The Dozier has a great sheath and is a great feeling knife, but I haven't used it on game yet.

I usually pack a smaller knife too. Depending on the hunt its either a Benchmade Altitude in the bino harness side pouch (if I'll wear the fixed blade on my belt) or a Buck Alpha Crosslock folder if the fixed blade will be in the pack. The Buck fits fine in a pocket when the fixed blade would have to be retrieved from the pack. Some hunts I wear waders and some of my hunting pants have a belt built in now so no great way to carry a fixed blade. Either has a 3" blade that works well for finer work while I use the fixed blade for most of it. Either can handle whatever I need to do also if the fixed blade is not with me.

Scouting trips I always take my ZT 452 CF. It's a bigger folder that's still light, and a heck of a knife too. The blade shape is almost identical to the Benchmade Saddle Mountain Hunter I have and it works as well on game. Good knife for meat, but not a lot of belly to the blade for skinning.

I like knives if you can't tell.
 
I have held a havalon and it was like a feather with a scalpel in it. Call me old school, I carry a Buck 110.
 
Depending on the hunt:

Kestrel Scalpel for the kill kit. five blades and no sheath is under 1oz. Can't beat that
Or
Kestrel Handled Ovis.

Spyderco Para3 CF S90V

Recently picked up a Mountain Caper that i might combine with the scalpel for an ultralight carry/kill kit combo
 
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I've got a bunch of knives I like

Probably my 'Go To' is the Benchmade Steep country in S30v- I can do 2 elk with it no problem, about $90.
Steep Country

I also like a couple customs I've made from particle steel blanks but my favorite folder is the S90v blade from Spyderco with an orange handle for $120...but that s90V is super pricy now.
 
Tyto in my bino harness

Benchmade grip in the pocket

2 Victorinox boning knives in camp/truck!


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One of the knives I made for Reburn.
The "Scalpel"

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Very nice
 
Bark river for me. I like the fox river or the Canadian models the most. I also use a falkniven in f1 on occasion.


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You dont need to spend 100usd on a knife
Havalon is great to have for capes/ears/lips etc

I use a number of Victory knive for anything else, all under $30NZD

Small buck Packlite caper is a good wee knife to have handy as well and they are cheap.
 
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