Lightweight knife for field dressing a deer

[Buckhorn 70]

I am looking a good lightweight knife for field dressing a deer. Something that is lightweight/packable and doesn’t take up much room in the pack. It can be a folder or a straight knife.

Thanks in advance for opinions.

 

[MuleyFever]

All I use anymore is an Outdoor Edge.

 

[Wvroach]

Outdoor edge is great for field dressing and quartering, if I'm deboning I like to have my big game vital too. The spine on the outdoor edge is nice and carry a spare blade or 2 for virtually no extra weight.

 

[Dennis]

Havalon is my favorite knife for field dressing and I have been using them for years. I primarily use the gutless method to process deer and elk etc.. I start with their gut hook blade and make all primary cuts in the hide and around the legs. I then use size #60 blades to finish skinning and quartering or deboning. Good luck!

 

[MuleyFever]

I do carry a Havalon for the gut hook but I am sick of breaking blades on it so I mostly just use it for the hook. The blades seem to break for no reason. I can do a whole animal one time with one blade then next one I break 2. The Outdoor Edge is just easier as I don’t have to worry about twisting the blade too much and breaking a blade.

 

[Wvroach]

I do carry a Havalon for the gut hook but I am sick of breaking blades on it so I mostly just use it for the hook. The blades seem to break for no reason. I can do a whole animal one time with one blade then next one I break 2. The Outdoor Edge is just easier as I don’t have to worry about twisting the blade too much and breaking a blade.

I use a havalon for trout, rabbit, squirrel. That's about it, after stabbing myself, though somewhat my fault the flimsy blades are not good for anything that requires any sort of exertion of force. They are great for gutting trout and small game though

 

[Dmr400]

The last two elk I've killed i have used kind of an unconventional knife. It is called a vegetable knife, made by dexter Russell, model

S151PCP. It stays sharp enough to process a whole elk using the gutless method. It isn’t a survival knife by any means but it is easy to clean, easy to touch up with a small steel, and most importantly for me it has a full size handle but is very lightweight. I personally hate the havalon type knives, I always feel like I'm going to maim myself changing a gunked up stuck blade, but with good technique you really don't need a heavy traditional style hunting knife to skin and quarter critters the way I like to. I also carry a lightweight rapala filet knife with a spare blade in case I need to bone one out, but I really try to avoid doing that. I like to leave the leg bones in to keep some structure in the meat.​

Amazon.com

 

[4BarN]

Argali Carbon knife.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[orionsbrother]

Havalon and an Esee Izula

 

[ericacymcdonald]

I've been using a mora for years, tried more expensive knives and keep going back. Perfect backpacking knife in my opinion, light, cheap, razor sharp and will hold an edge well enough for an entire animal so no need for a sharpener

 

[Buckhorn 70]

Argali Carbon knife.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Been looking at this knife for a straight knife. Also looking at the Benchmade bug out as a folder for field dressing a deer

 

[nobody]

Folding knife, I recommend a Havalon. Crazy light and sharp as crap, one blade can easily take care of an entire elk and then some.

For a fixed blade, I recommend an Esee Izula. Cerakoted blade to protect from rust, easy to sharpen, skeletonized handle to keep weight down, and holds an edge really well.

Both of these are inexpensive, so you won't feel terrible if you leave it on the mountain too. Can't recommend them enough.

 

[Shraggs]

Bark River Huntsman, 3 ounces 3 1/4 inch blade 1/4 inch thick stock. It is a beast of a tiny knife that will got fourth-quarter any pig game animals

 

[OctoberGold]

I carry both a Tyto 1.1 and an Esee Izula in my kill kit. The Izula has yet to see any use as the Tyto with 60A blades has easily handled what I throw at it.

 

[d_bach]

I’ve been using a buck fixed blade with a gutting hook.

 

[Blackdog317]

Benchmade Steep Country is worth a look in the fixed blade category.

 

[ReddingArcher]

I carry and use both a havalon and esee izulu. The havalon is nice but I have broke blades and have had to be real careful looking for them. I prefer the izulu.

 

[Mosby]

Benchmade Steep Country is worth a look in the fixed blade category.

I bought one of the older versions when they rolled out the new version. Hopefully will get to use it this year.