looking for a new hunting knife

[hunterman_78]

I am trying to find a new hunting knife. hopefully you guys can help me out. the knives I am currently looking at are knives of Alaska elk hunter combo that comes with the elk hunter and cub bear, benchmade hidden canyon hunter, buck knife vanguard, or a elk track knife. what's every ones thoughts on the knives I am looking at? o and I am am going to be using either a havalon or outdoor edge as a back up blade if needed.

 

[huntsman22]

if you get a koa combo, why do you need a 'backup'?

 

[jmez]

I don't think the Buck fits with the quality of the other knives that you mentioned. If you are also carrying a havalon type knife I don't really see any need for the Combo set. The Havalon is a much better caping type knife than the cub bear.

For a nice larger carry knife I would look at a Grohmann Canadian Belt knife as well.

 

[hunterman_78]

Thanks I will look into those ones.
The back up was more for in case I loose the main knife set at night. Never can be to prepared.

 

[JigStick]

FWIW Ive had good luck with the ESEE fixed blade knives. They take a mean edge and hold it very well. I use a Wicked Edge sharpener and can get a very nice bevel on the ESEE metal. And it seems to hold that edge well. If you keep it reasonably oiled and use it appropriately it will perform very well. Mine takes a beating. The micarta handles are nice too. And they come with a hard and soft sheath. The price isn't crazy either.

I also have some Benchmade knives that I really like. They are made with much harder steel. They are much harder to sharpen as well. I tend to baby them a little more because If i do dull them its a headache to fix the bevel. The ESEE i beat on because its easier to fix if something happens.

are you looking for a "camp knife" or a "field dressing knife"? The ESEE is more of a camp knife. For field dressing I would use one with exchangeable blades.

 

[huntsman22]

I'd go custom.......

 

[Hunter6]

If you want to go custom I would look at the form bushcraft USA. A lot of custom knives sold over there.





Follow me on Instagram @hunter_hindman

 

[Desk Jockey]

Esee 4 is a great knife for the price.

If you are thinking of spending a bit more maybe a Winkler hunter. M

 

[GKPrice]

I have always been the typical "knife guy", WE love knives .... Last season I got myself a Havalon Titan, the one with Shockey's name all over it - I thought it might be handy for whatever .... it comes with 10 extra blades - it did all or a large part of 3 bulls and 4 cows by the time seasons were done and I still have 7 spare blades left and the fixed blade is still sharp enough to cut 1/2" sisal rope with one pull and I could care less if I lose it because I can replace it quick and cheap

 

[oldgoat]

I bought a KOA light Hunter combo I think it's called, never got to use it yet though. But I've already relegated it cutting up meat at home, simply because of trying to light weight my setup more. Bought a havalon and I also have a KOA filet knife that's pretty light weight. The KOA sets are phenomenal, but between the heavy leather sheath and then the heavy weight knifes, they quickly add up to a lot of weight in the pack. Just my 2cents. If your base camping though, the weight isn't an issue. Also, if you ever find yourself wanting a cleaver for processing game, the KOA Cleaver is fantastic, works great for skinning too! I really want get one of their ulu knives also.

 

[hunterman_78]

Well I went a different route from.tbe knives I mentioned. I went to the local sportsman's store yesterday and was looking at the koa, bucks and Benchmade when I noticed bark River knives. I loved it so much I went home and ordered a bark River huntsman. Can't wait for this thing to get here. It was very sturdy felt great in my hand and man was it sharp!

 

[mtwarden]

I have a few Barkriver knives- the quality is very (very) good, good steel (variety of steels used) and they offer such a wide (almost boggling) array of knives there is something for everyone; not cheap, but not overly expensive either

the convex blades keep an edge well and are easy to touch up

my go to hunting knife (keep a OE/blades in my kit as well) is a BR Woodland Special- just a touch over 3" blade, ~ 1/8" A2 steel, orange G10 scales so it doesn't get lost

 

[hunterman_78]

Yeah mtwarden. I can't wait to get it. I could tell the quality was there the second I picked up the one at the store. The woodland was one I was looking at getting when I picked out the huntsman. probably will end up getting it to eventually. This one will not be the last I get just might be awhile until the next one cause of the price point. Like you mentioned my head was spinning when I was looking at all of them.

 

[huntsman22]

at least you got one with a good name......

 

[beetlespin]

Not sure what the goal of your new knife is but I like the skeletonized type. I have an older lone wolf that is not made anymore but buck and kestrel knives make similar versions.

Kestrel Knives

Amazon.com : Buck Knives 140 PakLite Skinner Knife with Orange Traction Coat and Sheath : Fixed Blade Tool Knives : Sports & Outdoors

I then use the 5 inch ceramic medium stick to sharpen them in the field from this kit. Its pretty lite setup. The wood box and fine sticks are nice around the house but one stick in the pack is really light and works great in the field.

Amazon.com: Lansky TB 2D2C Diamond Ceramic Four Rod Turn Box: Sports & Outdoors

 

[Matt Cashell]

For several years I have been using the Havalon Piranta for all my field processing. Last season though I used my BHA edition Benchmade Steep Country, and remembered how nice it was to use an old fashioned fixed blade. The S30V went through two critters between sharpenings no problem. Using a scalpal has trained me to be easier on blades than I used to be, though. The Steep Country is a very good quality knife at a reasonable price. I don't like the finicky button clasp on the kydex sheath though.

 

[Superkodiak38]

I have a KOA Alpha Wolf , it's D2 steel and I can go through gutting, skinning and quartering up 2 whitetails before it needs touching up. I ran it on a butchers steel and got it back into action quick. Last night I used a portuguese file and the ceramic sticks posted above then finished with a strop with green compound and it will shave hair off your arm. I admit when I first got it I didn't like that the handle was thin but it has a good feel when you are workingn with it, the rubber grip and choyle keep it in place when you're hands are bloody. I was not a fan of the sheath but it works well in a crossdraw configuration and that's how I wear it now.

 

[mcseal2]

I like a bigger knife than most, guess I watched to many Rambo movies as a kid.

I never liked the Havalon Piranta for anything but caping. I know it will do it all and I can make it do a whole critter, but I seem to take game when I need to get the processing done pretty quick. I mostly day hunt and want to get out at a reasonable hour after a kill. I like the Barracuda better than the Piranta for quartering, taking out loins, skinning, most jobs.

I tried the Outdoor Edge version I got for renewing an Eastmans subscription this year and wasn't a fan at first. The more I used it though the more I'm liking it. It's a 4" blade and sturdier than the Havalon. If I was taking one knife just for game processing, or going as light as possible this would likely be it. I have been using it on the ranch for cutting net wrap. I have been using the same blade for a couple months now, just hitting it with a ceramic steel a couple times a week and after 5 passes on each side on the steel it will slice a piece of paper really smooth still. We are feeding more hay all the time and I'm probably cutting 60-80 big round bales per week now. It makes little sense to carry a steel and a replaceable blade knife when hunting, but I'll be bringing the blades home to re-sharpen in the future, not packing them out and disposing of them.

I'm still a fan of having a belt knife. If I'm packing a belt knife and a steel, the replaceable blade knife makes less sense. I like the Battle Horse knives with high carbon steel really well. The Blackwater is a great game knife that is stout enough for camp work when it's needed. I bought that ceramic steel mentioned earlier from Cabelas and it only weighs 2.5oz. The 4" Blackwater and sheath weigh 5.7oz. Since I like having a stout fixed blade knife with me this combo is usually where I end up. I bet the Benchmade Hunt series is lighter and would work as well, this is just what I use. I have an easier time getting and keeping a great edge on a high carbon steel knife than the S30V or other super steel knives when I use them a while between touching them up on something more than the steel.

My hunting partner uses and old KaBar 2 bladed folding hunter knife that looks just like the Old Timer 250T and it works well too. It was his Grandpa's and he uses it for sentimental reasons. The 250T I have weighs 7oz but the weight is offset a bit by it having two blades if one dulls or breaks. The newer ones are not the quality of the old ones that can be bought used off Ebay. His knife holds a pretty good edge, but he likes that I have the ceramic steel in my pack he can use too when cutting up an elk or other larger critter. I don't like that the blades aren't a true locking design and I feel that invites injury when one is far from aid compared to a locking or fixed blade knife.