What knife

[LostArra]

ray:
my havalon and the newer razor I posted above weigh the same, both under 3oz

I like the box cutter but never used a breakaway blade. Good idea.

I apologize for hijack

 

[Violent Hippie]

If you like flat grinds and 1095 steel the ESEE knives cannot be beat in my experience .I happen to like flat grinds and 1095 as I grew up using KBARS . The ESEE 4 and IZULA 2 have been my go to blades for years. I have field dressed and deboned 2 deer in a row with no touchup on just the little IZULA 2 and still shave hair off my arm. Solid full tang USA made knives.

 

[billygoatpete]

I've run all sorts of knives over the years but finally decided to drop the coin on one made specific for me. I had a friend that owns a custom knife shop build one for me a few years back and it's been my "go to" ever since. I still carry a Piranta in the pack as a back up (it's light and I never need to sharpen it) but it hasn't gotten much use.

 

[gmajor]

I got the hidden canyon hunter from the benchmade and it's great, but I do need to sharpen it up a bit and to be honest, my sharpening skills suck. Can't seem to get that one back to factory sharp...

I have a piranta in my pack, and my partner or I also carries a mora for batoning through logs etc.

 

[rayporter]

this is an out door edge [eastmans ] i was given - it may not be the same. this one weighs over double what the piranta weighs.

 

[desertcj]

I've thought hard about getting a Havalon. Baracuta for me, I want more than a swiss army knife...lol. I probably will get one this year, but I just quartered a deer a couple weeks ago with my $20 Kershaw Chill along with a cheap walmart "Ozark trail" knife that I had floating around. I don't see the absolute NEED for the replacement blade knifes. I pretty much always have a pocket knife and the Chill weighs 2oz so no benefit from a Havalon there. Use what you like, not what other people like.

 

[Violent Hippie]

I just used the Benchmade saddle mountain knife on 2 deer over the last 2 days . Used it to gut , skin, and butcher . Nice knife and I did not touch up the blade at all so not bad BUT I was expecting more edge retention from the benchmade advertisements raving the s30v having exceptional edge retention. I did not notice a difference between the s30v and my usual 1095 ESEE blades and must say I could NOT get the saddle mountain blade back to factory sharpness as I easily can with my 1095 steel blades. Maybe benchmade is aware of this since the offer the free factory sharpening with these blades ? I personally dont like not being able to easily touch up my blades to razor edge as I do with my ESEE blades. Saddle mountain knife feels good in the hand but its a no go for me with the mentioned experience .

 

[Dinger]

I still feel that a 5" boning knife is the ultimate hunting knife, after all it's what I grab at home to do 90% of my butchering

I have a bunch of knives, but I have to agree with this.

I romanticise about the perfect knife, but at the end of the day I've busted down hundreds of animals with my old Buck 110. For a fixed blade hunting knife a 5" boner is hard to beat in terms of shear practicality and utility.

Not real sexy though....maybe if it had a skeletonised Ti handle, custom kydex sheath and a damascus blade it would make the cut.

 

[AK Troutbum]

If weight is an issue/concern, I would highly recommend a stainless steel Kestrel caper. I have two seasons with this knife and have cleaned 3 goats, and 4 deer, (this includes using it to cut all the legs off between the joints) and I've only needed to sharpen it twice. Weight is 20 grams.

 

[Darren Best]

Mora Companion carbon steel for general camp duties.

Victorinox six inch boning knife for butchering.

 

[striker3]

I have to say that I bought my first Bark River knife about a month ago, a Fox River Featherweight. I can't say enough good things about it! It is a 3 1/8" convex ground blade in Elmax steel, 7.25" overall and only 2.6 oz. bought it from Derick Bohn at www.knivesshipfree.com. Awesome guy to deal with, good prices, awesome customer service.

So far this knife has become my EDC. mostly it gets used to open boxes, or cut down the length of restaurant straws for my 4 year old. But I did have a chance to clean a rabbit with it last night and it worked admirably, lol. Hopefully I will have a chance to report back on how well it works for larger game this season.

I will say that Bark River knives can turn into an obsession...I already have my eyes on a Gunny Hunter.

 

[Chem-E]

Bark River Aurora LT in Elmax steel.
LT Wright Forest Trail.
Bark River Fox River in 3V steel.

 

[boom]

I like my customs but my EDC is a Gossman. He doesn't take orders so it's kind of hit or miss waiting for him to churn out something that you want in the right steel. He seems to prefer thicker knives while I prefer thinner blades so sometimes it's a wait.

what steel did you go with..3V?

 

[boom]

Survive Knives
GSO 4.1

love the ghost SCALES!!! i want the 3.5 which is going to be my next knife i buy.

 

[boom]

okay..

i am scaring myself. scared because i know most of the knives you guys are talking about. by MEMORY!! this shows me i frequent the knife forums way too much.

gutting and animal and doing camp chores. personally i have done most of my work with a Mora Companion in carbon steel. there is something satisfying about using a $14 knife. sharp as all get out..tough, cheap. you walk up to a muddy hog..no problemo!! you need to try to cut up the rib cage..let me try!! pry thru the pelvis..stand back!! (i have yet to make it thru a pelvis. i saw a rancher kid do it with a buck knife from Walmart..blew my mind..but that kid threw haybales for a living).

now, i have an Adventure Sworn Explorer. 0-1 steel. scandi. shave your face sharp. i have clean myriad wild turkey with it, and it was tough to patina such an expensive knife. but it was like the first car door ding on a new car..the next ding was a non issue.

NEXT!! i want to try other steels. like 3V. a supersteel. that is why i want to buy the SURVIVE 3.5. but the pre-pay shopping method is like an investment into the unknown future. the 3.5 is way down the production list. crowd source funding a knife..jagged pill.

 

[boom]

i like the Havalon. but if you get your ass lost and need a bigger knife to do firewood..are you not effed?

 

[Trial153]

i like the Havalon. but if you get your ass lost and need a bigger knife to do firewood..are you not effed?

I have to agree, I am not depending on a havalon or any cheap plastic putt together knife for anything.

 

[IChaseCoues]

Here's what I came up with last year to try to solve my wants for a fixed blade with good steel and a replaceable blade knife.....with minimal combined weight. The fixed blade is from Jantz and is about 4" in D2 steel. It will easily make it through a Barbary or caribou without sharpening and nearly cut hair when done. Hope to find an elk soon to try it out on. The other is a simple scalpel handle I took to the mill and cut a lot of weight off. Both and 5 autopsy blades weighs 3 oz. About the same as a Havalon I think, but I got a good fixed blade and a scalpel!

 

[pbraun]

Esee Knives are top knotch. I have the Esee 4 and I also have and Izula II. The Izula II is a great knife for field dressing, but the only downside I have found is that the micarta handles do absorb liquids. Also Esee's warranty is superb, if you break it the'll replace it. I have beat the sh*t out of my Esee 4 for the last four years I have had it and it is just like the day I got it (other than some wear on the coating). The 1095 carbon steel also does a really good job at keeping an edge and is also pretty easy to sharpen.

 

[robtattoo]

Enzo makes great knives... love my trapper!

The Enzo Camper is my go-to, do it all, outdoorsy knife.