best hunting knife for me?

It'll work

I've used a 119 (similar knife) for the tasks you mention without problems. Fishing too, and the 420HC holds up well to corrosion.

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>>1040577
Whats you opinion on the Buck Selkirk? Seems like a nice full tang knife with (probably easily swapped) mycarta handles. Ive only found out about it today, and it has a thicker blade for batoning as well. Seriously considering it..

>>1040594

Looks ok. More bushcraftey with the broader blade, wide tang and fire steel, but it'd work the same for tasks outside of hunting/food and tent pegs/kindling.

Same steel. 420HC is decent enough.

If you want a more multipurpose knife, it'd probably be better.

On the other end, a Buck 110 folder would also work for nearly everything, with a hatchet for splitting timber.

>>1040570
I'd knock mora just like anyone else, but it's a fairly cheap knife that takes a shit kicking.

What blade length are you thinking of?

I use a gerber myth field dress kit and a grohmann #1 for skinning/butchering and then a tops BOB + small forest axe for general shit.

http://www.gerbergear.com/Knives/Fixed/Myth-Field-Dress-Kit_31-001159

http://www.grohmannknives.com/index.php/products/outdoor/hunting-knives/1-original-design-182-detail

https://www.topsknives.com/fieldcraft-by-brothers-of-bushcraft

>>1040570
That'll work. Same with the buck 119. Same with the KABAR.

I'd go for the kabar myself for the tasks you describe, will warn you that the tang is wimpy baby shit.

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>>1040570
I could see the handles getting slippery if covered in blood. I like my 119 alot, but I have never cleaned an animal with it.

>>1040594
I like the design, but it is a Buck knife that is made in China. That doesn't bother some people...but I am not one of those people. Buck sells the Compadre camp knife for the same price, it is a full tang 5160 spring steel knife and it is made in the US.

>>1040570
i found the esee 3 being my favorite hunting blade.
the 1095 takes a very good edge and the scales are easy to remove and clean.
also the canvas micarta stays grippy, even soaked in gunk and blood

I have a Buck 119 and it is a good, affordable knife. Never handled a Pathfinder but it is very similar to the 119, looks nice too.

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I've used a lot of different knives for hunting. I am completely sold on pic related. Basically having a replaceable scalpel is the best. Never have to worry about your knife becoming dull halfway through skinning a deer.

Mora will suffice but that Buck is A E S T H E T I C

The best hunter is still the traditional design. Full tang, about 5" long, thin grind, narowish blade.
Buck 105, Ka-Bar Marine Hunter, Case Hunter, etc

With a good amount of edge thinning, the Pilot's knife made by Ontario is a great choice.

Also check out knives from Muela (Spain), Aitor (Spain), Puma (Germany), Linder (Germany), Hen&Rooster (Germany), Marttini (Finland), Böker/Böker Arbolito (Germany/Argentina)

Best hunter in my opinion is the MAM (Portugal) Model 70 Light Hunter.
Really nice thin flat grind blade. Like a fixed blade version of the Opinel #12.

Ignore autists who worry about steel, and tangs and battening.
These knives have been the go to hunting knives since before their Grandfathers were born.

>>1040851
>Mora will suffice
>meme trash
kys
>>1040839
>folder garbage
>multi swap-able blade meme trash
kys


Full tang Fixed Blade or GTFO

>>1040887
I imagine the people that use the interchangable blades also bring along a larger full tang blade for the tougher parts of cleaning game. However, precision really is key for many parts of cleaning game and I can see the advantages.

>>1040887
I don't normally like folding hunters, but the Buck 110 is a classic (that can sometimes be had for $10 at Walmart).

The Gerber Gator is a surprisingly excellent one too, and inexpensive.
Decent steel and ergonomic handle.
Never use it for fishing though. The handle rubber absorbs the smell.
It's been years and mine still smells of fish.

Speaking of inexpensive, the Chinese RoughRider brand has plenty of well made traditional American patterns. Most cost between $10-$20.

>>1040895
Also have a Chinese made Colt that is really nice. Model is CT16.
Comes with an even nicer American made belt pouch.

>>1040839
If your knife starts sharp and is dull enough to be a hindrance by the time you are done fully processing any game animal in the world you are doing something wrong.

Even a shit-steel Chinese "stainless" knife should hold enough of an edge to fully process even Cape buffalo.

>>1040915
Dont hate on precision some folks like easier cuts

>>1040917
I've got an old Solingen-made unknown-carbon-steel Puma folding knife. It doesn't noticeably lose any sharpness when dressing and skinning deer, and it's a cheapo (I think I paid less than 2 marks for it in like 1981).

Again, if you're dulling your knife enough to notice on anything short of moose, even if it's a cheapo chinkshit knife, you're doing something wrong.

>>1040932
>surgeons don't keep sharp blades

Again, some people prefer a higher level of sharpness every time.

I'm not saying you can't skin a deer with a 40 year old swiss army knife. You certainly can.

>>1040895
>Buck 110
agree that's a decent knife
>Gerber Gator
this one too. i've owned both and did like them both alot

>>1040932
I've used all different types of knives to process large game and prefer razor knives. Hell I've even uses utility blades to skin deer. Just because you can use a regular knife doesnt mean its the best tool for the job.

>>1040937

How long does a fresh razor blade typically last?
Are they closer to utility blades or to razor blades for shaving?
Do you change it multiple times during the procedure?
Have you tried resharpening the used blades?

>>1040570
Jesus Christ is coming back soon...The day of judgement is drawing nigh.

>>1041047
If that nigga Jesus try and fuck with me I'll shoe him right in the ballsack.

>>1041041
I only use mine for gutting and skinning game. I usually use one blade per deer, sometimes two.

Dunno about sharpening. I figure that's half the benefit of disposables is not worrying about sharpening, plus they're cheap.

Most hunting knives will do a decent job of skinning game and filleting fish. The only real variable is how long they will hold an edge, and what you can use to sharpen them up again.

In my case I have a D2 blade that holds an edge really well but after a few hours of carving wood it can use a touch up. I just carry a piece of cardboard covered with pencil lead and strop it back to razor shaving sharp in no time at all. Try it, it works.

>>1040570
pathfinder school makes hand made knives with a full tang much better than a buck 119 or whatever youre thinking of.(for about the same price maybe a little more with a custom kydex sheath that locks and can be adapted to fit ferro rod holders and other knives.)

dont use a buck knife to baton, its a rat tail tang and will break.
i own a jeff white bush knife for main tasks, and a buck 102 for fine skinning.

>>1041481
The Buck is a full tang.

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>>1041566
Some are, but most of them (including the 119 and the OP's Pathfinder) are a thin tang closer to a rat tail so they can rivet the pommel on.

Pic related.

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*puts on shilling pants*

Aight kiddos let's talk about the last hunting knife you'll ever need.

Of all the hunting knives I have owned, which is many, the Helle Eggen has held up the best. I've taken it on multi-day hunting outings as my only knife and it served perfectly. After a weekend of General camp use it still dressed and quartered a whole deer nicely. I've sharpened it exactly once since the day I bought it, over two years ago, and it came extremely sharp. The birch handle doesn't feel too cold in the winter months, and fits well in my hand, which is about average or a little larger. Good sheath too, nice leather and hangs well.

It typically runs about $100-110 US.

>>1041567
Both knives in that picture are full tang.

>>1040570
With those applications in mind, you want a softer steel that will prevent chipping or breaks in the edge. 420HC is really good for that, as well as handling the environment and preventing rust. Don't listen to purists. With today's technology, you have 100% no reason for dealing with a knife that rusts or corrodes if that is not your personal preference.

Buck in general is a really good "entry level" (entry level meaning no special steels, handle materials, nothing to make your knife expensive so more people will look into it, essentially) hunting knife. Another choice in mind is W.R.Case. They still make a somewhat extensive set of hunting knives, for lower than you might expect. A leather handle 420HC 8 inch hunting knife can be as cheap as $60, and will pull in just as much work, with no chance of rust from the blade itself.

>>1041651
>With today's technology, you have 100% no reason for dealing with a knife that rusts or corrodes.


A non stainless knife only corrodes when you mistreat it.
Having a stainless knife does not give you an excuse to mistreat it.

Rust resistsnce should not be a major factor in choosing knife.

GERBER GATOR.

>>1041659
Let me say it again. You have 100% no reason for dealing with a knife that rusts or corrodes if that is not your personal preference.

Guess what, DooDooBritches? Not everyone wants to meticulously watch over a knife like you do. That is YOUR preference.

>>1040839
Do you baton through deer femur or something?

>>1041673
How about you shut the fuck up until you actually know what you're talking about.

>>1041711
ok, hit me with the best steel for what OP wants to do with it.
Go ahead and poop out 1095 steel. I already know you will. Thats the only rust prone knife steel there is, right?

>>1041848
Book yourself in for a mental checkup.
You're acting like a delusional schizophrenic.

>>1041851
Wanna try again on that whole steel thing?

>>1041858
Try what of the steel?

>>1041848

My D2 camp knife is a semi stainless tool steel, if it's rinsed and wiped clean it isn't an issue. Even staining from wood resins wipes away with a little polishing compound on the strop.

I'd reccommend it for the tasks OP wants it for, though I get the impression he's looking for a budget friendly blade, and for what he wants it for his original choice is perfectly adequate, not great but he won't really have any complaints with it either.

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>>1040570
I have just receive my new knife. Pic Related, it's the one.
Haven't tried it out yet. But it feels very nice.

>>1041902
Excellent choice.

I don't know what steel they are using now, but I have a 20+ year old Nieto in 440c that takes a while to sharpen, but takes a nice toothy edge and holds it for a long time.
Kind of like D2.

>>1041908
it's an58 stainless

>>1041908
Yea I hear good things about Nieto.
I really think the blade is sexy

>>1041622
You clearly don't understand what full tang is then.

>>1041930
A full tang runs all the way through the handle.
Example: Buck 119

A rat tail tang tapers to a point, and does not run through the entirety of the handle.
Example: Khukuri
Only retarded battenists believe otherwise.

>>1041936
Still wrong.

https://www.knife-depot.com/learn/knife-tangs/

>>1041941
That stupid website has incorrect information.

>>1041945
Full tang, partial tang, and hidden tang are correct.

>>1042048
I agree.

>>1040594
better than the pathfinder. pathfinder is too large for skinning and cutting sticks. pathfinder is too big for anything really.

>>1041061
Don't fuck with Jesus, he could snap his fingers and turn you into a 105lb Vietnamese woman with 3 crying children hanging onto your clothes, screaming some high pitched bird language nobody understands.

>>1041673
>Not everyone wants to meticulously watch over a knife like you do
Have you ever owned a non rustfree knife?
It doesn't need meticulous care. Not sure why you think it does.

I just rinse it out and wipe it on my leg before putting it in the sheath.

The only time I oil it is when it goes in the drawer.

That is good practice for any knife.

>>1042516
OP here
What do you oil it with? With what would you oil a carbon steel blade?

>>1042528
I use 3 in One for knives, and Linseed oil for big knives, axes or other tools.

Any oil you have at hand works.
Vegetable oils, mineral oil, motor oil, vaseline, linseed oil.

>>1042499
Laughed so hard at this

>>1042516
Yeah this.

Regular use is all that is needed.

>t own several high C knives, none of which have been oiled ever

>>1040570
Buck's standard steel is 420HC. It's easy to sharpen, but doesn't hold an edge very well. If you plan on doing any wood working with your knife this will affect you.

Buck's are built well, but I don't like 420HC. They do offer a few knives in other steels like S30v. That'll hold an edge, but it's one of the more difficult knives to sharpen. For example, using a honing steel on it will cause carbide tear out.

>>1040852
When my grandfather was born you traveled by horse, cleared land without power tools, and everyone knew someone that had lost a child to measles.

Just because it's how it has been done doesn't make it superior to what's new.

>>1040937
Surgeons throw out scalpels because they're disposable now. Back when they weren't, you bet your ass they sharpened the fuck out of them.

>>1041471
I'm going to try the cardboard thing. Pencil 'lead' is graphite, so it should be hard as fuck at the granular level.

>>1041567
It's called a thru tang.

>>1041659
No, a patina is oxidation too. Plain steel rusts with normal use. Plus it can alter the taste of meat you cut with it.

>>1041945
Maybe, but you're wrong about what a rat tang is and isn't.

>>1043783
>implying the civil war was the pinnacle of surgery

Be a deer surgeon, coward.

>>1043860
Civil war huh?

Congratulations on being today's idiot. Please visit the website to collect your prize.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalpel

>>1044008
Thanks for trying to be picky about words, feel free to interchange "civil war" with whatever is to your liking. My statement still stands.

Ya dipshit.

>>1044032
Non-disposable scalpels were common even during the Korean war, so I don't know what point you were trying to make, other than you're bad at history.

>>1043776
Ok then.

Go a modern meme knife because it's progressive.

>>1044044
>purposefully misunderstanding words

It should be obvious to you that "civil war" was in context, an example and nothing more than an example.

My point is that you have no reason to not do surgery on game you kill. You don't have to hack the hell out of them. You have many options when it comes to cleaning game. Be a deer surgeon.

>>1044045
Stainless? Is that what you mean by 'meme knife'?

>>1044056
Actually the way it was written was a classic straw man and whoever wrote it is a cunt.

>>1044091
Was a pretty classic example of when surgery was shit tier, actually.

>>1044091
Whatever knife you like is a meme knife.

>>1044244
Ah, you must be the strawman cunt.

>>1044259
Intelligent to the end.

>>1044330
>so goddamn autistic he thinks I had to quote the exact latest date they used non replacable scalpels to make a point
>im the strawman

Shoo shoo scarecrow shoo

>>1044330
Why are you so insecure?
You accuse others of strawmen yet every single post of yours is a strawman.

You've already proven yourself to be of low intelligence. Why keep arguing?

You've gotten yourself in retarded arguments at least twice in this thread.
Both times you demonstrate lack of understanding the subject.

You probably suffer from a personality disorder that is affecting your ability tho think logically.

>>1044333
You know when you greentexted something I never said and then used it to argue against me? Ya, that's called a strawman argument. If you weren't a 15 year old fry cook at Wendy's you'd know that, asshole.

>>1044371
I said a patina is an oxide and non-stainless steels can affect the taste of your food. If you think either of those is a strawman you should go back to school.

>>1044487
No bud, I used an example that fit within your parameters of scalpel type. Not a strawman.

>>1044530
Someone said doctors don't keep sharp scalpels and that's wrong. As soon as the blades begin to dull they replace them. Before that they sharpened them. This was common all the way until the Korean war. If you don't like that, that's your problem, but it doesn't change anything.

As far as the logical fallacy goes, I feel like in order to explain it to you any further I'd have to smack myself in the forehead with a hammer a few times to bring me down to your level. I'm gonna pass.

God speed, fry guy.

>>1044541
Noob question here: I've always brought a knife while going out, but only used it to chop up sticks for fire. So I got a saw instead. So what do you actually use a knife for apart from skinning things and preparing food

>>1044587
Well, contrary to the one-tool prepper/survivalist meme-tier shit all over the internet, you're not best served by bringing just one tool. For most of the entire iron, copper age, and stone age explorers and bushcrafters would typically bring an axe and and one or more knives. Check out Otzi the iceman. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96tzi

If possible, you should avoid using your knife for wood processing. Keep it for food prep and other more delicate tasks. A small 3-4" blade is more than sufficient for general bushcraft. If you're hunting you may want to bring a skinning/fleshing knife too. Bone breaking can be done with your axe.

The other reason to bring more than one knife is that you could lose one and then you'd be in trouble. Shit happens.

As far as bladed tools go, I bring a good hatchet, a couple small non-folding knives because they're easier to clean, an axe file with one rounded edge to use as a hone/steel, and I use the leather sheath of one of the knives to strop.

>>1044619
I should also add that I watched a historical demo about blade history and they had a bunch of replica's of otzi's tools. They were much smaller than you would expect. I think his copper axe head came in at just under a pound.

Traditionally, knives and swords were made as light as possible and as thin as reasonably possible for the intended purpose and as far as the metallurgy would allow. Axes are really the only bladed tool you intentionally add weight too. Well, cleavers too, but they're really axes if you think about it.

I'm pretty disgusted with all these overly thick flesher deep survival knives that everyone seems to think are so great. It's as if batoning through poorly selected wood is the pinnacle of knife functionality. If you actually get some training from a real bushcrafter you soon see how silly those knives are.

Far North Bushcraft on youtube is a good channel. He does real, effective bushcraft without all the survivalist hype that's pervaded the internet.

And as others may have mentioned, 99% of online 'reviews' are paid shills or rank amateurs talking out of their ass.

>>1044619
Why go back 10,000 years?
Try a hundred or two instead, when metallurgy and craft wasn't that different from today.

>>1044541
I'm aware of the sharpening. Anybody knows that they weren't sharpened to the point they are now, and especially when they are new. They didn't put blades under microscopes to quality check them like they do now. It's plain and simple, we can be deer surgeons now and I personally think it's the right way to go about it.

>>1044633
My point is that this sharpened/crowbar/one tool for everything (that's mostly batoning through improperly selected firewood you bought at the gas station) meme is a recent occurrence and is not based in practical experience.

If you want to talk specifically about the last few hundred years, do a little research on frontier exploring, traplinging, and the fur trade. The way they loaded out and treated their bladed tools is usually pretty similar. I posted Otzi to demonstrate it's a tried and true formula. It's practical.

It's only the internet warrior community that's recently decided you need one tool and it should be a sharpened crowbar you can baton through knotted firewood with. Like everybody holds batoning firewood as the standard of knife functionality. It's impractical and it's born of the prepper/survivalist community and marketing companies. The problem is, the survivalist guys mostly hoard shit and talk on the internet. Practical bushcraft tells a different story.

>>1044914
You don't need a microscope to make a blade surgery sharp. I can do it. Hell, walk into any custom japanese cutlery shop and most of the sushi knives are already that thin and sharp.

>>1044914
Don't be mislead and think modern laser sharpened blades are sharper than hand honed blades.

Look at straight razors as an example. No factory sharpened razor can give you as close and smooth a shave as a hand honed straight razor.

>>1044958
I'll disagree on this.

A good safety razor, used properly and with good blades, will give the best shave possible. A straight razor is a close second and beats improperly used or designed safety razors, and is leagues ahead of the disposables (even the cartridge ones) though.

There's something to be said for extremely thin blades.

>>1044963
I use a safety every week or so to shave my head. A straight razor is too dangerous and tedious to use on the head I feel.

There difference between a safety razor and a straight razor is largely insignificant, but I still feel the hand honed razor is superior and slightly smoother.

>>1044977
Also, I have no idea why people use disposables when a safety razor is miles better, cheaper and just as 'safe'.

>>1044958
>>1044949
I didn't say anything about laser, I said that when you examine shit more closely your level of quality can be increased.

>>1045153
Only the second quote is mine. And I think you would be very surprised to understand just how sharp you can get things by hand if you have the right equipment and technique.

Microscopes notwithstanding, factory disposable blades are also made with economy of investment in mind. For instance, most knives come with a toothy edge because it's faster and cheaper to produce and is initially very sharp for slicing. the minute you try to do any push cutting with it it dulls quickly though.

I'm not saying they aren't sharp, but I am saying you can achieve the same level of sharpness by hand.

https://scienceofsharp.wordpress.com/2016/04/14/simple-straight-razor-honing/

>>1045161
Yes I am aware of all of this. I am only saying that quality checking your work is worthwhile and intelligent.

>>1045169
You don't need a microscope to check sharpness though. Everyone that sharpens tools has their methods of checking their results. No one just assumes it's sharp and proceeds with their task.

Really not sure what point you're trying to make.

>>1045172
The point I'm trying to make is that there is zero doubt whatsoever that knife making is superior now than it was in the past. Don't think for a moment I'm speaking about industrial made knives. That's silly.

>>1045174

That's only partially true. In the past 30 or 40 years we've gone from valuing things made to last as long as possible to valuing disposable goods that are pretty but don't last very long.

A lot of the knives on the market fall into the second category. Good looking pieces of shit.

Svord out of New Zealand are quality. I've got the drop point hunter and it's dope.

>>1040839
I've got similar to what this guy has, a havalon piranta

I used to think they were for cunts who couldn't sharpen a knife but dear god I wish I tried one sooner. Makes life so much easier

>>1045343
What knife were you using previously?

You only notice drastic difference if you were using a thicc knife.

With a thin knife - by thin I mean Opinel and such, there isn't as much difference.

>>1045174
Knife making now is not superior.

Older knives were thinner, and cut better.
How a knife cuts is what's most important.
Not the particle forged steel, composite handle material or how many cinder blocks it can cut through.

The fact that we have fancy modern boutique steels, does not mean the knives are better designed, better crafted, and actually perform better.

There have been big leaps in edge holding and stain resistance but they aren't very significant in actual field use.

Geometry and shape is what matters. Most modern designs are characterized by thick stock and bad grinds.

It's why $10 Old Hickory or Opinel cuts better than 99% of contemporary designs.

>>1045181
You can still make a better knife now than yesterday, just because they choose not to doesn't mean shit.
>>1045350
You moron.

>>1045478
Yes, you can make a better knife today, but a lot of the knives being recommended on /out/ don't fall into that category if you define a cutting tool on it's ability to cut. There's a lot of bullshit being passed around as bushcraft.

Take the Tracker for instance. 1/4 thick movie prop bullshit, but shitheads with little to no practical experience a passing it off as a super duper bushcraft knife because they successfully batoned some firewood from the gas station or they watched some other shithead on youtube baton some gas station firewood with it.

It's fucking nonsense.

>>1045478
Please die.

>>1044619
The nesmuk trio is also a good example

>>1045350
That is the stupidest shit I've read all day anon.

more durable material and easier to sharpen with better edge retention

you can only cut so well no matter the knife
we'll probably never have steel as sharp as obsidian, but that doesn't mean every knife should be obsidian. You use different materials for different purposes, and a knife more than a few inches would be impossible to make out of obsidian, even ignoring the economics of even making it, much less maintaining it, but it would be extremely brittle.

You don't judge a knife solely on how well it cuts. You judge it on ergonomics and shape of blade, weight, durability, features (like a guard, a double edge, saw, etc.), hardness, and edge retention, just to start.

Your problem is either you're buying shitty knives, or you're expecting knives to be razor sharp as you buy them. The reason those 10$ knives are so sharp is because they're made of trash stainless steel, soft enough to easily sharpen, but they generally wont hold an edge for shit.

I bet your problem is you're a 20-something that was never taught how to use anything but a basic sharpening stone to care for his blades.

>>1045859
You sound really stupid and your post gives away your insecurities.

>>1045872
>You sound stupid
>but lets just ignore modern metallurgy

>>1045827
I was never trying to pass off a walmart knife as a surperior blade.
>>1045831
Get bent faggot

>>1045907
Well, I don't think they sell Trackers at Walmart, but ok.

>>1045350
No older knives weren't thinner and they didn't cut better. Just because there are relatively thick stock options available now doesn't mean that is all there are.

Both metallurgy and heat treat has greatly advanced. If you look at what guys like Gene Ingram put out, their blade patterns are an evolution of Loveless style stuff, so super functional and plenty thin to be great slicers, with the advantage of top notch particle steel and handle materials that will last longer than any of us will be alive no matter the conditions or care they receive.

And if you dig on folding knives the advancements are even greater. From locks to pivots to overall design, every aspect of them is improved. And shit that gets carried every day benefits greatly from the fact that stainless steels have seen more advancements than non.

>>1045994
I'm not the guy you're responding to, but I wanted to say: look at this thread. The idea that you're best served by a sharpened crowbar is pretty well represented here. So if someone comes along and starts complaining about how new knives are too thick and shit, that's why.