Hunting Knives
Hunting Knives & Saws pictured top-left clockwise, small 7 inch fixed blade with gut hook, wood saw, multipurpose pocket knife, bone saw, Wyoming Knife. Knives are among the most important accessories owned by hunters. Few experienced hunters would venture into the woods or field without a knife. Like many things the novice will often choose something which looks good, or appeals to him for some reason. With experience most hunters will move to a knife for its utility. Knives come in an incredible variety of shapes, sizes, and quality. Blades alone come in drop point, clip point, gut hook, serrated... We don't intend to go into great detail here, but rather give some basic information on the hunting knife. Size, which also includes weight: Some always seem to think bigger is better. There is a place for a larger knife, especially if you are not going to have a saw or a hatchet. Some like a big knife, but most hunters find them too cumbersome, and heavy. Medium size hunting knifes offer a good compromise which should be no surprise. Medium could be a sheath knife with a 4 inch blade and overall length of about 8 inches. Or you might consider a folding blade knife with a blade around 3 inches, and around 4.5 inches overall when closed. These are just rough guidelines. Smaller knives and pocket knives have their uses, even for deer hunters. They are easy to carry, and if they are used in addition to a saw, a hatchet, a large knife, they may be great as an additional skinning knife or for any detailed work. Folding hunting knives are often called pocket-knives, but those large enough for good all around use will not carry well in a pocket. They will need a pocket clip, or a belt sheath. Folding knives have some advantages, the obvious is that they fold into a smaller easier to carry package. They can have more than one blade for different uses. They have the knife blade, and some have a saw blade, a gut hook blade... Nice to have so much in one relatively compact and light weight package. Fixed blade hunting knives are preferred by more hunters. They are often stronger and may have a more comfortable handle; they may be better for heavier chores. If you need a knife quickly, say in an emergency, they are open and ready to use. Some special purpose hunting knives are very useful. One which we have used is the Wyoming Knife. It works very well for field dressing a whitetail except for the heaviest/hardest cutting. There is a relatively new design which has a fixed blade, but the blade revolves. A single blade which is a knife blade with gut hook on one end. A saw blade on the other end when revolved. Some say you must be careful when rotating the blade not to cut yourself. We're not selling knives, but it's the SOG Hunter Revolver. Knives are a very important, personal accessory for most of us. Take your time and look at a variety of them, study their features. Think about how you will use it and carry it. Will you use a saw, or a hatchet, for the heavy/harder cutting? Will you carry pruners for cutting shooting lanes? No! Then you may want a knife with a saw blade, or a serrated edge as a compromise. Buy the best knife you can afford. Cheap will sometimes break easily, or not hold an edge (stay sharp). Buy a well known brand. It is not likely, but possible, that a knife could save your life in an emergency. We have many more pages of information. Hunting Knives to Hunting Technology
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