TIPS FOR SELECTING A HUNTING KNIFE

     There are several things to consider when selecting a hunting knife. What will you be doing with the hunting knife? What will the conditions be like? What kind of hunting knife? Folding? Fixed Blade? What type of handle? What type of blade? We will cover these areas and give you some ideas.

     Hunting knife handles are commonly made out of synthetics, bone or wood. You want to consider that the handle of a hunting knife used to clean the inside of an animal will get covered with fluid and become slick. A knife used on the outside of the animal is less likely to get covered in fluids. Synthetic handles provide a good grip in adverse conditions but are not as attractive as bone or wooden handles on a hunting knife. Bone handles often are textured which helps you maintain a grip. Wooden handles can provide a very good grip depending on how polished the wood is.

     Folding or fixed blade hunting knife? For normal field conditions whether you are carrying a folding or fixed blade hunting knife probably will not matter. A fixed blade knife is carried in a sheath that can be worn on the belt. The blade of a fixed blade hunting knifes is usually stronger blade than the blade on a folding hunting knife. Unless you are going to be prying hard on something the difference should not matter. If you buy a folding hunting knife you want to make sure the blade locks securely in place. You do not want the blade to close up on you when you are cutting some place you can't see.

     There are four styles of blades that are most commonly found on a hunting knife. The Clip point blade, Drop point blade, Gut hook blade or Skinning blade. Each of these blades on a hunting knife has benefits and draw backs. A hunting knife blade should be 4 to 5 inches long. You also want good quality steel that you can get sharp and that will hold a cutting edge.

     The Clip point blade on a hunting knife is characterized by a blade that looks like part of the back edge of the knife blade has been “clipped” away. This normally creates a slight swale in the end of the hunting knife blade. The result is a hunting knife blade that is narrower at the tip and also had a sharper point. A hunting knife with a Clip point blade is very useful for working in tight areas, like working around the anus when gutting an animal, separating the legs at the joints, or working around the head when capping an animal. A draw back to the clip point blade on a hunting knife is there is an increased risk of puncturing holes in the hide when removing it from an animal.

     The Drop point blade on a hunting knife is a cross between a clip point blade and a skinning blade. The back of the hunting knife blade drops down to meet the cutting edge of the blade as it curves up at the tip. This normally results in the end of the hunting knife blade looking like both the cutting edge and the back edge curve smoothly towards each other. The point is at about the mid-line of the hunting knife blade. Advantages of the drop point blade are there is less risk of poking a hole in a hide you are removing and you still end with somewhat of a point on your hunting knife. Since the blade tip is wider there is additional strength and you are less likely to break the tip. A disadvantage is the tip of the blade is definitely wider than with a clip point, so the drop point blade is more awkward in tight areas.

     The Gut hook on a hunting knife is often combined with a drop point blade. A relatively small notch is cut down into the blade of the hunting knife at an angle from the back edge of the blade. The bottom of the notch is sharpened. This forms a “hook” area that can be used to open the belly of an animal after the hide is removed without cutting into or puncturing the rest of the internal organs. The advantage of a gut hook on a hunting knife is that since it makes opening the belly without puncturing the internal organs easier, you can end up with an easier cleaning chore and cleaner meat. The gut hook can also be used to cut the hide on the inside of an animals legs which helps during the skinning process. A disadvantage is the hook sometimes gets hung up on things during the cleaning process. Since a gut hook blade on a hunting knife is often based on the drop point blade, those advantages and disadvantages also need to be considered.

     The skinning blade is normally a blade that is wider than those listed above. The cutting edge curves up to meet the back of the hunting knife blade which is straight. This makes for a longer cutting edge on the hunting knife. The skinning knife blade is useful for just that – skinning. The long curved cutting edge on the blade makes for a hunting knife with a wide point and there is less risk of poking holes in the hide. The disadvantage is the hunting knife is awkward in tight places.

     As you can see it would be nice to have more than one blade when working on an animal. Several companies make a hunting knife that has changeable blades and these sets are becoming popular. Another option is for different members in your hunting party to each carry a different style of knife blade.