I'm closing in on 60 years old, and I thought it was finally time I stepped up to a big-boy knife.

I'm looking for a fixed blade less than 7" overall length, for gutting/skinning/trimming deer.

I've had plenty of knives, most recently the fake damascus truck spring specials sold at gunshows. My frustration is getting them to hold an edge.

I've never spent a bunch of money on a blade, because I've always set them down somewhere and walked away. Well, I've carried a $5 homedepot retractable razor knife for close to ten years, so I think I'm over that part. The best I ever had for holding an edge was an early spiderco, but I'm tired of folders loosening up.

I see so many guys selling their knives here on the 'fire, I figure I'll find what I want right here. What steel should I be looking for to hold an edge best?

Thanks for your expert opinions!

Give David Winston a shout. To me, he makes a great hunting knife and great deal with.

He uses d2 a lot.



Or any of the other great makers here on the fire.

D2 and S30v if properly heat treated hold edges amazingly well.

David Winston is first class and sometimes has finished knives in stock(he does now).

Gene Ingram is super but has a long backlog.

Both are wonderful Men to deal with

Jeff get with VinceM on here he sells knives a Very good guy to buy from Vince, theres also some nice knives listed in the Class. here right now!

As far as stainless goes S90V is about the top for edge holding, will hold its edge for a very very long time. You make a trade with edge holding ability and ease of sharpening. I really like S90V , it's my favorite steel right now. I even know a guy who like to work with the stuff😉.

Thanks for the quick answers! Just scanning the suggestions made here, the prices range from $100 - $500. Other than the aesthetic value (which is totally subjective), the big difference is the steel...right?

David Winston's site does a nice job of explaining why he chooses the steel he uses. How about the difference between CM and stainless, is that just for ease of maintenance?

I don't need high polish, but I don't want problems with rust either.

I guess part of my edge-holding experience is also with straight razors, having used them for a time. Is there any relevance to that sort of steel which get ground to such thin edges.

You can still find Kauffman knives out there as they show up from time to time and they are extremely high quality in material and workmanship. These knives show the diversity and quality from beautifully functional to utilitarian.

The first is a nice knife that looks great, and still works. The 3rd picture shows a filet knife with a skinner and a regular hunting knife. The filet knife is extremely sharp and flexible, hollow ground and finished like it was a manufactured knife.

Dave made some real good knives, but his wrists were getting sore from the business of knife making and he has since stopped making them. When you find one it is a working piece of art...

Beautiful knives Shrapnel.

Beautiful, for sure!!

JeffG
In my opinion;
--You will find that the grind, heat treat and sharpening have more to do with the field performance of a blade than the specific type of steel used.
--There are a bunch of makers here on 24 and I would bet that a knife by anyone of them would perform very well for you.
Prices will vary from not much over $100 to several multiples of that.
There are a ton of makers across the country that make great knives. Seldom will a maker put out something that they are not proud of. Most put function first.
jmho
Tim

MichiganRoadKill is your huckleberry.

I agree with CrowRifle, talk to Tim (Michiganroadkill). He knows his stuff and has beautiful knives in stock. You will not be disappointed.

Can't go wrong with a Winston, Menefee, Dowell or Ingram. ( others I'm sure are as good but these are the ones I have experience with.)

Winston would probably be the quickest.

I have a D2 and S30V from Winston and they both hold up well.

I really like A2.

Don't forget Dale Howe. His knives are superb.
Bob

In that case, why not buy a good knife with blaze orange handles? Odds are it will catch your attention as you walk away.

L.W.

I have over 300 custom knives. My comment would be to deal with a "real" professional, not a hobbyist. Some of the pictures of knives folks pay top $ for, with uneven grinds, offset plunge lines, non-symmetrical scales, pins and liners, etc...... is astounding.

Speak with the revered makers on here from the Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Carolina schools and you'll be golden.

Nothing against the other makers, but I agree with CrowRifle. MRK makes a hell of a knife.

If rust resistance is priority, go with a true stainless like S30v. Although non are actually rust proof, it certainly will buy you a lot of time to get a blade cleaned and oiled.

I have only owned custom knives from a few makers but without question the best knives I have are from Gene Ingram.
I can usually get 4-5 whitetails cleaned before I need to resharpen. That is with S30V steel.
Also Gene is a pleasure to deal with. Half of the fun is talking with him about what exactly you want in your knife.
There is a wait for Genes knives but it is well worth the wait!

http://drostknives.com/ Mike Drost one of the best keep secrets left in WV. He utilizes D2. S30. S35 & S90 and makes custom knives. I have used his knives for years and have found very few that hold the edge as long as his, very durable. Check out his site, give him a call. Very knowledgable about most steel.

this is good advice. my favorite steel is ats-34

I know exactly how you feel. Go ahead and buy a "big boy knife" if you want something super nice. I have a couple that I don't use much. However, try applying a small micro-bevel to one of your current knives. You might be surprised by its improved edge holding ability if you have never tried this trick.

Plenty of knife enthusiasts on Youtube have been nice enough to do videos describing the technique better than I can. It has helped me out a great deal when it comes to producing better edges. For example, last year I gutted, skinned, and quartered a decent whitetail doe with a Case pocket knife which would still half ass shave when I was finished and the doe was on ice. I did not cut off the legs or the head with the knife nor did I split the pelvis with it but I did cut through the sternum. IN times past I would probably have dulled a couple of knives doing the same thing on a deer because my edges were weak. I probably could have made at least a good start on another deer with my Case last year before it got dull enough to start aggravating me, maybe finished one off. In the scheme of things that knife is made of "soft" steel. I have learned that a clean, quality edge on a decent mass production knife will last a surprisingly long time. About 30 years ago an old guy told me he could clean a bunch of deer with his Buck knife before it needed sharpening. I thought he was lying but he probably wasn't.....I was just a little ignorant. I should have took the time to ask questions but I knew everything back then.

Another good thing about micro-bevels is that you can easily touch them up a few times if necessary before you have to regrind everything.

Rick Menefee makes some good blades. I like his work a lot, along with Tim Olt, David Winston, Gene Ingram, Larry Rossi.
This one, by Rick, has gotten a lot of use.

Find out if there is anyone local making custom knives. Go visit with them. Have them show you their knives, and ask questions. Handle the knives. And then buy the one you like best.

Ive made knives, as an expensive hobby and a means to blow off steam after 5 PM, for 34 years now and am closing in on #3000.
My preferred steel is CPM154CM stainless. Great steel, made in the US (Unlike ATS-34, 440C, and many others). It cuts great, maintains sharpness, easy to re-sharpen and is a joy to work. I also forge, using W2, O1, 1075 and 1084, as well as old files.

To the OP: A $5 Home Depot razor blade will indeed work up a deer. What separates my knife (and other handmades)is workmanship and pride of ownership. I start with American made steel and ensure that it is worked, heat treated and tempered properly...that's what you are paying for. Some of my knives are shown below. You can't find them in the big box stores for a reason. When you study up on various makers & finally make your choice, you'll enjoy your one of a kind knife for years to come.

This is a personal knife of mine. It skinned and quartered an 8x6 bull elk in 2013, then once I came home, it gutted and skinned 4 deer...and still shaved without any touch-up. That's why I love CPM154CM steel:


Copy of a Randall 23:


Cute little every day carry:


I work with Damascus as well:


Cute little hunter with stabilized pecan handles:

Very nice Godogs'.

this

He made a standard drop point hunting knife for me that I won't EVER get rid of. I'll give it to my son when my days are through.

How much?

^^^This!^^^

A Gene Ingram in S30V is hard to beat! And he is one of the nicest knife makers to deal with in the business.

I also own several from Bob Dozier made of D2 that work real well. But it's at least a 3 year wait, and not near as nice as a Ingram, IMO.