Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting blade redundancy question

On overnight trips (where weight and space are considerations): Do you carry a folder in your pocket (Benchmade, Spyderco, whatever) in addition to a multitool and/or a dedicated butchering knife?

Gerber Guide, cheap, but long-lasting sharp.

Big Swiss Army tools...no pliers.

Cold Steel SK-5 or Kabar MC in plastic cases.

When I have *enough* firearms, I''ll consider the "quality" blades.

Yes. The weight of a knife doesn't make or break anything. I usually have a fixed blade in the pack and a folder in a pocket. Very rarely have a multi tool when backpacking anymore.

I like knives. Certainly don't need both, but it is nice having the right tool for the job.

+1

I often have an EDC folder in pocket, fixed blade on the HPG kit bag or belt, and processing knife like the OE Razor in my kill kit. Could get by with any one of them, but I like knives.

I always have a folder in my pocket and have done so since I was 5 or 6 years old. I feel kind of naked without one.

Yes,

One in the pocket, and one in the pack of some flavor - I have broken or lost one or the other on trips.

On recreation backpack trips, I carry a Victorinox Swiss Army knife; Climber or Tinker. I carry it in my pack until I get to camp. Just never got accustomed to carrying a knife in my pocket.

When hunting I carry more knives than I need. One that I always carry is a fixed blade Buck 619A knife. It has a black rubber handle and I don't know if that is still available. It must be over fourty years old. I carry a Buck 673 skinner and a Havalon Piranta with extra blades, for delicate work. I also carry a Gerber Gator saw for cutting through the rib cage and/or the pelvis.

I own several Buck #110 folding knives. Everyone has one or more of them, right? But I don't use it for cleaning an animal because folding knives are prone to gathering gunk in the folding joint and it's hard to cleanout.

I also own several Leatherman multitools. But they are too heavy to carry in a backpack.

I always have one of those small Gerber flat sided pocket knives in my pocket. A smallish multi tool (can’t remember the brand), and one of my Bucklite 422’s for dressing game and fighting grizzly bears.

I don't know anyone gets along without at least one.

I currently carry a Buck 286 one each in left and
right front pockets. Depending on where and what
that's subject to change

Old Timer Barlow in my pocket and Gerber #97223 folding knife in my pack.

always have a bench mark forlder with me. I usually have some sort of Fixed blade with me. and most often a Hatchet in the pack for camp uties a knife wont handle.

my favorite fixed blades of late have been a Cold Steel Tanto or an ontario knife works, I think its called the "camp Bowie" or something. it holds a really good edge, is heavy enough to chop,and robust enough for light digging/prying. yet weildy enough to be used for trailbreaking and other camp chorse if needed.

spyderco edc in pocket and a cold steel master hunter,and/or victoronix paring knife, piranta in my pack.

I carry a Buck folder on my belt, Havalon with extra blades in my backpack and a Gerber fixed blade as well. Overkill I know, but when you need a knife, you need one and its nice to have one available. They don't weigh that much.

This right here

If out east, fixed blade on my hip, one of my customs. Managing a whitetail less than a mile from the road really doesn’t require anything more. Out west when we pack in a few miles and boning out and packing is required I change my set up. Will still have a fixed blade in the pack along with two victorinox paring knives and a carbide disc sharpener. Usually the fixed stays in the pack the whole trip, the paring knives do everything I need in getting an animal in the pack. Also , usually have a small folder in my pocket for camp stuff.

MM

Buck trapper in my pocket as always. Minimum in the pack is a Leatherman and a Havalon or Gerber with #70 blades. I've not needed more, but I do occasionally carry more.

I always carry 2. My choice of folder is the Gerber LST. At less than 2 ounces It doesn't really even count. It is for diaphragm and "bung hole." Generally I carry a fixed bladed knife for the rest of the job though I do have one folder I sometimes use for the skinning as well.

The real question for me is whether I carry a third knife or not. Usually not, but sometimes.

I don't carry a multi-tool when I hunt. They're a friggin' brick. Keep your gear in good condition and address the issues that you might use a multi-tool for back at home. The thought of carrying one reminds me of some Toyota guys I used to four wheel with ... they'd drive their barely running POS rigs up into the woods, then spend 3 hours laying in the snow fixing stuff that they should have fixed back at home in the warm, dry garage. I prefer doing maintenance to doing repairs. Maybe that's just a "me" thing.

I also don't carry a hatchet or saw. Just not enough payback on the weight. I have 'em. They stay in the truck unless some weird circumstance requires me to go back for a second load, then I might take them if I know I'll need them, but I sure don't pack them when I'm hunting.

Tom

If I have my pants on, I have a Buck Rival. 2" blade, good edge. I also have a Gerber LST that I use a lot.

Get youself one of them light scalpel changable blade units if your hunting becuase most folks dont know how to sharpen blades. Just a fact.

After that buy a Mora 511 theyre close to $10 and light. If you need a bit better one that excellent for food prep and has better handle but still thin and light then purchase a Mora Kansbol. This is an excellent fixed blade. Then put a small Opinel folder in your pocket.

You should have a saw and Gerber makes a cheap and very light sliding blade pocket saw that can be had for $10-$12.

These tools are what you need to process game quickly, use as food prep tools, and its toolage enough to process small wood and get to the center so you can get to dry kindling. All of these together weigh less than a robust fixed blade and theyre cheap. You dont need to use some custom blade from a well known maker or pricey super steels. Keep your tools maintained and sharp and when you go afield theyll take care of you.

I have a number of useful pocket knives I can use for the task, but when I get off my arse and go for a wander I drop a Wenger or Victorinox Soldier into my pocket for back-up. I like the utility of the screwdrivers and blade...but what I use most is the sharpened awl for digging out thorns and such.


This one at the moment as the Wenger is in my wife's car tool roll.

I used to have one of these Gerber sliding saws. It was a real POS. It wouldn't stay open. Every time you pushed it forward, the blade would retract. A Sierra saw is 10x better for about the same price.

this one has Bear Grylls' name on it but it's the same saw.

I carry a havalon for cutting animals and a folder for other chores (usually a brous blades pat mac).

These are much better for a hand saw

https://www.factoryauthorizedoutlet...T2v8nK6_CCn5kmSIKDXTy0lVHuAaAnlNEALw_wcB

I'm a fan of the Silky saws and their clones (Fiskars, etc).

I have one of those in my pack, along with an extra 9" blade. The stock blade is too short for a lot of stuff.

Silky saws are great as are the Bacho. Even the light and small Openil pocket saw is pretty nice.

No usually a shorter (3") fixed blade on my belt. I have a Swiss Army knife in my pack that actually does most of the skinning on deer.

a small Swiss army knife (Walker) in my pocket for general use- under 2 oz

a Tyto knife and 6 blades in kill kit- under 2 oz

a BM Altitude knife in kill kit- under 2 oz

a small multi-tool (Leatherman Squirt) in my repair kit, but also to assist w/ stubborn blade changes- 2 oz

a custom saw w/ Silky Pocketboy blades (one wood, one bone)- 2.4 oz

Gerber Gator S30V in pack. Swiss Army “Hunter” on belt.

Funny, I do exactly the same after finding the 6" blade a little short for taking off skull caps. Along with a fixed blade or two and my Leatherman all in the field kit. Probably a small folder with a clip in my pocket.

While I have one because they're handy, the recip blade isn't the best for a hand saw. It's made for high speed cutting and it doesn't cut as fast as the sharp toothed type that Silky or Sierra use.

I carry my Montana saw, Havalon , and a couple others, I am prepared.

How are the Havalons for dressing and skinning? I've seen them but don't know much about how well they work.

How well do the silky type blades do on bone? I use my saws for that a lot more than wood.

I've tried a few different types of blades on mine. Still looking for the best bone cutter, but they've all worked reasonably well.

the extra fine blades work well for bone w/ the Silky

I always carry a pocketknife. Usually a Swiss Army Farmer. When hunting I add a fixed blade that varies and oftentimes a folding saw.

IME, great! I prefer the #70 blade for skinning as it has a rounded tip. I have both the Havalon and ther Gerber Vital and prefer the latter due to ease of blade changing.

I see that Gerber blades are stupid expensive compared to Havalon or Outdoor edge. Do they stay sharp 3 times longer?

No, the opposite actually. Although ime they were much cheaper.

A single Cold Steel Pendleton Mini Hunter in a Kydex sheath.

The Vital and the Havalon can use the same scapel blades. I buy my from others than either H or G. Easy enough to find deals on them all across the web.

Just an FYI...you need to go down to the knife forum and see what some nice custom knives (some by are members) are like. They're purdy but they work. Everyone should own at least one...or two...or...

I always have a folder in my pocket as well as a fixed blade in my pack. My bino pack also has a small fixed blade in it.

On any trip i have a folding Old Timer, 4" buck and a Havalon, in my stash.

Usually have a Charles May Bobwhite or Ingram Yellow Jacket in a kydex neck sheath under my outer layer.

Drop point, often with a small semi-skinner, in the pack. Usually have a small folding bone saw.

As often as not, the neck knife will do all the processing and the knives in the pack don't even get used except the bone saw if it's warm to open the rib cage and pelvis.

I started a thread on the Campfire forum about this Buck knife set available on Ebay for $35 with shipping. The larger 365 will make a great backup knife. It's very light weight, has a belt clip, 3.5" blade, and is large enough to easily dress an elk. The 365 apparently has been discontinued which can explain the low price. The 363 alone sells for $20.

If I have pants on I have a folding EDC knife in my pocket. Usually a Benchmade Griptilian or Ontario Rat 1 D2. When hunting I will have a second "hunting knife" in another pocket, usually a Puma 970 Game Warden, Camillus #3 lock back or something similar. Never had a need for more.

I carry to many... Benchmade folder in my pocket. In my pack I have a benchmade saddle mountain skinner and a Wayne Hendrix fixed blade.