Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Blade length

What length blade do you use for general big game chores? My sweet spot is 3 to 3 1/2 inches.

I've used a four inch fixed blade, drop point style for many years. Does all I need.

L.W.

3 to 5 is ideal for me but I also like and have used larger blades. Blade design makes a big difference as well. A little longer narrower blade with a drop or minor clip point does a nice job for me.




My favorite is a larger knife with a 4" blade and a good sized and well shaped handle with a tip fine enough to pop sockets and enough belly to make skinning easy.





Todd

4"

A Chris Reeve Small Sebenza folder is my favorite field dressing knife. It has a drop point blade just a touch short of 3” and surgically sharp. What I like best about that knife is the titanium open back easy to wash out handle, one hand opening and strong lockup.

An open back is a must for me in a folder. I’m not a fan of cleaning them out. I prefer a fixed blade for dressing game. I’d be nervous about losing a Sebenza in the field.

ConditionYellow: I prefer 3 1/2" to 4 1/2" and the strength of Buck blades!
Long live Buck Knife Corporation - a fine American company.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I've been using one of these 4" Shrades for MANY years, 50 or more. I've long since lost track of how many deer and elk I've dressed and skinned with it along with a couple moose. When I get home, I throw it in a pan and boil it to clean out all the crud. It has plastic handles so there's no wood to get ruined. Then a drop of oil on the hinge keeps it working smooth.

I used to think you needed a longer blade.

The i got a couple 3” blades from Mike Miller.

That’s the sweet spot for me with the caveat that i do love the lil dumpling pattern with the longer blade.

4 7/8”

Whatever the blade length is on my BuckLite 422s.

I just measured one, 3" total.

Used to be a fixed blade guy until a client gave me a orange handled Bucklite while guiding archery. Didn't think much of it but decided my daypack was getting too heavy and started looking for ways to lighten the load. I tried it a month later in rifle season, promptly dropped it into 18+ inches of fresh powder when dressing an elk. Boy did I appreciate that goofy orange handle.

The 422's from the 80's and early 90's sharpen easily for me and hold a decent edge. I now own 5 of them. When I broke the tip on one extracting the ivorys from a client's elk I about cried. Sent it to Buck with a note telling them what I did to it and I'll be darned it came back a few weeks later with a new blade. No charge.

Right around 4” is perfect for me

~4" to 5" blades ( mostly 4")


Spyderco Bill Moran FBO2 , 3.8" drop point blade, VG-10

Cold Steel Master Hunter with 4.5"(?) drop point blade, Carbon V

Benchmade 190 w/ 4" drop point blade, 440-C

Solingen 5" blade from 1960s ( my first hunting knife)

Couple of Mora knives with 4" blades

Yep. I’ve got one of those Spyderco Bill Moran customs with the rubber handle. It’s a great knife.

I've always liked mine, but it would be that much
better as a 5 to 7 inch knife
I quit carrying it for a long time because one of the
regulars at the hunting spot always wanted to
argue and said mine was fake " because all spyderco
knives have the hole "
I brought the packaging one time, but he still wouldn't
be convinced. Oh well. . .

The Spyderco Moran’s were made both ways. Guess a gen1 amd gen2??

Somewhere i got an orange handle Spyderco Moran.

Mine was a limited run with the nice leather sheath.
Sharpest factory made knife I had ever bought at that time.
I believe I purchased it in 98.

My Spyderco Moran FBO2 drop point does not have a hole in the blade. It is about 20 years old.

Been using a stonehocker spike this year. 7 deer in and still SHARP!

I don’t know the exact blade length. I’d say Judman can tell us though

My belt knife is usually around 3.25". Lately, it is an inexpensive Bucklite Max Small, In my pack is usually something around 4 inches, lately a Bucklite Max Large. They both have the now discontinued orange handles.

I have some more expensive knives but these work well and are easy to sharpen and find. The small one may get replaced by a Benchmade Steep Country Hunter the youngest boy gave me for my birthday.