Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game folding knives?

Just curious, how many of you like to use a folding knife for gutting and skinning of your smaller big game,deer antelope etc. Always looking to lighten my carry weight and bulk and thought I might give a good folding knife a try. But now.. which one?

Thats all I use now. I have knives I used from the 50's but now its folders.

Here is my favorite folder, a Winchester. I used another 'Winchester' the other day however. Just pick one up in a store. The ones that also have a serrated blade are best for sawing thru the sternum.

I whole heartedly can recommend a Cabelas Alaskan Guide series knife made for them by Buck. It's the same as their 110 model, but with S30V steel. Very sharp and stays sharp. Mine's been through 3 elk, a mtn goat, 7 pronghorn, 4 mulies, and 3 whitetails without being sharpened. I use it for gutting, skinning and some deboning.

I've been using the same Buck 110 folder since I got it from my dad for Christmas when I was 16 (1985). It's been thru 8 elk, a few mulies, a dozen antelope, most of a moose and scores of ducks and geese. Yes I've sharpened it but many times it was only a slight touch up, not really a sharpening.

Last year I bought one of Outdoor Edge's Flip and Zip with the blaze orange handle. It's got the folding blade and the best gut blade I've used. The folding blade has done a mule deer, 1 elk and 3 antelope and I haven't even touched the blade up yet! It still shaves hair off of my arm (my wife hates when I do that)!

I like using the folders for the simple fact they are compact and I can keep them on my belt. I've tried to keep a fixed blade on my belt but they end up riding shotgun in my daypack.

Shoot straight,
Elk Country

I used a Buck 110 for many years as a working deer biologist and researcher, but switched to a Kershaw 1050 Folding Field when I started hunting elk seriously. Like Elkcountry, I like the way the folders ride on my belt, unnoticed, until I need them.

Yup, got a Buck folder dad bought me as a kid. Does deer just fine.

I used to use Mercator knives for everything from small game and skinning possums to field dressing big game.
Ones like this: http://www.trademe.co.nz/sports/cam...sses/pocket-knives/auction-431660236.htm

These are also very good:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/sports/hunting-shooting/knives/pocket-knives/auction-432291985.htm

I've used this one for a number of years with good results. I bought the one with D2 steel. I can generally do a moose or two elk before I have to touch the blade up.


http://www.knivesofalaska.com/item.asp?id=140&r=xtreme%2Easp%3Fc%3D43

My cheapo Winchester skins rabbits and coyotes no problem. I have yet to have a chance to try on a deer yet.

I wear two of the Victorinox paring knives along with a G5 broadhead sharpener around my neck...

In my pocket I run a Kershaw folder but very seldom do I ever have to reach in the pocket...

I gut, skin, quarter/de-bone a ton of animals each year and I hardly ever use more than the two on my neck unless I leave one behind somewhere... At $3 a piece they are hard to beat...

Buck 501. Leave the leather sheath at home and just stick it in your pocket.

Buck 110 for about 30 years. I just switched to the Swingblade, and keep the Buck as a backup.

Buck 110 for 25 years and an Old Timer Folding Hunter before that have done a lot of gutting duty for me.

Case XX-Changer

I don't gut anymore, just skin & quarter.

lawnman;
We've used a lot of different folders over the years, mainly for deer but with a few bear and a couple moose and sheep thrown in as well.

This is a mixture of the blades that have seen the most use in the last few years.


From the left, the folders are:
- Buck Vantage Pro - S30V blade with custom blaze orange scales
- Buck Vantage Pro - S30V blade
- Spyderco Centofante III - VG10 blade
- Vintage Gerber folders - I've no idea what the blades are, but it's really hard steel whatever they used.
- Gerber Gator Mate - limited run 154CM blade

All of them work really quite well in our experience. Here's a couple "field shots" of the Vantage Pro in use.




The blaze orange Vantage Pro and the older Gator Mate are the main ones I carry these days, but there are no flies on the Spyderco or the older Gerbers either.

Actually both of our girls have the Buck Vantage folders with their 420HC blades and they work just fine too.

Here's a shot from a year or three back.


Hopefully that was some use to you, good luck with your knife shopping whichever way you choose.

All the best to you this Christmas season.

Regards,
Dwayne

Dat's what I do every day. I don't leave home without it.

If you truly want light the KOA feather light is a nice knife in D2. Sharp son of a gun that weighs nothing.

http://www.knivesofalaska.com/item.asp?id=38&r=store%2Easp%3Fc%3D44

Looking hard at one of these mini or full size in s30v:

http://www.dougritter.com/pp/pic2062.htm

http://www.knifeworks.com/dougritterknives-gear.aspx

I just bought a Havalon Piranta (orange). Haven't used it yet, but it sure is light and sharp.

FYI---Nitrile gloves are cheap and work great.