Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Fixed blade vs folding knife

Piggy backing on the other thread: What do most people use and is there an advantage or not to a fixed blade for working up an elk. I only use a havalon piranha pro and a benchmade griptillian. I prefer to carefully and slowly slice up my kill and just never saw an advantage to carrying a bigger and heavier knife.

I've carried folders and still do. However, I prefer a fixed blade if for no other reason than the ease of cleaning it up afterwards as opposed to trying to get blood and gunk out of the blade channel.
I do have a Havalon Piranta I hope to try out this season.

For Elk specifically, I prefer a heavier fixed blade knife or a small hand axe or saw for breaking the larger joints. Ideally, you can use a small knife by working carefully to cut around the joints, but if the Elk decides to expire in an inconvenient place or position, you might have some heavy cutting to do.

I carry both when hunting. I use my fixed set for cleaning game & my benchmade automatic folder is always in my right pocket.

Real knives have full tangs.. just my very bias opinion. lol
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Depends on my mood. I have cleaned 5 caribou in a sitting with my Spyderco Wegner hunter without any handicap. Cleans up easily with left over hot tea that I always boil up during the clean.

The Ken Onion Skinner is changing my mind though. Really like the light weight, simplicity and versatility of this little fixed blade. Great combination of belly, point as the continuous curve skins like a champ while the thin drop point capes and guts as well as anything. Great blade.

I tried to talk myself into one of those all summer for a deboning knife, finally held one in person and didn't buy it. Felt like a toy and the thought of changing blades in the middle of nowhere didn't sit well with me. Plus there was no "Made in xxx" stamp on it anywhere. Ended up buying a Forschner filet knife instead, really like the feel of it.

nice looking blade mark.

Havalon's are great knives, especially on elk.

I prefer a folding knife. Always get a kick out of hunters carrying needlessly heavy chunks of steel on their hips. Screams "dude".

Dude!!!, been carrying the same knife since I was 19, yes it is way too big, but it holds a great edge. Besides back in '94 USMC combat knives were $17 at the surplus store. If it ever wears out, I always liked the old Buck 119.

That blade is easy as can be to change out, and a new blade will easily do a whole elk. They are not meant for prying and hacking as you obviously noted by the build, BUT they sure are nice for gutting and caping.

I guess a medium length fixed blade would be better for the final butchering, but I just don't like humping the weight.

I've done a whole elk with my folding Gerber Gator skinning knife without much trouble, but I touched up the blade a couple times. It doesn't say on the blade what steel it is but it holds an edge decent. What I like about it is that the edge is real easy to touch up on my little 1oz Smith's pocket sharpener.

I have a fixed blade SOG Hunters Revolver and SOG field pup I've used on deer. The Revolver is a little bulky and not as easy to handle as some, but it is an easy to pack knife/saw at 7oz with the sheath. The field pup is a sweet knife, easy handling but lacks the saw.

I just bought a Havalon Barracuta and Cabelas Alaskan Guide crosslock by Buck with the S30V steel in the blade. My normal pocket knife is a Benchmade with this steel that really holds an edge and sharpens quick. I hope to get to use them this season.
The Barracuta takes fillet and skinning blades for processing and deboning, and the Buck is 4oz with a sturdier knife and saw.

Opinel! My No 12 Carbon weighs 4 oz and has a 5" blade, takes a great edge and makes quick work of animals. All for about $20.

I have Buck, Case, and Puma knives for hunting. All of them fixed blades.

Last year's elk was done with a Gerber Gator fixed blade, the Cabela's version with S30V steel and a "Bell and Carlson" handle. The handle has faded (dish soap?) so I went ahead and spray painted it orange. Screw it, it's a hunting knife. I just can't seem to not carry a fixed blade, strong knife.

I used a Swiss Army "Hunter" (not "Huntsman") and its "gut hook" to slice the hide before skinning.

7X64,

What model of Benchmade do you have? What do you like/dislike about it?

thanks,
joe

x2! ..... & for the record.




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Don't mind fixed blades for heavy duty use, it's just that I always know when the Urban Montanans and out-of staters show up; they are the ones walking around with foot long toad stabbers strapped to their hips.

One trick for making folders easier to clean is treat both the blades and interior with Dyna-Tek Gun Shield, a very thin coating that protects even stainless steel and leaves a very slick surface. After treatment deer fat, blood, etc. will come right off with about 1/10th the effort.

And yeah, it works on fixed blades too--along with guns!