Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Good folding knife for new hunter?

Any recommendations for a good quality folding hunter for a young hunter just starting out.?Something in the $25-30 price range with good steel, decent quality. Any suggestions apprecicated. Thanks

kershaw vapor series.
academy sports and wal-mart both carry decent selections. very good steel, well-executed.

Hard to go wrong with a Buck 110...

Also, Lowes is closing out their Gerber LSTs. Great knife for the price; lightweight, good steel, and if you lose/break one, just get another.

How old is the youngster and what type of hunting? How large a blade is needed?

I really like the Kbar Dozier hunter. Sounds like its right in your price range ($20). I really like the AUS 8a steel and you will have pay alot more to step up to D2 or S30v steel. The blade shape on the Kbar is outstanding.

Victorinox "Hunter" - Has a locking main blade, serrated gutting blade, saw, & other good stuff.
Outstanding quality for the price, easy to sharpen, comfortable handle. Hard not to like. About $28.

Second vote for the Buck 110 folder. Walker, isn't that sort of hard to clean up the blood/fats/hair and gunk after dressing an animal? I love the Vic SAK's, but with all the blades and nooks/crannies they can be harder to clean than a more simple design. In fact, I don't care all that much for folders for dressing game because of the clean up as opposed to a fixed blade knife.

Nuttin' to it, compared to draggin' them critters out of the woods. I'll bet you already knew that, though. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Just a few days ago, in the "Ask the Gunwriters" forum, John Barsness stated that his favorite knife for field dressing deer is the Victorinox "Camper" model. I'd guess he field dresses quite a few deer, too. For those who aren't familiar with that knife, here's a picture:





It's smaller than the "Hunter" model, and has no locking blade nor special serrated "gutting" blade, but it gets the job done to John's satisfaction. He says that he uses the saw to split the pelvis, and he uses the small blade for caping chores.

I think a young fella, new to hunting, should at least have a locking blade, if not a fixed blade, to start out with. I also figure that he might appreciate the extra safety and ease of use that the little serrated gutting blade offers. Multiple blades do make clean-up a little more time consuming, for sure. I don't mind it, myself, but others might.

Walker, where can you get the Hunter for $28. The cheapest I could find was about $46.

Ron,
Not meaning to cut in on Walker, but Roger at Bayou Lafourche Knife Works sells them for $26.95, and IME is one of the best "e"tailers around...

While I'm here might as well add my opinion. I think it would be nigh impossible to design a better first (or possibly 'only' for deer/antelope sized game) folding hunter than the Buck 501. Nearly perfect drop point shape. Blade narrow enough to use for cornhole ringing. Thin enough for caping. Decent stainless, yet easy to sharpen. Solid lockback. Plus - no 'tactical' look about it at all. What's better than that?

I am gonna get one of those knives, but see "0" use for that pigtail on the back. Wish they had added a Phillips head instead.
In my day we all started with a BUCK 110, but the newer knifes are more user friendly (serated, non-slip handles, lighter) and my old knife is left at camp.

pepaw

ppaw,
If you don't like wine with your venison, you could use the corkscrew to carry this mini-screwdriver for your eyeglasses:





..... or just grind the little sucker off.

+1 for Knifeworks. Have used Roger there for many purchases and he's always been reliable. Pepaw, if you want a screwdriver on the back instead of the corkscrew look at the Hiker model. It's identical to the Camper shown above, with the exception of the screwdriver on the back instead of the corkscrew. I really like Vic's with the saw, and particularily the Alox models.

Roger that! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />
Nice feller to BS with, too.

Thanks for all the ideas I ordered two of the Ka-bar Doziers for $20/ea. They look like a good practical knife

I concur. I searched far and wide for a Buck 500 Duke model after I learned they were discontinued, that was the largest of their "royalty" line - Duke, Prince, Squire - with the drop point blade that the 110 should have had in the first place. The 501 is just a tad smaller but still a very good length for a useful folding hunter.

I got an old beat up 500 on ebay, took a file and sandpaper to the handle to round off all sharp corners and it is now my most favoritest small folding knife.

A 110 is never a bad choice but they are a bit heavy compared to lots of others out there today. Those Buck knives, especially the 110, really do hold an edge.

Good pick, the Kbar - Dozier has been my everyday carry knife for 2 years now. I don't think you will be disapointed.

You mean like this one?

Walker, is that an "old" joke about my eyeglasses? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
No wine for me, unless it is the rancher's homemade and that comes in a screw off cap! BTW, no grapes this year in Atascosa Co. Too dry. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Any links for those KaBars?
Is the Hiker exactly the same knife except for the corkscrew? I saw the pictures and thought they were very similar.

pepaw

Yep, just like that !

IIRC Buck made a special run of those but when I inquired about one they werent' available. Where did you get that one?