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?

At my age? I'm laffin' with ya, ppaw, not at ya. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />



KA-BAR Link ............ KA-BAR/Dozier Folders

Yep, only difference between the "Hiker" and the "Camper" is that the "Hiker" has a phillips screwdriver instead of a corkscrew.

Here's another favorite of mine, and it has a phillips screwdriver, too, ... the Victorinox "Trekker". Both the main blade and the large, regular screwdriver lock open:

MOGC,

That's the nicest 110 I've ever seen. I could tolerate that one. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Gorgeous hunka stag. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I like these Walmart folders. They are a liner lock but hold the blade well. The blade stays sharp and being partial serrated it can cut right up thru a whitetails rib cavity so as to get at all the stuff.

I keep a few of them around. They work very well.

I really like serrated folders and have used them for a long time. I have more expensive ones than the $8 one shown but this one is a good deal and if the kid loses it so what.

Here is my favorite folder. It's a Coleman. I can get knives wholesale but this one is discontinued. This knife is lightweight yet not a small one. I can get the smaller Coleman but I like this size.

Nice knives are nice to have, but I like Big Stick's recommendation and buy a couple of the following Victorinox knives for general gutting and caping from Smokey Mountain:

Victorinox� 4" White Large Handle Wavy Edge Parer
Price: $3.99
Stock #: F42604

A knife for every task.
�Stainless steel blade
�White composition handle
�8-1/4" overall.

I don't like folding knives for gutting, as I find them difficult to get and keep 100% clean. I do carry a German Army pocket knife on a lanyard, but prefer to use these disposable Victorinox knives. I use a Sagan Saw to cut the pelvic bone if I clean the deer in the woods, otherwise I keep a pair of long handled tree limb shears in the truck and use them if I haul the deer to camp for cleaning.

Jeff

That Buck 110 stag drop point isn't mine fellows. I wish! It is the Buck Collectors Club yearly knife for the members of the club. It wouldn't surprise me to see a few of these turn up in the "For Sale" sub-forums of some sites, or even on E-Bay. I do have some custom Buck folders from Buck's Custom Shop, nickle steel bolsters, stag, elk horn, and textured buffalo horn for handle slabs. All with BG-42 blade steel. However, they have the familiar clip point blade. Buck should offer the drop point as a factory option for those Custom Shop knives.

260Remguy,

Those Victorinox paring knives are nice, but they poke holes in my pockets. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Try a Messermeister. They come with a sheath, your choice of serrated blade or plain, and in a few different lengths.

Made in Germany, and they cut just like a Vic.




Messermeister Serrated Spear Point Parer

Beautiful specimen, but I'm sure that rings up more than 28 bucks...!!

Regards, sse

Take a look at the Gerber Gator, Remington bullet knives, and of course Case knives. It will be hard to keep within budget with the larger Case knives. You don't need a fancy knife for general use hunting. You need one that you can sharpen and will hold an edge for basic hunting chores.

I received the Ka-Bar Dozier knives per your recommendation. Can't imagine a nicer hunting knife for the money. Great shape, perfect (3") length and razor sharp. Ordering 2 more tomorrow. Thanks

BLAST YOU WALKER! Because of your photo I sat down and ordered a SAK Hunter. At the same time I ordered one of these: http://www.knifeworks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=4975

Everytime you submit a knife photo it costs me money!

Thanks! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

KWII --- Look on the bright side, ... they coulda been Ingram's!
(Okay, not likely, but possible.) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Yeah, you're right, but in my case they would have to be Bob Doziers!

Like this maybe?


Or maybe this?

I love those coleman's. I have an old Western (bought by Coleman) folder with blade and saw that is not nearly as streamlined, but has worked well for 25 years. I have not found any knife, except the Browning, with as good as saw.
Walker, thanks for the link. My new contacts allow me to see better than ever at a distance, but I can't unlock the combo gates with them. What a pain!

pepaw

Yep those are the kind I like! I have the exact same handle as the first photo on a Sweetwater guide's knife tucked away in the safe for my oldest's HS graduation present. For myself, I have a straight personal and one of the shorter-bladed KS-4 elk knives.

For the young hunter I can't think of a better knife than one of the K-Bar Dozier folders. I keep one with my goto farm pistol.

as long as my knife has a bottle opener and cork screw I could care less what kind of blade it's got! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

- stu

Gotta agree on this one.