What do you guys carry at your side or in your pocket during deer season?


Dowell Hunter on my side

Alan Davis in my pocket

Nothing fancy.. Never have seen the need.

Bark River Canadian Special on my hip, some variety of SAK in my pocket, Leatherman and a few #10 scalpels in my pack.

My old Marbles Ideal



Or Finnish Puukko

For whitetails, I always carry my dad's Old Timer Sharpfinger. I remember when he got the knife so he didn't have to pack his old monster sized Buck 119. He's been gone for 6 years this month, but his knife will be with my son and I on Saturday morning...

Just this simple Case XX, given to me by my son. It's all I've needed.

I think this one used to belong to you Sir.

Helle Godbit. Or plain old buck 110 folder.

Nothing like a leather man and a Kauffman #15. The Kauffman cuts everything but bone, the Leatherman opens the brisket, even on elk, it is all you need..

Case Trapper in my pocket and a USA Uncle Henry LB7 or Buck 110 on my belt. I've gutted a bunch of deer with Trappers.

Randall Model 7 ...







And more often, the Schrade 97ot

Charlie May Trace.

Dozier Hunter on my belt. I have an Ek Hunter with stag handle for pure skinning chores.

Ed

Mostly the old Gerber in the upper right corner..

Plain old buck folder #110

Yep, me to. Been carrying my old Buck 110 for almost 50 year. Due to put a new blade in it.

I have used a folding Gerber for the last 20 years. A Buck 110 before that. Both do the job well.

Which model Helle is that lower left?

Helle if I know......

I have so many knifes i never use the same one from season to season. My favorite field dressing knife is the Wyoming Knife. I do prefer one with the Gut Hook tho.

George Herron Model Six

kd

Looks familiar.....nice pic!

Varies from hunt to hunt. I hate for one (or a pair) to feel neglected for very long. ...and I just like to use different knives! The two different pairs below are the ones I use the most.

I use this pair (Yellow Jacket and #1 Semi) from Gene quite a bit:



I use this pair (Slitter and B&T II) from Charlie quite a bit as well:




First year to use this one, a Flat Rock Scandi by Charlie May. I'm really liking it.

A Case folding hunter that my Dad bought in the 1950's or early 60's and one of the smaller Case fixed blade knives that I bought in the late 70's.

goalie, I am not sure.. I ordered it in 2006 after reading about it.. But have never carried it.. Must do that some day..

LOL!

Old Timer - Alaskan Hunter. My hunting buddy gifted it to me and I'm sure it'll be on my side after he's gone.

Very often just use a $1.99 florist's pruning knife. Good for a couple of field dressings then chuck it. Often times just whatever pocket knife I happen to be using daily although I prefer a straight blade.
Sometimes a D.H. Russell #1 or bird and trout, CRKT or Knives Of Alaska or...
Knives, can't have too many good ones.

Buck Vantage Pro medium folder in S30V steel.

These two are usually in my pack - KOA Alpha Wolf S30V and Kershaw Gentlemen's Folder (KOA gets the most use):

Damn it Scott, is there a knife in that picture?

I'm liking the new Ingram B&T #4

It's evolved over time.

Today, Gerber LST in my pocket. IF I carry a knife on my belt, it's a Gerber magnum LST. Sometimes that goes in my pack, otherwise either one of the skeletonized Buck fixed blades or a rubber handled Vanguard.

At various times in the past I've carried a "first generation" Gerber LMF without serrations, Buck folding hunter / Special / General, a couple small Browning knives, some off brand stuff, swiss army knives.

I'm not really particular. If I can put an edge on it and it holds that edge through gutting and skinning a deer, it's good enough. Today I lean towards lighter knives over heavier if the functionality is the same for my uses. That Gerber LMF remains one of my favorite knives of all time but I don't carry it anymore.

Tom

Rapid River Drop Point

Buck 110 gets the nod more often than others. Buck 112 does a good job as well, although I like the extra length of the 110. This year for my wife's moose, I broke in a new Buck 113, it did a good job, BUT it has more of a skinning blade which I am not used to.

This weekend, I'm going to take out an old Shrade 1250. The bucks are just starting to run here, MAN I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!!

I dislike folders for carcass work so I generally carry a German made fixed blade Linder, either the bottom knife in the pic below, which I is in 440C or the Super Edge 2 which is a essentially the same knife in ATS34 steel and with a synthetic handle.





The other knife I have started using which has turned out to be very handy is the Mora Roeing knife below.



Its cheap as chips but the small blade takes an excellent edge and the ball tip makes gralloching, and the initial cuts when skinning, a breeze.

Olt Made by Michiganroadkill

don't know the model but its a ryan arrington.

Probably never the same one twice, but whichever one, of dozens of folders, that I happen to have in my pocket.

Love to see a picture.

A sharp one! kidding a Jim Behring Treeman knife scagel type! Iv got 7-8 of them and switch them up!

Some really nice knives in this thread.

Case Trapper.....never needed anything more.

This is the one I carry most. Not just for deer hunting, but nearly everything else too. I forged the blade of 1095 and the handle is ash. It is starting to show some age...

I really like the handle on that one Mathsr.

This is one of the two knives I am using while hunting this year. The steel is CPMS30V and the stag is Sambar. I also use it fishing and any other time I feel like I might need a sharp knife. Great utility shape blade.

Nice! Who made it?

My brother and I make knives under the label of Twin Blades and this is one of our standard models. It has a stiff, flat ground blade with a thin edge. The tang is tapered and the stag is also ground thin. Makes into a nice handling knife that is easy to use and look at. I actually have this one in a pouch sheath along with a set of pliers and it stays with me when I am on the farm.
Please excuse the photo, the knife doesn't look that blurry in person. I'm trying to get acclimated to a new camera and am not there yet.

This and a Buck Trapper in my pocket that was a gift years ago from a friend who has since passed.

I own a bunch of very nice knives, from standard Case Bros., to Winston customs, to original Marbles. For some reason, I always end up with the old Buck 110 on my side and the trapper in my pocket.

Folders now with one serrated blade.

buck 119 with rubber handle. stays on the 4 wheeler so it's handy

I will carry these 2 as of tomorrow. I have already used 2, and carried 3-4 this year. I have a BAD knife addiction......

Started the season with this Fallkiniven F1:



Then used this Schrade 15OT on on one:
:

I used the Marbles Fieldcraft the last couple days....

Case Trapper with carbon blades and a little bone saw are all I use these days to get a deer skinned and gutted. I use a fillet knife for boning and trimming.

A Buck 110 is a fine knife at a great price as is the little fixed blade they call the "woodsman".

It does not really take much of a knife to work over a deer as long as it is nice and sharp and feels good to your hand. You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars unless it makes you happy.

Some of the knives in this thread are so nice I would not want to get them dirty!

Scharade Old Timer, sharp finger !

But I'd like one of these;





& 1 of these too;

I just carry an Owls Head large trapper,or an old Gator.My dad always carried an old Case xx,or an old K-Bar fixed blade.I still use them for skinning,but I don't like wearing a belt knife.

Buck Folding Ergohunter

That is just a cool picture, I really like that rifle.

+1. Me too. Love my 110. I have two new ones put back for my kids.

Thanks. Here is another kinda like it with a Behring/Treeman and a Bark River.......

A Randall I have yet to use...

This works for me - AG Russell with a modified Bowie blade. Not expensive, takes a very good edge and holds it well enough.

I gave up folders long ago. I'm not exaggerating when I say it took me longer to clean the knife than it did to gut the deer.....

I like it all right down to the wool jacket, is that one of Teresa's creations?

Yes sir.....

They are good stuff, I have 4 of them myself

Buck 639

http://s937.photobucket.com/user/classic53ford46796/slideshow/

It is always one of two: a Randall #26 pathfinder or a KOA alpha wolf. The drop point shape of both knives are similar and are in that not to big- not too small size range. I also have a couple of Schrade D'Holder knives with similar blades that I also like a lot, one with stag which I have used and one maple one still NIB.

Dean

@goalie-

I believe that's a Helle Symfoni

I carry either a Schrade old timer "Sharp Finger" or a WWII K-bar passed down from my grandfather.

I carry the Schrade most of the time because it works for gutting, skinning and butchering. But once in a while, that old K-Bar gets the nod.

Victorinox Camper Model Swiss Army knife. Gave it the Gun Shield treatment a couple years ago and 99% of the blood, fat, etc., just slides off with a wipe on grass or anything else handy.

Gerber

Been carrying one of these since the mid-1970s. The original disappeared after butchering an elk in the field about 15 years ago. The new one is just as good.

I've carried a a Buck 110 folding hunter since the early 80's. However, I'm thinking of leaving it home and carrying a Ka-Bar Dozier like this.

I bought a similar one on one of y'all's endorsement about 10 years ago for Mooseboy. Since then, I have really grown to like it. The blade shape is better for being up inside a deer, and it stays sharp through more than one gut job. It is also much less bulky in a pack. For the past couple of seasons, I've had this one in my cleaning kit and done the bulk of my gut jobs with it.

I have to say however, the 110 is still the knife I can sharpen the best. It stays wickedly sharp through season.

Actually, it's quick and easy to clean a folder. A couple minutes with a stiff bristle brush, hot water, and dish soap and all is clean.

This is a very slightly reshaped paring knife out of VG-10. 3-1/2 inches long. Stays razor sharp forever. Walnut I had in the stock building drawer. It cuts better than anything I have used before, just like the other VG-10 blades I have for butchering.

I have gutted, skinned and quartered 7 deer with it so far and it's still sharp as ever.

Grohmann Deepwoods Hunter, takes an edge easily and holds it very well. I highly recommend any Grohmann knife, for those looking to add a stylish and functional knife at a reasonable price.

I just toss mine in the dishwasher...

I carry a Helle Jagermester, love it

For all of you interested:

The best there is, bar none-----

Walker Wax on your knives, Obenaufs on your sheaths.

Use them, and you'll agree.

Thank me later .....

Boker Trapper or a KOA Feather light Hunter D2, only 2oz.

Somewhete I have a buck fixed blade with a guthook, but it's vanished from the knife drawer. I carry my dad's old fixed blade case for sentimental reasons, but I also carry an Outdoor Edge combo pak with a smal bone saw and a swing blaze in my pack

Tonight I used a BHK bushbaby. A 3" fixed blade that does a great job dressing and skinning.

If I don't use it I use a Jeff White trade knife that has a 4" blade and a convex grind.

A 30 year old Buck folding hunter, nothing fancy but has dressed
many critters in those 30yrs.

I carry my michiganroadkill custom:

Crotts.

Before


After

Basic buck 110 folder. Gutted a bunch of deer with that knife in 30 years. I also have my dads old case sheath knife.

This, hands down the best thing to ever come along.

Especially when I've taken two complete moose apart only with one of these. And a couple of blades.

I guess I could get a fancy one to carry on the belt though, just to look good.

Survival knife situation is different though.

An old Gerber folder that stays kickazz sharp. And last year I broke down and bought a Morseth out of a pawn shop here that is a great traditional knife. Laminated blade. It's purely an indulgence as my Gerber and a locally made b&t knife have served me well for years. Great steel in both of them.

Why? What does a wimpy assed little Chinese thro-away blade have on a real knife? Nothing, IMO. I'm certain I would break it. If you can't sharpen a knife, or use it for small fur-bearers, I could see it being an asset. But for big game? Why? Plus it has NO SOUL....

I carried this Marbles knife in good old 1095 steel tonight. It's hair shaving sharp. Nothing too special, but if you want to compare a Havalon to it, for use on big game, I'm LMAO.....

Boring as it may be, I always use my case xx fixed blade. It gets the job done very easily..

Mike E Miller Lite Hunter

the deer around here are slightly bigger, and different color than what you guys have....

Huntsman - More than a few city people have shot deer that looked like that.....

SOUL has zero to do with using a knife. But if you want to thats cool.

I"m just utilitarian and use what works best for me.

I"ve seen all kinds of blades snapped over years of guiding, by idiots. YOu can even snap these blades if you don't pay attention. I did 2 weeks ago in a hurry. Hadn't done that in a long time.

BUT if my little wimpy assed Havalon can take a moose all the way down to skinned, gutted, quartered, deboned, caped, etc with no help... its more than enough for me. Cheap enough.

And while you are sharpening I"m further down the road.

I will admit I had a Randal that I was given to use and I made a few swipes on the last moose on the skin part of it, until it was dull. And put it away. I"d used it. Its a nice knife from a friend. I was not impressed and went back to what works best for me.

It may have to do that I was a taxidermist for years though too... I know how to use blades, and how not to use blades probably at least as well as the average person...and I find that cumulative time sharpening can be used for other more enjoyable tasks.

But like I said, I never fault anyone for their choice, but all means if it works. I'm just happy someone was smart enough to make a folder that fit the long autopsy blades... so I could quit carrying long fixed blade scalpel handles.

And I don't know a guiding buddy of mine that hasn't quit using other knives once they used this type.... Have 5 or 6 that use them exclusively on coastal brown bears... that says enough for me. Especailly when guides recieve all the top knives as tips/gifts.

How many of you need to use saws to reduce game to quarters or less?

To each their own. IMO a larger fixed blade knife would be better on a moose......

A Buck Companion in my pocket and a Cutco serrated blade drop point w/florescent orange handle on my belt w/sheath stuck in a back pocket. The Cutco has a leather loop tying it to the sheath.- Muddy

Only use a saw to get the antlers+skull plate off. If I'm taking the whole head I don't use the saw.

buck 118

Woodson: I always carry a Buck Model 317.
This knife is a folding model and has two blades that are right at 4" long.
This models thicker blade can easily "saw" through the sternum (rib cage) of a Deer for ease of cleaning - with a two hand hold on the handle.
Then the more slender 4" blade is PERFECT for reaming and removing the digestive tract outlet of Deer (and Elk!).
Several other knife makers have EXACT "copies" of this versatile knife including Puma, Case, Schrade and Sears as well as a couple other lesser known makers.
With the two blades of this model I always have a razor sharp blade in case I wish to do some caping or another animal.
This nifty knife will fit in a pocket but anymore I carry it on my belt in a custom sheath as they do not come with a sheath from Buck.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

For the last couple or years, these Swingblades seem to be all the rage over here:




The one above is by EKA, but Outdoor Edge do a very similar version but in a different steel..

I'm kinda torn on the idea as although it seems like a handy bit of kit, I really do dislike cleaning all the gunk out of folders...

last few years thats what I've used. The Outdoor Edge version.

Aus-8 is easy to keep sharp. handy knife and no bigger if it walks away. One reason I've never used my Doziers, for fear of losing one.

If you are so afeared of losing a knife, wtf even have them?

If I had a swingblade I'd pray I lost it

Use the damm Dozier, man...

I carry a bark river bravo 1.5 for my survival, a GREAT and CHEAP havalon for skinning, caping and gutting. But when the carcass gets back i pull out my butchers belt with my forschner butcher knives as i have been a professional butcher for 16 years.

Dozier K7 "Slim Outdoorsman". The narrow drop point blade works great when field dressing whitetails.

Since I first posted in this thread I gave myself a new knife for my birthday. This one was made by Mike Miller, Don't know what model he calls it, But it's the best knife I've owned by far.

Here's my main stable...

Top is a Mora that goes with me in my pack anytime I'm anywhere in the woods. Kind of my 'emergency' bush knife (hence, the accoutrements on he sheath). I've got its twin in Carbon steel and it worked great for this impromptu little task...




Took the bottom two hunting this year as my friends don't know what a good (or sharp) knife is...

Got the Dozier this summer and REALLY wanted to try it out but no dice (or deer)...
I'm wondering how the handle will feel and work when coated with blood?

Mojo,
Having used a lot of Dozier knives and micarta over the years I can tell you, the handle will be just fine. In fact, to me micarta is just a bit tacky/sticky feeling when wet.

I also use this one:

I'm a big fan of the folding lock back design originated by BUCK model 110. It's still a top choice for me due to edge retention and sturdy construction.

Sherwood

Buck Woodsman and a Spyderco Mannix.

This year so far a Menefee Semi-Skinner has worked on three deer...



And a Gene Ingram Bird & Trout has done another one...

Wyoming knife in stylish leather scabbard.

Esee Izula

I used this Old Timer of 1978 vintage this morning

Very nice. A couple of classics in one picture.

A Leatherman Wave on the left side, A Benchmade Triage/Bucklite Max on the other.

I use a Victoronix SAK a lot too.

Buck folder
Buck Personal
Gerber folder I got free when I bought my Danners from Cabela's 100 years ago
Old metal-handled Gerber

Last year, I dressed a couple with an Opinel #6

Buck 110, my 18th birthday present, many years and many deer ago!

for deer a plain old buck 110 for everything else 2 dunns knives in s90v nothing fancy but sharp and small.

had the Charlie May along for this'un....

Damn hunts...is that a hybrid?

everything but those freaky horns say whitetail

This pair stays in my pack:



This pair rides in the door pocket of the truck so I can grab and go quickly.

Knives of Alaska Yukon

I'm a fan of the Canadian Belt Knife profile and this has done really well. It replaced a Blind Horse Nessmuk that was stolen out of my truck in 2012. I'm STILL mad about that!

Doug Noren Scagel style here..

Buck 110. I love the shape of the blade. Had one for 25 years and lost it in the leaves after gutting a deer.
Got another one and left it on the bumper of my truck, but I had my kid sit on the tailgate and back tracked and found it in the field and still have it. I use it for gutting and skinning.
Then I use a Dexter 6" flexible boner to cut it up and bone it.

My Buddy Sharpsguy made me a custom Damascus skinning knife, being as he knows how much I like muslims he outfitted it with a set of camel leg bone handles, I cut up and eat the critters I skin with it at the dinner table too.

A Tree brand trapper, and a couple old Gerber's... Have many others, but those live in my pack, and the trapper is my everyday knife.

Frank Van Sickle clip point D2 blade.

Helle Jaegermeister

and a kershaw blackout

Buck 110 for last few decades. I've never seen a need to change to anything else.

I almost always carry a kukri and a decent general purpose skinning knife, in my day pack,along with a small game hoist /block & tackle and diamond hone pocket sharpener plus lots of 2 gallon ziploc bags.
theres no way in my opinion that a single small knife can perform all the chores,youll occasionally need, while out in the boonies,youll find you need an AXE, a hatchet, tomahawk or kukri for some projects

Not my pics, but they show the models. Mine are older USA made.

Uncle Henry LB5:



Old Timer 1250T:

My daily carry, a serrated Buck 442 folder, and a fixed blade, probably a Harvey King Small Game, #2, or #8 depending on the mood. There is a Buck Pathfinder, Style # 105, and a Sagan Saw in the field-dressing kit that I keep in my hunting pack.

Knives of Alaska Bear Cub here.

Buck Zipper with gut hook. I've also bought a few Havlons and keep one in my bag at all times. They're light, small, and very handy.

Knife? Don't need no stinkin' knife! My fingernails and teeth have served me well over the years!

Actually I carry either a vintage Kershaw kia-1050 or a self-made sheath knife.

Whaaap
Nice knife by Doug. He is one of the country's premier blade smiths.
I saw his 500th knife that he just finished. WOW. One of those 5 figure knives.
Have you been to his shop or one of the other Scagel makers in the area???
Tim

Have several and switch around but the most used is a western folder w composit handle similar in size to a Buck 110. Cheap but effective. Lately I have been carrying a boker copy of a dozier drop point.

Old case western my dad gave me when I was 12... straight 4" clip fixed blade.
Occasionally my dad kinfolks 380 for sentimental reasons...

Recently Bought a bark river Gunny hunter (?) to get a high grade of steel...

Bought a Tyler May drop point this winter because it looked nice.

To sum it up... All of them,except the Kinfolks, is about the size of a buck 110 in a clip or drop point config. I have a 110 and would tell people to buy them as long as you are not splitting pelvic bones. Thats what saws are for.

Buck 119. Love it.

I have one of those as backup on bear hunts. Sure hope I never have to use it for that, but I feel better carrying it.

It seems a bit big for skinning/quartering. Do you like it for that? I never tried it.

I only use it for unzipping the guts. Then it's off to the butcher. It does seem a little large for skinning but quartering would be ideal I think.

Remington Big Game - damn thing stays nice and sharp and the guthook opens 'em like a zipper. I also used a large sized blaze orange Beretta Airlight but managed to loose the dang thing on a late season hunt.

I've got a crude old hand made straight blade that came out of a piece of tool steel that was liberated from the Sheet and Tube mill in Youngstown, Ohio about 100 years ago. It's been in our family for all that time, passed down to my father, to me, and eventually to my son. The sheath doesn't match the knife, and it's not a very pretty thing, but it works fine for gutting deer and stays very sharp. Never saw the need to put all most as much money in a knife as I do on my rifles.

Old Timer 150T

I always carry my Puuku. I love this knife, easy to sharpen and tough as nails.



Fits just right

I enjoy good cutlery and axes. Over the years have had the opportunity to use many fine knives both fixed and folders. Field dressed Deer with both as well as small game and birds. So far have not settled on one knife and tend to rotate field work through my collection. Last Fall I carried this Menefee made knife.

Or this:

My best friend growing up's dad gave me this Estwing when I was in high school in the mid 60's.
I carried it with pride for about 25yrs.





Then I bought a Buck Vanguard when they first came out (late 80's IIRC).



Now days I just shoot a meat Deer from the porch every year or two (usually a fawn ) so I use what's handy.
This year it was an old carbon steel Northwoods B&T. Love that little knife.



Oh,,,,, and for the guys arguing about the Havalons.
I've skinned furbearers all my life, have a shoebox full of skinning knives, and think the Havalon Piranta a friend gifted me is the best thing since they put pockets on shirts, but no way would I go hunting big game with nothing but that in my pocket. It might be handy to have along but that's about it.
They'll spoil ya in the fur shed though.

Nice collection Charlie.

I pack an older CRKT Bridger and a Cold Steel Pendelton lite, there is always something in my pocket as well.

Thanks Sam,,,,, the chit I put that old Estwing through, I'm surprised it didn't abandon me years ago.

Havalon -

Coleman Western 954 stainless

Charlie, that's exactly why I don't think I could ever carry a fancy high dollar knife!

The buck 501 Buck that is in my pocket every day.

Let's see....

Buck 110
Aluminum-handled old Gerber fixed blade
Buck Personal

I have a little Gerber folder that came with my Danners a long while back and is probably my favorite, but I've recently come to like an Opinel #6 with a walnut handle.

The good thing about a Buck knife is it allows a man to really hone his honing skills.

probably got a 100 but I find myself using an old John Primble 2 bladed big folder that was given to me to me by a friend in 1965.
Very easy to sharpen and holds a great edge..

That appears to be neither Bird nor Trout.

No kidding. Useless IMO.

Had a Schrade fold up on me unexpectedly. I still pack a Case Blade Exchanger as my primary field duty knife. It is the most positive engaging locking folder I own. I trust it with my fingers.

For bloody work it's always Ingram's or KOA.

It wouldn't seem like a hunt if I didn't have to sharpen my Buck during skinning/quartering.

It's part of the whole hunting experience.

Used a Buck 110 for 30 years, then started using a Buck Vanguard from Cabelas with the S30V steel, excellent and really stays sharp.

Now I am using a Leatherman TI - The Leatherman's main blade is made of S30V steel too, it has an good saw and even a gut hook as part of the utility blade.

You can get a Buck 110/112 from the Buck Custom shop with S30V and your choice of handle and bolster materials for surprisingly little money. Just an FYI...

S30V holds a great edge, but it's hard to sharpen when you lose it.

Am I the only one that finds the gut hook on par with short mags?
IOW,,, a trendy solution to a problem that didn't exist... Running

I used to feel the same way, til I tried one.

Pre date code Puma Senior....

Depends on the size/design of gut hook plus how sharp it is..

Personally, I dislike them on the reverse of a main blade and in fact prefer a protected tip blade like the tripe knife below:

It ain't gonna win any points with knife snobs but Buck does a very nice job with their 440. If you can't get through a deer or a big mess of fish without your Buck knife going dull chances are it is your "honing skills" that are the problem and not the knife. Likely, your honing is creating and leaving a wire edge or burr that is snapping off which is costing you the performance of your knife. If you get a "better" knife, and use the same technique to sharpen it, you won't get all out of that one that you could either.

You're assuming i'm starting with a freshly sharpened knife. I like to sharpen in the field at the kill, so I might already have two animals skinned out when I sharpen it. I know how to sharpen a knife. Been doing it for 60 years.

btw My Buck 110 is a 4 dot 1981 425M steel.

Sure was! I thought you were jumping on the Buck knives are "useless" and have to be sharpened constantly bandwagon. They only do if you don't do it right.

Not at all. I love Buck knives. I enjoy my ritual, and love sharpening at the kill. It reminds me of when I hunted with my dad.

Best to keep an edge and not wait till it's lost. I don't fill up my truck when it's on E either.

Me too! The KOA I pictured above has been an awesome gut zipper. Have never had any trouble with it.

I do. That's when it needs gas.

Most recently I used this knife my KA Swearingen:

(sorry, don't have a close up photo of it)



5160H edge tempered. I have cleaned two deer with it and it still shaves. Needs oil, of course, but it's still very fine.

Nice knife, but tell us about the gun.

Shiloh Sharps #1 Sporter, in .45-90

Absolutely true.

He just needs to learn how to sharpen a knife.

To prove it.....just send it back to Buck for sharpening.

When you get it back you'll be so happy to have an actual SHARP knife.

Good grief! Read my response to that post. I can sharpen a knife as well as anybody.

Then why aren't your knives sharp?

As I suggested previously.....send one in to Buck for a proper sharpening and see how long it STAYS sharp once truly sharpened.

Ok, i'll explain again. I'm sort of old school, and have done things the same for many decades. Instead of starting a hunt with a sharp knife. I just sharpen it when it starts to get a little dull. I've done this since I was a kid, and got used to sharpening my knives in the field. As I mentioned earlier it's a bit of a ritual with me. It's how my dad did it, and I just copied everything he did. As kids will do.
So, I always have a couple of stones with me to touch up an edge. I may have an elk and muley on the knife before I touch it up. Maybe more, maybe less. If I would start off a hunt with a freshly sharpened knife I wouldn't have to sharpen it in the field at all.

Like I said at the start of all this. I like the ritual of sharpening my knives at the kill. Strange for some, but normal for me. It puts a smile on my face, because it always brings back good memories of past hunts. Especially, with my dad who has long passed away.

That's fine.

We all need our traditions and that's healthy.

Dances with Wolves was a great movie i've watched 5 times. Your name reminds of it everytime I see it.

Pretty cool name.

Ain't that the damn truth.

True, but they're cheap, and made in the US. That has to count for something?
Plus,....Buck is a cool name.

Pretty much sums it up. There's a reason hundreds of elk guides use Havalon knives. I saw a guide at a show two years ago who had two Havalons on his table. I asked him what he thought of them, and he said the previous season he wanted to see how far he could go with one blade. He skinned one bison and X elk on one blade. If I told you the number it would strain credulity. He did use a steel to keep the edge up, but it was a pretty impressive feat, nonetheless.

Besides that, think about a guide's priorities. He wants something that works, not something that has "soul" (whatever that is). He wants to take weight off because he's walking miles in rough country with a load of meat on his back. So rather than take two or three knives with "soul," plus tools to resharpen them, he takes a Havalon with a few extra blades. Saves time. Saves energy. Saves money.

When his clients saw him using the Havalon, they all wanted one, so he became a dealer and buys enough to resell to clients. The two he had on his table were what he had left from the previous season.

I carry a Havalon every day. And by the way, the blades are not made in China. They are surgical scalpels, and they are made in India, the same place where the blades are made that your doctor uses to operate on your gut. If that makes a difference to you, I suppose you could ask your doctor to use an American-made knife with soul. Good luck with that.

A couple of incidental facts:
1. I know several doctors who hunt, and all of them use surgical scalpels for field dressing and skinning. So do all the taxidermists I know. They just want something that works.
2. A few other companies have capitalized on the Havalon idea, and are trying to compete against them. But Havalon's parent company, Havels, is a medical supply company and the blade Havalon uses is proprietary. It's better than the standard scalpel blades others use. It's more resistant to breaking and more user-friendly. (The pictured Havalon knife earlier in this thread is not wearing the Havalon proprietary blade.)

Steve.

Found a photo of the Swearingen:



As far as the Havalons, I watched a guy break one cleaning a small whitetail. He was only cutting meat, no abuse, and he was lucky he realized the blade had broken, before it cut him.

I have a question for those who use a Havalon. In the above post a guide did a whole bison, and xelk. Not sure what xelk mean, but i'm thinking more than one.

So, if he can do that with one blade. What advantage does he have from any other sharp knife? If you're not changing blades, it's like any other knife.

Just curious.

Pretty simple, really. Yes, X (which stands for an unknown quantity in algebra) elk means more than one elk skinned. The guide's point was not to show a person needs only one Havalon blade. He was testing a single blade's longevity and durability, not attempting to prove extra blades are superfluous. Just as a hunter would carry more than one knife on a remote hunt in case he lost the knife, broke the blade, or had some other mishap, one would carry more than one Havalon/blade on a hunt.

The advantage is a significant weight reduction without compromising quality of the cutting edge. In fact, being "scalpel sharp" is another advantage. Many people may claim to be able to sharpen a knife edge to the sharpness of a surgical scalpel, but in reality almost no one can actually do it.

Steve.

Yes, I know. Just my way of asking how many elk it was? I've read guys who can't even get through a deer without changing blades.

The guide was sharpening the blade, so i'm not sure we're talking apples to apples.

My sister gave me a 4 pin BUCK 110 on my sixteenth birthday. That was 46 years and a hundred plus deer ago. I was a butchers helper in high school so it is and stays sharp.

You're a bit off on the years. The 4 dot started in 81.

http://www.buckknives.com/about-knives/how-old/

Actually the guide was not sharpening the blade. He was steeling the blade. A steel is often called a "sharpening" steel, but it is mis-named. It does not sharpen a knife. High magnification will show that during use a knife edge becomes mis-shapen, folds over, and otherwise loses its fine edge with minimal steel being worn away. The steel does not re-sharpen in the sense that it removes steel. It simply returns the edge -- "restores" or "realigns" are perhaps the best words -- to its straight, fine characteristic.

The same thing can be done on the edge of a car door window, or the edge of a stainless steel table. In fact, too many knives made from good steel are sharpened when they don't need it -- all they need is someone who knows how to work an edge with a steel. Using a steel should not be considered a method of sharpening. It is a method of finishing -- or refinishing -- a sharp edge.

Every knife user would benefit from knowing how to use a steel. Not only will his knife remain sharper for longer, the knife will last longer because less steel will be worn away in resharpening.

The fact that he used a steel is disclosed precisely so one can make an apples to apples comparison.

To your first comment about guys who can't get through a deer without dulling a knife -- you are right. It pays to know how to use a knife. Cut from the inside of the critter. Do not cut hair. Do not use the tip as a wedge. Do not run the edge against bone. Many people do not use such care, and they'll dull any knife.

Steve.

Yes, any real cook, or butcher will tell you the value of steeling the blade.

Can we agree that it does restore sharpness to the edge compared to not doing it?

I notice some talk about the Buck knives being hard to sharpen. It depends a lot on the age of your knife.

In Buck knives, the steels went thus.....

Before 1981.---440C
1981 to 1993.--425M
1993-----420HC

The 440C was exceedingly hard steel and a lot of people had trouble with it. The 425M was a little better and the current 420HC is excellent in that it's not too hard to sharpen but still holds the edge for a long time.

It's always better to touch a blade up a bit now and then and keep it sharp rather than let it get really dull.

That's what "sharpening steels" are all about, by the way.....they are used to KEEP a sharp edge as butchers cut meat all day--not to CREATE a sharp edge.

Anyway, in 1981 the Buck knives became a little bit easier to sharpen and in 1993 the knives became quite a lot easier to sharpen.

We can if we understand the difference between steeling and sharpening. Strictly speaking though, steeling is not restoring the sharpness to the edge; it's restoring the edge. Sharpening is removing material to create a new edge. Yes, a subtle difference, but meaningful.

I wonder how many people actually use a steel. Not many -- I'd bet the percentage is in the single digits. But then, lot of people don't even sharpen. I've probably talked to hundreds of well-intentioned people who leave that task to the evening before the deer season opens, and never get around to it. Some don't really even know how to sharpen a knife. Thus the market for a sharp, replaceable blade.

Steve.

Ok, a subtle difference. I'm good with that.

This is a very good video on the proper use of a steel. Everyone should have a steel in the kitchen along with a nylon or hardwood cutting board. My knives never go into a sink. Can't say the same about the other beaters that go into the drawer.

Good video -- thanks for posting. Makes clear that honing is not sharpening. It is more like tuning the blade.

Steve.

The man said 4 pin not 4 dot.

You're right, and that gets more confusing. Buck used left over drilled handles, and converted them to more or less pins. It's really hard to pinpoint a year made by the pins. Markings on the blade are more reliable, and accurate.

Some say the 4 pin started in 82, but that is probably wrong. Mine is a 3 pin, and I know it was built in 81.

The four PINS started 1974 or just after.

The four DOTS started in 1981.

There are a few exceptions and sometimes a few months slopover in production, but those are the generally accepted dates.

There was even a five-pin model after 1974 for a while.

Pins refers to the rivets that hold the wood inlays on plus the rocker rivet.

Dots refers to the stamped dots on the blade.

I know what they are. It's more complicated than just 4 pin. It's the location of the brass and steel pins, and the pattern. Mine is a 4 dot 3 pin. Which came before the 4 pin.

You ask this on the Buck forum, and you'll get many different answers.

Anyway, it's not that important. They're all 110's.

Though I understand how they work I have never used a steel. Probably should pick one up and give it a try just to learn something new. In place of one, I currently use an ultra fine stone (hard translucent Arkansas). I have found that if I don't destroy an edge, I can maintain it, or more technically correct, resharpen it indefinitely with little effort before I have to go to a coarse stone. The stone does remove a little metal compared to a steel, but very little. A steel would be better for a guy cutting all day...that is why butchers and cooks use them.

The disposable knives have a lot going for them, especially for people who do not have an emotional attachment to knives and just want to cut stuff. Getting back to edge retention, if anyone thinks a Buck or comparable price point knife is trash, compare one to a disposable blade when it comes to heat treat and quality of steel. The disposable is likely made from the cheapest possible steel in a Chinese factory with basic heat treating, probably very "soft", but people are saying that they retain their edge a long time. Why is this, how can it be? IMO the reason is that they start out with a perfectly apexed and burr free edge created by a machine....probably some kind of laser. No wires or weak spots to snap off. Unless you roll the edge by hitting something hard or abrade it by cutting something dirty, it will last a long time, especially for what it is. In other words the steel probably ain't much but the edge is perfection.

Few people if any can duplicate that, even those that know what they are doing, much less the typical guy that leaves the wire edge on his knife after sharpening. When you consider the fact that good sharpening stones are far from cheap plus you have to know how to use them, it is easy to see why hunters are liking these knives. I probably won't ever use them because I like knives and fooling with them almost as much as I like rifles, but I can't knock them.

I have used the Spyderco ceramic triangle stick set your years. It creates a much finer edge that a kitchen steel, and it has a built in angle which produces much more consistent results with less wear on the blade. One thing not shown in the video is to take a couple a backward strokes to straighten the edge first.

You gave two reasons why hunters gravitate toward disposable blades:
1. Good sharpening equipment is not cheap.
2. You have to know how to use whatever tool you choose.

I'll add a third:
3. The majority of hunters on opening day are carrying a fairly dull knife, even if they have sharpened it. (See point two.)

With an inexpensive, but high quality surgical scalpel on your knife, and without an emotional attachment to your knife, it's no wonder Havalon knives have become so popular.

A high quality American-made knife, especially a custom knife, is a beautiful thing and there are many reasons to have and use one. In fact, you don't even need a reason to use one other than you like it. But anyone says it's the only way to go is a bit of knife snob, similar to the optics snobs we see so many of. As RJY66 said, we don't need to knock them in order to position high-end knives better. The high-end knives can stand on their own, but they're not for everyone.

Incidentally, Havalon blades are made in India (not China), which has been producing quality steel on the world market for a long time. And since the scalpels are made for the medical industry, there is a high motivation to import high quality steel.

Steve.

No.

BOTH the two dotters and the three dotters had four pins (three rivets and one pivot pin).....and BOTH came BEFORE the FOUR DOTTERS so your knife is an anomaly.....likely somebody put a newer blade on and older 110 frame.

Actually, the likely answer is not complicated. Your knife must have been slapped together from parts by a knife mangler.

Got a picture of that strange knife?

Forums are funny. You guys will argue over the stupidest stuff. If my knife was slapped together it was done by Buck, because I bought directly from them in 81.

Now please. Enough of this. It's not that important.

Yes, it helps if we get the right information.

The pin count is the total number of pins showing.

Your knife is called a four-pin, not a three pin.

Three inlay rivets plus the pivot pin.

Photos clear everything up.

Your knife is a nice four-dot finger-grooved 110.

I've read some guys don't count the pivot pin and some do, so I wasn't sure what to call it.

Blade markings are much more reliable

Blade markings are quite reliable, that is true.

To ID some knives you have to use blade markings plus other factors.

Who started this whole thing anyway???.

Buck.

LOL.

I use both a back stroke and forward when using a steel. With some practice you will be able to go by the sound of the stroke to know if you using the right angle or not. Some of the better flat steels seem to work better for me.

My Buck doesn't have any pins. Is that bad?

It's tough being pinless.

I use one I made myself; 154CM & Stag;

Nice!

Buck hasn't had a single blade in 420 that's as good as what they used to use. My Granddads was in 440C and was down-right impressive. The newer ones are good to leave rattling around in the glovebox or under the seat just in case.

I have been using a couple custom or semi-custom knives. One is a Manley Blades in ATS-34, another Blind Horse Knives in 01 gets used a lot. My newest was a safety award is a Bark River Loveless in CPM3v. Even with my poor sharpening skills and poor blade skills, these knives stay sharp much longer than the softer steels. Maybe if I was good at not "hurting" my edge it wouldn't be important to me to use harder steels.

Nice lookin knife!

Very nice. I love the blade design and the overall contour.

Steve.

reading through this thread theres been a good many quality knives posted, (many I'd like to own) but I can,t help but wonder how many other guys like myself , do carry a second larger blade of some type, I'm betting a great deal of the guys that hunt farther from the camp or back pack in rather than hunt near a road and truck do!
many of my friends that back pack in for elk hunts carry a tomahawk , I prefer the kukri, but I can,t imagine being able to function for days at a time back packing into remote areas with just a 4" skinning knife

Never seen the attraction of the kukri blade style..If I wanted a camp knife capable of serious chopping, I'd go for a parang with say a 10" blade...

Top to Bottom Cliff Manley ATS-34, Chris Reeves Shadow IV A-2, Blind Horse Knives Woodsman Pro O-1, Bark River Classic Drop point Hunter 3v.

You can see the BHK and Cliff Manley both are frequent fliers.

Just picked up some Mora Companions.
I plan on having them everywhere. Pack, truck, sling, belt...hell I may strap one to my climber.

Just watch how the sheath clips over whatever your fixing it to as they become easily dislodged.

If its going onto a belt or similar, once in place, it best using a cable tie around the bottom of the clip to stop it inadvertently comming off..

True, but with that color it should be easy to find if lost.

A Leatherman Multitool and a Victorinox sheep skinner with a cheap sheath I made for it to ride in my pack. That sheep skinner with it's oversized plastic handle really cuts down on hand fatigue when skinning out game, I'll be hard pressed to ever buy something else for the task.

I have been carrying this one so far this season

I got them everywhere. Couple on the boat, , 2 at the cabin, one for garden work in the shed, one in the work truck. Picked them up at a gunshow for 9.00 ea a couple years ago. Can't be beat for the money.

New this year. It has cleaned a few grouse, but is waiting for something big...

Dozier Yukon Modified Pro Skinner



Small Game



Grand dads

Man is there some nice knives in this thread. Its been a buck 110 for me for the last twenty years. Before that a Schrade that I lost in the woods in my teens. Still haven't gotten over it....lol

Benchmade Small Summit Lake

Nice Winston!

Knives of Alaska Cub Bear

Thanks

Just found this one in my bag. Dozier whitetail skinner.



This my fav.

This Puma may have to go...it got christened on bunnies, but I think it yearns for something bigger...

Helle Jaegermeister, no need for any other.

sometimes I keep a gerber Gator in my pack as a backup

Shaman...I have other knives as well but since getting the Dozier's knife rotation just became...well...easier...ScottyO.

My go to - no name knife. Scary sharp after at least 5 gut jobs with nothing more than a leather stop between.

That said I do have a new Winston that will get Christened this year.

Bbassi that's a nice pic. One of the best in the thread IMO.

For years I used a Buck Lite that was given to me by my dad until i let someone use it. They "sharpened" it for me on a grindstone and it has been useless ever since. I gave it to my son a couple of years ago and sent it back to buck to have a new blade put in it.



Now days I carry a Case XX Trapper given to me by my best friend in my pocket and a Havalon Piranta and a Mora Knife in my my pack.



Bob.

I have a decent amount of knives to choose from, but my favorites are these two Buck Knives (118 & 110) - in fact I cleaned a deer with each one if them this past week.

woodson;
Good morning to you sir, hopefully the week treated you well and this finds you where you'd hoped to be on a cool October morning.

Thanks for the thread and thanks to those who've joined in to make it an interesting read/view.

While I've carried and experimented with a good number of different shapes and steels over the years, over the last few seasons this Vantage Pro that I rescaled with blaze orange micarta rides in my back pocket.


Three years ago I bought this 52100 blade from an online ebay shop, stuck some maple scales on it and cobbled together a sheath. It rides on my belt beside a Leatherman Wave and my cell.


I'm really liking the shape and size of it, though I'm not certain they quite got the heat treat right as it's a tad on the softer side for really good edge retention.

I may just have to grind one from some old D2 sawmill planer blades I've got and see how that works out. I did these from that supply and they hold an edge well - but they ride in the pack on long walks so that's a different thread.



Thanks again to all the folks who've shown their knife choices - good luck in all your hunts.

Dwayne

Knives of Alaska Whitetail hunter

I think I responded to this some time ago but since I "got into" two deer this morning, maybe an update is in order.

For a long time my favorite folding knives were the Gerber LSTs. The last 3 I got (all at once, not separate mistakes) have been much more difficult to sharpen and haven't held an edge well..

My first rubber handled Buck Vanguard saw some action today. It continues to impress. It generally rides in one of the vertical pockets on my Badlands 2200; my wyoming saw (III) and a 3-AA maglight ride in the other side.

The newest knife I've been using probably wasnt' meant as a hunting knife. It's a Cold Steel SRK in stainless. It sharpens surprisingly well, does survival-y things (or at least trims branches etc for setting up trail cams) well, and today it did a great job on skinning 1-1/2 deer 'til I swiped the edge across my truck bed.

I need to find a newer / better 2-1/2 to 3 inch folding knife to do the things the first two Gerber LSTs I had did so well long ago. Something in that 2 ounce range.

Look at the neck on that buck! Great picture man.

I carry a case trapper in my pocket and have skinned gutted and cut the meat off many deer carcasses. I carry a Mora #2
in my truck door pocket that I use if I bring them to the shed.

Last few years has been a KOA Alpha Wolf, but I'm changing directions this year and going back to a Fallkniven.

Oldie but goodie

Couple of Barkies get used now as well. I like the bottom one the best for field dressing.

These still work, but I've replaced the King knife with a Dale Howe Medium Drop Point #4. Still packing the Buck Pathfinder #105 and Sagan Saw in the Johnson Woolen Mills daypack.

I carry a Benchmade Saddle Mountain Skinner and a Havalon.

Nothing fancy. Buck 110.

KoA Cub Bear stays in my pack but these days I usually grab the Outdoor Gear replaceable blade.

Schrade sharp finger

Usually it's a Buck Vanguard, same as for the last 30 years.

Mora..

An older USA made Cold Steel Carbon V Hunter a Winston, and an orange bobcat box Marbles (I forget which model it is) get used the most.

Mostly Shrade . But I have also carried an old Buck various models - personal is my favorite.
I have and use a couple custom knives too.

If any knife I had said China on it, it would be considered good enough to scrape grease off a tractor or maybe used for digging.

Case Mako.

I used a J A Henckels Friodor (top) for over 40 years. The last 4 or so, I've been using a Grohmann #1 (middle) or a #3 (bottom) with stag scales, and really like them. The Henckels still always gets a ride in my pack.

Santiam, beautiful blacktail buck. An Oregon deer?

5 inch Bagwell Damascus skinner and an old Case Lockhorn.

Oregon Buck.. This thread is sposed to be knives,but here is the rest of him minus the knife, which is awesome by the way.

I've hunted those sneaky SOBs for 60+years so I know taking a buck of that caliber is an accomplishment.

The girls done him in..

Marble Ideal stag 5" and a Schrade 303

I don’t have a deer pic. Just my elk.
But always a fixed blade on my hip. Havalon or outdoor edge with extra blades in the pac.
https://imgur.com/a/2LxZl

Gerber Big Game with extra blades.

I skinned 8 deer and butchered them with this guys knives, at our deer club, then another guy with a cusom knife borrowed mine after his would no longer cut:

McCroskey Custom Knives
StillWater OK 877-256-4837
mccroskeyknives.com

I skinned and butchered two elk with one of his elk skinners, never needed to touch it up

A good friend, skinned 300 beaver before his got dull


There are knives, then there are working knives.

You posted this exact post a few weeks ago....Someone called BS on the 300 Beaver claim.

You might want to explain the claim....It does seems outrageous.

🦫

I carried the Grohman Bird & Trout for deer work several years.
They are nice knives.

Basic Buck Special. Works and makes a good steak knife.

Carried an Old Timer like that for many years. It disappeared and I replaced it with a Buck 110. I don't like the sheaths for either and carry in my front pocket. I like the Schrade better as it doesn't eat through my jeans as fast. Damn shame they quit putting the hole in them.

Probably one of these.

. 300 Beaver before it got dull?!....Holy Hell Batman!!.....😄...Hb

Speaking of sheared beaver, my old barber Manny used to claim he volunteered down at the maternity ward on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He was a character.

Been using this Boker for years. Sharpens easy and holds a razor sharp edge. Only gut 2-3 deer max per year though with it. I don't ever use it for anything else.

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8 deer skinned, butchered no touch up? 300 beaver. tough to believe having a few high end custom knives

Howe Mountain medium drop point presently. Trying out a Gerber replacement blade this year.

All I ever killed was dinks and basket racks until one day I went trout fishing 16 years old got out the truck and there she lay in the ditch Schrade folder in the sheath right beside the road somebody lost there kryptonite

i always have an orange case trapper in my pocket. if hunting here on the farm it's all i need. if i travel to deer hunt i take a morakniv.

This are with me all the time, the Leatherman on my hip and the others in my pack
I normally have a moose or elk tag in my pocket as well as deer tags, and use the hatchet for multiple tasks
I have beeen known too wear the Marrttinii at times however. ">)

Cat

I have a Kershaw that I have had for 30+ years. Holds an edge very well

Been using my Schrade 303 for years, Sharpens easy and holds a razor sharp edge

Still a fan of Westinghouse Micarta. Can’t wait to get this bloody this season.

Always been a Buck #102 Woodsman.

But last Christmas, my wife gave me my first custom, a drop point hunter by Seth Borries of Southern Longbeards. Guess I ought to give it a try this season.

When I was a kid I had a Buck Woodsman, but as I got older my hands got too large for the handle, so I moved to a Pathfinder.

My Buck 110, and my dads Case XX. Don’t need more than that.

Old70

Last couple years it’s been a Marbles Fieldcraft(the one on the left). The convex grind on these has no equal IMO…scary sharp!!! and hold an edge very well. These have the 52100 steel.

This year it’s gonna be a new Olt stag,
Tim built for me last Spring. Should be the bomb!

I like Sambar stag…if you couldn’t tell.😁

Leftybolt

I've used a variety over the years.

In the early days I used the Old Timer folder my wife bought me before we were married 47 years ago. Then the Sharp finger got some use for awhile. For a few years I used a pair of Buck 450 Vantage? folders. Been planning on using the Mora ever since a coworker gave it to me after finding it in his yard one morning. Never had a sheath for it so always seemed to pass it up for others.
The last decade or so I've been using custom knives more often. Dozier Yukon Pro D2, Gene Ingram #1 S30V, another Ingram Light Hunter also S30V, and a Mike Miller Light Hunter in I think ATS-34.
Well looks like my picture posting is busted.

Have carried a lot of different ones. This year will be LT Wright genesis for the heavy work days.

Very nice!

My go-to's. Nothing fancy...they just work:

Buck 301 Stockman always in my pocket. It'll gut and skin anything you can kill in Kansas.

For the last few years I have found that an Outdoor Edge Swingblade does most of what I need but there’s also a Remington Big Game multiblade folder that rides along for the saw blade. Nothing so fancy as most apparently.

One of 2 Brad Watkins.

I like those two. Looks like a very well designed pair for use as a field knife. The bottom one would serve better for skinning

I agree. I particularly like the Old Timer and Mora. It's too bad the Old Timers have been offshored.

HA! It was actually that 47+ year old Old Timer that grabbed me. I have my Dad's 55 year old Case variant of the same:

Thanks. I spent several iterations with Phil getting those perfect. Wish the pic was better...that bottom one is as good a drop point/skinner Herron style semi-skinner I've ever used but it doesn't come across in the angle.

Those Wilson’s are stellar!

Gonna try a Randall

I no longer hunt deer but if I was going ,this drop point folder by Bret Dowell would be all I need to get the guts out of a deer

Old-school Buck 110 does it for me.

I have carried these for the past 20 years. A Dozer Agent and a military Mora I found laying in and old logging road in SE Oklahoma.

What knife do I carry while hunting? The first sharp one I find.

Really loving this Grohmann

Tell me more about this one. Who’s the maker and where can I get one?

I just carry my regular 2/3 blade(always sharp) pocket knife. All knife work is done at the house. I skin and gut with an old big Queen folder or an old big Tree Brand folder. Into my cooler for about a week. Then out on the table for processing. The ONLY knives I use now for boning and disassembly are Rapala Fillet knives. They are the absolute best for this job. Around 2 hrs with these knives and my cuber and grinder Mr Deer is ready for consumption.

Buck 301 Stockman.

Though I did just pick up this Case Yellow Stockman, which may get the go ahead in Kansas's December rifle season.

Hank Hammonds Canadian Skinner. He posts here on the fire as Godogs57.

One of my two Charles May, and a Havalon Piranta

Randall 26 pathfinder. Gifted from a late friend

Bob Ham Knife