Hunting/survival knife

[Nodakjohns]

While a good survival knife will do hunting chores, a hunting knife will only do light duty camping chores. You want a good steel but the super steels are harder to sharpen in the field. I tend to favor a mora for a knife that has all the qualifications of a survival knife without the price tag usually associated with them. The price tags go up from there. Myself I have an old timers folder for deer hunting that I have had for 30 years. The mora I carry is one of the newer models with a built in stone and fire striker. I also have more expensive knives but I don't generally carry them much. The mora is the only one under a hundred in my picture I believe. It has pretty good steel. The two Benchmades have s30v steel. They are awesome. The other one is a good knife also but I cannot remember what kind of steel it has.

[Scuba1]

Sometimes you can pick up a Helle for just around 100 bucks. Mine was a bit more then that, But they make them in different styles.

[Nodakjohns]

Sometimes you can pick up a Helle for just around 100 bucks. Mine was a bit more then that, But they make them in different styles.

They are beautiful knifes and one is certainly in my wish list !

[Damannoyed]

My 2 primary hunting knives are a Buck 119 (yea, the big sucker, I don't gut deer with my 110 unless I have to) and my Kershaw Alaskan Trader set (handle with 3 blades, a 4" drop-point, a 5" or so bone saw (BIG teeth, pull-type saw, works fabulous) and a curved skinner with large gutting hook ("The Zipper").

2+ decades, many many deer, never let down.

[BPCR Bill]

I knew an old cowboy in Montana many years ago that spent his winters making knives. He would just go to the junk yard and get leaf spring steel off of old trucks. He gave me one of his knives and it was excellent, holding an edge well even dressing out a big elk. At some point in my travels that knife was stolen. I am toying with the idea of stopping by Ruana knives in Montana this summer and getting one of their blades. Always wanted one, and now I can afford one.

[talltexan]

For my money, I've always had a thing for Kabar Marine combat knives, with the leather-wrap handle. I also like Bowie knives, a lot.

[Crowlja]

For starters, I believe that "survival knife" should be a fixed blade with full tang. Dont get too cought up with blade length, 3.5" will serve you just fine. The steel should hold a good edge, yet still be fairly easy to sharpen. And it should also be a size and weight your going to carry.

I really like the Esee Izula as my fixed blade knife. I keep it in my backpack when either hunting or backpacking. It's super lightweight, holds an awesome edge, and is tough. Yet when I need to sharpen it, I have have a good edge on it within 5-10 minutes (depending on how bad it was when I started). The Izula goes for $50 on Amazon so it's not going to break the bank.

I like the skeleton frame for I wrap it with 550 cord, so the knife backs up as my cordage.

ESIDE-BRK Izula Dark Earth https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MAPG782..._FYyRCb9S3CRQ2

[SavageShooter]

I like S30V but knives made out of it are usually pretty pricey.

Yes, S30V is awesome steel for blades and holds a razors edge. S90V is another, but they are very difficult to sharpen once they need it. Steel is just too hard for stones.

[Plainsman]

Couldn't agree more about blade length. I wonder when I see 'hunters' with huge Bowie/Machete length Rambo knives— "What are you gonna do with THAT thing?" My Izula, shown, is the one with the handle and I really like this little knife. The Ontario RAT series, in the shorter blades, are also fine do-everything knives with incredible toughness, which comes out of their military origins. (1095 steel like so many of their military relatives.) The one shown is the RAT 3 with the after-market handle.