How to choose the best hunting knife

December 28, 2022

Fans of hunting, when asked what is the most necessary in their entertainment, will not hesitate to answer, the gun. But the most experienced ones, as a rule, after thinking, state that the gun, of course, is a big part of success. With it you can always build simple devices in the camp, and fish to skin, and from the snares set up by poachers on the animals to be released, and the sausages with bread to cut, and the "right" piece of something tasty dog "saw off". Exactly so much that it won't lie in a secluded place with one hundred squealing, and was active on the trail of animals, leading you to the beast. And here we would like to avoid the first mistake many novice hunters often make. Which knife is better? We believe that this question is completely senseless without understanding what you need the knife for. Only after that should you start choosing a particular model. And this is not just good advice. It is advice that will save you time and nerves once you get to the point of choosing your knife. With the current variety of them on the market, the question is not at all idle. Leaving the main topic for a moment, let's open up just a small part of this choice. And this military type knives military type bayonet knives, landing, trench, sapper, as well as hunting, hiking, camping, survival, collectible, copyright, exclusive, throwing, automatic, medical, titanium and Damascus steel, samurai, folding, and many others. Based on the great variety, let's choose.

Why is a knife so important to a hunter?
In part, we've already talked about the necessity of a good knife in a hunter's outfit. No matter how cruel it is to say it, the knife performs the main function in hunting - to finish off the wounded animal and to skin and cut up the carcass. In rare cases, when the wounded animal doesn't agree with the hunter's decision to cut it up, and it's difficult to reach the rifle, the shooter already has to feverishly decide where to run or defensively attack. And how can you do without a knife? It's probably the reason why many experienced hunters love heavy knives, typical for Americans, which, if necessary, perfectly substitute the functional knife "camp" when cutting firewood, chopping small chips for the fire, or doing minor repairs of something. And your knife, as a favorite toy, is understandable only for the owner. Hunting without a knife loses some of its attraction, drive, if you like, despite its cool ammunition and rifle set. Although this is all relative. After all, every self-respecting hunter will never allow himself to use his favorite knife, essentially the same weapon, for rough and unprofessional work. As a rule, another knife is purchased for this purpose. When choosing this edged weapon, it is important to note that, as a rule, hunting knives, which are used, are of two types, as a rule, represented by manufacturers. These are folding and non-folding knives. In the first case, these are general-purpose knives with a single blade or filled with various "attachments". There is an opinion that knife manufacturers, when developing new models, positioning them as a handy knife for hunting and fishing, don't think much about this topic. For example, the market is filled with knives with built-in tools for different purposes. Pliers, screwdriver, awl, file, corkscrew, even manicure scissors all come together in one item. At first glance, that seems cool. But that's only at first glance. Try in the field, practically on your knees, with a miniature screwdriver to unscrew the rifle screw that clamps the stock to the gun bed. And what about sawing or file tweaking with a "multi-tool" using two tools at the same time? No matter how hard you try, this procedure will not bring anything but nerves. In general, experience shows that having a blade of at least up to nine centimeters and a knife for opening canned food is enough for its effective use. Of course, with at least the obligatory pliers, file and a long screwdriver in the pouch. Undoubtedly, folding knives have certain advantages. They are safe, compact and occupy little useful space, acceptable for minor repairs, can be fastened to the trouser belt without interfering with the movement. In addition, this category by default includes knives with ejection or retractable mechanisms of blade withdrawal from the handle and knives-butterflies with a specific scheme of the mechanism. Such variants are more for show-offs, because complex and heavy mechanism, assembled in the handle, leads to disproportion in weight between the blade and the handle. To finish the topic of folding knives, let's note that in absence of special rigid locking device when blade is open, the knife can fold down and injure the hunter's hand. The weak point also refers to the axial fixing of the blade, which causes its transversal wobbling.

Types of knives.
Knife as well as the rifle can be dismantled into parts and has certain names, understandable to most hunters. Blade, hilt, lower cutting edge, upper edge, as a rule, blunted edge "shank", point, the base of the blade is called "heel", and the longitudinal grooves on the sides - "ribs". The "guard" separates the hilt from the blade to protect the hand from and at the end of the hilt is the "backstrap." Such clarity and precision in the definitions indicates this important element of the equipment of the man with the gun. It is always on hand and ready to carry out the task assigned to it. According to its inherent purpose. This is no ordinary kitchen knife endowed with the function of "omnivorous". According to the centuries-old tradition, there is a deep-rooted opinion that two knife designs are distinguished according to the principle of connection of the blade with the handle. The knives with thin transition from the blade to the shank are very reliable, but in the place of blade narrowing, sometimes the knife itself can burst or the handle can split under high tension. The second variant is the so-called ntegral knives of western type, which are produced with the same width of the blade and the rest of the blade, transiting in one piece into the handle, which connects the two halves of the handle material with rivets or riveted tubes, entering into the potai or being glued on. This knife is more reliable in operation. But everything, as they say, is in the hands of the hunter who knows exactly what's what when choosing a blade for a particular action. In general, without going into long lists and meticulous descriptions, let's note a few types of knives that hunters look closely at when choosing a knife for their hunting needs. As a rule, this list includes a universal hunter's knife, a knife for retrieving an animal, a skinner knife and a large camp knife. Ironically, a small size knife with a short blade comes first in importance after a shotgun. It is a handy knife for freshing the killed animal, a skinner knife, or in simple words, a skinning knife.A special blade is made for one purpose the separation of the skin from the meat of the animal and no more. This knife is used to cut and peel off tendons. The handle rests comfortably in your hand, which ensures accurate and precise cuts where it's needed. It features A short wide blade, beveled downwards, made of high-alloyed steel with optimal hardness, which allows intensive use of the blade with a long retention time of sharpening. As a rule, they are sharpened on one side. Some experimenters carry out bilateral sharpening, without much practical effect. It is not suitable for carcass cutting, and it is not suitable for other tasks either. The knife for retrieving the beast is a long thin stiletto with a comfortable handle and a one-sided stop on it, which allows, if necessary, to strike a hard stabbing blow to the underfoot, relieving the latter of death agony. With a little effort it penetrates deeply into the body, which is why there are several grooves along the blade to reduce friction. Our ancestors must have "caught" similar longitudinal grooves on the fangs of feline predators and copied them for their weapons. In this case, it is used for freshing the prey and butchering the meat. Working knife or multi-purpose knife is indispensable when organizing hunters in a camp, preparing for a night hunt or setting up an ambush, preparing wood chips for fire and so on. It is a tool with which you can solve all these household tasks comfortably, thanks to the large "in your hand" handle and small sharp knife. In general, it is convenient to equip the camp for the future overnighting to use a special long knife with a hard metal, designed for cutting branches and cleaning thick bushes. It is usually called a big camp knife. And of course, if you have such a set with you in the woods, all that remains is to get a piece of game for cooking shurpa. It's also worth considering the fresh trends of the time. Knives with a hook on the side of the shank have appeared on sale. This novelty is used for fast and accurate cutting on skin and abdomen while cutting large ungulates. Quite handy simple and very practical tool. The hook is inserted into the short cut and with an upward and downward movement the hide or abdomen is cut to the required length. Handle. This is another subject of special attention. Hunting does not take place in comfortable conditions. There is frost, snow, slush, ice, heat, downpour and other weather conditions, which in no way cancels your favorite activity. And if you need to hold a sharp knife in your hand, you can't do without a comfortable and anti-slip handle. And that is should be made of special composite materials resistant to temperature changes and mechanical influences. Despite the use of new technological materials, most hunters choose knives with handles traditionally made of wood. This does not apply to knife sheaths. They are traditionally made of leather, which is slowly being replaced by more practical plastic and other modern materials that do not change their properties when exposed to frost or other weather conditions.

How to choose the perfect hunting knife for yourself
Choosing a hunting knife is like having a bag of things to carry, or having to throw away something you pity. Every knife is good in its own way. And when you have a huge selection of excellent knives in front of you, it seems that all of them are just what you need. Is a great knife with a thin cutting edge "straight wedge" a great option or not? How about replacing it with a "scadinaw" sturdy knife with straight chamfer, but less sharp than the first one? Or should I opt for the European variant of the fifth wedge with lateral approaches? Does it have a more blunted, solid cutting edge? And let's dwell on the latest hunting blades with so-called "serrated" or toothed sharpening, which manufacturers position as weapons for "survival", promising their independent "self-sharpening" without additional sharpening and smoothing of the cutting edge. Until the moment of its complete frenzy. And when will that moment come? May be just during a well-fed rest in the countryside, when a wild boar wants to have a heart-to-heart talk with you at the same time? Now, as you understand, the question of choosing your own cutting and stabbing knives. is a purely personal matter. Although we will share some thoughts, of course. Analysis shows that it is worth looking at knives with a wedge-shaped spade, with which you can both chop bones when cutting a carcass, and prepare a little firewood for the fire. These knives are made of good strong steel, simple and reliable. Another tip that will help make the right choice: the material used to make yours will be directly related to how long it will last sharpening in real hunting conditions. And when choosing the form of the blade you choose its functionality in the first place. Look, don't miss it. Choosing a hunting knife for ourselves, we would settle on the "Finnish knife" model. Not to be confused with the usual post-war finka. The model of "finnish knife" can be quickly attributed to the Scandinavian knives with handy round hilt at the end and a blade without sharpened guard with straight slashes from the butt to the blade. It is important not to try to choose a knife with a very high hardness, which will not let you correct the cutting edge in the field without damaging it. It is desirable to choose a classical handle, made of hornbeam, walnut, exotic bubingo or some birch varieties. Immediately it is necessary to determine clearly the overall balance of the handle and the thickness of the blade. With some time you can set aside the leather handles, which quickly become saturated with the smell of game, and which will follow you forever. Sheaths are inset, without options and fixing clips, which from the very purchase in a huge probability will ensure you to lose your favorite knife. We recommend buying another folding knife with a minimum set of
There are a lot of knives and producers, prices are different, offers are getting more and more interesting, nevertheless there are some immutable rules when buying any equipment, including the one for hunting. This pricing. If you see low prices for quality knife and cannot explain the "minus" price formation by yourself, don't hesitate to refuse such tempting offer. These sellers are looking for a sucker, and you don't want that "worthy" title. This also applies to the ultimate choice of just the right knife that will serve you without complaint for years to come. Only after difficult and long transitions, use of the blade by cold and heat you will understand that this is exactly what you need.