Whether it is to prepare their shooting station, to kill game or to empty the animal, the hunting knife is an essential tool for any good hunter. The hunting knife is very popular with hunters, it serves them at all times during their activity.
All our tips for choosing the right blade for your hunting knife
When choosing your hunting knife, you must be careful to choose a strong blade, so that it does not break when you butcher the animal. The strength of the blade will depend on many criteria, such as its shape, size, or even its material.
Find out which knife to use under which conditions
Blade Type
There are two types of blades to choose from for your hunting knife: fixed blades and folding blades. The fixed blade hunting knife is the most used by hunters. In fact, it is much stronger for emptying game and more hygienic than knives with folding blades. The latter have an interstice which clogs easily and which is difficult to clean. This allows microbes to develop which can infect your meat when you gut it and thus cause disease. However, if you really want to own a folding hunting knife (which is still very practical and compact), we recommend that you choose a titanium blade, in order to reinforce its strength.
Blade shape
For the shape of your blade, you will be able to choose between clip point and drop point. The clip point dagger, which corresponds to the hunting knife with the raised blade, is ideal for piercing the flesh of the animal. This is the most used blade shape in the Bowie model.
As to the knife point of drop, also called knife edge folded or Bourbonnais blade, it is the most popular and is found only in the fixed blade hunting knives . It has a large, very strong blade and is very easy to handle. It allows game to be cut without puncturing organs.
The best steels for the blade of the hunting knife
It is important to choose the right blade for your hunting knife. Do you prefer stainless steel, carbon steel or titanium? Again, it is recommended to choose one that suits you as best as possible. The stainless steel blades are perfect if you are in contact with water or in a humid environment. Indeed, they are very resistant to corrosion, but not very strong.
You can also turn to carbon steel hunting knives. It has a very clean cutting edge and you can sharpen it more easily. However, it is more prone to rust and also needs to be cleaned more often. If you have a folding pocket knife in particular, we recommend that you turn to a titanium blade. This will be much stronger than a steel blade and will also have a very good edge.
If you’re in dilemma to choose the size of a knife then this article may be helpful for you
What material should I choose for the handle of my hunting knife?
The material of the handle of your hunting knife should also be chosen with great care. Indeed, it is important that you have a good grip of your knife , as much for its handling as for the comfort. You can choose a handle made from wood, deer or horn. They are particularly chosen for hunting knives because of their durability, as well as for their appeal. Hunters mainly like the fact that they are “living” materials that is, they age (in the positive sense of the term). Hunters particularly appreciate olive wood that would bring them luck.
You can also opt for synthetic materials, such as G-10, carbon fiber or aluminum. One of the main advantages of these materials is that they are much easier to clean. You will also appreciate them for their durability and lightness, which allows the hunting knife to be very handy.
We have also tried to provide some insight about which knife to use under which conditions in our site
The different models of hunting knives
You can find many types of hunting knives in online knife stores, as well as in specialty stores. Some are more optimized for a particular use than others. Here are a few examples:
- Between the 19th and 20th centuries, one of the most popular survival knives with hunters was the Bowie knife . Today, it is still very popular, especially for its long clip point blade. Indeed, the latter is very useful when butchering game, as well as in cutting meat. The bowie knife is also a butcher’s knife . It therefore makes it possible to cut the meat very finely, in order to make charcuterie.
- There is also the hunting knife for gutting. The latter has a hook that will make it easier to remove the organs, in order to better preserve the meat.
- You can also find hunting knives specialized in skinning the carcass. Ideally, these have a short, curved blade, which will allow the hunter to cut the flesh of the animal with care.
We have some knife reviews which you might find helpful if you’re in dilemma.
There are no perfect hunting knives. There are only daggers that are more suitable than the others for the activities you plan to do with them. This is why we have prepared this guide for you on our blog so that you have all the necessary knowledge to find the hunting knife that suits you. If you are going to buy a hunting knife or already a user then our following tips for using and maintaining your hunting and survival knife might be helpful for you!
