Full Tang Hunting/Camping Knives

[3 Meter Para Bellum]

There are lots of knives out there and I'm a bit unknowledgable. I'm wanting to get a Hunting/Camp knife that is full tang with a blade around "6.75.

Any good options that you would suggest? Favorites that you own?

A suggestion for what to sharpen it with would also be good.

 

[truck driver]

There are tons of knives out there and some very expensive custom made knives.
For factory knives I like Case and Buck.
Not too long ago I found my first hunting knife in a box of stuff and thought I had lost it.
An Old Hickory 6" butcher knife. That knife worked quite well till I bought my first Case.
As I got older I found a good lock blade pocket knife would do all I wanted to do for dressing and skinning.
The old butcher knife would chop wood along with heavy butchering work and didn't cost hundreds of dollars along with less worry if it was lost.

I use a Lansky knife sharpening kit and numerous stones to touch them up in the field.
The main thing to keeping one sharp and cutting is to avoid the straight razor angle edge and around 40* is the the best for heavy duty cutting and keeping an edge longer.

 

[gbflyer]

6-3/4” isn’t a blade for dressing game, it’s a sword. 3 to 3-3/4” is plenty. Fixed or folder is a matter of choice. I prefer a DH Russell #1 or #2. Both are fixed. These new exchange blade setups are nice too.

 

[6mm Remington]

I like a smaller knife and have found over the years that a 3" to 4 1/2" blade is all that is really needed for most tasks. There are lot of really good knives out there and we are lucky in that respect. These are just a couple of examples in a fixed blade full tang style of knife. Buck - Benchmade - Ruana

https://www.buckknives.com/product/104- ... e/0104BRS1

https://www.benchmade.com/saddle-mounta ... er-family-

https://www.benchmade.com/15006-steep-country.html

hunt.htmlhttps://www.ruanaknives.com/catalog ... nd-hatchet

https://www.ruanaknives.com/catalog-knives-and-hatchet

Sharpening: Lansky Sharpening kit with the guide rods & Super C-Clamp & extra fine stone & Leather hone. Get the basic 3 stone kit, the Super C-Clamp, an extra fine stone, a leather stropping hone, and a shorty Phillips screw driver and go forth and sharpen for years! Actual store prices for all listed would be about $80.00 but every knife in your home will be scary sharp!

https://lansky.com/index.php/products/s ... one-system

https://lansky.com/index.php/products/super-c-

clamp/clamp/clamp/https://lansky.com/index.php/products/ultra-fine-hone/

https://lansky.com/index.php/products/l ... ping-hone/

 

[3 Meter Para Bellum]

Thanks for the suggestions, and thanks 6mm Remington for the links. This gives me some stuff to look into. Also just because I happened upon the brand, anybody familiar with Tops knives? They look pretty interesting.

 

[6mm Remington]

Thanks for the suggestions, and thanks 6mm Remington for the links. This gives me some stuff to look into. Also just because I happened upon the brand, anybody familiar with Tops knives? They look pretty interesting.

I feel they make some good knives also and are made in Idaho I want to say. USA made as are all the ones I listed. Not to say that some other countries don't make some fine knives as well, because they do.

 

[Guy Miner]

These are the two I use the most, the Buck Vanguard on top, and the little Havalon.

I have to admit that the Havalon taught me a lesson. I thought I was pretty good at sharpening knives... Then I tried the Havalon with those replaceable scalpel blades. Oh my goodness...

Regards, Guy

 

[gerry]

These are the two I use the most, the Buck Vanguard on top, and the little Havalon.

I have to admit that the Havalon taught me a lesson. I thought I was pretty good at sharpening knives... Then I tried the Havalon with those replaceable scalpel blades. Oh my goodness...

Regards, Guy

The Havalon knives like Guy mentioned here have revolutionised how I dress game now. So nice and sharp and I have skinned out and boned out the meat from 3 black bears with one blade before it started to get dull. I still carry a traditional lock blade folding knife but it gets used for mostly camp chores.

 

[Blkram]

I have used the Buck Vanguard shown above for decades. Well, actually two of them.
Over the past 15 years, my two Outdoor Edge Swingblades handle most of the chores.
I have one of the Havalons,pictured above as well, but useu=it mostly for the fine chores such as caping and turning ears and lips.
As mentioned above, a shorter knife blade is more useful and all you need. 4" should be max.
Arkansas toothpicks may have a place for sticking hogs, if you're one of those hunters, but not of much use for much else in the woods.

 

[5shot]

For the size you have in mind, I'd look at the Buck 124. Full tang, with a blade thickness of at least 3/16". I have had one for 35 years or so, and they are perfect for splitting kindling and other camp chores.

 

[Guy Miner]

Quite a high regard on this forum and with my other hunting buddies for Buck knives.

There are more expensive knives, but by golly, a good sharp Buck knife will do most the jobs a fellow ever needs to do with a knife. And they're American made. I like that.

Regards, Guy

 

[cloverleaf]

Quite a high regard on this forum and with my other hunting buddies for Buck knives.

There are more expensive knives, but by golly, a good sharp Buck knife will do most the jobs a fellow ever needs to do with a knife. And they're American made. I like that.

Regards, Guy

Had one for over forty years. Honestly, in my situation more people have used it for me, than me myself, but its always been ready for the task. American made w/o being ridiculous in price is good for me as well. Have also heard really good things about the Havalon. CL

 

[3 Meter Para Bellum]

Looking at Buck's website, they seem like a really neat company, I like their values, and they seem to make some good blades. I do have to admit though, I really have a hard time appreciating the classic aesthetic of most of them. But for the price, it seems like the best deal on a high quality knife. The only other problem is that they seem to be out of stock of almost everything right now!

I really like the look of the Tops Fieldcraft. Seems to be really well thought out, but is about twice as much as a Buck.

I don't want to pay more than I should but I also don't want to miss out on a Tops while you can still order one if Buck doesn't end up getting restocked soon. Normally I'd probably just wait for Buck, but times have been unpredictable...

 

[Blkram]

At the end of the day, you will pay more for great quality, and that higher quality equipment will pay for itself over the years of good use you get out of it.

 

[diverdown]

I've used a Buck Folding Hunter for more years than I can remember. A number of years ago I attended a Gun show and saw a Table with Randall knives. They were expensive but could hold and edge and were the type of knife that lasted a lifetime. I sprung for the cash and took home one with a 4 inch blade and a bone handle. that knife has gone through a lot of Elk and holds and edge through the entire gutting process.

 

[Polaris]

https://www.bladehq.com/item--Mora-of-S ... ith--16231

Going in a different direction here price wise. Great knives are not necessarily expensive. I know you said 5-6" blade, but IMHO this is absolutely not needed for any task I could imagine other than combat. This is not a full tang knife, rather a rat-tail integral molded design, but if you can manage to separate one from the tang without using fire, you're a better man than me.

Mora of Sweden makes utilitarian knives with great steel. They come with, hold, and take an amazing edge. They are butt simple, scary sharp, and nigh indestructable. Their edge and point geometry really penetrates. They don't have the brittle edge/tip of C/V knives such as Buck. Hammer them through a pelvic bone with a small log, cut mild steel wire, shave the paint off your car fender to prep for primer, play mumbledy peg in a rock hard oak log when you're bored? No problem, they will take it. At the price point, buy 3 so you always have one in your gear. The one linked above has some orange on it to help you find it when you drop it around camp.

An inexpensive butcher steel, carburundum or Arkansas stone will be all you need to maintain the edge.

Last year, my solingen skinning knife came up missing for awhile. I ended up field dressing, skinning, and quartering 3 deer start to finish with my Mora camp knife. I think I touched the butcher steel once near the end, mostly out of habit. The knife was still cutting well. This was in addition to the usual camp chores ranging from borderline knife abuse to food prep the knife performed over 3 weeks.

 

[3 Meter Para Bellum]

Hey Polaris, thanks for the tip on the Mora, looks like an absurdly good value knife! Definitely a consideration. In fact, I'll probably just buy one as a spare "whatever knife" even if I get something else as well. Also the BladeHQ website is a handy resource. LOTS of knives to conveniently browse there. I kind of like the look of ESEE, in particular the Izula as a lightweight small knife option.

 

[hunter24605]

I've always had a special place for Buck since I got my first 110 back in '79 and I've had several over the years that have served me very well, I also have a Buck 536 open season skinner that I really like, and is probably my favorite knife. https://www.amazon.com/Buck-Knives-...=1598009762&sprefix=buck+skinn,aps,180&sr=8-3
Every year, after season, you can send them to Buck with a check for $6.95 and they come back cleaned-up, razor sharp, and oiled...In recent years I've almost exclusively used the change blade system from either Havalon or Outdoor Edge. I've never really had a need for a big fixed blade, a small hatchet in camp serves the heavy cutting/chopping needs.

 

[3 Meter Para Bellum]

My opinion has shifted from wanting such a large knife. I realized after looking around and reading through Horace Kephart's Camping and Woodcraft that what I need is a small knife for skinning and smallish other tasks, and a good camp axe for relatively heavy stuff. Not a good idea to try and mix those two tools together.

That being said, if anyone has axe suggestions, fire away. In Camping and Woodcraft Kephart suggested something close to 1lb. 10oz. and I'm inclined to agree with somebody that has as much experience as him on that point.

 

[England]

These are the two I use the most, the Buck Vanguard on top, and the little Havalon.

I have to admit that the Havalon taught me a lesson. I thought I was pretty good at sharpening knives... Then I tried the Havalon with those replaceable scalpel blades. Oh my goodness...

Regards, Guy

I used both of those for years, the Buck was my favourite, until I left it on my truck and drove off, never to be seen again.
I replaced it with a G3 EKA swing blade, combined with the Havalon it does all I require.

For those who are thinking of purchasing a Havalon be careful, I was skinning a deer once and couldn't understand where the blood was coming from, it was me!