Buying a hunting knife can often be as big a decision as buying the perfect hunting rifle. This decision often leads to buying more than one hunting knife because these knives are specialty knives. There are two different types of hunting knives and five different blade designs, each used for a different part of the cleaning process. Hunters can narrow this field of knives down by deciding if they are occasional hunters or if they are among the field of hunters who spend many hours hunting and therefore cleaning their kill.
The two types of hunting knives are fixed blade and folding blade. A fixed blade hunting knife is just what the name indicates it is. The blade of this hunting knife is permanently in the open position, therefore they are generally stronger than their counterpart due to the material that the blade is made out of extending all the way through the handle of the hunting knife. Because of this hunting knife’s open position, they will generally come with a sheath that covers the blade to protect the hunter and the blade of the knife as well. A folding blade hunting knife has a blade that does not extend through the handle as with the fixed blade hunting knife. Instead, this hunting knife has a blade that folds into the handle of the hunting knife by use of a pivot point when it is closed. When the hunting knife is open, it locks into place by use of a locking mechanism. The folding blade hunting knife is a multiple use hunting knife, great for the occasional hunter and is easy to carry in a pocket or in a sheath attached to a belt. But, fixed blade hunting knives are most popular among serious hunters.
The five different blade designs for hunting knives are Drop Point, Clip Point, Skinning knife, Gut Hook Blade and Cape knife. Game hunters will not necessarily need all of these different types of hunting knives, it all depends on how far the hunter goes when cleaning their kill.
The Drop Point Blade hunting knife has a blade that the top or dull edge protrudes straight out from the handle about half the total length of the blade then begins to slope downward toward the point where it meets with the sharpened edge of the blade with the sharpened edge rising upward to meet the dull edge. The point that is formed where the two edges come together is above the center of the width of the blade. The Drop Point hunting knife is used to skin the game animal using all of the blade of the knife instead of only the point of the hunting knife, making this task quicker and cleaner, damaging very little of the meat. Other field cleaning tasks are completed with this hunting knife including gutting the animal and splitting the pelvis and rib cage, making this a very versatile hunting knife.
The Clip Point Blade hunting knife has a blade that the top or dull edge protrudes straight out from the handle about two-thirds to three-fourths the total length of the knife blade before sloping downward to create a point by meeting the sharpened edge. This point is below the center of the width of the blade. There is a clipped, concave shape on the top edge of the knife right before the edge drops to make the point with the sharpened edge. Clip Point Blade hunting knives are narrower than Drop Point Blade hunting knives and are also weaker and will not take the abuse. These knives are perfect for the occasional hunter as they will perform the same tasks as the Drop Point Blade hunting knife, just not as well.
The Skinning knife has been carefully designed to remove the skin of game animals with their sweeping blade. These hunting knives save time for hunters who clean their own kill by making the task of separating the skin from the flesh easier. Skinning knives can also be used for most other aspects of game cleaning.
The Gut hook is a hook that is located on top of some hunting knives. This hook helps the hunter to avoid tainting the game meat when gutting the animal by working similar to a zipper after the initial puncture into the abdomen with the point of the hunting knife. Sharpening a hunting knife with a gut hook takes using a round file that has fine grain and is close to the size of the gut hook on the hunting knife. Do not sharpen the flat side of the gut hook when sharpening the hunting knife. The “need” of a gut hook hunting knife is a topic of debate. Most hunters don’t feel that it is necessary and some believe that it is a waste of room in the hunting cabinet because it is hard to sharpen. The most popular belief is that simply learning the correct way to gut the animal will erase the need for the gut hook.
The handle of the hunting knife is another consideration when contemplating buying one. Most hunters will decide on a hunting knife primarily on the blade and its use, not on the handle. But, the handle could be important as well, although not as important as the blade and its use. Most hunting knife handles are made from wood or bone, usually antlers. These are then worked until they are smooth and a sealer is put on them. Not the safest handle should blood from the animal being worked on accidentally gets on the handle or the hunters hands. Fortunately, there are new handles being put on knives that are rubber or other composite materials offering better control in these situations, even if they are not as pretty as wood or antler.
Caping knives are the last of the specialty hunting knives that hunters should be aware of. Caping knives are not needed by all game hunters because they are only used for caping a trophy game animal or skinning it so that the cape can be saved to mount. This knife is very small and has a very fine blade and is only as good as the hand that is using it, meaning that the trophy buck is not the game animal that the caping knife should be used on first. Practicing on less important hides would be a smart move to make.
Deciding on a hunting knife is as personal a decision as choosing the hunting rifle. Hunters should, however, be aware of the different types of knives available, what each blade is used for and the handle they feel comfortable with, before making the buy. These knives are often handed down through the generations, which is another consideration.
