Review of the Smith & Wesson Bulls Eye Campfire Knife Set

The Smith & Wesson Bulls Eye Campfire Knife Set is a two knife set that also includes a cleaver. The combination set is designed for processing big game animals in the field as well as butchering meat. At about $40, the knife set is an inexpensive option for hunters needing a variety of field implements.

The Smith & Wesson Bulls Eye Campfire Knife Set includes two knives. The smaller knife (caping knife) is about six and a half inches long with a two and half inch blade. The knife is well suited for smaller tasks where precision is needed such as cutting the hide loose while skinning or cutting out the backstraps. The larger knife is just over nine inches long with a blade of about four inches. The larger knife features a gut hook built into the blade. The guthook is nice for slicing open the stomach area of the deer, but at other times is simply in the way.

The cleaver is the most interesting component of the S&W; Bulls Eye combo. The cleaver is almost eleven inches long with the blade being about five inches long. The end of the cleaver is rounded. The blade runs around the rounded end of the cleaver, making the cleaver useful for a variety of field dressing and skinning tasks. The heft of the cleaver makes it a useful tool for breaking through the pelvic bone of the deer by using it like a small hatchet during field dressing. The thick back edge of the cleaver also allows the user to lay the cleaver on the bone and hammer it through with the use of a stick (though the manufacturer would probably frown on using the cleaver in this manner). The clever is sharp enough to be used for slicing meat when butchering the venison for freezing.

All three of the components of the Smith & Wesson Bulls Eye combination have black rubberized grips. The grips are not as attractive as wood, antler or other natural knife handle materials, but the grips also do not get as cold and provide a better grip than natural materials. The S&W; Campfire knife set comes in a sturdy nylon sheath that holds the cleaver and large knife securely under separate Velcro secured flaps. The smaller knife simply slides into the sheath. The sheath has a loop to allow it to be worn on a belt, but the combination is pretty large and heavy for wearing on the belt.

Overall the Smith & Wesson Bulls Eye combination is a well-built grouping of tools for hunters to use for field dressing and butchering whitetail deer and other big game animals. For hunters who like to trek miles into the backcountry it is probably a little too heavy for comfortable carry. But for hunters who carry a backpack to a deer stand or hunt in areas where a truck or ATV can be used to bring items to a downed deer, the Smith & Wesson Bulls Eye combination is ideal. The S&W; combination would also make a great purchase (or gift) for the new hunter who needs a variety of quality cutting implements at a reasonable price to field dress and butcher big game animals.