Which knife?

[wch]

Suggestions for the "ideal" knife you'd carry to field dress a small whitetail deer.
Folding or not, carbon steel or stainless, blade length?

[Newboy]

Havalon.

[MT Gianni]

I like a Tanto tip and favor a cold steel folder around 4".

[RickinTN]

I've enjoyed my Puma folders for several years. I have three sizes and as I recall the middle one is my favorite. Doesn't take a very large knife for a whitetail.

[winelover]

Wyoming Knife

Winelover

[jsheyn]

Case Xchanger

[GabbyM]

I've a 45 year old case hunting knife in a sheath. Use that for gutting where they drop. Then for the skinning work I use an Ontario Old Hickory butcher knife. Carbon steel hickory handle. Also have a Old Hickory meat cleaver. A 12 inch machete is a handy tool to carry hunting.
I used to have a very nice issue K Bar that had some history to it. Some dirt bag stole that. There is a lot to be said for a ten dollar knife that works.

[AlaskanGuy]

I gotta tell ya, Knives of Alaska is just the best... Best steel, sharpest blades, easiest to maintain an edge on... I am a huge fan of The Alen's knives, and know him and his wife well... They are also fellow fishing guides, and run a TOP fishing camp near yakatat, alaska.... I personally own most of thier knives designed for hunting and fishing, and swear by them.... Their fillet knives are just awsome as well, and i fillet a LOT of fish....

For your whitetails, i would recommend

http://www.knivesofalaska.com/item.a...2Easp%3Fc%3D36

For big game, i LOVE this setup....
http://www.knivesofalaska.com/item.a...2Easp%3Fc%3D28

The rounded cleaver is a real heavy knife, and capable of hacking through most anything...

I have no interest in the company other then i know them personally, and vouch for their integrity, and product... Hope this helps
Attachment 84544

AlaskanGuy

[starmac]

I'm glad to here from someone with first hand experience with knives of alaska. They make some nice knives.
When I'm out and about there is always a havalon handy though.

[AlaskanGuy]

Do you have some of their stuff Starmac?? I have just about all of their offerings in hunting... I just love the feel of their stuff... I dont care for their bone handle stuff, but the black grip stuff doesnt slip, even when covered by 50 lbs of silver slime....

They are a bit pricy, but so are some of the toys you got at the last gun show...lol .. You should get the hunter combo set... What a great set for moose...http://www.knivesofalaska.com/store.asp?c=38

But this is just my favorite "alaskan" knife... Stay away from the leather sheath though, at lease here in cordova, they get pretty wet, and my knife is so sharp, the it has a tendency to slice the leather when putting it back..
Attachment 84805

[Lefty SRH]

I found a Gerber Gator 154CM drop point a few years ago that works great. It holds an edge quite well too. It's been retired since I started making my own hunting knives

[Win94ae]

Buck Pathfinder; 420HC stainless steel, 5 inch blade. I bought one when I first started deer hunting and 35+ years later, I'm still using it.

[starmac]

No I don't have any of their knives YET, I have looked that set you are talking about over, and it is sweet. Their is usually a table for them at the gun show, but they weren't here this weekend.

[Firebricker]

I like a fixed blade with drop point usually carbon but I do have a Bark River that has one of the new "space age" SS blades and it hold an edge very well and sharpens easy. I've also just used a little case sod buster jr and it does fine whatever you have make sure it's sharp and it'll do it's job. A lot of guys like a knife with a gut hook and they work well but I just use a regular blade. FB

[Bullshop Junior]

I use a 4.5" fixed blade drop point custom made for most and if I need to do any heavy chopping I have a big survival shraide knife with a heavy 6.5" blade.

[MT Gianni]

Junior, you chop briskets rather than saw them? I always saw Elk & the only Moose I shot.

[fiberoptik]

opinel folder, 4" blade, carbon steel blade. Stays scary sharp!

[Bullshop Junior]

Junior, you chop briskets rather than saw them? I always saw Elk & the only Moose I shot.

I actually havnt shot a moose in about 8 years. I so havnt had to do anything that big. Mosty just fur hunting anymore and I use the big knife if I have to chop off a foot or something.

[ole 5 hole group]

For many decades now I've used a folding 3-blade Buck knife with the main blade being 3.5" in length. Never found I needed anything bigger for field dressing, skinning and deboning a whitetail. I do carry a Cutco 4.5" straight drop point blade in the pack just in case. It has the florissant orange handle, so when you lay it down, it's not quite as easy to forget it.

[starmac]

Akguy I drooled over that 3 knife plus a steel at sportsmans yesterday. They get 259 for it, which probably isn't bad.