Recommendations for "Bushcraft" Knives

[Wheeler]

I love my Mora Classic for its excellent blade profile, quality steel, good edge and low price. I don't much care for the handle as I wish it were just a tad longer or the sheath.

I have a Gerber Hiker's Hatchet that I carry if I want to chop stuff. It also has a decent small, fixed blade knife in the handle.

I did a review on a DPx HEST http://wheeler686.blogspot.com/2014/...nd-review.html and while that particular knife hasn't been mentioned, I felt it was worthy of note for what I discovered during testing. Short version is, cleaning the parkerized blade, especially if cleaning critters.

[MDS]

My bro-in law is taking my for my 1st deer hunt next week when we visit Michigan. As a thank you gift, I'd like to get him a blade.

Are bushcraft blades generally accepted as skinning tools too? Or should a skinner have that little hook on the non edge side?

Thanks


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People have certainly skinned a lot of game with bushcraft-style knives. Almost by definition, the bushy knives are more generalist tools - they'll do OK for almost anything but not as well as a specialized tool would. If you BIL would be interested in a tough, general-purpose knife that will take a beating, then he might enjoy a good bushcraft style knife. IME, a very sharp edge can overcome a lot of limitations in a knife...but it's a PITA to keep them so sharp all the time in the field.

[rob_s]

Something that can be used for hacking, chopping, whittling, prying, skinning, et cetera.

While I'm not woodsman, for me the "hacking, chopping, prying" is one tool and the "skinning, whittling" is another (although I'd not whittle with a skinning knife unless I was forced to, that's more a pocketknife task IMO). Said another way, small tasks and big tasks, and knowing your actual applications rather than those you think you might have.

Like many others have said, the Mora was my choice. I'm not looking for the big-buck solution, and the Mora is a low-buck solution that allows me to buy often and stack them deep (I have them stashed all over, just like my Streamlights). I have other knives (and other lights) that I think are better, that I like better, that cost more, etc. but the Mora and the Streamlight Polytac are like the Glock to me. Cheap enough to have a bunch, 95%+ as good as the "better" option, and no heartburn if they break, go missing, etc. Hell, the price even lets me do things I might not otherwise with a "small task" knife becasue if I break it splitting a log or whatever I'll just go get the other one. or one of the other ones.

Oh, and I buy them in orange for the same reason I buy my Polytacs in yellow, so I can find them when I need them. If I hunted more, and use the Mora for that task, I'd probably start to color-code them for general use vs. skinning.

[SLG]

We don't "skin" animals in the traditional sense. If you're going to do that, a dedicated skinning knife just makes sense. We also don't gut animals (usually), but when we do, a small knife for just that task makes sense to me. The micro Gerber's are our choice for that. On the other hand, we do skin out the animal on the ground, at least enough to remove each quarter and backstraps. We then butcher them in the field and take all the meat off the bones. My Skookum knives do all of that extremely well, and usually one of them is the only blade I take hunting. Almost any well designed bushcraft knife would probably do just as well.

[greyghost]

My bro-in law is taking my for my 1st deer hunt next week when we visit Michigan. As a thank you gift, I'd like to get him a blade.

Are bushcraft blades generally accepted as skinning tools too? Or should a skinner have that little hook on the non edge side?

Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'd recommend taking a look at the Havalon Piranta for a dedicated skinning knife. It is very light and fairly inexpensive. It does not have a gut-hook.

It uses replaceable blades that are super sharp. If you go with this I would highly suggest practicing the blade change as it can be tricky the first couple of times especially when your hands are wet and cold.

[bkpker]

Sounds like an ESEE 4 or 5 would fit your needs pretty well. I have an ESEE 4 that Ive been impressed with. Its a good mid size knife that would be useful for skinning and most outdoor tasks. It could be used for small batoning and by reputation is a pretty tough little knife.

Worth consideration is the ENZO trapper. I bought one a few years back as a kit and its probably the best scandi grind full tang knife you can get for the money. I have used mine for all kinds of bushcrafty things and it excels at cutting, carves like a mad thing and is tough enough to baton with. I dressed a deer with it and it worked well. Heres a link where you can get an assembled one:http://www.bensbackwoods.com/enzo-01...micarta-knife/ Its much cheaper if you get the kit and put the handles on yourself. Its kinda fun to make it how you want too.

[Dropkick]

Here's another option for a production knife, Kershaw Skinner:
http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/KS1...leather-sheath
But I'm also a fan of the Mora's an ESEE's.