Enough Knife for Hunting? Fixed Blade! Updated with Moose Knife. |

It was Crocodile Mick Dundee that said, “Now that’s a knife!” I like a nice fixed blade for hunting. Perhaps not as big as Mick’s. Having said that; If you are hunting/camping or in a far off outdoor setting where you need a chopping ability to mark a trail or cut a branch in an emergency in say the wilds of Northern New England and miles from civilization like Canada or Alaska. I am comforted, in far off places, with a larger knife both for utility and for defense, like I am with a big bored rifle.

Around home a nice hunting fixed blade that is mid-size, are a compromise, where you don’t look foolish for carrying a big knife locally and still have a point which has a measure of defensive capability. Below is a website that shares blade styles for our education.

https://www.knifebuzz.com/knife-blade-shapes/

Some, like me, like a knife for its cool look, that is gonna still be part of how and why you choose a knife.

Steel for your blade? What are you gonna do with your blade? General use? Honestly, I think if you have difficulty sharpening it then I would not own it. Stainless 400 series stainless, 1095 and similar are great choices for sharpening. Yes, there are better steels but you will pay dearly for them as a finished knife. From a hardening standpoint, I think that Rockwell hardness of around 57 to 60 HRC is hard enough yet can be sharpened.

Non- Stainless is great for sharpness but needs care to prevent rusting. Damascus blades are not stainless but that combine two metals and when etched they show a beautiful contrast. Wide hunting drop point or straight back blades are pretty to look at and are ideal for gutting and skinning.

Several years back, I purchased this full tang Damascus drop point blade blank made out of 1095 steel and 15n20 and I carved and installed a burl maple handle and fancy brass pins. Sheaths can also be a work of art so sought out a USA sheath maker and had this rattle snake skin sheath made. The knife stays sharp for my use on deer.

A better image of my hunting knife below.

I have several knives! I have a gut hook knife for deer hunting but there were times in far off places when I needed to cut a piece of wood for my drag rope or make a shelter from spruce bows if you are lost. A gutting knife does not chop wood job very well however. For deer hunting I carry both my Damascus Knife on my hip and my gut hook knife in my backpack. Today most knives come with a nylon or cheaply made leather sheath. I prefer a sheath equal to my knife thus I am willing to spend more on a custom sheath.

The world is your oyster today. I like US made products if possible and I stay away from CCP made goods. German made knives are ones to consider if US made are not available. Or, do like I did,… build your own knife from a blank.

This winter I am building a straight back bladed moose hunting knife from 400 series stainless where the handle material can be costly, like stabilized burl maple and the sheath is custom made for me in the USA with tooling on vegetable tanned leather. The largest investment is time in your workshop. And that can be rewarding and fun especially in winter.

Here is the Moose Knife with 6.5 inch cutting edge “straight back” blade. Notice the forward edge is a bit wider. I am still finishing the handle. I am pleased with its progress…Great camp knife too!

The Sheath is not yet designed but it will be as great looking as the knife with some tooling on the leather.

Good Hunting!