The Best Hunting Knife To Cape, Cut And Dress With Care In The Field

Materials: S30V, stabilized wood | Blade length: 4.2 inches | Style: Drop-point fixed blade

Pros:

• High quality and craftsmanship
• Ergonomic handle
• Tough blade steel

Cons:

• Sheath feels cheap

In a way, the fact that Cabela’s refers to it as a “clip-point blade” while Benchmade calls it a “drop-point” illustrates the versatility of the Saddle Mount Skinner. The clip-point style provides a sharper tip for stabbing through thick hide, while the drop-point makes the blade a bit thicker, which is perfect for prying and heavy pressure. By blending these styles, you’re left with a hunting knife capable of working its way through a multitude of tasks, which is why it wins us over as the best of the bunch.

The handle is a bit thin for a knife this size, but it’s comfortable and features a small notch at the bolster that improves grip as you work your way through thick hide. Meanwhile, the CPM-S30V is wear- and corrosion-resistant, so it’s not often that you’ll have to sharpen it. The only real complaint we can lodge concerns the sheath; the leather feels hard and cheap, and many reviews suggest it won’t last long in the field, but this doesn’t impact the performance of the knife itself.

Looking for something a bit more refined? Benchmade also builds the Saddle Mountain Skinner with S90V steel and a Richlite/G10 handle, though the nicer materials will run you anywhere from $50 to $80 more.

Materials: CPM154 stainless steel, santoprene | Blade length: 6.09 inches | Style: Trailing point fixed-blade

Pros:

• Long trailing point blade
• Tough steel
• Durable blade

Cons:

• Pricey

If the Saddle Mountain Skinner doesn’t suit your fancy, don’t stray from Benchmade ust yet. The 15500 MeatCrafter is another favorite fixed blade of ours that features a long, curved knife and a Santoprene handle that makes it easier to work your way through tight spaces without losing your grip. Again, Benchmade’s craftsmanship shines through with the CPM154 blade—it requires very little sharpening and balances wear resistance, corrosion resistance and toughness.

Benchmade tops it all off with a sheath that’s so bright you can’t lose it. Stick with the basic MeatCrafter or upgrade to the fancy carbon fiber model that’s lighter on your hip and heavier on your wallet.

Materials: 420HC, phenolic, aluminum | Blade length: 6 inches | Style: Clip-point fixed blade

Pros:

• Budget-friendly sticker price
• Long blade for bigger animals

Cons:

• 420HC steel needs resharpening
• Handle might be slippery when wet

Unlike everyday hunting knives that are subject to everyday tasks, a premium blade that costs hundreds or even thousands of dollars becomes more than just a tool—its elevated cost becomes a reason to handle it with extra care, but maybe that’s not what you’re after.

If you need a knife you can use and abuse without worry, the 119 Special from Buck Knives should serve you well to the tune of only $75. Invented in 1942, this clip-point blade’s 80-plus years of history serve as proof that it works, and sometimes that’s all you need. The clip-point style blade makes it easier to pierce or stab, and the blade’s length allows you to work with larger animals like deer, elk and moose.

Buck Knives builds the 119 Special with 420HC steel, which is a bit more budget-friendly than other steels on this list, but it still holds an edge decently well and offers plenty of strength, minimizing the odds that you’ll break the tip.

Materials: 521000 high carbon ball-bearing steel, paracord | Blade length: 3.75 inches | Style: Standard fixed blade

Pros:

• Lightweight at less than 2 ounces
• Paracord handle for emergencies
• MKC offers free sharpening and repairs for life

Cons:

• Pricey
• Often sold out

Named after the pronghorn antelope—the fastest land mammal in the Western Hemipshere—MKC’s fixed-blade Speedgoat takes every opportunity to shed weight, going so far as to ditch a traditional handle in favor of 550 paracord that wraps around the tang. But just how light is it exactly? Well, at 1.7 ounces, it weighs a little less than a regulation tennis ball or a couple of AA batteries. Whether it’s on your hip or in your pack, you probably won’t notice it’s there.

But if that lack of heft has you concerned that the Speedgoat isn’t up for serious tasks, fear not: The high carbon ball-bearing steel used from tip to base offers toughness, edge retention and easy sharpening with a stone. And it’s parkerized (covered in a phosphate coating) to minimize rust and glare. The biggest drawback? This knife is so popular that it often sells out, so if you see one for sale, grab it while you can.

Materials: 60A stainless steel, ABS plastic | Blade length: 2.75 inches | Style: Drop-point folding blade

Pros:

• Replaceable blades
• Affordable
• Ships with extra blades

Cons:

• Folding mechanism collects dirt, hair, etc.
• Blades snap easily when twisted

It comes as no surprise that hunting knives get dull fast, especially when you consider all the tough, dirty matter they’re tasked with cutting. While a dull blade isn’t a dealbreaker, there are moments when you need a sharp edge for caping, skinning or field dressing, especially if you’d like to preserve the hide or keep the organs intact. Rather than stop and sharpen your knife every time it loses an edge, Havalon built the Piranta knife with replaceable blades to ensure you’re always ready to slice and dice.

Small and lightweight, the Piranta features a 60A steel blade that resembles a surgeon’s scalpel and measures 2.75 inches in length, which is just long enough for most needs. It’s finished with a stain-resistant plastic orange handle that’s grippy and features a liner lock (indeed, this is a folding knife).

But what’s most important here is the 12 additional blades that ship with the knife, so you’ll never find yourself working your way through an animal with anything less than a sharp edge. Additional blades cost next to nothing, and the knife’s open back makes it easy to clean.

Materials: 420HC, ebony | Blade length: 3.75 inches | Style: Clip-point folding blade

Pros:

• Good value for the price
• Long blade

Cons:

• Handle collects dirt

One again, Buck Knives makes the cut, but this time we’re highlighting perhaps its most famous blade, the 110 Hunter. Small and simple, this compact folder features the same 420HC steel found on the aforementioned 119 Special, and brass bolsters pair with dark ebony scales to give it a classic look.

The clip-point blade is designed to penetrate thick hides and slice with ease, though you might consider a fixed blade knife if you’re hunting larger game. At 4.8 inches when closed, the 110 takes up less space in your pocket than a wallet, and it weighs in at only 7.2 ounces.

Materials: Stainless steel, rubber nylon | Blade length: 3.62 inches | Style: Drop-point fixed blade

Pros:

• Affordable
• Blade is easy to sharpen

Cons:

• Sheath feels a bit cheap

Gut hooks are a polarizing feature—some hunters love them, others could do without them. But no matter where you stand on the feature, Gerber makes a solid hunting knife-gut hook combo by way of the Moment. The full tang, fixed-blade construction features a sizable hook on the tip of the blade to process your game quickly and efficiently, which is key when time is of the essence.

Beyond the hook, Gerber finishes the blade with a glass bead coating to minimize glare and fingerprints, and the molded rubber handle, while not the fanciest material in the world, offers solid grip and long-term durability. At the base you’ll find a lanyard hole to ensure the knife stays by your side at all times, but the included nylon sheath should also keep it within reach.