Deer Hunting knives from Gerber, Kershaw, Browning, Schrade, etc are available in many different blade styles and sizes.
Hunters can also choose from fixed bladed knives, folding knives, serrated edge knives and knife blades with gut hooks – the list is endless.
So which deer hunting knife is best for you?
Here are 3 tips to consider before buying:
Knife Blade length, Shape
Knife blade design has a dramatic effect on how easily it accomplishes a given task. A good deer hunting knife is one that can gut and skin your average whitetail buck quickly and effortlessly.
Deer hunting skinning knives are must be capable of removing an animal’s hide without nicking the skin. Blades are generally short with a deep drop (wide blade) to limit the area of impact and to work in tight areas.
A good deer hunting knife is the Gerber Freeman Hunter (fixed blade). It has a 4" surgical stainless steel blade, fine edge, lacquered pear wood handles, finger guard and grooves for added grip and the blade material is High Carbon Stainless steel for ease of sharpening and holding a sharp edge.
Knife Handle
The design of the knife handle (also called ‘hilt’) and the material it is made from will determine how comfortable it is to use and how easy it is to hold, especially when your hands are wet. Comfort is crucial when skinning any game animal the size of deer.
Knife handles are usually made of wood or bone. However, many are now made of non-slip plastic, metal or a combination of these materials.
To find out which knife handle is comfortable for your hands, hold and feel as many as possible.
Knife Blade Material/Metals
Like knife handles, knife blades are made of a wide variety of materials.
High carbon steel holds an excellent edge and is easy to sharpen. However, high-carbon steel is also somewhat brittle and does have a tendency to rust if not dried thoroughly after use and during storage. Extra care must be taken with knife blades made of this material.
Stainless steel knife blades are so hard that it is not easy to sharpen once the blade goes dull or loses it edge. Stainless steel blades are very sharp in the beginning and they remain sharp for longer, but once edge is dull, re-sharpening to the original razor edge is not easy. We don’t recommend them for skinning deer.
High Carbon Stainless Steel is probably the best and most popular knife blade material for the average deer hunter. They are rust and stain-resistant, making it easy to care for. Knife edge retention is good and sharpening is better than stainless steel.
