From field to table .... and everywhere in between. That's where a great hunting knife belongs. It aids when hunting in the wilderness, skinning, and when dressing on the table. But that's just a spec in a galaxy. The job description of a hunting knife is far more than prepping food. It starts from helping navigate in the pitch dark of night to building a fire, shelter, and everything you can imagine. While great hunting knives come in many shapes and forms, they all have two characteristics in common - they protect and provide. But there are other features to consider. Here we'll go through some of the most important elements to consider when buying a hunting knife.
The First Hunting Knife
It's hard to pin down where and when the first modern-day hunting knife was made. But we know that the hunting knife was revolutionized by an American folk hero and frontiersman - Bowie. He drew inspiration from the Spanish and Finnish to design a number of knives for his personal needs. And out of that, came the famous Bowie knife.
Today when we say a hunting knife, we do not always mean a knife used to bring down a game. Most hunters will use rifles for the big games while some prefer to use a dagger to stab and kill wild boars. The hunting knife usually comes into play once the game is killed. Most hunters would use their hunting knives for:
- Gutting
- Skinning
- Deboning
- Butchering
- Caping
And some hunters still prefer to use their hunting knives for hog hunting. The fact is it's almost impossible to find one steel beast that will do all the jobs perfectly. If you're a one-knife army, you'll have to make some compromises. A good gutting knife is not a great deboning knife, and a skinning knife won't pull a game down. End of the day, it's up to you to decide where you want to cut corners.
The Overall Best Hunting Knife
If you're looking for the best hunting knife that can do pretty much everything, then the Bowie knife is a worthy candidate to consider. The best knife depends on the purpose. If you're going outdoor camping and need an all-purpose rugged cutter that can do it all - help build fire, hunt small games, skin, gut - then lookup for good full-tang camp knives. For most, these will suffice.
What To Look For When Buying A Hunting Knife?
The first thing to consider is the type of hunting knife you need. Once you've decided on that, say a Bowie, then take a deeper look. You should check :
01. Online reviews
See what others are saying. There's an incredible wealth of knowledge on knives that you can use to make your decision. Anything with consistent bad reviews is not worth your time.
Note: A knife with few or no reviews can still be a beast of a hunting knife, and last you a lifetime.
02. The Brand
The knife market is competitive and brands like Benchmark have duly stamped their authority on the market. But there are newer knife makers like Tekto Knives who have shaken up the space with outstanding knives and stunning automatic OTF knives at very reasonable prices.
