[ChrisZ96]

*Still new to hunting, need a little advice*

I have a traditional style Ka Bar that I used on my first hunt (turkey) and found that it was a bit too cumbersome to clean the animal after the kill. Does anyone have an opinion on Ka Bars as hunting knives or an recommendation on a better one? Deer season is gonna be here soon enough and I want to be well equipped for taking down the animal after the hunt

 

[Scorpiusb]

KA-BAR makes some good knives... What model do you have? They make many. From a Bowie which is NOT a hunting knife to a Hobo set...

Some are very serviceable hunting knives and some are not...

 

[bryan alder]

A 4" knife is all you need. I've used a Schrade Sharpfinger type for years. Its my favorite!

 

[furlong222]

as bryan said - you need a smaller blade...3" will take care of your turkey - and deer for that matter....will recommend a case knife - cant go wrong at a decent price....try the sod buster - its a folding knife but it will do everything you need to do, except chopping wood, etc.

 

[OLSKOOL]

I will say this, for skinning a deer I have skinned many with a good pocket knife. that is all that is needed. I have a cousin that use to live for deer hunting. in our 4 1/2 month hunting season he would kill 15-20 deer as year. his favorite knife was a thin small fish fillet knife,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Big Poppa Pump]

https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Com...4007597&sr=8-3&keywords=swedish+hunting+knife

I use this. I got it in bright green so I wouldn't lose it and its also $5 cheaper than high speed low drag military green.

 

[Judson]

A deer knife must have a blade that is sharp and sturdy, but, as others have said, it doesn't have to be long.

 

[rx7dryver]

If you have the budget go bark river. Just be aware you have to strop them instead of using stones. If on a budget lots of good us made secondhand hunting knives with a lot of life left in them. Of course the traditional buck fixed blades are great knives for the money. Just make sure it is a made in the USA buck with at least 420HC steel.

 

[Highhawk1948]

A case trapper folder, buck 110, both good folding knives for deer. That combat K-bar you got is good for building a blind or trimming limbs around you tree stand. I've used every size knife, from a 3 inch pocket knife to a 7 inch Randall knife. What ever your good with. Hey- good luck this deer season. Shoot straight!

 

[Grenadier]

What is considered a proper length for a hunting knife differs from location to location. In South America and most of Europe you are expected to carry a very long knife to humanely dispatch wounded game. Yup, that's how they do it. A smaller knife is easier to use for skinning than a big knife. But most people I know carry a couple different size knives for different tasks. I like working on birds with a small kitchen knife and a pair of scissors.

The K-Bar has a long and well deserved reputation for what it is, a general purpose military knife. I've carried a few at different times and they always had the same problems. The leather rings in the handle would get soft and separate after a while in bad weather. Then, when they dried out, they wouldn't fit together properly. But the biggest problem was rust. If you carry a K-Bar in a very wet environment it will rust. You can coat it with all the oil, axle grease, and wonder coating you want but it rubs off when the knife in inserted and removed from the sheath and the rust isn't far behind.

I switched to stainless steel for fixed blade knives long ago. The only exception is Buck knives. I don't know what their steel is made of but I have never had a problem with one of them rusting. My favorite hunting knife is my Randall 25 but I complement it with Buck knives. I like the Buck 102, and 105 but I'm a traditionalist. Some people prefer to use short fat knives with broad curved blades for skinning. On the other hand, I've watched a couple professional taxidermists skinning deer from end to end using nothing but a surgical scalpel.

 

[T.R.]

I have owned this KaBar folding hunter for a long time and it is ideal for most hunting situations.

TR

 

[electricmo]

Get a quality lock back folder in the 3 to4 inch range and keep it razor sharp.

 

[rx7dryver]

Nothing wrong with a folder for skinning. I used a buck 110 for years and it worked well. After I bought my first quality fixed skinner I will never go back to a folder unless it is due to unforeseen opportunity. The fixed knives are just easier to get blood and guts off of compared to actually cleaning the insides of a folder. It was a game changer for me.

 

[oldschoolron60]

I have a Kbar but it is a weapon and survival knife to large for clean work.

 

[truckjohn]

I personally find a 3”-4” blade about optimum for large game. I would probably want 2”-3” for birds... I prefer a fixed blade for breaking down animals simply because blood and guts is difficult to clean out of the mechanism of a folding knife.

In all honesty - a razor sharp Victorinox or Dexter paring knife that has the good hefty grip would be the ticket... But it’s just not cool enough. .

 

[chocdog]

Ka-bar are great knives....if you need another knife Ka-bar would be an excellent choice.

 

[bassetman1974]

I personally find a 3”-4” blade about optimum for large game. I would probably want 2”-3” for birds... I prefer a fixed blade for breaking down animals simply because blood and guts is difficult to clean out of the mechanism of a folding knife.

In all honesty - a razor sharp Victorinox or Dexter paring knife that has the good hefty grip would be the ticket... But it’s just not cool enough. .

You nailed it! Never understood long bladed knives to gun or skin deer. I'm not a lock blade fan just for the reason you listed.

 

[MSUDAWG]

I've gutted and skinned probably around 40-50 deer in my life. I got tired of trying to clean deer with knives that got dull halfway through the process, and I found out that I am not very good at sharpening them. Two years ago, I bought an Outdoor Edge Razor Pro knife, and haven't looked back. It comes with 6 blades. One blade generally will last me through 2 deer. When I think it isn't cutting like it should, I throw the old blade away. The knife also comes with a round edged blade that opens the stomach cavity like a zipper. When I get to the ribs, I use a meat saw.

 

[jeepwm69]

If you use the link below Walmart is closing out their Ontario 498M (Ka-Bar) knives for $11. Key in your zipcode and see if any stores around you have any in stock.

https://brickseek.com/walmart-inventory-checker?sku=127129323

Quantity 0, out of stock means they're gone

Quantity 0, Limited stock means their system shows 1 on hand.

If you find a store showing any on hand, they'll likely be under the counter locked away. Ask someone to look.

 

[packard]

I had a K Bar US Marine fighting knife that was made in the early 80's. One of a special run of the original K bars'.

I was always leery of the top first couple inches of sharpened edge to use it as a hunting knife.

Earlier this year I gave it to a young Marine who was looking for one.