Top 10 Hunting Knives for Big Game

One tool which will make every hunter’s top 10 list is a good knife. At least it should.  Better yet, a couple of knives will make it into that top 10 list, or at least get thrown into the pack for every hunt.  Whether you prefer to carry one multi-purpose blade, or you’d rather carry 3 with each having their own dedicated use, knowing what knives are out there and what their best attributes are is helpful.

There are small blades which will work to skin and clean most small and medium-sized game, but once you have an 800 lb. bull elk down on its side, you may want another option.  This list showcases 10 great knives on the market today and highlights where each of them can help you this fall when you have an animal on the ground.

Best Hunting Knives for Big Game Hunters

Gerber Vital Big Game Folder

Most hunters know the name Gerber.  From their hunting, tactical, and everyday carry knives, Gerber most likely makes a knife that you will enjoy.  And while their name has carried a great reputation across most user groups, surgical blade knives have taken the hunting world by storm over the past decade and-a-half.  No more sharpening, lightweight, ease of blade change, and versatility has made these knives popular among sportsmen.  The Vital Big Game Folder is Gerber’s answer to this call making it a top chose for best overall hunting knife.

The Gerber Vital features a handle with a great grip, something its competitors often lack.  On the handle’s side is a belt clip, making for easy pocket transport if you choose not to use the provided sheath.  However, the two-pocket sheath is great to carry along in the field, as the sheath holds spare blades needed during tough skinning jobs or multi-animal hunts.  This elk hunting knife comes equipped with 1 blade and 4 extra blades – 2 drop point and 2 blunt tip (more spare blades can be purchased through Gerber) – giving you the best blade types for caping and meat cutting.  And don’t let the small size deter you.  The Gerber Vital Big Game Folder is strong enough and sharp enough to clean any game animal, from squirrels and rabbits to elk and bear.

Benchmade Meatcrafter

Benchmade has been producing knives in Oregon since 1990.  The company gained its reputation for supplying military units with laser-cut blades in the 1990s – the first in the nation to do so.  Today, Benchmade is a world-renowned knife maker, with a portfolio including butchering knives, food prep and kitchen cutlery, tactical / survival blades, everyday carry knives, and hunting knives.  Knife prices range from as high as $1,500 (for a special collector’s edition kitchen knife) to $150.

The Meatcrafter knife from Benchmade is the hunter’s best friend at the hanging pole or in the kitchen. While the knife is capable of caping large game, the fine grain, smooth edge blade specializes in deboning and slicing.  The 6” blade on this knife comes in two different steel options, and the handles come in a variety of colors and materials throughout the Benchmade Meatcrafter family of knives.  Pricing in the series can range from $200 – $450, depending on materials, but the base Meatcrafter knife lands at $250.  This is a knife you won’t regret having in the field or the kitchen.

Morakniv Mora 2000

Morakniv is a famous Swedish knifemaker, known for their red handles and sustainability ethic, who claims their company roots have been embedded in knifemaking for 400 years.  Morakniv was built on the principles of zero waste.  The company’s original factory shared a space in which timber sleds were manufactured, and leftover wood scraps from the sleds were used to make the first famous red-handled knives.  Morakniv still prides itself on its knives’ recyclable materials today.

The Morakniv Mora 200 is a plastic-handled deer hunting knife that fits easily on your belt at 224 mm (~8.8 inches, remember they are Swedish made!) in length, designed with the hunter in mind.  The soft friction grip handle comes in two colors, green or hi-vis orange, and is fitted into a symmetrical plastic sheath, serving right and left-handed hunters.  The blade is a stiff, recycled stainless steel straight blade, making it a great selection for all sizes of medium and large North American game and ill-weathered hunts. And the Mora’s overall slim profile and light weight of 140.2 grams (4.95 oz.) allows you to keep it at an opportune position on your waist, without any inconvenience from weight or bulk.  Lastly, it’s hard to beat the price.

Morakniv Garberg BlackBlade Multi-Mount

The Garberg BlackBlade with Multi-Mount from Morakniv is a full tang knife made for the adventurer and outdoorsperson.  Its grip features an ergonomic polymer handle with friction grip and finger guard for additional security.  Morakniv sells this knife included with a symmetrical polymer sheath that is MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment) compatible, popular for military and tactical use.

The knife blade is a 3.2 mm thick carbon steel that is compatible with a fire starter, assisting in general camping or survival situations.  A stiff, straight blade with a protective, black DLC coating makes the knife a rugged reliable tool that is perfect to keep in your pack on short 1-day hikes or longer, full-week treks.  Morakniv does recommend you wipe and oil the blade after using the BlackBlade Multi-Mount, in order to keep any rust from forming.

Benchmade Hidden Canyon

If the Meatcrafter is Benchmade’s solution for the hunter’s kitchen, then the Hidden Canyon is their solution for the hunter’s backpack.  This compact knife weighs in at a mere 2.81 oz. and measures 6.42 inches.  The stabilized wood handle gives the knife a clean, natural look, while the accompanying leather sheath with belt loop makes it perfectly accessible from your waist while working in the field.

The Hidden Canyon’s drop point blade makes it perfect for field dressing and breaking down game of all sizes, and the blade’s compact size aids in precision cutting when caping out heads or making other meticulous cuts.  Another fine detail by Benchmade on this knife is the jimping location – the small ridges on the backside of a blade keep your fingers from sliding while using the knife.  A compact knife with an ergonomic grip, great blade, and well-placed jimping results in a knife that anyone could benefit from carrying in the mountains.

Havalon Piranta-Edge

For the last knife on this list, I decided to choose a knife which changed the hunting-blade game forever and also changed what I carry in my pack on every hunt:  the Havalon Piranta – the original replaceable blade hunting knife.  Havalon’s parent company, Havels, has been producing surgical tools for the medical field for years, but saw an opportunity to branch into the hunting industry through fine taxidermy work, and hunters latched on to it.  Havalon’s first knife was the Piranta-Original with a stainless steel handle, followed by the Piranta-Edge in fluorescent orange.  Since the Piranta series, Havalon has launched filet knives, multi-tools, and regular, non-replaceable blade knives.  However, the Piranta series is still my go-to.

I have been using a Piranta now for about ten years and am on my second knife and I can honestly say these are razor sharp.  There was absolutely nothing wrong with the first one, but it is still laying out there somewhere under a pile of leaves where a gut pile used to be.  Luckily for me, I only lost the knife and not the sheath which stores extra blades.  So, when I bought my new knife, which comes with 12 blades, I still had a couple left over.

The reoccurring purchase of blades is one turnoff to people skeptical of replaceable blade knives.  I’ve found that one 60A blade will gut, cape, and debone an entire whitetail nicely, or one blade can clean a number of pheasants or other small game animals.  You may want to carry a few extra in your sheath if you are planning on larger game.  And, to restock, a dozen blades can be purchased directly through Havalon for $10.99 or readily through most other hunting retail stores.  At less than $1 per blade, it’s hard to beat the affordability and dependability of this lightweight, low-profile, always sharp hunting knife.

Buck Knives 103 Skinner Knife – Heritage

Who doesn’t love a Buck Knife?  The American made knife company was established in 1902 and has been manufacturing knives in their Idaho facility for generations.  The 103 Skinner Knife in the Heritage Series line is a remarkable model of Buck craftsmanship.  The Dymalux Cocobolo handle with aluminum finger guard and pommel gives the Heritage Series knives their classic, dapper appearance.  And if you want to upgrade from the standard black sheath that comes with the 103 Skinner, Buck carries a sheath in burgundy leather that fits the 103 perfectly for $17.99.

The 103 Heritage Series’ high quality knife look should not overshadow its ultimate purpose – being the perfect, hardworking skinning knife.  Buck’s skinning blade on this knife has a length of 4 inches and a width 0.120 inches.  It is designed with a curved wide belly and narrow tip, which Buck claims to aid with skinning through thick layers.  A downward angled tip also helps to keep from slicing through unwanted hide, protecting your cape and keeping your field dressing clean.  This knife will shine when skinning big game like bear, elk, and deer, but will not fare as well on smaller game where fine cuts are required.

Buck Knives 656 Pursuit Pro

This fixed-blade knife ditches Buck’s traditional look for a more modern, ergonomic, and high visibility unit.  The 656 Pursuit Pro features Buck’s sure grip handle with a full tang blade, making it a durable knife (6.4 oz.) for heavy use.  It also comes with a nylon sheath with belt loop.

The 4-1/2-inch blade on the 656 Pursuit Pro is made of a S35VN steel.  This steel is known for great edge retention and easy resharpening, making it the perfect knife to have on long hunts with the possibility of multiple skinning jobs.  A strong, drop point blade on this knife also makes it ideal for heavy use, from gutting and skinning to deboning and separating joints.  And in case you find any unexpected defect on this blade or handle, the 656 Pursuit Pro is backed by Buck Knives’ Forever Warranty.  Any knife from Buck can be shipped back to the factory in Idaho for repair or replacement due to defects in material or workmanship.

Morakniv Companion Knife

Another affordable knife on the list is the Sweedish made Moakniv Companion Knife.  With 6 different knives in the Companion line there’s an option for just about every need you could imagine.  My favorite is the plain old Companion Knife with a 4.1 in Stainless steel blade and grippy rubber handle that works even when it’s raining sideways.

This fixed blade knife feels great in the hand weighing only 4.1 oz with a total length of 8.6 in.  This is the perfect size for carving around game parts. Made in Sweeden with a lifetime warranty.  This is the sort of knife you will pass down to future generations as it’s also a great starter knife.  And for that first-time hunter, why not consider the Morakniv Companion Spark Knife with built-in magnesium alloy firestarter that works when wet up to 3,000 times. Is this one of the best hunting knives in the world?  It’s sure in the running.

Opinel No. 8 Stainless Steel Folding Pocket Knife

The classiest looking knife on this list comes in with the most affordable price as well.  The Opinel No. 8 Stainless Steel Foldable Knife features the brand’s incredible Virobloc safety ring. This ring when turned allows the foldable lock to stay in place when open.  Think aerospace meets cutlery and you’ll start to get a feel for what this knifes all about.  Plus the locking ring can be locked when the knife is folded down for ultimate safety.

The Beechwood handle found on the Opinel No. 8 Knife is classy and is sourced from France. Throw in a Turkish saber style blade and you have a great versatile pocket knife.  This is a great fish fillet knife, incredible for cheeses and meats and can hold a really sharp blade for a long time to come.  At 1.6 oz you will most likely forget you have this knife with you, it’s pretty darn tiny with a folded up size of  4″3 (11cm) and an open length of 3.35″ (8.5cm).  This is one of the best folding hunting knives, hand made in France using the same design for over 120 years.

Benchmade Steep Country Family

I always feel very secure handling the ultra-grippy Benchmade Steep Country  Knife even when cutting up elk my hands became very slick with blood and other fluids. The Santoprene grip may not be familiar to you but it works and stops your hand from slipping down the handle on to the blade.  This fixed blade knife for hunting is 7.65″ (19.43cm) in length, can be worn on your hip without taking up too much space or tossed inside your pack without adding too much additional weight Weight: 3.71oz. (105.18g)

The Benchmade Knife I tested featured a Drop-Point Blade shown above they also have a similar knife with a gut hook blade for even easier gutting. These Benchmade Knives come with a built-in lanyard hole and are available in either hunter orange or black colorways and offer a lifetime warranty. One of the best hunting knives made in USA comes from Benchmade.

Bear & Son Cutlery Model 577

Bear & Son Cutlery, housed in Jacksonville, Alabama, has been manufacturing American-made knives for over 30 years.  Products from the company are made in-house under one roof, and Bear & Son makes sure to completely manufacture their knives from start to finish, including building their own blanking dyes, stamping steel, CNC machining, assembling, and hand finishing.  All knives from Bear & Son are made with U.S. or Swedish steels.

The Model 577 is made with a Genuine India Stag Bone handle with finger grooves for added comfort and grip in the field.  The handle is finished with nickel silver bolsters, finger guard, and pommel, making it appear almost too beautiful to be your favorite skinning knife blade shape.  The 577 is 9.25 inches overall with a 5-inch carbon stainless upswept skinning blade, great for working through large capes on elk, but small enough to make finer cuts on medium-sized game.  This knife also comes with its own leather sheath.

Bear & Son Cutlery Model 444

The model 444 by Bear & Son is made in the same facility as the 577, however this knife lends more of its service to utility and less to its looks.  The 8-3/8-inch knife features a soft Black Kraton handle for fantastic grip and comfort that provides long-term, lightweight durability. Matching the handle, this knife comes with a black leather sheath.

Besides the durable handle and overall light weight of the knife (4.4 oz.), the biggest design aspect that sets this knife apart is the 4-inch stainless steel blade with a guthook.  The blade is manufactured from a 440 stainless steel, giving it the hardness and durability to work in any hunting or butchering situation.  Stainless also means that the knife is rust-resistant, able to lie damp in the bottom of a bag through long elk packouts (and the days after) without enduring any permanent damage. This knife will be the perfect tool for big game from gutting to deboning.

Best Hunting Knives Past Winners

Victorinox Hunter Pro Knife

For someone looking for a foldable knife, Victorinox has been the greatest pocket knife maker since they invented the Swiss Army Knife in 1884. Enter the Victorinox Hunter Pro Knife, (no corkscrew on this one, sorry Dad) but for that reason also one of their most useful. It’s a too the point knife.

The Victorinox Hunter Pro Steel Knife features an ergonomic handle and a 5″ polyamide blade making it a perfect tool for cleaning that deer. When fully opened the knife is 9″ in length. Instead of trying to excel at a bunch of doohickies (why are there two mini-saws?), this knife focuses that dedication into one bad-ass constant hunting companion. One of the best classic pocket knives of the year, it’s a Victorinox Knife after all.

Bear Edge Knife 61515

In the running for one of the best-fixed blade survival knife is the Bear’s Edge 61515. The blade on this knife has a rust-proof made of 440 Stainless Steel and coated with Black Epoxy. The Bear Edge 61515 was the knife that felt the most comfortable in the hands of our testers regardless of their hand size thanks to the finger groves built into the 5″ handle.

The knife features a partially serrated blade for when the super sharp 4-7/8″ modified drop blade won’t cut it.  For the price, this survival knife built in the United States is a heck of a deal.

Coast F402 Knife

True survivalist and tactical experts prefer the reliability of a fixed blade knife for its precision cuts and long-term durability. If you’re the sort of person that’s hard on your gear, this is the knife for you.

When holding the knife, Coast uses a Nylon handle for added grip and dexterity. The knife also comes with a heavy-duty sheen that offers peace of mind when walking with the knife attached to your body.  Heck, I even had the Coast F402 Utility Knife attached to my backpack shoulder straps on a long hike through bear country without having to worry about this 9″ knife cutting me or falling out of the holder.

A great knife, that you can truly rely on and best of all is at a price most everyone can afford with a lifetime warranty.

James Brand Folsom Knife

When you think of hunting knives or outdoor knives the word beautiful is not what comes to mind.  However, that’s just the feeling this fine crafted James Brand Folsom Knife may bring out in you.  From the moment you go to open the knife with it’s easy to get to thumb grove to flipping it open, the entire process is so smooth thanks to the James Brands use of Phosphor washers.  Look at the detail shown above on this knife, it’s tough to compare, simply in a league of its own.

When folded up the James Brand Folsom Knife is barely noticeable with a small 4″ footprint.  When fully opened the 2.75″ blade brings the total length of the knife to a nice & manageable 6.75″ overall length. It’s the sort of knife that just feels like it belongs in your hand. One of the best camping pocket knives we have ever tested.

Related Hunting Knives We Tested in the Field

1. Gerber Downwind Hunting Knife
2. CIVIVI Conspirator Knife
3. Morakniv Mora 200 Black Blade Knife