Testing the Benchmade Meatcrafter on Fresh Elk | Photo Mike Hardaker Mountain Weekly News
Best Hunting Knives 2021
by Mike Hardaker
Kilimanjaro Talbot Hunting Knife
I have used the Kilimanjaro Talbot Knife on an elk and pronghorn. I’m happy to say that the knife is nimble enough for the small surgical cuts and also, big enough for deep cuts. The arched knife face was suitable for skinning hides and de-boning, all while keeping an edge the entire time. The serrated lower section of the blade made cutting through a soiled hide a breeze. The serrated lower section of the blade made cutting through a soiled hide a breeze. With a larger size of 11.25″ this is a great camping cooking knife to bring along in your car.
Price: $39.99
L.L.Bean Stacked Leather Hunting Knife
L.L. Bean’s Stacked Leather Hunting Knife is just about the perfect size and length to carry for big game hunting. The knife has an overall length of 9¼” with a 4″ steel blade. With a heavier weight of 8 oz, this knife is best left in your pack until you need it. It does come with a leather hunting knife sheeth however it takes a little bit of wiggling to get the knife in and out when the leather is brand new. Try running it under hot water or folding it around a bit to make it easier to operate.
This L.L. Bean knife will feel much more like a kitchen knife, it’s sturdy has a rest for your index finger and even a cutout that allows for nice fine angular cuts. Toss in a leather handle and you have one of the best-made knives that just feels right when cutting.
Price: $79.00
Morakniv Companion Knife
Another affordable knife on the list is the Sweedish made Moakniv Companion Hunting 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 the best hunting knife in the world? It’s sure in the running.
Price: $19.99
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.
Price: $17.00
Benchmade Steep Country Family
I always feel very secure handling the ultra-grippy Benchmade Steep Country Hunting 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 hunting knife 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 hunting 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.
Price: $125.00
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 hunting 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.
Price: $99.95
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.
Price: $28.99
Coast F402 Knife
True survivalist and tactical experts prefer the reliability of a fixed blade hunting 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.
Price: $27.00
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.
Price: $99.00
Colorado Elk Hunt Bull Elk
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A good assortment of decent blades actually meant for field processing, hard to find articles like this.
One caution is the new genre of replaceable blade knives. They are folders, which makes them prone to clogging up with blood, hide, fat and fur. The blades are proprietary, every brand it’s own, and often only available on line – stores rarely keep them in stock, and the makers are often stressed by normal business longevity of ten years, max. Most close by then. Stick to the makers who have been in business that long and the odds are you will find their products much later in life. Having seen half a dozen major brands close or become foreign owned – Ontario being the latest – industry consolidation won’t stop.
I recently ordered a 4″ flat ground drop point with simple design and handle – in 52100 carbon steel. Stainless is just that – stain LESS, not rust proof, and the 300 years of knifemaking with carbon steel knives thru the discovery of America shows they can still do a fine job. Splurging for the lastest high alloy stainless that never gets dull has a counterpoint – they are equally resistant to sharpening. One S30V knife I have has never been sharpened – it simply is too difficult. There is a happy medium and it usually come with a more comfortable price.
Thanks for the comment and agreed on the replaceable blades folder knives easily clogging up with gunk from animals. The 4″ Flat Ground Drop you ordered sounds like a great knife as well.
Happy hunting season!
-Mike