What's Your Best Elk Knife?

by **ElkNut1** » 01 10, 2014 • [Post 1]

Lot of talk these days on Havalon (I have one) being a great knife for game but I know not everyone uses them, if you do let's hear it! If you don't what knife do you prefer to break down your deer or elk?

ElkNut1

by **jmez** » 01 10, 2014 • [Post 2]

I have a Havalon but also always have a real fixed blade knife with me. I carry a DH Russell Canadian belt knife made by Grohmann. Easy knife to sharpen and holds an edge very well. I prefer the belt knife over the Havalon.

by **ChukarNUT** » 01 10, 2014 • [Post 3]

LOVE my Havalon Piranta Bolt. thicker blades. bigger handle. scary scary sharp. easily do an entire elk with one blade if you dont break it. thicker blades help with that for sure. My go to for years has been the Wyoming Knife. Also very very sharp and easy to manipulate while skinning. Have done 3 deer and 2 elk with the original blade and no sharpening. For Christmas I got a CRKT fixed blade--elk antler handle--leather sheath with shell holder. Awesome very well made knife. Scary sharp out of the box and a very good looking knife all around. Ive always been happy with CRKT products--good quality steel that re-sharpens easy. In my pack on all hunts is a Havalon Bolt and 2 blades, Leatherman Wave, and Wyoming Knife.

by **Indian Summer** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 4]

Buck 105 Pathfinder. Lotsa miles. Lots!

I'd like to have that smaller one they make which is the 102 Woodsman for deer and other things.

by **otcWill** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 5]

Always amazes me that more guys don't use the Swing Blade. I carry this and a long, cheap fillet knife. The swing blade is the best caper/skinner on the market and the fillet gets all the deboning done in the field. I think the Havalons are decent but they don't do anything that my Walmart fillet won't and I've used the same one on about 50 animals now.

by **cnelk** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 6]

Cutco for me
Nonslip grip orange handle
Guaranteed for life
Holds an edge for 3-4 elk before it needs a sharpening touch up

by **Still Hunter** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 7]

If you asked me a year ago I would have said a Buck 110 since the 70's. Some old hunting knife I got for Christmas before the Buck. Now i'm trying the Havalon Bolt. Not sure i'll stay with it. I miss my Buck.

by **Swede** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 8]

I have two main stay knives. #1 is the exact same one Indian Summer uses and #2 is the Buck Mini Alpha for skinning. Over the years I have purchased, been given, and even found a lot of good ones, but these two Buck knives go hunting with me.
I have a small pocket knife with about a 2 1/2 inch main blade, that I carry just about everywhere. One year I decided I would use it only to gut, skin and quarter my elk. I noticed my skinning was a little rough, but for all practical purposes it was fine. The only difference was some tiny nicks in the flesh of the carcass. I also may have nicked the hide in a place or two and finished a little slower. I don't remember for sure.

by **>>>---WW---->** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 9]

Don't get me started on Havalon kick. I used to work for a taxidermist and we use scalpels or flashing. I remember those swore nicked fingers very well. I can't imagine breaking a blade off and having to reach inside an animal not knowing where that blade went and hoping my hand comes back out with the all fingers still attached.

No thank you, just give me a good solid knife with the sharp edge! For me that's a Helle. With that Scandi grind, it is easy to sharpen and it stays that way. And, I don't have to worry about broken blades and cut up fingers.

by **Trumkin the Dwarf** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 10]

A no name, stout fixed blade that used to belong to my dad. It has a 4-5 inch blade (I never checked the exact length). The knife is tough, takes a good edge, and does everything I ask it to do.

by **Indian Summer** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 11]

I wouldn't spend a dime on any of the Outdoor Edge products. I bought their Kodi Pak once online. When it arrived I took one look at it and it was on eBay the next day.

What's scares me more than those scalpel blades on the Havalon is the more time I spend reading on here the more things I realize I have in common with Swede! :shock:

by **WapitiTalk1** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 12]

I own three pack type knives. The best? Probably the Gerber in the middle. Lightweight, holds an edge, good handle for gripping. Has an elk and a few deer bone outs under it's belt. The Uncle Henry on the left is an old one that has earned it's elk badge many times.. It's heavy but reliable. This knife is over 30 years old and is guaranteed against loss (yep).. Do you guys remember that warranty on the old Schrades? The Havalon on the right has only boned out one deer. It's what I carried last year in the elk woods and probably will next year for backcountry jaunts where weight is a significant factor (yep, one must be careful with the blades although they seemed pretty strong when I boned out the deer). I do like that Gerber though

..

by **Indian Summer** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 13]

Heck yeah I remember the Shrade warranty. Do they still have that in effect?

by **cnelk** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 14]

When I think of an 'elk knife' I need the following:

Able to gut and cut heavy hide and cut thru leg joints or neck joints
If needed, I can split a pelvis with a couple of good whacks from a small log on the handle
Able to cut up to 1 inch branches for shooting lanes from my tree stand.
Open a can or split kindling

I want some heft and I will carry that heft when its needed.

by **WapitiTalk1** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 15]

Indian Summer wrote:Heck yeah I remember the Shrade warranty. Do they still have that in effect?

Don't think so. I believe they have a lifetime warranty not so sure the Schrades are what they were back on the day.

by **Swede** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 16]

RJ: I have one of those old Shrades. I found it along the river. Maybe two of us ended up with new knives.
Brad: I am puzzled by what you say you are using. Is it a hunting knife or a machete? By the description of what you are cutting, it seems a good chain saw may be in order for your kit.

by **WapitiTalk1** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 17]

Swede wrote:RJ: I have one of those old Shrades. I found it along the river. Maybe two of us ended up with new knives.

I did use the guaranteed against loss warranty once. Dang thing is that I knew about where I lost it but couldn't find it on that Montana game trail way back in mid 80s.

by **Swede** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 18]

I found my Scrade back in about 1962. It is probably even older that the "finders keepers, losers happy too" warrantee.

by **>>>---WW---->** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 19]

Swede I can see where Brad is coming from. Actually, I carry two knives. The one in the picture above that I posted is only used for elk and deer. My other knife is a Mora Companion bushcraft knife. I can use it for all the general task around the camp. It's just a darn good knife and for $15 I can beat it up just as much as I want doing all sorts of chores and not worry about it.The Mora also has a Scandi grind on the blade and is very easy to sharpen. It's hard to beat it for the price.

by **Swede** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 20]

WW: I get it too. I just have not stirred Brad up in a looong time, and decided to apply pressure on his Crocodile Dundee imitation post. Well it has been at least two days so it was time he was harassed. I'm satisfied that Brad has plenty in common with all that made Paul Hogan. I'm just trying to keep him humble.

by **Lefty** » 01 11, 2014 • [Post 21]

My father-in law gave me a Schrade folding knife a couple years after my wife and I were married.
In my meat handling container I carry a cheapo Winchester and Browning skinners. thick blades and will last better than one animal so they get sharpened between animals

Indian Summer I have a Buck just like that I bought in HS. Up with all my old retired hunting stuff I dont think its seen blood in over 35 years :oops:

I think I bought it as a set with a fillet knife that got taken in our camper break-in

by **Indian Summer** » 01 12, 2014 • [Post 22]

Lefty did yours have a rubberized handle? Before the Pathfinder they used to. I loved that.

I used that Shrade warranty once.... then ended up finding the knife!

by **tdirks** » 01 12, 2014 • [Post 23]

A buck 102 Woodsmen that has done many,many deer but no elk yet. By the way I sent it back to Buck a couple of years ago and they sharpened it, polished it and made it look like new again for no charge! Cant beat that!

by **ElkNut1** » 01 13, 2014 • [Post 24]

Wow, so many varieties!! I felt for sure a particular model would dominate, doesn't look that way! I too have quite a few knives & several favorites if that's possible! (grin) One is WW made for me, that knife handles very well & gets a lot of belt riding time! (grin)

ElkNut1

by **Bowhunter** » 01 13, 2014 • [Post 25]

I use a Cabelas Alaskan Guide Series Knife. It has a fixed 4 1/8 inch drop point blade. It is simular to the new Vangaurd. I am not sure who made them when I bought mine several years ago. I know Buck makes them now. It is stainless in apperance and has the elk horns laser cut in the blade with a laminated wood handle.

Like cnelk I want a tough fixed blade. I broke two buck 110 folding knifes on deer. One I was cutting the H bone and the other I was cutting through the ribs. I used my Cabelas knife to cut 1-1 1/2 inch trees to clear shooting lanes durring my hunt in 2012 and was able to quarter my elk and a deer before I needed to touch up the edge. The blade is a rockwell 59.

by **Still Hunter** » 01 13, 2014 • [Post 26]

First time i've ever read someone breaking a Buck 110, and you broke two of them.

Mine is 40 years old.

by **Bowhunter** » 01 13, 2014 • [Post 27]

Still Hunter wrote:First time i've ever read someone breaking a Buck 110, and you broke two of them.

Mine is 40 years old.

The first one was probably my fault. I was pulling it through the H bone. I was wiggleing it a bit and broke the tip. I was probably flexing it too much. The second one I was pulling it through the brisket and the blade went backwards. It broke the latching piece that locked the blade in place.

I have the buck 102 and it is 35 years old skinned too many critters to count.

by **Still Hunter** » 01 13, 2014 • [Post 28]

Oh ok. I have heard of the tips breaking when being pried. I thought you broke the blade in two.

I've used the gutless method forever, and I really don't mess with any bones anymore. I'm just cutting meat.

by **elkmtngear** » 01 13, 2014 • [Post 29]

cnelk wrote:Cutco for me
Nonslip grip orange handle
Guaranteed for life
Holds an edge for 3-4 elk before it needs a sharpening touch up

Me too, Brad.

Same knife...black handle

by **Washington Wapiti** » 01 13, 2014 • [Post 30]

I have to admit, I DO want a Havalon. I like the idea of slicing through hide and meat like butter and not have to stop every so often to run a knife over a stone. However, thinking of how sharp those things are scares the hell outta me quite frankly. I trip over lines in the sidewalk. Do I trust myself with a scapel?? I have a Buck 119 BKS, an old Fiskars filleter that I've have had since I was a teenager, and a folding Gerber Gator Gut Hook. The Buck is a brute and I've used it to dig arrows out of trees, cutting branches, things like that. But I have never used it on an animal. The filleter is great for boning out, trimming, and cutting meat. Has that old sharpener built in the handle, and it STILL works like a charm. I like the Gerbers a lot. Probably my favorite. I'm on my third one, second gut hook. The guthook portion works well for seperating the smaller muscle groups on the quarters. You can work the regular blade and guthook back and forth to cut those apart with ease without a ton of flipping and rolling of the knife. There is also a super sharp, small fixed blade that fits into the handle of my Gerber hatchet. That's good for when everything else is dulled out and you realize you've forgotten your stone. But I never do that.

by **pointysticks** » 01 13, 2014 • [Post 31]

what about a knife you dont like?

i have a knives of alaska alpha wolf. mine is D2 tool steel. my goodness, doing our elk last year, i let the edge get too dull. nothing in the field can be done to bring it back. i took it to some Japanese master, and he silently put a razor edge on it. i am not too excited about it anymore.

i bought a Mora companion when i got home. so easy to field sharpen. so far, i have only used it to take trout apart. amazingly sharp!!
i want a custom knife..bad. too bad i have dont have the budget.

i have super old german chef knife that my stepdad used beyond anything...i want to grind it down to a hunting knife shape. it would be awesome. hard to beat old vintage high carbon steel..especially from Soligren..

by **twinkieman** » 01 14, 2014 • [Post 32]

Havalon, I have both the Piranta, and the Barracuda. I use the Barracuda when I butcher my animals. The narrow ultra sharp blade makes trimming off the glaze layer a lot easier.

by **Harmy** » 01 14, 2014 • [Post 33]

I use Stucky Knives. http://www.stuckyknives.com

I have 4 of his knives. Fixed blade, folder, and two kitchen knives. I can quarter and skin 2-3 elk with the hunter between sharpenings (depends on how muddy they are). I can process 4-6 elk with the pair of kitchen knives between sharpening and i use them for everyday use.

by **Still Hunter** » 01 14, 2014 • [Post 34]

This thread got me to thinking about my Buck. I got it out this morning, and sharpened it up. I could almost feel the knife smiling at me. We've seen a lot of elk and mule deer together, and it never let me down. It's become an old friend.

I don't know what I was thinking by going to a Havalon? The Buck will continue as the only knife on my hunts from now on. Touching up the blade now and then has always been part of the hunt. I'm not sure when I forgot that, but it won't happen again.

The old fart is back in the saddle. Stubborn, and set in his ways. :lol:

by **danarnold** » 01 15, 2014 • [Post 35]

my cold steel roach belly is hard to beat, been thru a few elk & a lot of deer, light sharp and paid $9 for it
ive got a ton of quality knifes but this one's always in my pack. got a havalon in 2013 broke a couple blades in the field in my bull, not knowing where they are with work left to do is not a good feeling

by **Madison COunty** » 01 16, 2014 • [Post 36]

Does anyone use a Arkansas stone to sharpen your hunting knife?

by **Jaquomo** » 01 16, 2014 • [Post 37]

Wayne Depperschmidt custom knife I won in a raffle when I bought only one ticket. Awesome knife from a fellow trad bowhunter.

I, too have that orange-handled Cutco in my collection. First time I used it to cape a bull, the tip of the blade broke off when working around under the burr. I sent it in to them and they "honored" the warranty by crudely grinding it down and sending it back. I had to put a new edge bevel on it. Hell, I could've done a better job in the garage. I also got a scolding note telling me never to let it touch bone, as it's soft steel and not meant to work around bone.

I sent back a sarcastic reply telling the guy I would never, ever use a hunting knife around bone - I mean who does that when butchering and boning elk in the woods? He didn't respond.

by **Indian Summer** » 01 17, 2014 • [Post 38]

Still Hunter wrote:The old fart is back in the saddle. Stubborn, and set in his ways.

At least you know yourself well. (grunt)

by **Swede** » 01 17, 2014 • [Post 39]

Reading Indian Summer's post immediately above about Still Hunter reminded me that I have gotten to that same point in life, but in my case it is not "stubborn", but rather persistent.

I suspect as we get older, we find we have much more in common than just a love of hunting.

by **Washington Wapiti** » 01 17, 2014 • [Post 40]

Madison COunty wrote:Does anyone use a Arkansas stone to sharpen your hunting knife?

Since I was a wee little lad! That's the first stone I ever owned and learned how to sharpen a knife on. It had a little suede carrying bag. I've had a Smith's Tri-Hone for the last 2 years. I think they call it an "Arkansas Tri-Hone." Not really sure why . . . maybe it is made from Novaculite like an Arkansas stone is, so they generically call it an Arkansas stone. Kind of like how sometimes people generically call cola "Coke," even though Coke is only a brand of cola . . .
Maybe more of a whetstone guru can fill in the blanks

I have to admit, I'm much better with a steel than a stone.

by **Washington Wapiti** » 01 17, 2014 • [Post 41]

twinkieman wrote:Havalon, I have both the Piranta, and the Barracuda. I use the Barracuda when I butcher my animals. The narrow ultra sharp blade makes trimming off the glaze layer a lot easier.

This was my other thought on the Havalon too, and how nice it must do on that. My filleter does decent with the silver skin and sinew. Better if I "temper" it (trimming while meat is partially frozen).

by **bnsafe** » 01 18, 2014 • [Post 42]

I use a cutco like cnelks but my point seems a little sharper. love the sharpness but the point isn't good if your trying to cape. but man is it sharp.

by **Csrbowhunter** » 02 02, 2014 • [Post 43]

I use a spyderco knife. I bought one of their super steel blades off their website and put a antler handle on it. It stays super sharp so you really have to be careful. I also use a gerber but you have to touch it up while butchering an elk. That was the knife I used one first elk and couldn't believe how quickly an elk hide can dull it. After that year I bought the spyderco!

by **husky390** » 02 02, 2014 • [Post 44]

The $8 Rapala filet knife worked awesome on my cow. Much better than my Buck hunter and Puko Wolverine, I'm embarrassed to say. :oops:

I picked up the Raptor Razor this year and hope to put it to work.

by **Indian Summer** » 02 03, 2014 • [Post 45]

[quote="husky390"]The $8 Rapala filet knife worked awesome on my cow. quote]

Husky are you making up for lost time going through some older threads? That's a good thing. Plenty of that to be done huh.

No doubt a filet knife is perfect for boning out quarters. Not so sure about the quartering itself. My one general preference is NO folding knives. I think they are an accident waiting to happen. When I was a kid I had more than one fold over on me and cut my pointer finger pretty bad.

by **husky390** » 02 04, 2014 • [Post 46]

Indian Summer wrote:
husky390 wrote:The $8 Rapala filet knife worked awesome on my cow. quote]

Husky are you making up for lost time going through some older threads? That's a good thing. Plenty of that to be done huh.

No doubt a filet knife is perfect for boning out quarters. Not so sure about the quartering itself. My one general preference is NO folding knives. I think they are an accident waiting to happen. When I was a kid I had more than one fold over on me and cut my pointer finger pretty bad.

LOL, actually CSR beat me to the resurrection. Actually, other than the initial incision and a little bit of caping, I used that filet knife on everything. The buck and the puko were just not getting it done though I think I was partly to blame since I was cutting a lot of hair at first. I did the no gut method and used that filet knife for pretty much everything. When I flipped her over I made a couple passes through a sharpener and finished her up. I was pretty impressed on how well it held up.

by **Fullabull** » 02 04, 2014 • [Post 47]

I have a Cutco with the double D edge and love it! Whenever it gets dull which won't be till after many elk I just need to send it to them and they will sharpen it right back up.

by **Solitude** » 02 04, 2014 • [Post 48]

Cutco Drop Point and a Havalon make it on every trip I go on. Both have there positives in my book, and it never hurts to have two knifes IMO.

by **Bullnuts** » 02 11, 2014 • [Post 49]

Phantom16 wrote:I own three pack type knives. The best? Probably the Gerber in the middle. Lightweight, holds an edge, good handle for gripping. Has an elk and a few deer bone outs under it's belt. The Uncle Henry on the left is an old one that has earned it's elk badge many times.. It's heavy but reliable. This knife is over 30 years old and is guaranteed against loss (yep).. Do you guys remember that warranty on the old Schrades? The Havalon on the right has only boned out one deer. It's what I carried last year in the elk woods and probably will next year for backcountry jaunts where weight is a significant factor (yep, one must be careful with the blades although they seemed pretty strong when I boned out the deer). I do like that Gerber though ..

100_0691.JPG

Totally agree! I've carried my Gerber Gator for over 10 years and have gutted and skinned a LOT of animals with it. From elk to rabbits, it's my go to.

by **8seconds** » 06 06, 2014 • [Post 50]

It seems to me that a common utility knife would be the cat's meow in replacement of the Havalon and related products int he $60 range. Utility cutters with extra blades are in the less than $7 range and the weight is not an issue! And they have an excellent point.

Someone help me out here! Am i off on this window? 8-)

by **pointysticks** » 06 06, 2014 • [Post 51]

Indian Summer wrote:Heck yeah I remember the Shrade warranty. Do they still have that in effect?

hahhaha..timely. i just called them yesterday. apparently, they were bought out by a company called Taylor Tools. trust me, those days are gone. i asked if i could send back a vintage Old Timer for a cleaning. the lady, said no..they dont have a repair dept anymore. seriously? i think they just replace things under warranty now..i bet the tools come from China.

i found this in my Stepdad's jacket the other day, and saved it. i'm gonna cut something with it. it is super sturdy. it feels like a fixed blade when opened. unreal.

by **Migolito** » 06 06, 2014 • [Post 52]

I make knives, so, its usually one of these. Each knife handle material is from an area where I had a successful hunt.

by **twinkieman** » 06 06, 2014 • [Post 53]

Since I am horrible at knife sharpening, my best knife is a Havalon Piranta.

by **Trophyhill** » 06 06, 2014 • [Post 54]

I'll be taking my RaptoRazor and my trusty Gerber 3" lockblade

by **Rangerz** » 06 28, 2014 • [Post 55]

I have a couple of Havalons and like them. Just have to be careful and not twist it.

I still take my old Buck 110 with me just for nostalgias sake. Also have a Buck skinner that works well. As mentioned those Rapala filet knives work great for processing the meat.

by **LongShot** » 06 28, 2014 • [Post 56]

Madison COunty wrote:Does anyone use a Arkansas stone to sharpen your hunting knife?

Yes.

by **planebow** » 06 28, 2014 • [Post 57]

My main knife is a Buck mini alpha and I also carry a Gerber fixed blade as my backup

by **elk.addict** » 06 28, 2014 • [Post 58]

Havalon. But I carry a buck knife with a gut hook also.

by **BRazz** » 06 30, 2014 • [Post 59]

I've been converted to a plastic Little Vicky (victorinox/swiss army). I also carry a buck knife fixed blade that is nothing special - and I can't seem to sharpen it too well.

by **Fridaythe13th** » 06 30, 2014 • [Post 60]

I like my SOG revolver. Might be better for whitetail and cutting bone and not so much for elk doing the gutless way.

by **nrocchio** » 06 30, 2014 • [Post 61]

Migolito wrote:I make knives, so, its usually one of these. Each knife handle material is from an area where I had a successful hunt.

That is really cool Mike. My grandpa used to make knives too. He made me one using my first buck's antler for the handle. It looks like you do good work!

by **elkaholic** » 06 30, 2014 • [Post 62]

I have a Kershaw skinning knife and a DU Shrade that have went with me the last couple of years. I am trying to get good at hand sharpening with the tri-stone setup but it is a long learning process (at least for me)..

I was interested in the HAvalon knives until my buddy broke three blades last year on his elk. Luckily neither of us got cut...

by **MountainmanZ** » 06 30, 2014 • [Post 63]

Worst thing about my Havalon was trying to remove the remaining half of a broken blade from the knife so I could replace it (dried blood made this very difficult). Luckily I was only antelope hunting and had pliars not far away in the truck. I'd be very scared of cutting myself badley while trying to replace a blade 10 miles back while elk hunting. Will opt for my Wyoming knife this season.