Hunting knife suggestions

[Oklahomabassin]

I have 2 McCroskey knives. They are the best knives I own bar none.

 

[Deer Slayer]

Huckleberry 75 and I own 6 plus a kitchen knife set for the bride and they are the ONLY knives we use for hunting. I own several top brands but I only hunt with a McCroskey. My record is gutting,skinning,quartering and processing 8 deer before I needed to touch it up. I have 1 of the early knives that Dave made. Huckleberry has 1 of Dave's earliest knives from around 1990 that he uses occasionally. Some people say that his knives are expensive at around $150 apiece, but IMO they are worth around $300- $350. I know,at one point, one of the national outdoor retailers wanted an exclusive on them and was talking retailling around $600.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Huckleberry 75 and I own 6 plus a kitchen knife set for the bride and they are the ONLY knives we use for hunting. I own several top brands but I only hunt with a McCroskey. My record is gutting,skinning,quartering and processing 8 deer before I needed to touch it up. I have 1 of the early knives that Dave made. Huckleberry has 1 of Dave's earliest knives from around 1990 that he uses occasionally. Some people say that his knives are expensive at around $150 apiece, but IMO they are worth around $300- $350. I know,at one point, one of the national outdoor retailers wanted an exclusive on them and was talking retailling around $600.

8 deer and how many years did that take?

 

[257wby]

I have three Mccroskey knives as well. You can not beat his knives...I don't care what the price is.

 

[okie 46]

Dave makes a great knife I have one of his butcher knives. Mike miller in Chandler also makes a great knife

 

[ripnbst]

I was doing some more research, depending on how big of a blade you want you might also look at the RAT3, RAT5, RAT7. Those numbers basically correspond to their blade lengths more or less.

 

[trbii]

My hunting buddy just called me tonight to give high praise to a Buck model 119 Special that I gave him for Christmas. He said it field dressed the deer he took easier than the latest knife he had been using. It has a 6" clip point 420HC steel blade and a pleasingly hand filling handle. I went to sharpen it before I wrapped it, but found the factory edge so good that I just honed it a bit on my 4X10" DMT fine diamond stone. Academy Sports had them in stock here in Tulsa a few weeks ago for something like $44-54.

 

[doctorjj]

I'd recommend a "By George" knife of you can find one. I've gutted and skinned 3 deer and completely processed one of them with one of my By George knives and it will still shave. They are custom knives that were made by George Engelbretson. Unfortunately he is no longer with us.

 

[trbii]

I meant to add that my personal experience has been with a Cold Steel Master Hunter, 5" carbon steel knife that I've gutted three whitetails and skinned a few squirrels with, although I had to rehone the edge often it to the best of my memory. I like the rubbery kraton handle and the hard kydex locking scabbard I obtained for the Cold Steel knife. It takes a great edge and I use it as rough as I need to, knowing it's hard on a carbon steel sharp edge using it to break squirrel and rabbit legs. I don't mind resharpening it.

 

[OKCShooter]

Take a look at Busse, I have a few and like the uniqueness.