A good hunting knife is an essential part of a hunter's basic equipment and should be carried at all times during any form of hunting as well as during fieldwork. Depending on the intended use, knives with fixed blades or folding knives are recommended. The main purpose of the hunting knife is to field dress and process the game. Additionally, a strong knife is needed for dispatching or capturing the game. If a folding knife is preferred, it is important that the blade can be securely locked.
The folding knife has the advantage of being able to be folded into a compact format, and it often comes with additional tools besides the classic blade, such as a serrated blade or a so-called gut hook blade, which has a thickened, rounded tip and is therefore perfect for field dressing.
However, folding knives also have disadvantages: on one hand, folding knives are less robust than fixed blade knives, and on the other hand, they are harder to clean because dried sweat and dirt can accumulate between the handle scales.
Fixed blade knives are preferred by hunters, especially for dispatching with the bare blade. This is the case both when hunting with a poorly placed shot and with accident game. Especially when the dog is close to the game or the game is near people or houses, a shot is prohibited. In the past, stag knives were used for this purpose, but today, multipurpose knives, special dispatch knives, or hunting knives are more common. Caution: A knife with a fixed blade longer than 12 cm may only be carried openly during hunting, just like a firearm. Outside of the hunting area, knives with a blade length of over 12 cm must be kept in a closed container.
As the name suggests, one-handed knives (folding knives) can be opened and closed with one hand because there is an opening aid attached to the blade. One-handed knives for hunting often have several deployable blades, such as a classic smooth blade, a serrated gutting blade, or a gut hook blade, which can be opened and closed with one hand. This is particularly practical when field dressing, as the other hand is busy holding the game body in a specific position.
The knife has unlimited applications. While it is still relatively rare to have to dispatch with the knife, every shot at game that hits its target requires the game to be field dressed - essential for a good knife.
A hunting knife should have a high-quality steel blade optimized for cutting retention, cutting ability, and sharpenability. The material of the blade should have a hardness of at least 55 HRC (Rockwell hardness test), with 60-65 HRC being ideal for fine cutting. Hunting knives are subjected to heavy loads and often need to be resharpened, which is advantageous if the knife is not brittle. Therefore, knives with a hardness of 57-60 HRC are recommended for hunters.
To sharpen a knife yourself, you need a honing steel, whetstone, or knife sharpener. When pulling the knife over the sharpening surface, a angle of 15 to 20 degrees should be maintained, and the knife should be drawn over the sharpening surface in a steady, even motion. It is important that the knife is sharpened evenly along the entire edge. The softer a blade is, the easier the sharpening process is. Hard, edge-retaining blades are more difficult to sharpen than soft blades.
The main blade of a hunting knife (usually the only blade in fixed blade knives) should be easy to sharpen and stable for use in field dressing. Strong blades can be used not only for the ribcage and the neck of deer but also for medium-sized wild boar. For heavier game, the use of a gutting saw is recommended, which is often integrated into folding knives for hunting. For quick field dressing, a gut hook blade is a real asset and is often included in folding knives. If the knife has only one blade, a gut hook can be integrated into the back of the blade. With the exception of the boar spear or stag knife, hunting knives are also only ground on one side, as otherwise, there is a risk of sharpening both large and small intestines and contaminating the game meat. Those who hunt a lot and therefore field dress a lot should consider getting a set of several knives for their field equipment.
Good knife handles should be ergonomically shaped and slip-resistant, allowing for a firm grip and safe handling. They should also be easy to clean, as it is unavoidable that the knife and handle come into contact with sweat during field dressing. Therefore, materials such as plastic, synthetic materials, and treated wood are suitable options.
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