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Around 80% of consumers prefer the combination of sharpness and handling grip of the deer hunting knife. We listed the knives that are best for skinning, gutting, griping, and field-dressing of deer.
We listed the deer hunting knives on the basis of their blade sharpness, handle grip, tang, pommel, etc. Later on, I am going to discuss the types of hunting knives and buying instructions.
Let us discuss them.
Overview of 7 Best Deer Hunting Knife
1. Havalon Deer Hunting Knife
Best Overall
⚙ Main Specifications
- Type:- Folding Knife
- Blade Length:- 2-3/4″ Inches
- Blade Material:- Stainless Steel
- Overall Length:- 7.25″ Inches
- Weight:- 1 oz
2. Buck Deer Hunting Knife
Lifetime Knife
⚙ Main Specifications
- Type:- Folding Knife
- Blade Material:- 420 HC Stainless Steel
- Blade Length:- 3-3/4″ Inches
- Overall Length:- 9″ Inches
- Weight:- 7.2 oz
- Warranty:- Lifetime
3. Morakniv Fixed Blade Knife
Inexpensive One
⚙ Main Specifications
- Type:- Fixed Blade Knife
- Blade Material:- 12C27 Stainless Steel
- Blade Length:- 4.1″ Inches
- Overall Length:- 8.6″ Inches
- Weight:- 4.1 oz
- Warranty:- Limited Lifetime
4. Benchmade Hunting Knife
Premium One
⚙ Main Specifications
- Type:- Folding Knife
- Blade Material:- CPM-S30V steel
- Blade Length:- 3.24 Inches
- Overall Length:- 7.46 Inches
- Weight:- 1.85 oz
- Warranty:- Lifetime Warranty
5. Outdoor Hunting Knife
Sharpe one
⚙ Main Specifications
- Type:- Folding Knife
- Blade Material:- 420J2 stainless steel
- Blade Length:- 3.5 Inches
- Overall Length:- 8 Inches
- Weight:- 2.8 oz
- Warranty:- Lifetime Warranty
6. Gerber Pocket Knife
Best Budget
⚙ Main Specifications
- Type:- Folding Knife
- Blade Material:- Stainless steel
- Blade Length:- 2.8 Inches
- Overall Length:- 6.9 Inches
- Weight:- 1.5 oz
- Warranty:- Limited Lifetime Warranty
7. Kershaw Deer Hunting Knife
Sleek Design
⚙ Main Specifications
- Type:- Folding Knife
- Blade Material:- 8Cr13MoV steel
- Blade Length:- 2-3/4 Inches
- Overall Length:- 6-1/2 Inches
- Weight:- 4.1 oz
- Warranty:- Limited Lifetime Warranty
Related Post:- Best Field Dressing Kit for Hunting
Related Post:- Best Bushcraft Knife
1. Havalon Deer Hunting Knife
Best Overall
⚙ Main Specifications
- Type:- Folding Knife
- Blade Length:- 2-3/4″ Inches
- Blade Material:- Stainless Steel
- Overall Length:- 7.25″ Inches
- Weight:- 1 oz
★Why You Choose This Hunting Knife
- Blade:- Comes with 13 scalpel-sharp replacement blades, each blade size is 60A and built with stainless steel material. Moreover, it is fitted with 60XT, 22XT, 70A, GH, and SW blades. For gutting a deer best to use a Gut-hook replacement blade.
- Handle:- The orange and black color combination is easy to find in the woods. The black rubber griping provides perfect gripping while you cutting the deer meat and the ABS plastic handle is very light in weight. The handle is hollow from the inside so it’s easy to clean the inevitable with the help of a knuckle brush.
- Blade Remover:- Well, blade remover is pretty good to use while replacing the blade. You can also remove the bade without the use of blade remover, but I suggest you always use blade remover.
- Durability:- The lightweight Havalon Piranta folding deer hunting knife is easy to carry with a backpack. Also, you can hook it with your belt clip for easy access into the woods. Stainless steel blades last for a while and are easy to replace with different types of blades.
✔ Pros
- Available in two color options
- Good grip
- Easy to handle
- Dishwasher safe
❌ Cons
- Flimsy blades
- Fragile structure
In a nutshell, the Havalon Piranta folding deer hunting knife is good for skinning, caping, quartering, or doing any kind of field-dressing work. Moreover, you can use it for different purposes by replacing its blades. Easy to carry due to its lightweight and handy to use while skinning and gutting. Best deer hunting knife to buy under $40 budget. Especially recommended for those who prefer to trail a long distance for hunting.
2. Buck Deer Hunting Knife
Lifetime Knife
⚙ Main Specifications
- Type:- Folding Knife
- Blade Material:- 420 HC Stainless Steel
- Blade Length:- 3-3/4″ Inches
- Overall Length:- 9″ Inches
- Weight:- 7.2 oz
- Warranty:- Lifetime
★Why You Choose This Hunting Knife
- Blade:- The clip-point style blade with sharp point edge finishing is designed for skinning and gutting. The length of the blade is 3-3/4″ inches and the spine is 0.12 inches thick. The blade is corrosion-resistant due to its 420HC stainless steel fabricated material. The blade sets apart from the other manufacturers due to its Paul Bos heat treat process. So you get the best potential of the blade in the woods, and the edge of the blade is fairly easy to sharpen.
- Handle:- Ergonomic brass bolsters and ebony hardwood handle provide you with the perfect combination of beauty and balance. After a few years of use, the brass material gets a little dinged up on the surface, but the ebony wood lasts for a lifetime.
- Locking Mechanism:- Provides you with all features of folding and fixed blade knives. Easy to open with the help of a nail notch on the blade and is easily folded by pushing the locking mechanism.
- Durability:- Life-long hunting knife with a lifetime warranty. The laminated knife handles and 420HC blade is handy to use for skinning, gutting, and hunting. The blade is corrosion-resistant and easy to resharpen.
✔ Pros
- Premium quality material
- Elegant and classy design
- Effective click-back system
- Polished handle
❌ Cons
- Not perfectly centered
- Faulty edge
This one is the selling deer hunting knife since 1963 in the USA, manufactured by the Buck company. My grandfather gave me this knife 8 years ago, but unfortunately, I broke the tip of the knife due to my stupidity. So, I had to reprofile the tip of the blade with my stone and the best part is, it hasn’t affected the performance of the knife.
Well, this is the best folding hunting knife that is handed over from one generation to another. The reason behind the folding knife is to replace the large fixed-blade knife that many hunters used for hunting. Well, Buck 110 solid hunting knives are one of the best replacements for those fixed-blade knives. A little heavy in weight due to its quality material, but it is one of the best hunting knives in all hunting fields. If you have a budget of $50 and want a premium quality knife that lasts for a lifetime, then I recommend going with Buck 110 deer hunting knife.
3. Morakniv Fixed Blade Knife
Inexpensive One
⚙ Main Specifications
- Type:- Fixed Blade Knife
- Blade Material:- 12C27 Stainless Steel
- Blade Length:- 4.1″ Inches
- Overall Length:- 8.6″ Inches
- Weight:- 4.1 oz
- Warranty:- Limited Lifetime
★Why You Choose This Hunting Knife
- Blade:- The blade is built with hardened Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel, which stays sharper as compared to a carbon steel blade. Moreover, stainless steel is less prone to rust as compared to carbon steel. The length of the blade is 4.1 inches long with a point tip finishing and the spline is 0.1 inches wide. Resulting in a perfect grip for your thumb and fingers while carving wood. Apart from this, the edge of the blade is easy to sharpen in the field due to its big bevel size and high hardness rating (HRC 56-58).
- Handle:- The handle grip fits perfectly with the shape of your hand and gives you perfect stability while working. Hard plastic material is used to manufacture the handle which ensures that it performs under wet and cool conditions.
- Sheath:- Well, I like its polymer ergonomic design and features including a belt clip and a drain hole.
- Durability:- It’s a versatile fixed-blade Companion hunting knife with razor-sharp edge finishing. The blade is durable for a long time due to its stainless steel properties. The pointed tip of the blade is really helpful in cutting wood into two pieces and even has the ability to break bricks into pieces without affecting the tip.
✔ Pros
- Sturdy construction
- Well designed
- Corrosion resistance
- Multipurpose use
❌ Cons
- Needs frequent cleaning and maintenance
- Gets rusted
Morakniv is a famous Swedish brand for its high-quality knife manufacturing since 1891. Which Morakniv Companion fixed-blade hunting knife is one of the best all-in-one knives for outdoor activities. It hasn’t the full tang length but it provides perfect stability in cutting. One of the cheap & best quality hunting knives to buy under a $20 budget. And you know what? it comes with a limited lifetime warranty of that amount. Even if you have a $30 budget I suggest you go with it.
4. Benchmade Hunting Knife
Premium One
⚙ Main Specifications
- Type:- Folding Knife
- Blade Material:- CPM-S30V steel
- Blade Length:- 3.24 Inches
- Overall Length:- 7.46 Inches
- Weight:- 1.85 oz
- Warranty:- Lifetime Warranty
★Why You Choose This Hunting Knife
- Blade:- Practically it is a flat grind blade fabricated with CPM-S30V steel. It is a wide blade with a nice swedge edge at the top and finished with precision drop-point construction for strength and versatility. The length of the blade is 3.24 inches long and the thickness is 0.090 inches, which provides small bevels and a razor-sharp cutting edge.
- Handle:- The ergonomic handle design is molded from glass-filled nylon material, which ensures its light quality. The fully ambidextrous grivory and jimping on the upper side provide you with perfect gripping. The length of the handle is 4.22 inches long and the thickness is 0.42 inches.
- Axis Lock Mechanism:- Well it ensures the safety and smooth opening and closing of the blade. As compared to other Benchmade knives the Bugout axis lock mechanism feels a little creepy due to its lightweight handle design.
- Pocket Clip:- The size of the pocket clip is small due to its lightweight design, and the build quality is excellent it does everything you need to do in a small package.
- Durability:- Slim and lightweight Bugout folding hunting knife comes with a lifetime warranty. The blade is durable for life and due to its nylon construction, the handle wears all types of pressures.
✔ Pros
- Easy to use
- Good control
- Quality handle
- Perfectly shaped edge
❌ Cons
- Screws may get loose
- Blades not for heavy use
Well, Bugout is one of the best lightweight category deer hunting knives made by Benchmade. This one is a pocket-friendly hunting knife with a slim profile and featherweight design. It is easy to carry with a backpack for longer trails due to its featherweight design. If you are looking for a premium quality knife that lasts for a lifetime go with this one. I know the price is a little out of budget but Benchmade has been famous for its designing and crafting of the best knives in the world for over 30 years.
The best part I like about Benchmade is the life-sharp service free of cost and the lifetime warranty unless you abuse or lose the Bugout hunting knife.
5. Outdoor Hunting Knife
Sharpe one
⚙ Main Specifications
- Type:- Folding Knife
- Blade Material:- 420J2 stainless steel
- Blade Length:- 3.5 Inches
- Overall Length:- 8 Inches
- Weight:- 2.8 oz
- Warranty:- Lifetime Warranty
★Why You Choose This Hunting Knife
- Blade:- Never sharpen your knife again and again with Outdoor Edge RazorLite push button replacement blade deer hunting knife. It includes 6 razor-sharp Japanese 420J2 stainless steel replacement blades with a 3.5-inch drop-point. The blade is held by the rigid 420J2 stainless steel black-oxide-coated blade holder. The jimping on the blade holder provides you with perfect one-handed gripping.
- Handle:- The handle is constructed with a lightweight ivory fiberglass/nylon polymer frame. Over the nylon frame, the rubberized TPR structure is molded perfectly for a non-slippery grip while performing the skinning and gutting task.
- Pocket Clip:- It is inbuild into the fiberglass/nylon polymer handle frame to keep the knife available at all times. Moreover, you can remove the fastening screw to remove the stainless steel pocket clip.
- Back Lock-Mechanism:- Easy to unlock and close the RazorLite knife with its fiberglass/nylon polymer handle by pushing down the back lock mechanism.
- Durability:- Okay, this gives you the strength of a traditional knife and the sharpness of a surgeon’s scalpel. The blade is easy to reopen and replace with the old one. It is durable for perfect gripping and is easy to carry with its pocket clip.
✔ Pros
- Available in various sizes and color options
- Premium quality buttons
- Extremely sturdy grips
- Good longevity
- Well structured
❌ Cons
- Blades are not sharp
- Loose screws
The RazorLite EDC Outdoor Edge deer hunting knife is completely appeared like a surgical instrument, in a folding skinner. Long wide, easy-grip handle for good control combined with a super-sharp replacement blade. The plus point of this hunting knife is they put a lanyard hole in the knife. Highly recommend field dressing and quartering out the game on the field. Best deer hunting knife to buy under $30 budget and recommend this for adults too sharp for kids.
6. Gerber Pocket Knife
Best Budget
⚙ Main Specifications
- Type:- Folding Knife
- Blade Material:- Stainless steel
- Blade Length:- 2.8 Inches
- Overall Length:- 6.9 Inches
- Weight:- 1.5 oz
- Warranty:- Limited Lifetime Warranty
★Why You Choose This Hunting Knife
- Blade:- The plastic container comes with 6 razor-sharp stainless steel replacement scalpel blades. These blades are super sharp and have an industry-standard size of 60. The replacement of the blade is super easy with its patented push-button blade release. For new replacement blades:- Gerber Vital Replacement Blades [31-002739]
- Handle:- It’s fabricated with soft rubber for its compact and lightweight design. The thickness of the handle is really wide with 3 jimping on the handle for comfortable gripping. In addition, comes with a large finger choil for better gripping and the plus point is they provide a lanyard hole too.
- Lock Back Mechanism:- It’s easy to close with the help of a lock back mechanism and smoothly open with your fingers.
- Durability:- Avoid putting too much pressure on the flat side of the blade as it is breakable due to the gap in the blade. The handle is durable with superior rubber gripping on it.
✔ Pros
- Effective push button
- Easy to use
- Compact
- Safe lick-back option
❌ Cons
- Fragile body
- Difficult to change the blades
Overall, the Gerber Vital pocket folding deer hunting knife is best for skinning deer and elk. It is super light in weight and so light to carry in a T-shirt pocket without pulling it down. The blaze orange color handle is easy to spot on the ground. Highly recommend it to those who love folded deer hunting knives and have a budget of $20. For a better combination of skinning and field dressing, I would suggest you buy Gerber Vital Zip for field dressing.
7. Kershaw Deer Hunting Knife
Sleek Design
⚙ Main Specifications
- Type:- Folding Knife
- Blade Material:- 8Cr13MoV steel
- Blade Length:- 2-3/4 Inches
- Overall Length:- 6-1/2 Inches
- Weight:- 4.1 oz
- Warranty:- Limited Lifetime Warranty
★Why You Choose This Hunting Knife
- Blade:– Build with 8Cr13MoV steel has carbon and slightly less nickel for hardness and edge retention. The length of the blade is 2-3/4 inches long and has an elegant swedge edge at the drop point spline. The Titanium Carbo-Nitride blade coating provides its razor-sharp edge and protects it from erosion resistance. In addition, they also provide jimping on the spline of the blade for better handling.
- Handle:- The handle is also coated with Titanium carbon to prevent it from abrasive wear resistance. 2 jimping is provided on the handle to ensure its perfect gripping and also has a lanyard hole. Moreover, the hinder lock bar stabilizer ensures it doesn’t overextend the frame while you close the knife.
- Pocket Clip:- It allows you to tip up or tip down on both the right and left sides which ensures its versatile nature. Easy to carry in the pocket and fit properly, especially in your jeans pocket.
- Frame Lock Mechanism:- The design make sure the safe and sturdier the knife is. Easy to open with one hand and while closing the knife it will take a little effort for its safety.
- Durability: Really a great knife for hunting the blade and handle is durable for a long time due to its Titanium Carbo-Nitride blade coating.
✔ Pros
- Solid cut with defined edges
- Well-designed body
- Premium quality material
- Strong handle
❌ Cons
- Think frame
- Blades are not centered
In a nutshell, the knife is best for rough and tough use due to its steel and carbon metal combination. The razor-sharp edge lasts for a while due to its carbon properties. A little hard to grind with the sharpened tool. Highly recommend it to those who are familiar with the Kershaw brand. The material they used is really a premium quality material that ensures its hardness on the field. Best deer hunting knife to buy under $30 budget.
Types of Hunting Knife And Buying Instructions
Types Of Hunting Knives
Fixed Blade Hunting Knife:- A fixed blade knife is equipped with a blade that permanently remains in the open position. There are no moving parts in the fixed-blade knife. It is generally considered a strong, reliable, and popular kind. This is the majority of hunting knives.
Pocket Hunting Knife:- A pocket hunting knife is sharp, easy to maintain, and functions. It can be easily fixed in your pocket, the most convenient and stress-free. It can be folded and may include scissors and files kind of things.
Folding Hunting Knife:- Folding hunting knife is one of the best hunting knives for skinning the game. It comes out half of your pocket and is very useful at the same time.
Lockback Folding Hunting Knife:- It is lightweight and easier to carry. The Lockback knife has rotation on a spring. When you open the knife, spinlocks in a notchback side of the blade. It has a very relevant position in the hunting zone after a fixed-blade knife.
Blade:-
The blade is the main and most important part of a knife. A knife with a sharp and strong blade works perfectly and is long. There are various kinds of hunting knife blades, for example, Drop point, Gut hook, Hawkbill, Needlepoint, straight back, spear point, Sheepsfoot, Clip point, and a few more.
The most common and most used blades are clip point and drop point. The clip point can be straight or may have a concave fine point. It provides you with excellent control and balance. While the drop point has a convex spine that curves down from the handle to the point. It is durable and broad as well as more user-friendly.
Handle And Grip:-
The handle of a knife is the part you are going to hold. The more comfortable handle it has, the easier and more convenient it is to use. If the grip of a handle is non-slipping, rubberized, and smooth, it will give you a safe operation of a hunting knife.
Nowadays, the most popular handles in hunting knife markets are made of G10, Micarta, and different types of natural wood. They are impressively long-lasting and comfortable. You are surely going to hold different knives with several kinds of handles before selecting the best deer hunting knife for you.
If a knife has a hollow handle, it won’t have a tang. Handle with tang make the knife more durable and sturdy as well as provide you with a good balance while you operate it.
Tang:-
The most frequently asked question of the customers…what is tang?…or what is full tang? Well, the tang is the blade or steel that doesn’t stop at the handle, it continues till the end of the handle without any interruption. It is the most important thing you should see before buying any hunting knife.
If there is no full tang in the knife, it may get loose and sometimes disassembles. While a knife with full tang will give you more accuracy and remains strong even if you use it vigorously. So make sure the best deer hunting knife should be with a full tang.
Pommel:-
A rounded knob on the end of the handle is called Pommel. Pommel gives a knife an attractive look and makes it more users friendly. While a hunter hunts, there are many obstacles in the wild, so in modern knives.
The pommel is playing a very crucial role to make a hunting knife survival knife also. It totally depends on how you like it, with or without Pommel. Sometimes a pommel makes it more worthy and impressive. So I will suggest you get a knife with a pommel.
Sheath:-
In general language, the cover of the knife is called Sheath. A Sheath provides cover to a knife and makes carrying and transportation easier. Most of them come with a belt loop and remains side as same as like belt.
They can also be fitted in other spots like, can be strapped to your leg, pouches, and backpacks. It allows you to carry your knife safely without hurting yourself. Many of the knives I am covering in this topic come with a Sheath. So make sure you buy your best deer hunting knife with a Sheath.
Conclusion:-
We have mentioned the best deer hunting knife in our article. After considering performance, steel quality, convenience, price, durability, and reviews of so many customers, I came across these best knives for hunting. Kindly keep the factors in mind decision I mentioned earlier while you are going to decide on a deer hunting knife. I hope this content helped you.
Let us know which hunting knife you use and what your experience is with while you hunting. Let us know how helpful this article is and share your thought to help others by providing a review of it. Comment Below.
Some bushcraft knives come with a sheath that has a sharpening stone attached. This is a convenient way to keep your knife sharp in the field.