Need a new field dressing knife

The Altitude has not been discontinued.


Oh, nice! I’m glad it’s not. If I ever lost mine, I would buy another one no question.

That said, that’s a different generation/model.

I have one that looks more minimal like this:


 
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I am in need of a new gutting/field dressing knife and maybe a new skinning knife. Any recommendations?
My current favorite is a Charles May Holt Collier Special in S35V.

John

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Depends on your budget. I have Customs from Keith Murr, Larry Page, Wayne Hendrix, Mule Forge ( Alberta I think), Dozier Arkansas, Bark River; Factory - Buck, Browning, Marbles, Schrade, love them all. But I carry one of these when hunting - Old 1960's German made Browning, Keith Murr Drop point hunter, or Dozier in my pack , In my Pocket - always with old Green Thin handle Buck Lite Knife.
 
The longer I have hunted the less I leave behind. I don't fault anyone for using whatever method they want or leaving the parts they don't eat or can't carry.
But I no longer leave the heart, kidneys, or liver behind. I am trying to learn how to properly cook the heart. But even if it does turn out, I just feed it to my dogs.
When my kids were all home and hunting, I used to process 3 to 5 deer per season. I always take the neck meat, tenderloins, rumps, and backstraps for our consumption. I cut the front shoulders and leg meat into strips with the connective tissue attached and dry them for dog treats. My dogs love them! I feed the front and rear leg bones to my dogs. I freeze some of them and dole them out throughout the year. They love it! I feed the liver and kidney to my dogs as well. I now only leave the rib cage. Sometimes, I even give my dogs the hide to chew on. Yes it makes a huge fur mess in the backyard, but they love it! Why give it all to coyotes?
Try this for the heart. Trim it pretty severely. You can feed the trimmings to your dogs. Then slice it into frying pieces. Bread it by using eggs and crushed cracker crumbs and maybe season with a little salt and pepper then just throw it in a skillet and fry it. Pretty tasty!!!
 
Havalon Baracuta. Replaceable blade "filet" knife. You are not going to be splitting a pelvis with one, but for about $2.50, you will have a brand new scapel sharp blade every time. Takes 1 blade for a deer or pronghorn. 1-2 blades for an elk depending on how you cut the skin and if you keep them off the bones. Super lightweight too. Carry a small bone saw too. I use the Gerber bone/wood saw. I can't tell you how many bones I have cut through with it.

I have a bunch of very high quality folder and fixed blades knives. Even some nice customs. I always end up grabbing a Havalon when I have game down.
I agree with this. Used to use the Buck 119 but after using a Havalon, I will never use anything else. Just make sure you buy the orange snap cases to remove the blade. Put the blade in, snap it shut, push pressure and it slides right off. The blades will be completely protected so you don't have to worry about the used ones jabbing you while heading back to camp.
 
For elk and deer I really don’t need anything more than a 3 inch blade. I do use a light weight hook blade for the purpose of trying to keep hair off the meat.

Took me a while to figure this out, but even for bigger jobs a small blade brings the work closer which gives more control. Also offers better leverage, which reduces fatigue in the long run.

Dan Crotts' Semi Skinner is about the ultimate pattern for me.

I had a friend make me one with a hidden tang, because that combined with a bone handle is almost like a hand warmer when it's cold out

Here are a few of my favorites;

faveknives.jpg
 
I purchased a Buck Folding Hunter with the Black Tool Steel Blade, about 4 years ago. The Knife guy at the Cabela Knife department said do not ever try to sharpen this blade, send it back to Buck to be resharpened. Never used it yet , but its a great looking knife!!!!
 
I am in need of a new gutting/field dressing knife and maybe a new skinning knife. Any recommendations?
I really like my cold steel master hunter with the cpm-3v steel. Holds an edge really well. I did 6 deer with it on the factory sharpening. And I cut right up the sternum with my knives. I will see how the edge holds up now. I finally sharpened it really good on my worksharp.
 
I agree with this. Used to use the Buck 119 but after using a Havalon, I will never use anything else. Just make sure you buy the orange snap cases to remove the blade. Put the blade in, snap it shut, push pressure and it slides right off. The blades will be completely protected so you don't have to worry about the used ones jabbing you while heading back to camp.
I’ve heard a lot of folks worry about removing the blades, and never understood the problem. Hook a fingernail under the rearmost part of the blade, behind where it clips on (where it tapers down). Lift, give a tiny bit of forward pressure and it slides up onto the protrusion that it clips into. Then just grab the top of the blade and pull it off
 
Havalon Baracuta. Replaceable blade "filet" knife. You are not going to be splitting a pelvis with one, but for about $2.50, you will have a brand new scapel sharp blade every time. Takes 1 blade for a deer or pronghorn. 1-2 blades for an elk depending on how you cut the skin and if you keep them off the bones. Super lightweight too. Carry a small bone saw too. I use the Gerber bone/wood saw. I can't tell you how many bones I have cut through with it.

I have a bunch of very high quality folder and fixed blades knives. Even some nice customs. I always end up grabbing a Havalon when I have game down.
Them cheap fold out saws that take sawzall blades are the best thing ever for splitting the pelvis. I use this one. https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-15-333-8-Inch-Folding-Pocket/dp/B00002X21U
 

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