Best Knife?

[Robhood23]

Hey Guys,
    Looking for an opinion on what style blade is best for all around usage? I really like some of these custom knives that some of the guys on here make and am thinking of ordering one but there seems to be such a variety of blades. I am looking for an all around knife for gutting,skinning and possibly if the good lord shines on me caping.
   Thanks and I look forward to hearing your responses.

[R H Clark]

I'm sure some of these guys make great knives.I've never owned any of them however.The best blade I own or have ever handled is my Bob Dozier Yukon Pro Skinner in a Wilderness sheath.

It's not a pry bar but is ground thin and sharp and sharpens easily with a DMT and stays sharp a long time.The sheath is simply a marvel.It's made of kydex for safety and has a unique solid retaining system.I can't even tell I'm wearing it either walking or sitting.

[Rob DiStefano]

the only 'best knife' is the one you didn't forget to bring hunting so that you don't hafta use a broadhead to field dress yer kill.   :D  

seriously, i only know enuf about hunting knives to know it should be kept razor sharp and have a curve in the blade to allow for easier skinning/caping ... and that smaller is usually better.

leather sheath and red oak handle i made for my helle 2.5" carbon blade ...
 

[Mike Gerardi]

Alot of good Knives here. Helle blades are good stuff. Check out some of Doug Campbells knives. His Caper knife is one I will carry on any hunt for any game.

[kbaknife]

Originally posted by Arrow k9:
Alot of good Knives here. Helle blades are good stuff. Check out some of Doug Campbells knives. His Caper knife is one I will carry on any hunt for any game.

Good choice!!

[Dave2old]

Over the years my two favorite designs for hunting have been the Schrade Sharpfinger, and the Helle Fire. Both have handles larger than the blades. The Schrade has a carbon steel blade and is easy to resharpen in the field. The Helle has tripli-laminated stainless blade and rarely needs resharpening; I can field dress, quarter and bone an elk with just a few quick touch-ups with a carbon stick. As with custom bows, there are so many great choices these days in knives, it's dizzying. I now carry the Helle Fire and back it up with a self-handled Helle small carbon, like Ron. dave

[madness522]

I think the best knife to have is a sharp one.  You can do just about any job with just about any knife that is sharp.  I have gutted and skinned deer with a small sharp neck knife and done the same with a filet knife.  A sharp knife is much safer to use than a dull one.  I like a small or med size clip or drop point for a carry hunting knife.

[Elksong]

This is my "go-to" knife. Not too big, not to small. It will do anything I need from a knife. It is a Nessmuk styled knife by Sticshooter.
 

[sticshooter]

Jason you still using that knife I see. I kinda like these myself.<><
 
 

[tomh]

I like any knife that is small enough to be maneuverable, thin enough to cut well, pointy enough to pierce well, and strong enough not to fail, and is enough knife for most jobs.

You will find plenty of those if you search around. then the hard part is picking one! Then another, and another!

[Robhood23]

What would a knife maker call a blade that is a all around blade, or how do I find out which blades go with certain specialties?
   Thanks again for all the help guys!!!

[tomh]

I call it a utility knife.
Also what a maker calls a knife might not be accurate in strict terms, so you have to judge what is useful to you in a knife and pick one regardless of what it is called. Choose based on features and usefulness.

[tippit]

Just got back from skinn' and butcherin' 15 bears...guess that's worth 10 years of huntin' anyway    A couple of the camp favorites of my blades were a true skinner and a sharp point skinner.  A few guys traded for these two  styles...Doc

 

 

[kbaknife]

Glad to see you got to put those to use, Jeff.
I just got back from Compton's hangin' out with Stinson. And we talked about you more than once.
Nothing like real world use to test a knife.
Those look perfect for the camp and the back pack. Not too big, should take a nice edge if done right.
Should be easy to use in tight spots and both have a guard to protect the user's hands.
Probably the most important aspect of the knife will come down to heat treating.

[tippit]

Karl,
I agree about the heat treat.  If the edge don't work, it doesn't matter what they look like!  Thanks to the ABS Great Smokey Mt Blade Symposium, I got my heat treat all tweeked in.

Stinson and his son Grey are sure good people...Doc

[Lewis Brookshire III]

Doc, I LOVE the looks of the knife on top...looks like a great working knife, with style to go along with it!