Welcome to GetMojo, we do the research so you don’t have to! In this video, we’re offering our picks for the 5 best hunting knives on the market.
Having a quality hunting knife can mean the difference between a successful and disastrous hunting trip. As always, preparation is key. But what makes one knife different to another? And which knife is right for you? Well, to help you decide, we’ve sifted through numerous website and consumer reviews to present our 5 recommended products. Okay, first up.
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The Front Runner: Buck Knives 119 Special
Just because this is a special edition model – celebrating the 119’s 75th anniversary – doesn’t mean its lacking build quality and effectiveness. Buck makes some exceptional knives, and the 119 Special is no different. This full tang, 6-inch clip blade is made from hard-wearing, corrosion-resistant steel, with cocobolo wood wrapped around the handle. It’s narrow point makes it ideal for piercing and it comes housed in a leather sheath. Many review sites have praised its excellent balance and practical, belt loop-friendly size.
The Comparable: KA-BAR Becker BK2 Campanion Fixed Blade Knife
If you like to keep your hunting gear to a minimum, then this KA-BAR blade is ideal. Sure, it may be on the heavier side, but its added heft ultimately makes it more versatile, essentially giving you 2 or 3 blades in one that can do everything from splitting wood to finely skinning game. At around 10 and a half inches long, with the blade making up around 5 and a half inches of it, it’s a decent size, but it’s its thick, quarter-inch blade that really makes it domineering when tackling tougher jobs. We also like its hard shell nylon sheath.
The Grippy One: ESEE Knives 5P Fixed Blade Knife
You can talk about blade length and thickness till the cows come home, but for many, the grip and therefore usability of a blade is paramount. That’s where the 5P’s speciality lies. The handle of his blade is wrapped in a Micarta canvas, making it incredibly easy to hold – and keep hold of – even during varying weather conditions. This canvas wrap helps prevent the blade rolling in the hand during heavier use – a very common, and annoying, trait of some knives. Other stats include a 5.25-inch blade, which is made from 1095 carbon steel, meaning it’s easy to sharpen.
The Compact One: Benchmade Hidden Canyon Hunter
Hunting gear can be cumbersome, so the last thing you want to be worrying about is whether you’ve got room for a blade. Well, this super-compact Benchmade knife is ideal for those who want to save as much space as possible. The overall length of this knife is just over 6 inches, with the blade making up just over 2 inches of that. The blade may be small, but its curve compensates for that, so that you can still smoothly and easily skin game.
Before we reveal our last pick, here are a few other great hunting knives we wanted to give a mention:
Buck Knives 124 Frontiersman Fixed Blade Knife
MTech USA Xtreme
Mossy Oak 14-inch Bowie Knife
The Folding Blade: Havalon Piranta Z Folding Blade
Taking the compact blade approach to a whole new level, this foldable blade is ideal if you’re just looking at skinning game, or you want a small secondary knife. The blade of this knife stands at just 2 ¾ inches in length, and due to its razor sharp edge and slim dimensions, it’s perfect for meticulous skinning. This knife even comes with 12 replacement blades in the box, so you can easily swap out dull blades once you’re done with them. On top of that, it’s very affordable.
So which hunting knife should you choose? A big part of it comes down to choosing between power and precision. And whether you’re capable of handling a knife that offers both. Something like the KA-BAR Becker BK2 is an awesome all-rounder, but a bit on the heavy side. So, if you’ve got smaller hands, or simply want something a bit more manageable, then the Buck Knives 119 Special is a great choice.
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