A good hunting knife should be made of high-quality steel with excellent edge retention and corrosion resistance. It should also be able to be sharpened easily.
Hunting knives come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some have thick blades that are good for gutting and skinning. Other designs are smaller and more suited for cleaning small game.
Blades
A hunting knife blade is made from high-carbon steel and is sharpened to a sharp edge. There are several styles of blades that hunters can choose from, including clip point, drop point and tanto.
Many knives are also equipped with a gut hook to help skin an animal and clean it up. There are also many knives that specialize in deboning, making it easier to remove meat from a carcass without severing the bone.
Another style of blade is the skinner, which has a sweeping edge that reaches up and down. These knives are especially useful for skinning large game.
A replaceable-blade hunting knife can be swapped out for a different blade when it gets dull. These knives are great for hunters who don’t want to spend time maintaining a sharp edge, but they do have some drawbacks.
Handles
The handles of hunting knives are a key component to the overall knife design. They must fit your hand and be comfortable for extended use.
Various types of natural and synthetic material are used for the handles of knives. Bone, wood, horn and leather are all popular choices for handle materials.
Knife maker and bladesmith Dick Turpin says an effective hunting knife handle must provide good grip, warmth and durability. He recommends rounded handles for the best handling.
A variety of materials are available for the handle of a hunting knife including aluminum, bone, leather and plastic. Whether natural or synthetic, the handle adds a lot of character to a knife.
Sheaths
Hunting knives are often made with a sheath that is designed to carry the knife while you’re out on a hunt. Typically, these sheaths are made of leather that is either oiled or painted to give them a unique look.
Sheaths can also have other features that make them more useful. For example, some sheaths feature a pocket that is specifically designed to hold a sharpening stone or other sharpening implements.
Another feature of sheaths is that they can be hung on belts to prevent back and forth movement when a knife is not being used. These features can help protect your knife from damage and help ensure that it stays sharper for longer.
Sheaths are also used to replace broken or worn out sheaths for many different knife brands. Here at Knives Plus, you can find sheaths for KA-BAR, Becker Knife & Tool, Case, Buck and more.
Locks
Hunting knives are made with a variety of different blade locks. Each type is unique and has its own strengths and weaknesses. The type of lock you choose will depend on your own preference, the style of knife you prefer to use, and your budget.
The most common folding blade lock is the liner lock. It operates similar to the frame and mid locks in that a piece of metal that is tensioned falls into a notch on the tang of the blade.
This lock is found on many modern tactical folders, hunting knives, and one-hand opening folding blades. They are easy to operate and require minimal effort to open.
A back lock is another popular locking mechanism that dates back to the early days of the knife industry. It is strong, reliable, and easy to use.