What is a hunting knife?

The term "hunting knife" is simply a vague reference to any blade designed, or said to be designed, or actually used in the hunting process. There really is not a single knife that can pretend to be a "hunting knife". Hunting requires several different knives, for different purposes.

First, you need a good utility knife for odds and ends, such as cutting the brush, cutting yarn or cloth, and other general tasks that may be necessary, especially if you use firearms from the mouth or archery. It can be a sheath knife, like the legendary Finland, and a folder, like the Custom Damascus Folding knives

The dressing game is simply a butcher shop, but it is inconvenient to load a full set of large butcher knives in the field, so there are smaller versions available, so that at least you can get your harvested animal out of the field and the house, where additional processing can be completed. These include knives for skinning, covering and boning. These will invariably be sheath knives, because they will become very messy, and the folders would have to be completely disassembled so that they are completely clean ... a task beyond the abilities and patience of most people.

I said before that no knife can do everything, but there is an exception to this. Some companies like Bear Cutlery and Buck Knives make knives that have several interchangeable blades, usually a utility knife, a skinner and a bone saw. My Bear set even has a steak sheet with it. I have used mine on several birds, small animals and even some deer and wild pigs, and I must say that it is an exceptional value for money and comfort. He does a good job on everything, even fish.

Set of Knives for Blades of Blades for Knives of Bear Knife

Knives Set for Cutlery with Interchangeable Blades My Bear Cutlery. From top to bottom: skinning blade, serrated blade, covered blade. There is also a fish fillet blade with this set. They all store in a belt case.

Parts of a hunting knife

Three of the favorite hunting knives. From top to bottom: the Cold Steel Bushman Mini, the Mora Mate and the Steel Finnish Steel Bear

Three of the favorite hunting knives. From top to bottom: the Cold Steel Bushman Mini, the Mora Mate and the Steel Finnish Steel Bear

Point - Where the blade meets the spine, forming a sharp end that can be used to pierce or tear.

Belly: the curvature of the edge. More belly means a more convex curve, giving more length of cut. This is useful when skinning.

Edge: the active part of the blade that real cuts.

Spine: the back of the blade. This supports the edge and provides stiffness, strength and weight.

Bevel and secondary bevel: this is the actual cutting angle. Most hunting knives will have a 22∘-30∘ bevel. Do not confuse the bevel with the sharpening angle, which is usually 1/2 of the bevel. The secondary bevel brightens the blade and allows a sharper primary bevel.

Jimping: a battered spot on the spine, near the grip, which provides a non-slip surface for the thumb when it needs to strangle the blade to make small details.

Choil: an incrustation in an sharpened part of the blade, near the handle, which allows it to throttle the blade to make small details.

Protector (grip): a tight cross piece or a widened part of the scales that helps prevent the fingers from sliding down on the blade. Many knives have no guard, because they can interfere when you work inside the body cavity of large animals.

Pommel - Not often seen on outdoor knives, it is an enlarged or reinforced section at the rear end of the scale. Used primarily in combat knives as a pickguard, during dressing in the field, it can be used to break bones, skulls, ribs and other tasks that require percussive force.

All hunting knives may not have all of these parts. Only you can decide whether or not you need a knife with a specific characteristic. One thing to keep in mind, however ... in boonies, it's better to have a piece on a knife, and you do not need it, than to need a piece on a knife, and not have it. It is also one of the reasons why you should always carry several knives with you when you are in the jungle. There may be such a thing as carrying too many knives, but I have not seen it yet. But I've seen people who do not carry enough knives, many times.