Selecting a hunting knife is one of the most involved aspects of outfitting yourself for a hunt, much like selecting a gun for your intended quarry or boots for the trip.
It requires attention to detail, weight, carriage, and most importantly, the tasks to which it will be put. A trip chasing pheasants in the uplands might allow for a lightweight folding knife that will only need to make a few small incisions for gutting.
A backcountry trip running down bighorns in the west will require a large fixed knife like a camp knife that can clear land and straddle the middle ground between skinning, boning, and separating joints. Therefore, when you’re trying to select a knife that will most likely be used in a wide range of environments, you should pick one that can cover the largest possible set of jobs, as well as from a reputable maker. One such maker is Kershaw, and a Kershaw Hunting Knife is one that will outlast and outperform.
A simple folder with a slightly swept belly and sturdy drop point can be found in Kershaw’s Thistle. Though not intended to flash and catch the eye, it will shine when a maximum of utility is called for, giving the user the ability to skin, gut, and even perform light butchering tasks. In addition, this model can be used to light camp craft such as carving feather sticks or splitting smaller logs for a fire.
In the right hands, it could certainly even be used to filet or pan dress panfish for an impromptu backcountry meal.
With a more classic, Bowie-style blade, Kershaw’s CQC-10K was designed with the hunter in mind. A three and a half inch blade is the perfect compromise between lighter folders and heavier true bowies, and the blade pairs beef with a needle-sharp clip point for fine tasks like filleting and separating cuts of meat. Only 5 ounces, this pocket knife will serve faithfully without offering the bearer fatigue.
The Kershaw Diskin Hunter is the most traditional and definitely the strongest addition to this testament to Kershaw’s portfolio of hunting knives. Its fixed blade does what other knives simply can’t no matter their reputation or claims.
A fixed hunting knife is the staple of what a tool is, able to carve and pry and split with ease without fear of breakage or failure. It is just shy of ten inches overall, with a 4-inch blade and full tang. This knife will not flinch or flag when put through any of the gauntlets that the trail demands.
A final suggestion on this list is a knife that truly is not a hunting knife in and of itself, but as no hunter (or any sportsmen, for that matter) carries only one knife, this final entry is a knife that might just save the life or trip of a hunter in the field. Kershaw’s Shuffle DIY knife was clearly intended to be the pal of contractors and DIY’ers – hence the name.
However, this knife features a small drop point blade that is entirely reminiscent of many other skinners, which means it will excel as a complementary blade to a hunter’s main companion.
Moreover, the screwdrivers recessed into the handle might just save a trip when hardware comes loose on guns, bows, or trail equipment. Therefore, though not a hunting knife in its own right, this model is an excellent complement to another model.
Whether any of these knives or another is your ticket to a Kershaw hunting knife, head to White Mountain Knives for the provisioning. White Mountain Knives has a peerless selection of products and orders in the United States ship free, so there’s no reason to wait. Go right to www.whitemountainknives.com and stock up today.
