Knife

I understand the s30v to be a harder steel therefore holding a edge longer but even Buck says on their website they can be a challenge to sharpen. I have considered getting one as I broke the tip off my cheap Gerber last week but hesitate due to maybe being unable to re sharpen. I've had the Buck Omni for a good ten yrs and been very happy with it.
 
Have you considered "making" your own? I purchase blades from various distributors and craft my own handles. Of all the blades I have worked with two makers stand out: EnZo and Helle. Despite my best efforts I have yet to dull one of their blades. A friend of mine has been using the same Helle blade for 8 years. It has gutted/butchered countless whitetail and a couple elk, it will still shave the hair off your arm. If you aren't interested in making your own handle they have a number of pre-made knives available. The EnZo Trapper is my go to blade. Here is a link to one of the distributors with some of the lower prices/widest selection:

http://www.thompsonsknives.com

Word of caution, it is an addicting hobby ;)
 
TheSurveyor said:
I understand the s30v to be a harder steel therefore holding a edge longer but even Buck says on their website they can be a challenge to sharpen. I have considered getting one as I broke the tip off my cheap Gerber last week but hesitate due to maybe being unable to re sharpen. I've had the Buck Omni for a good ten yrs and been very happy with it.
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If you buy it from Buck they will sharpen it for $7 which includes return shipping. Send it early as close to season can take longer. IME it takes a lot of critters or some bad knife handling to dull that steel in a year...
 
TheSurveyor said:
I understand the s30v to be a harder steel therefore holding a edge longer but even Buck says on their website they can be a challenge to sharpen. I have considered getting one as I broke the tip off my cheap Gerber last week but hesitate due to maybe being unable to re sharpen. I've had the Buck Omni for a good ten yrs and been very happy with it.
Click to expand...

Mine have not been difficult to sharpen, but then again, I know how to sharpen them. The standard Buck steel, AUS8 steel etc., is easier to sharpen, but it is all the same process. The S30V will generally cost you a bit more, but you get a bit more in return.

If you carry a diamond stone, ANY knife will work for you. It depends on what you want to spend and what your design preferences are. I have a few knives that I have received as gifts from RMEF etc., and they work just fine, even though they have cheap Chinese steel in them. They sharpen quickly and I use them here at the house for skinning chores or whatever.

I have never been a fan of sending a knife in to pay someone to sharpen it. The main reason is that a knife needs to be re-sharpened after field use to keep it in top sharpness. If you do many animals in a season, your knife will spend its whole life in the mail, instead of in flesh.

Get a good diamond stone and spend some time learning the feel of the blade on the stone. Learn on a knife that you don't mind messing up. It only took me about 30 years to wake up!:p
 
tmvikings said:
so the best hunting knifes has s30v steel?
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There is no such thing as a free lunch. You could go with S90V steel if you wanted to, but there is always a trade off. Softer steel might loose the edge quicker but is much easier to sharpen. I've used a bunch of different steel in knives and IMO you just can't beat plain old O1 tool steel, except that it will rust (part of that free lunch thing).
 
Gut Shot said:
There is no such thing as a free lunch. You could go with S90V steel if you wanted to, but there is always a trade off. Softer steel might loose the edge quicker but is much easier to sharpen. I've used a bunch of different steel in knives and IMO you just can't beat plain old O1 tool steel, except that it will rust (part of that free lunch thing).
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Pretty much what I was going to add. Lots of those new super steels are great, but require lots of work to resharpen..... and if you are changing the angle, best make time. Diamond stones are a big help here. It can take a lot of work to correct or change an edge. I just prefer the older or softer steels.


As much as I like the Buck 110, I prefer a fixed blade as they don't get gunk between the handles.

For a great, cheap, light weight, weather friendly knife..... Look at a Mora. Hunting is pretty much what those knives are designed for, they have a great sheath (despite being plastic), they have a good grip, come sharp, made of good steels, and they are only about $20.
 
I love s30v steel. I got a benchmade with this steel, i just use it for gutting or deboning. I send it in at the end of every year and it returns shaving sharp again. There are a lot of companies that will sharpen their knives for free or a very small fee.

I also love my spyderco using vg10 steel. got a pair of the bill moran knives. Free sharpening with them also.
 
Something else to consider is, IMO, most people go overboard on sharpening their knives. It really shouldn't take much to maintain an edge on a knife that is used for dressing/butchering work. For putting an edge on a knife initially I like a medium India stone, if you like diamond stones they work too, I've tried them and don't care for them. If it really needs work I use a wet drum sander. After that I very rarely use anything other than a fine Arkansas stone, ceramic stone or rod, or a steel. Usually less than a minute to pull the edge back into shape a couple of times a year is all it takes.
 
Gut Shot said:
Something else to consider is, IMO, most people go overboard on sharpening their knives. It really shouldn't take much to maintain an edge on a knife that is used for dressing/butchering work. For putting an edge on a knife initially I like a medium India stone, if you like diamond stones they work too, I've tried them and don't care for them. If it really needs work I use a wet drum sander. After that I very rarely use anything other than a fine Arkansas stone, ceramic stone or rod, or a steel. Usually less than a minute to pull the edge back into shape a couple of times a year is all it takes.
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Most production knives end up with a pretty coarse finish on the blade edge anyways.... it makes the edge more saw like. I sometimes go overboard, but I like it when a knife just pushes through paper or can at lease shave a few hairs.
 
Gut Shot said:
Something else to consider is, IMO, most people go overboard on sharpening their knives. It really shouldn't take much to maintain an edge on a knife that is used for dressing/butchering work. For putting an edge on a knife initially I like a medium India stone, if you like diamond stones they work too, I've tried them and don't care for them. If it really needs work I use a wet drum sander. After that I very rarely use anything other than a fine Arkansas stone, ceramic stone or rod, or a steel. Usually less than a minute to pull the edge back into shape a couple of times a year is all it takes.
Click to expand...

You ever break down an elk? Any sharpness is gone on one sidd of an elk.
 
brymoore said:
You ever break down an elk? Any sharpness is gone on one sidd of an elk.
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Yes I have, more than one, caribou too, bears skinned and quartered. Never had a problem with a knife holding an edge through the entire chore. In fact I stopped bringing a stone if I pack back into the mountains because I can't remember ever needing one.
 
I carry a small Arkansas stone with a small bottle of oil in my fanny pack. It works well and I still like the feel of a real knife in my hands.
 
Gut Shot said:
Yes I have, more than one, caribou too, bears skinned and quartered. Never had a problem with a knife holding an edge through the entire chore. In fact I stopped bringing a stone if I pack back into the mountains because I can't remember ever needing one.
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I get through deboning an elk with one knife no problem, but I certainly want it sharpened before i do another. I can get through 2 though if need be but certainly not ideal.

I think skinning takes its toll on a knife more than meat by far, so i try and do most the skinning by pulling more so than cutting.
 
If you want an great knife that you can pass on to your grand kids, look at Skyblade knives. They stay sharper longer than any knife I've ever used. They're spendy, but they're a nice blend of functionality and beauty.

Also, they're made in Bozeman by Todd Orr. He's the guy that got mauled by the griz twice last Fall.
 
tjones said:
Go big- Gene Ingram

Life is to short to pack an ugly knife.

http://www.michiganknives.com/Gene_Ingram.html
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Holy crap tjones-$$$$. I like nice knives, had one once - don't have it anymore - geographic recall incompetence. Hurt to lose it. Thus switched to cheapo's. I currently do all my carcass chores with a $30 Kershaw drop point and a Rapala short blade fillet knife. Both have orange handles for my benefit. Both are really ugly. Could start a whole new thread on lost Leathermans...
 
I usually have two knives, a more robust belt knife, either fixed or folder with Uncle Henry and Western (Granddads) being the most used. Then I have a Victorinox Hunter in my pack or pocket. It has a saw that works on bone, a gut hook and a locking blade. On deer I almost exclusively use the Swiss Army. On Elk I'll use both.
 
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