- Field Dressing: After a successful hunt, one of the first tasks is field dressing the deer to remove the internal organs. A sharp, durable hunting knife helps ensure clean cuts, making the process more efficient and reducing the risk of puncturing the gut, which can spoil the meat. A reliable hunting knife allows hunters to perform this task quickly and safely.
- Skinning: Once the deer is brought back to camp or home, the next step is skinning. A good hunting knife with a sturdy blade and a comfortable handle helps in separating the skin from the meat without causing damage to the hide or the flesh. This is especially important if the hunter plans to use the hide.
- Butchering: A high-quality hunting knife is vital for butchering the deer into usable cuts of meat. The precision of a well-made hunting knife ensures that the meat is processed cleanly and efficiently, minimizing waste.
- Safety: A sharp, well-maintained hunting knife is safer than a dull one. A dull knife requires more force, increasing the risk of accidents. A good deer hunting knife also typically has a secure grip, reducing the chance of slips during use.
- Durability and Versatility: Hunting knives are often used for various tasks beyond just field dressing and butchering, such as cutting rope, sharpening sticks, or even self-defense in the wild. A good knife should be versatile and durable enough to handle these tasks effectively.
A good deer hunting knife is worth its weight in gold. After the harvest, the knife becomes your most essential tool. These eight deer knives won’t let you down!
The white-tailed deer is North America’s favorite big-game animal for several reasons. First is its geographic distribution. The whitetail is huntable in 45 U.S. states from north to south and east to west. They adapt remarkably well to various terrains, which leads to the second reason they are the most sought-after game animal in the country: they are awesome! Depending on what sub-species of whitetail a hunter is pursuing, they may harvest a buck with a body weight of over 300 pounds. These big-bodied brutes are typically found throughout the West and Midwest, where protein and carbohydrate-rich agriculture abounds. Head south into parts of Texas, and deer body size shrinks. In parts of the Lone Star State, it’s not uncommon to harvest a buck with 150-inch antlers and a body weight of 150 pounds. I have hunted whitetails in Florida that rut in August and those in Mississippi that rut in mid-January. The bottom line is that whitetails are a remarkable species, abundant in number, and enjoyable to hunt. Whitetails also make excellent table fare, which means when Odocoileus virginianus hits the ground, you want the right hunting knife to do the job. Whether you’re looking for an excellent gutter, skinner, caper, butchering knife, etc., we’ve got you covered.
- Best Overall Hunting Knife: Benchmade Steep Country
- Best Fixed Blade Hunting Knife with Guthook: Buck Knives 691 Buck Zipper
- Best Deer Skinning Knife: Argali Serac
- Best Hunting Knife for Caping: Havalon Piranta-Edge
- Best Hunting Knife for Butchering: Benchmade MeatCrafter Carbon Fiber
- Best In-The-Pocket Folding Hunting Knife: CRKT Nucleus Frame Lock
- Best Budget Hunting Knife: Outdoor Edge 3.5″ Razor EDC Lite Replaceable Blade
- Best Everyday Carry Knife: Diamond Blade Knives Fury Auto
Best Overall Hunting Knife: Benchmade Steep Country
There are many excellent knives on the market, many of which could easily be in bold in the Best Overall sub-head above. However, it takes a lot of work to beat a Benchmade. It’s also difficult, from gutting to skinning to butchering, the do-all ability of the 3.54-inch Steep Country fixed-blade.
I cheer the no-slip Santoprene handle, which reduces slippage when the hands are bloody. The handle works in harmony with the CPM-S30V Premium Stainless Steel Drop-Point blade. With a drop-point, the tip height is usually below the center line of the blade to ensure maximum control when cutting. The large belly facilitates skinning, and I’ve found the .121-inch thick blade allows some prying around joints and bones but is finite enough to work meticulously around the eyes, nose, ears, and mouth when caping.
This do-all knife weighs 2.95 ounces and comes with an Orange/Gray Boltaron sheath.
Best Fixed Blade Hunting Knife with Guthook: Buck Knives 691 Buck Zipper
It’s hard to beat a Buck Knife. Their blades are economical and proven performers. As a Western hunter, I don’t gut too many critters, even whitetails. I prefer the gutless method but I like the Buck Knives 691 Zipper when I do opt to pull the insides out.
Gutting is a messy business. I like the textured rubber handle, which prevents slippage. With this 6.6-ounce, 4.25-inch blade length knife, you can quickly gut and piece a deer apart. The gut hook unzips the skin and a thin layer of tissue between the skin and the guts. With the hook angled back and up, poking the guts is virtually impossible.
The 420HC steel fixed blade is sharp and durable. It’s beefy enough to pry around bones and socket joints and sharpens like a dream in the field. The knife comes with a black, heavy-duty nylon sheath for transport.
Best Deer Skinning Knife: Argali Serac
When I skin a deer, whether it’s hanging or I’m working on the ground, I want to remove the hide quickly and safely without getting unnecessary hair on the meat. I don’t want to fight blade sharpness, and I don’t want to be on a skinning roll and have to pause and sharpen my blade.
Argali makes excellent gear, and its Serac knife is a skinning win. The knife’s airy 2.1-ounce weight means it feels great in hand, and when you combine the weight with the 3-inch blade length, you get a knife that handles remarkably well.
The full handle grip and modified skinning blade mean that after skinning, you can use the same knife to piece the deer apart, and the S35VN Steel ensures that the blade holds an incredible edge. Though I haven’t used the knife on an elk, several of my backcountry hunting amigos have and tell me they can skin and nearly butcher an entire elk with the knife without having to touch up the blade. Imagine how well it works on deer!
The deep belly and drop-point blade tip make working in tight spaces a breeze, and this knife works well for detail work around the antlers, eyes, nose, and mouth if you want to use it for caping.
The Serac Knife comes with a ferro rod striker built into its spine, the handle material is textured G10, and it comes with a Kydex sheath.
Best Hunting Knife for Caping: Havalon Piranta-Edge
I’m not much of a replaceable-blade knife fan, except when caping animals. I want a razor-sharp blade of less than 3 inches and a strong handle that reduces slippage and doesn’t fill up my entire palm area.
I find what I’m looking for in the economical Piranta-Edge from Havalon. The knife comes with 12 additional stainless-steel 60A blades that swap out in seconds, and the knife folds up and will fit in your pocket. The polymer handle is strong, and sections of gridded black improve in-hand feel.
When working around the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, etc., I like a thin surgical-sharp blade that allows me to feel as I cut. I will note that if you try to pry on the thick skin at the base of the antlers, you’ll snap blade after blade. However, if you take your time and cut and pull a little at a time, letting the tip of the knife work, this rig handles the around-the-antlers chore fine.
The knife features ambidextrous thumb studs, an overall length of 7-1/4 inches, a removable holster clip, and liner-lock construction. Havalon includes a nylon holster with each purchase.
Best Hunting Knife for Butchering: Benchmade MeatCrafter Carbon Fiber
It wouldn’t be an honest knife review if we didn’t include a couple of Benchmade models, and from filleting fish to carving turkey breasts away from the bone to butchering venison, the MeatCrafter is a cutlery win.
No matter where I go, the MeatCrafter is in my truck, camper, or luggage. While the price point may make your jaw drop, I promise this knife is worth its weight in gold.
The total knife length is 11.059 inches, and the blade length is 6.077 inches. The trailing point blade sports a thickness of .09 inches, and the spine curves upward to create an elevated point higher than the ultra-durable carbon handle.
Whether you’re carving up steaks or cutting up chunks of venison to go in the grinder, this 4.52-ounce knife will get the job done. The knife comes with a Boltaron sheath, and LifeSharp Services means that Benchmade will re-sharpen your knife to a factory edge for free for the life of the knife.
Best In-The-Pocket Folding Hunting Knife: CRKT Nucleus Frame Lock
I like knife designs by Princeton Wong. They are innovative, creative, and never disappoint. Enter the CRKT Nucleus Frame Lock. More than once, I’ve done the dirty work after pulling the trigger or dropping the string with a pocket knife. I know some deer hunters who only use a pocket knife.
What I like about the Nucleus Frame Lock is its three-way opening design. Users can easily access the front and rear flippers, and an elongated hole in the top of the blade allows easy opening. The 4.19-inch (closed) knife rides comfortably inside the pocket and showcases a clip. The 12C27 steel blade with bead blast finish measures 3.19 inches, and G10 Overlay scales cover the stainless-steel handle.
The blade ensures maximum sharpness retention, and re-sharpening is never an issue.
Best Budget Hunting Knife: Outdoor Edge 3.5″ Razor EDC Lite Replaceable Blade
Deer hunters, you won’t find a better knife for under $30. This replaceable blade beauty folds up and fits in the pocket, and the push-button-style replaceable blade system is genius. Outdoor Edge also fitted the knife with a removable/replaceable pocket clip.
Unlike many other replaceable-blade knives I’ve used, Outdoor Edge builds. Thanks to the black-oxide-coated blade holder, it reduces blade snapping and gives the knife some backbone.
The knife comes with six 3.5-inch heat-treated Japanese 420J2 stainless razor blades, and the double-molded Grivory handle’s rubberized coating allows maximum blade maneuverability no matter the chore, even when the hands are covered in blood.
I love the double-sided thumb stud for one-handed opening, and the single-button push closure maximizes blade locking and closing safety.
Best Everyday Carry Knife: Diamond Blade Knives Fury Auto
Sometimes, you want to take a hike through the woods with nothing more than a small folder in your pocket, a knife that will work as well on a buck as it will to open a UPS package. Enter Diamond Blade Knives Fury Auto.
The knife is ultra-sharp and lightweight, but its bulletproof build makes it ideal for any task. Friction-forged Technology Steel allows the 2.6-inch blade to remain strong and sharp, and the knife is available in liner lock and automatic versions, depending on personal preference.
We like the easy one-handed opening, and the positive safety lock on the left-hand side ensures secure handling even when the hands are bloody.
My Best Buddies weigh in on their Favorite Hunting Knives:
I realize this is a weird sub-heading but keep reading. I’ve been hunting for over 30 years. During that time, I met a lot of great hunters and developed a group (I call them the A-Team) that I trust. We all lean on one another regularly, bouncing ideas off one another, so I decided to pick their brains for this article.
Scott Haugen is a hunting legend. For years, he hosted Trijicon’s The Hunt. He is also an accomplished outdoor writer and author and a remarkable big-game hunter. Haugen noted two favorites: Benchmade’s Mini Taggedout and Browning’s Primal Scalpel Kill Kit. The Mini Taggedout is a small, lightweight, and ultra-durable knife with easy-to-see bright orange Grivory scales and a grip texture. Haugen told me several times, “Even when your hands are wet, bloody, and covered in greasy fat, the knife promotes an excellent grip.” The tough CPM-154 clip-point blade with SelectEdge is razor sharp, and a slide-button design makes opening and closing safe and easy.
“If you haven’t broken down a deer with a scalpel-style knife, do it,” said Haugen. “And when you do, Browning’s Primal Scalpel Kill Kit is an excellent choice.” This innovative kit comes complete with a lightweight Primal Scalpel knife, replacement blades, four 37″ x 21″ game bags, a storage bag, 10 feet of paracord, two large disposable gloves, and a trio of zip ties. The Primal Scalpel Knife sports durable polymer handle scales with rubber over mold and anti-skid grooves that provide precise control.
Clint Casper is an outdoor writer and hardcore bowhunter who travels across the West each fall in search of big-game nirvana. Casper told me, “I really like the Chamois from Goat Knives. The Chamois is a fixed-blade knife with a blade design that excels at skinning, fleshing, and caping. The Chamois weighs a mere 2.8 ounces and is 7- ⅜-inches long. The blade length comes in at 3.25 inches, which in my opinion, is the perfect hunting size for a lightweight knife. The Chamois is cut from a piece of Nitro V hardened to a Rockwell Hardness rating 62.”
Casper noted that the knife retains its ultra-sharp edge, even after breaking down and deboning a whole deer or the better part of a bull elk. Like all Goat Knives the Chamois comes with a custom-molded Kydex sheath. I like this sheath style because of its tight fit and sleek design. This knife is part of Goat Knives’ high-end lineup and features a comfortable full-length handle machined from durable GIO material. It feels excellent inside your hand. The Goat Knives’ signature 1/4-inch drive hole has been added to the end of the handle. This hole allows you to utilize the 1/4-inch bit to repair and work on anything you may encounter in the field.
Zach Bowhay is an outdoor writer and hardcore hunter. Bowhay loves knives and has several in his kill kit. His favorite deer duo, go-to, though, is Benchmade’s Saddle Mountain Skinner and legendary Buck Knives 110 Folding Hunter. “Few knives compare to the Benchmade Saddle Mountain Skinner when field dressing an animal,” Bowhay said. “With its drop-point blade, perfect balance, and classic feel, this knife is the ideal tool for one of the most essential responsibilities we have as hunters, and that task is proper game care. “But what sets the Saddle Mountain Skinner apart is how long it holds its edge. The S30V steel offers an excellent balance of edge retention while still being manageable enough for the average person to re-sharpen when needed.”
Bowhay had this to say about Buck Knives tried-and-true 110 Folding Hunter: “For my utility and initial cut knife on a deer hunt, I prefer the Buck Knives 110 Folding Hunter. This knife carries the nostalgia of the first knife my dad gave me, with the upgrades of modern craftsmanship. It’s small and light enough to fit nicely in my pocket or binocular harness yet large enough to handle serious tasks—a perfect balance for a hunting folder. Unlike my primary field dressing knife, I prefer this one to be incredibly easy to sharpen after any use, and the 420HC steel offers just that while maintaining a solid edge.”
What To Look For In A Deer Hunting Knife
Let’s not overcomplicate this. I don’t want anyone standing in the knife aisle of a sporting goods store staring at hundreds of knives riddled with anxiety. Deer aren’t monstrous animals, and most knives will work to break them down. However, the questions to ask yourself when looking for your following deer cleaner include:
- Do I want a do-all deer knife or several specialized knives?
- Do I plan to butcher my own game or take my game to a butcher?
- Do I want a fixed-blade, folder, or replaceable-blade knife?
- Do I want a knife that will last me a lifetime or one I will likely have to replace every few years?
If you start the selection process after you answer these questions, you’ll thin down your list of possible blades. Then, you can dive deeply into the topic or ask questions about a specific blade on social media. Remember, like most pieces of hunting gear, the deer knife you fall in love with will be based more on personal preference than any other feature.
Frequently Asked Questions about selecting a Deer Hunting Knife
Do I get a fixed-blade knife or a replaceable-blade knife?
I highly recommend having at least one quality fixed-blade knife with you while deer hunting at all times. A fixed blade can do things that a replaceable blade can’t. A top-end fixed-blade knife will last you for life, and you can re-sharpen it regularly. Replaceable blade knives serve a purpose but can be flimsy. You often go through many blades, but if you’re patient and learn what a replaceable knife can and can’t do, it will serve your deer needs well.
Will a replaceable blade knife handle all of my deer hunting needs?
Yes and no. We like replaceable-blade knives for medium-sized animals like deer. They work well for skinning and carving up meat, but having a fixed blade or a folder with some backbone to pry on joints is nice. Recently, my buddy killed a massive 183-inch Nevada buck. I used an Outdoor Edge knife to do 90 percent of the work, but when it came time to pop the atlas joint and detach the hooves at the leg joints before putting the quarters in game bags, my Benchmade sure was handy to have on hand.
Do I need to carry a knife sharpener in the field?
Yes, you must always have a knife sharpener in your kill pouch. My go-to sharpener is Work Sharp’s Guided Field Sharpener. This easy-to-use sharpener comes with a coarse 220 and fine 600-grit diamond to meet my sharpening needs. The sharpener also has a ceramic rod for knives with serrations and a leather strop.
Do I need to spend over $200 on a deer knife?
No, you don’t. However, if you hunt multiple deer in multiple states and other big-game species, I recommend not paying attention to the price tag and staying more focused on the knife’s benefits.
Final Thoughts on selecting a Hunting Knife
Deer season is right around the corner, and gear testing and buying season is underway. Few things in your deer arsenal trump a quality knife. I’ve watched buddies drop a deer and then struggle for hours with a sub-par, less-than-sharp knife. I toted a Walmart special in my pocket early in my hunting career. I wasn’t about to drop $200 or more on a knife. I’ve learned that the better the knife, the easier the chore becomes when the trigger is pulled, or the string is dropped. I no longer worry about the process but rather look forward to it because I know I have the right knife, and often several of them, to perform all the necessary chores that come with a successful deer harvest.
Related Stories:
Wild Game Processing by Mike Reeber
Best Overall Hunting Knife: Benchmade Steep Country
Best Fixed Blade Hunting Knife with Guthook: Buck Knives 691 Buck Zipper
Best Deer Skinning Knife: Argali Serac
Best Hunting Knife for Caping: Havalon Piranta-Edge
Best Hunting Knife for Butchering: Benchmade MeatCrafter Carbon Fiber
Best In-The-Pocket Folding Hunting Knife: CRKT Nucleus Frame Lock
Best Budget Hunting Knife: Outdoor Edge 3.5″ Razor EDC Lite Replaceable Blade
Best Everyday Carry Knife: Diamond Blade Knives Fury Auto
