# Hunting > Varminting and Small Game Hunting >  Which Knife ?

## viper

Ok so I got a birthday coming up...again.
My lovely wife is pushing me to buy myself a present.

I don't hunt anything big and have a separate knife for that.

I shoot a lot of rabbits and often skin the back legs and take the meat for cat food.

So I want a new blade, I would like to know your suggestions. I already use a little swiss army knife and have used the Mecrators as well, both work great but want something different.

So what blade shape / needs to hold an edge and be able to be re sharpened with a steel. Prefer lockable folding but small fixed would work also.

Any thoughts ?

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## Gapped axe

Buck White Hunter. Start of Big and then grind to what you want :Grin:

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## viper

Yeah good thinking Axe, start off with a bayonet and grind it back to a fuckin tooth pick :XD:

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## gonetropo

buck zipper, perfect for gutting out bunnies without ripping open the stomach etc

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## scottrods

A zipper for rabbits? What? Overkill!!!!

If you get a doe, you can rip the skin off with your bare hands. Jacks are harder. 

The best and cheapest bunny knife is the Bahco. $10-12 bucks. wicked sharp. takes an edge easily. 
And a mercator as a backup

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## Gapped axe

I've shaped many a Bayonet into a reasonable pig sticker, but not now, have you seen what they are worth original.

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## hotbarrels

Your wife is encouraging you to buy a knife - Excellent!

Guys, why are we talking about $12 Bahco's?  The man wants something "different" ......... but useful for small game.

Benchmade 483 Shori
Benchmade 746 Mini-Onslaught
Case Trapperlock Yellow
Case Mini Copperlock Amber Bone Pocket Knife
Case CopperLock Mini Bermuda Green Pocket Wor
Benchmade Griptilian H2O
KA-BAR 6112CU Dog's Head Coppersmith 3" D2 Blade, Root Beer Jigged Bone Handles - KnifeCenter - 2-6112CU-1
Schatt & Morgan 032280 Deluxe Shiner Keystone Folder, Genuine Stag Handles, 3.625" Closed - KnifeCenter - 01410


My personal recommendation:
Great Eastern Northfield UN-X-LD #72 Cody Scout - Burnt Stag #18 - DLT Trading
1095 steel so easy to sharpen (I sharpen mine with a strop loaded with 800 grit polishing paste), big enough to skin a goat, small enough to skin a rabbit, thin enough to peal spuds, and fits in the pocket so its always right where you need it, and it looks classy so your mates will be envious!

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## viper

Cheers Hot Barrels, thats awesome, thanks for taking the time to put a list together.
Some nice little knives there.

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## Double Shot

Got a beaut Ken Onion 6in boning fillet knife from  @hotbarrels, he certainly knows his knives, I like the one I got and had trouble with mate trying to keep so I had to buy another...

Have you ever gutted a rabbit without a knife? This works very well How To Butcher A Rabbit oops wrong video, can't find the gutting one, buggar

I've been looking at an excuse for another knife, thanks  @viper and  @hotbarrels for giving me another option  :Thumbsup:

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## FatLabrador

Buck 112

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## 223nut

> Your wife is encouraging you to buy a knife - Excellent!
> 
> Guys, why are we talking about $12 Bahco's?  The man wants something "different" ......... but useful for small game.
> 
> Benchmade 483 Shori
> Benchmade 746 Mini-Onslaught
> Case Trapperlock Yellow
> Case Mini Copperlock Amber Bone Pocket Knife
> Case CopperLock Mini Bermuda Green Pocket Wor
> ...


Damn you there's only so many clams in my wallet and I want them all!!

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## scottrods

If he wants something different, John Worthington on this forum. 

If you want to import, then  Northstar / bark river knives are the biz.

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## viper

Ohhh man the choices out there are unreal, I didn't realize there are so many brands / shapes and materials..... this could be a bad idea for a new knife, might start another hobby I can't afford.
Some are just to nice to use.

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## hotbarrels

> Ohhh man the choices out there are unreal, I didn't realize there are so many brands / shapes and materials..... this could be a bad idea for a new knife, might start another hobby I can't afford.
> Some are just to nice to use.


Go with the Great Eastern Northfield UN-X-LD #72 Cody Scout, you will not be disappointed.  Its the best all round shape and size for an every day use knife.  I have a #15 which sits in the coin pocket of my jeans every day, and gets used every day.
I only put the other links up there to get you thinking.

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## viper

So far
Knives of Alaska feather weight hunter in D2 steel
CRKT Kommer 2 shot folder / 12c27 steel
W.R.Case Sod Buster but not sure if it has lock mech for blade

There are others ....lots of others, trying to stay around $100 s I have shotgun being put together and need long range scope for varmint rig.

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## hotbarrels

Viper

The Knives of Alaska feather weight hunter in D2 steel - nice knife, I have the bird and trout version in green G10.  Very slim and very light.  Solid liner lock design that is easy to manipulate and safe.  At 108mm long folded, I find mine a little too long for comfortable pocket carry and too long to go in the coin pocket of my jeans. Put it in a belt pouch and you are good to go.
These are available from NZ supplier Knives of Alaska Featherlite Hunting Knife, D2 Tool Steel - 395FG
Buy Knives of Alaska Featherlight Hunter D2 G10 OD Folding Knife - 395FG at Blade Master

W.R.Case Sod Buster - this is definitely the knife size for pocket carry, if you get the "Jr" model which is 90mm closed length.  There is a bigger version that is again around the 118mm long and you have the same problem as the KOA above.  My GEC #15 is 90mm long and this is the best pocket carry size.  Sod buster is not a lock blade.  These are also available in NZ.
W.R. Case Sod Buster Jr Pocket Knife - Jigged Rosewood Handle 00471
W.R. Case Sod Buster Jr Pocket Knife - 80502
W.R. Case Sod Buster Jr Pocket Knife - Jigged Amber Bone Handle 245

Larger sod buster - W.R. Case SOD Buster Pocket Knife - 00092

Can't comment on the CRKT.

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## viper

Cheers Hot barrels, mate I think your loving this knife / thread as much as I am.

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## Tahr

D2 is a brittle, chippy sort of steel.

Red is edge holding, blue is toughness:

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## Kiwi-Hunter

> D2 is a brittle, chippy sort of steel.
> 
> Red is edge holding, blue is toughness:
> 
> Attachment 58265


Tahr
Have they change the dressing :Have A Nice Day:  and I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't given them a run down on the surgical steel they used :Have A Nice Day: 
KH

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## 223nut

Cheers @Tahr that little pic is getting saved for reference!

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## Tahr

> Tahr
> Have they change the dressing and I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't given them a run down on the surgical steel they used
> KH


I was asleep at the time.  :Have A Nice Day: 
But it feels like it was done with the back side of a rusty and blunt cow cockies' Svord.

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## 223nut

Least the svord is kiwi! It was most likely single use and disposable, almost everything in he medical world is now!

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## hotbarrels

> Cheers Hot barrels, mate I think your loving this knife / thread as much as I am.


Always happy to help someone spend their money  :Thumbsup: 





> D2 is a brittle, chippy sort of steel.
> 
> Red is edge holding, blue is toughness:


Yes, the graphs say that but I have seen D2 in a roll forming machine rolling out 100's of Km of steel without issue, and I have never yet chipped a D2 blade, so I guess it comes down to heat treatment, and the use of the knife.  
Everything is a compromise, but that makes good justification for buying a back-up knife!  Now, where's that list again .......

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## Tahr

Just saying that the graph supports my experience on animals. All knife steels I've used will chip, but D2 is the queen bitch.

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## viper

Buy CRKT Kommer 2-Shot Folder Orange G10 Handles at Blade Master

so was thinking of this, damn Thar you know your steel but pissing on my parade.
Thanks for the thoughts though.

Like the look and blade shape of above knife.

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## Tahr

> Buy CRKT Kommer 2-Shot Folder Orange G10 Handles at Blade Master
> 
> so was thinking of this, damn Thar you know your steel but pissing on my parade.
> Thanks for the thoughts though.
> 
> Like the look and blade shape of above knife.


Good. 12c27 comes up really sharp and was the first of the decent modern stainless steels. Quite a few NZ knife makers use it. That knife looks good.

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## viper

Just gotta get Hot Barrels ok and it might be the one  :Thumbsup:

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## hotbarrels

Do it, and then write a report on your thoughts!

I have a Bark River Woodland Special which is the exact same blade/handle/overall length ratio and its an absolute honey of a knife and has skinned out a few deer and lots of goats.  Not great for boning as you would expect due to the short blade, but you will be impressed with what a 3" blade will do.

You never actually said what your "...... and have a separate knife for that" actually is, so whats the other knife you have?

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## viper

So the hunt for a knife goes on...... I mst have done 4 hours of scrolling through the Top Gear and Blademaster websites.

The Kommer got crossed off as it's made in china and several others after many others despite names like K Bar, Ontario etc produce knives outta China. Seems even some of the German companys do to. It seems to depend on the price point. Some products on the lower end are designed in the States etc by some great knife designers but produced outside the States , Germany etc.
Which is cool, I ve have had / got some awesome products out of China but want something not made in China this time.
So it's down to at this point:

Grohman mini Russell folder / high carbon stainless / made in Canada. ( blade is shaped like a Canadian belt knife )

Knives of Alaska feather weight hunter / D2 steel / made in USA

Knives of Alaska Model 410 / D2 steel / made in USA

Sog Twitch 2 / Aus 8 / made in USA

I know about the steel Thar, point taken and bloody good advice but I am only using this on rabbits.
The other blade Hot Barrels is a Kershaw Bear Hunter,  fixed blade, 810mov stainless, very sharp, China but an excellent skinner on larger game. I use that with a $35 meat workers Victinox boner, combo works well and one acts as a back up knife to the other if I have a breakage out in the hills.

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## Wirehunt

You live in Cromwell and need a knife to gut rabbits.   Hmmm.....

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## viper

Nah I don't gut them, just skin and take the meat off the back legs, 78 shoot last weekend, that's a heap of stinking guts I don't need to deal with. Most are just left where they lay.
It's more of an excuse to buy a new knife for no real reason....."hey it's a guy thing "

Knife brought...finally.

Ontario RAT 1 , $70 , great reviews and AUS 8 steel. USA / taiwan which I am not over the moon about but reviews are so good I had to try one

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## Kiwi-Hunter

> Nah I don't gut them, just skin and take the meat off the back legs, 78 shoot last weekend, that's a heap of stinking guts I don't need to deal with. Most are just left where they lay.
> It's more of an excuse to buy a new knife for no real reason....."hey it's a guy thing "
> 
> Knife brought...finally.
> 
> Ontario RAT 1 , $70 , great reviews and AUS 8 steel. USA / taiwan which I am not over the moon about but reviews are so good I had to try one


Not my sort of thing Viper, but let me know how it works out for you :Wink: 
KH

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## 7mmsaum



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## Tahr

Gosh 7mmsaum, even the deer are wearing them now.  :Have A Nice Day:

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## viper

> Not my sort of thing Viper, but let me know how it works out for you
> KH


Ohhhhhh I will sweetie, look "FAB" in my Gucci hand bag....I mean pack :Psmiley:

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## 300_BLK

Opinel

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## viper

I will field / game test it for awhile and give a report . It has arrived and I got to say so far I am impressed for the money.

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