Western Hunting Journal, Premiere Issue whj001_premiere | Page 22

SHORT BLASTS
Hunting Knives:
5 Things to Consider
A sharp knife is the basic tool all
hunters need and have used for
hundreds of years. It is what makes it
possible for us to clean our game and
eventually cut it up to pack out of the
mountains, slice into packages, and
eat our harvest. There are plenty of
options available, but take my advice
and strongly consider the shape, style
and the grade of steel used.
TEMPERED STEEL A good tempered
and hardened steel blade makes it
possible to hold a sharp edge for a
long period of time, even after field
dressing an animal, skinning it and
then taking the meat off the bone for
backpacking back to camp.
LIGHTWEIGHT STEEL Lightweight and
thin bladed knives are often made of
soft steel which means they dull quick-
ly but also can be easily sharpened in
the field. The trade-off is the need to
carry a stone or sharpening system but
they are usually less expensive.
DISPOSABLE BLADES One of the
newest knife systems is one that uses
disposable blades, which are more
like scalpels than a hunting knife. They
can be very effective and I have used
them for the past two years with great
success.
SHAPE The blade shape also makes
your job easier. A drop point knife
is a good “all around” blade but a
well-rounded blade makes quick work
when skinning an animal.
DUAL PURPOSE BLADES Dual purpose
blades such as a skinning blade or drop
point with a gut hook on the backside
makes