Hunting Knives

Many people find collecting knives to be a fascinating hobby and have them purely as ornaments, while others who live in rural areas actually use hunting knives during hunting seasons or for camping or fishing.  Whatever the reason, knives come in many size, shapes, brand names, styles and prices and make for an interesting collection.

If it is a hunting knife you are looking for,  these can be bought either as a large set, a set of two, or individually. If you need an affordable set of knives for regular use, then one good place to look is eBay.  They have a set for sale for $130 that includes 16 good quality hunting knives, which is a good price for the quantity. Buying an individual knife is often more expensive than buying by the set, but there are some great collector’s items to be had, such as an authentic Buck hunting knife or a Kershaw 1010 hunting knife with its stainless steel handle and harness-leather sheath. 

Getting a fixed blade knife is a good idea if you need something for fishing or camping. There are many different kinds of fixed blade knives and the prices vary wildly; the more generic versions can be purchased for less than $30 but you can also buy something quite classy looking too. The L.L. Bean Buck Woodsman is one such classy looking knife with its 4″ steel blade, stacked leather handle and shiny butt and guard. The Buck Alpha Hunter knife is a slightly cheaper and yet also classy choice, with its rubber handle and ergonomic design. 

Knife blades are made either plain edge or serrated.  What kind you get would most likely depend on what you need the knife for; for camping, fishing and hunting you will most likely need a good set of hunting knives with both kinds of blades. Plain edge blades are quite sharp and it is important to be very careful in using them. Whether you want it to be small or large, you can get both the straight edge kind and the folding kind. For something really small, Spyderco’s Ladybug 3 knife set is jus the thing. It is quite affordable at $30 and these small knives fold up and can be put in your jeans pocket easily. Spyderco also makes a large variety of different sizes and style of knives; the prices do vary depending on the size and exact model but their products are affordable and good quality overall. 

For those who find that opening and closing a pocket knife can be annoying, automatic knives are a good answer. If you are looking for something classy and stylish, then Gerber’s legendary automatic drop point knife may be just right for you, with is serrated edge and black oxide coated stainless steel blade. The price is a bit steep at over $150.  If you are looking for something more practical and safe, then AliMed Optisafe has made quite a good model where the blade retracts automatically when it is not engaged, however this model is also quite expensive at over $170.

You do not need to spend over $100 to get a good quality automatic knife, in fact, you can get a number of these for less than half this price. The Peanut makes some smaller models that are quite sharp and effective nonetheless and these cost between $10 – $20 per knife. 

Bowie knives are one of the most popular options for those needing outdoor or hunting knives. Bowie knives are made by many companies; if you want the officially licensed exact replica of the knife carried by actor Richard Widmark, who played Jim Bowie in the 1960 film The Alamo, then you can buy it from The Sports Authority for a mere $140. There is also the Trademark Poker 15 inch Bowie Knife with Pakkawood Handle that is quite affordable at only $18; if you need a Bowie knife for camping purposes then they are available to buy at Cabelas for a mere $60. 

While you can buy knives at many different stores, buying from an online retailer has a number of advantages. It is often easier to find exactly what you want and the prices are often cheaper, especially if the retailer will ship your purchase to you free of charge, which some do, in particular with more expensive purchases. Ebay can be another good place to look; there will be a suggested retail price listed but you can bid for the knife you want and often get it a lot cheaper than you could from anywhere else.