Knives for Outdoor Use
A rundown of sharp tools for hunting, fishing, processing and cooking
Winter is a great time to take inventory on gear. The last thing I want to be doing is messing with my gear last minute during the Summer and Fall months when I’d rather be outside doing things. Gear is cool, but spending time in the woods is cooler.
That said, being comfortable and confident with your gear is an important aspect of the game, and the quieter months provide ample time to get gear dialed. I just started to break in two new pairs of hunting boots recently, and I’m starting to tinker with some changes to my bow and my rod setups as needed. This past weekend I picked up a new Japanese canvas knife roll, a steal at $40 for the quality (thanks for the rec, Austin). It’s shockingly white right now but I’m excited to get it properly dirty. When I go on trips, I’ll usually just dump a pile of knives into a tote bag, which is not a good idea for a number of reasons. So hopefully this knife roll will help keep things organized, at the ready, and safer.
You really don’t need 15 knives to process game, fish, and cook, even though most brands will try to convince you that you do. You can easily get away with having only 3 if you really wanted to. I am not telling you to go spend $1500 on a bunch of different specialty knives with this rundown outlined below. I like having specific tools for specific jobs though, and knives may be the best example of that desire. And let’s be honest, most people have more than 3 knives.
Over the years, I’ve leaned towards building out my outdoor knife kit over a collection of knives in the kitchen. Even though many of them end up in the kitchen anyway, I like the ruggedness of outdoor-specific knives. I’ll let them knock around in the truck or boat and am not afraid to be hard on them. A lot of my kitchen knives I just wouldn’t bring into the field, or anywhere outside the kitchen - delicate blades and nice wood handles just don’t deserve to be thrashed.
I’ve been collecting knives since I was like 9 years old - so while I didn’t set out to build a “collection” with these, I’m not surprised that I haven’t stopped adding to my kit and swapping in and swapping out knives on an annual basis. My only potential “gripe” about some of these knives - and I hesitate to even call it that - is that they aren’t really that special or unique. I really appreciate handcrafted knives that support small makers - and for the most part, these are not that. But maybe that’s a good thing, as I don’t have to feel bad about giving them hell. Below are the knives (and some tools) that have worked well for me over the last few years, and why.
In the field
I don’t need to tell anyone that a knife is a vital piece of gear to have on a hunting trip. I haven’t tried every knife, but I have tried enough to the point that I am very confident in my knife options and system for how I choose which one I’m bringing. Here are 5 that I currently use in different scenarios:
MKC Speedgoat for a knife that is lightweight but will hold an edge through processing multiple big game animals before you need to sharpen it. I’ve used this one mostly for processing deer and elk in the last year.
MKC Blackfoot for tougher jobs - like cutting the hocks off of an elk, or cleaning a skull. It’s burlier than the one above and makes the job easier.
Benchmade Tagged Out for traveling fast and light. If I’m not bringing a pack, I’ll just take this. It’s really sharp and the right size - not too big that it gets in the way.
Havalon disposable surgical blade knife is what I keep as a backup on all my trips since it’s so small and light. These things are sharper, by a long shot, than any of the knives above. They are a truly a double edged sword - they make the work easy, but if you cut yourself while using it, which does happen, it’s going to be really ugly. So I try to not use it unless my main blade is super dull, or I have no other option.
Processing Game and Fish
The main knives I use for processing game are a boning knife and a filet knife. Boning knives do 90% of the work, and a standard 8-10” filet knife is helpful for removing silver skin from backstraps and various roasts. You don’t really need anything more than that.
Benchmade Meatcrafter - I have two of these because I love them so much. They are different types of steel, the one with 154CM steel and a rubberized handle is a little more forgiving and light than my other one, which is the exact same knife shape with a different handle, in CPM-S45VN steel. Why they use such complicated names for the steel, I don’t know. It’s unnecessarily confusing. All I can say, is the meatcrafter is an amazing knife - I have used it to process 4 elk, 3 deer (and even dozens of halibut) since I got it. I’ve only had to sharpen it a couple times over the years.
Dexter Filet Knife - these things are incredible value. $43 for a Made in USA filet knife is hard to beat. They sell a version that is only $15, too, but the handle is not good quality. When you spend multiple days processing an elk, it’s nice to have a comfortable handle.
Other fishing tools
I use the two knives above to also process most fish. You don’t need much more than that. I do like to keep a few other tools around though:
"The Dwarf" Oyster Knife - One of those things that I don’t use that often, but you always seem to need one when you don’t have it. Oyster knives are so small that it’s worth keeping one handy. I keep a corkscrew and an oyster knife in my truck at all times… you never know when you’re gonna need it. This one is made in-house in France (not outsourced overseas), and is $12. The maker’s name, Au Nain, is a 4th generation family cutlery business that was founded in 1885. The name translates to “The Dwarf” which was a rebuttal to their competitor in the 1800s who had the name “The Knife Giant”. Another good option is this $18 Made in USA Dexter oyster knife.
Ike Jime tools - unless you’re a chef or commercial fisherman, you have probably not heard of this. It’s not a knife, but it’s a phenomenal way to kill fish. The gist of it, is that you can significantly increase the quality of your fish filets if you kill a fish with a wire, by running it down it’s spinal cord. Your fish will taste better, look better, and last longer before you need to freeze it. All the high grade tuna caught in Japan uses this method. I’ve only recently been keyed into this industry secret and have only used mine a few times - but I can confidently say that it works, and I plan to use this on all of my halibut this year. I don’t keep this in my knife roll - this lives on my boat along with a screwdriver for the fish’s head.
Leatherman Skeletool - Ever since the head guide at the fishing outfitter I used to work for turned me onto these in 2014, I have used one of these for over a decade. It’s a little heavy to carry every day - but when I go fishing it always comes with. I will carry a more heavy duty pair of pliers on my belt, but a backup set of pliers is invaluable in almost any fishing scenario. This is what happens when you don’t use pliers:
this same fish spit up 30 anchovies when we brought him onto the deck
Mobile Cooking
You only need two knives for this… at the most. Some kind of chef’s knife, and a pairing knife. Hell, you can usually just use a pocket knife for most applications. I prefer to not use a pocket knife to do prepare food with though, if I have the option and am camping out of my truck like I usually do. It’s not a great feeling to be in the field and reach into your pocket after you shoot a deer, only to remember that you left your pocket knife on the tailgate from cutting up an onion. So I usually have two cooking knives at the ready, reserved for only that:
These cheap pairing knives are an outdoor chef hack that my buddy Austin Holey turned me on to - he’s a trained professional chef, and badass outdoorsman - and he chooses these over having one expensive pairing knife in his knife roll. I am not about things that are intentionally disposable - but some things are very prone to getting lost and broken, like sunglasses or paring knives if you cook a lot on the go. These are just as sharp as any pairing knife that’s 3x the price.
Sitka x The James Brand Anzick Chef Knife - On the way other side of the price spectrum - this knife almost feels too nice to be used with a cooler top as your cutting board, or to be banging around your truck bed, but that’s what it was designed for. It’s rare that a brand not known for something specific, comes in and completely disrupts the market, and this knife did that. Looks, feels, and handles like a premium Japanese chef knife - but it’s truly rugged. It is sold out now but you can sometimes find them on ebay. It’s fun to cook in the field with a knife that feels like a premium knife but does not have to be babied or cleaned constantly, and won’t rust or get ruined with hard use. It’s great for prepping and slicing when you’re ready to serve up the goods.
Mushroom hunting knives
I’m not kidding if you’re not kidding… truth be told though, you really don’t need a special knife to remove a mushroom from the duff. Any pocket knife works. Sometimes you don’t even need a knife. But some knives do better than others - blades with an inward curve make things easier. I had no idea these even existed until I did some digging. These are probably the least mission-critical tool of all here - but it’s fun to have a mushroom specific knife to break out during the season. It’s like dusting off the halloween decorations or christmas ornaments once or twice a year. Here are the best two I’ve found:
Opinel Mushroom Knife - the quintessential mushroom hunter’s knife. A folder with a brush on the opposite tip of the blade to remove dirt. I laughed at the brush thing at first - until I realized how useful it actually is with certain types of mushrooms - like Matsutake and Chanterelles, that get really dirty and cannot really be cleaned in the field without a brush.
Made in Germany mushroom knife - a fixed blade option for the same thing. This one feels great in the hand. The curved blade is really nice for fat stemmed porcinis.
Sharpening Tools
Part of having good knives comes down to blade care. I keep one of these electric sharpeners in my garage to use before and after trips, and will keep one of these field sharpeners in my truck. I actually prefer using the field sharpener over the electric version - although it takes more time, I find that it’s easier to use and provides a more consistent edge.
Dexters are phenomenal knives for the money.
Love this and would love to see more gear run downs. Your kit seems pretty dialled.