Best Hunting Knife: Fixed Blade or Folding Knife?
Fixed blade or folder? It’s a decision all hunters face when choosing the knife they’ll carry on a hunt. Based...
Fixed blade or folder? It’s a decision all hunters face when choosing the knife they’ll carry on a hunt. Based on conversations with knife makers CJ Buck and Edmund Davidson, there are arguments for both.
Says Davidson, the very nature of a folding knife means there is a weak spot in its construction. “The fixed blade is much less likely to fail under pressure.” Buck also prefers a fixed blade. “It’s trustworthy in hand for what can be awkward game-processing tasks,” he says.
The expediency of cleaning the knife is also a factor. “When you’re field dressing an animal, materials like hair, fat, and blood can coat the mechanism of a folder and fill its channeled handle,” Buck points out.
However, Buck and Davidson both understand why some hunters choose a folding knife. “For one, a folder is compact and packs up nicely,” says Davidson. “There have been many advances over the years in materials, processes, and designs that make today’s locking folders stronger than they have ever been,” adds Buck.
The two agreed that choosing a hunting knife is much like choosing a hunting rifle–it boils down to personal taste and preference.
Pictured Above: Kershaw 1050 Folding Field
BLADE LENGTH: 3.75 in.
WEIGHT: 8.6 oz.
STEEL: AUS-8A
PRICE: $100
Pictured Below: SOG Woodline Fixed Blade
BLADE LENGTH: 4.8 in.
WEIGHT: 8.3 oz.
STEEL: 8Cr13MoV
PRICE: $60
More hunting knife posts: Ultimate Knife Guide
