A Knife That Will Hold an Edge

Doesn't seem like you can buy a knife anymore that will hold an edge. Any suggestions on a good hunting knife out there that won't break the bank?

I have an array of knives to choose from, and have found some of the newer Bucks to work as good or better than anything I pick up. Holding an edge is something they seem to do really well...although sometimes it's a little hard to get the edge back where you want it, if you let it get really dull.

What knives have you been buying?

To plagerize a friend -

Good knives ain’t cheap. Cheap knives ain’t good.

Not quite true, Moras can be had for under $20 and are excellent knives, if you are looking to cut stuff. A KaBar Mk1 is only 50 or so and is a hell of a knife, there are many others as well. That is why i asked the OP what he had been buying, if they were from China or Pakistan then they were probably junk. If they were from the US, Sweden, Switzerland, or Germany, maybe it is his sharpening or knife picking skills haha. A lot of times people want to get a knife fit for cutting down a tree instead of cutting up a deer

I have a few Knives of Alaska that work really well. The Gerber, Kersaw, and Bucks not so well. I don't mind spend $100 for a good knife, but not interested in spend $300-$400.

I use the Buck zipper here and it has been great. Cleaned several deer and a couple of pigs before it needed sharpening.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/buck-zipper-knives

Look into the Benchmade hunter series of knives.

I have used, and also sell, Anza knives. Been using them since 2008. Prior to that, when elk hunting, and if I killed a bull, I went through numerous knives in the process of taking care of the bull in the field. Got tired of sharpening them over and over. The knives were okay but not real expensive. The last bull that I took care of, between a friend and myself (him with an Anza that I gave him) we used one knife each. I might wipe fat off of the blade every so often but did not have to sharpen either.
They come sharp and they are easy to sharpen. Have had numerous person whom use Anza tell me that they can go through 2 hogs before they need to sharpen it. I know of one person that has gone through 6 deer before doing anything. So there is a decent knife out there that won't break you. If there is any drawback it is that, since they are made from files, they will rust. Just put a little oil on them and there shouldn't be a problem.
Several members on this site have bought the knives and I have yet to have a complaint.

Good hunting and Happy Thanksgiving.

G

I've always heard good things about Anza knives but never owned one. I make my own but have been tempted to get to get an Anza.

Let me know if you want one Dave. I am sure there are other Anza dealers on this site that can get one for you, just as I can. THF members get a good price from me and I can have them shipped to you from the factory (they are made when ordered). Just let me know.

Take care

G

Are you talking folders or fixed blade? Utility or hunting? There are terrific knives on the market for $100 and under. Where people get into trouble is buying blades marketed as "surgical steel" and similar bs. Either go carbon (1095, 52100, 5160 and similar) or decent stainless (vg-10, s30v, s35vn, cm154, ats34 and so on). Most popularly priced stainless steel knives are 420 or similar; great for scuba diving, not so great for cutting.

Even some of the really cheap knives are pretty good. Mora, Opinel, and Old Hickory (Ontario Knife) will all do the job for very little $. Not glamorous, but very functional.

I have some really good knives and some relatively expensive knives but always end up going back to my Buck knife. Think it is around $60. I clean around 15-20 deer a year and only have the sharpen it about every 4-5 deer. Takes a little work to get it sharp but holds it well. I like to get my blade to where I can shave the hair on my arm with little effort. Good luck

i have had great luck with buck knives as well. hold a good edge and very easy to sharpen when needed.

You really have to pay attention to country of origin. Like Boker - Tree brand for example is a good line but they have diff lines from diff countries under diff subnames. Had a guy try to tell me all Gerber's are American made which is false - their American made line holds a good edge while their Chinese knives not so much and are priced accordingly. A lot of knife companies have gone to this and we are able to see this on Boker because Germany has strict country of origin disclosure laws. We started to here but have sadly dropped the ball - while we do require country of origin, the the way they get around it is by packaging several knives in one box and labeling the large box only!?!?!

I was given a Buck 119 by a friend and its the best knife I've ever owned. Easy to sharpen and stays sharp. I can skin and quarter 2 or 3 maybe 4 deer with a strop in between but I can only do one hog. Those darn things are tough. I use an old Lansky 3 stone sharpener and it gets it shaving sharp.

https://knifeinformer.com/discovering-the-best-knife-steel/

This list has proved out for me, YMMV

How big is your bank? Most knives that hold an edge are hard to put one back on. If you keep the edge on as you go, you never have to resharpen it.

The problem most have is the steel that holds an edge the longest tends to be harder to sharpen, because it's harder steel. 01 tool steel can be very easy to sharpen and holds a good edge if you use it as intended. But comparing it to harder steel like Elmax the 01 is going to dull faster than the Elmax. But the Elmax is harder steel and harder to get the edge back.

Buy a Worksharp and none of this matters. I can sharpen my Elmax just as easy as the 01 tool in about 2 minutes or less. Elmax is great for holding an edge and very light weight as well. But it's harder to work with so your gonna pay more for an Elmax knife.

I say cry once and spend a couple hundred on a lifetime tool that will outlive you if you take care of it and use it as it was intended.

Maaaaaann lemme tell ya. This right here is why i switched to the replaceable blade knives. Outdoor Edge Onyx EDC. 19.99 for the knife and 3 blades then another 10 bucks for 6 more blades. Razor sharp and actually hold an edge longer than other knives that you buy off the shelf

I have an old folding Buck knife, that I found while hunting at a WMA. It is without a doubt, the best knife I own. I have to work to get a good edge on it, but it holds it forever.

I've tried a bunch of brands over the years as I work on a lot of hogs...which can be a challenge for a knife. I have finally decided my best have probably been one Buck and one Case that I like, as far as holding their edge. I finally ended up some years ago with an old handmade butcher knife I bought from a flea market for about 4 bucks, put a new wood handle on it and have used it on hundreds of hogs...and some deer. I have ended up just carrying a steel with me and every now and then give it a few swipes....and it's as good as new !
There is no real magic to knife blades as far as I am concerned, but I guess some are a little better as far as edge holding. I went through the Buck factory some time back, and I have to say I was pretty impressed with their heat treating processes.

Buck's and Gerber's seem to be my blade of choice with Buck's probably holding top honors. The biggest problem I see with knives isn't the blade material so much as it is people unable to sharpen a knife. I don't know if they were never taught properly or just don't pay attention but I've seen some that will ruin a good knife and then say it's the knifes fault. I'm one of those that all my knives must be sharp, even my kitchen knives and it drives Mrs. B crazy. She'll grab a knife and go to whacking on something and I always give them a pass or two on the stone before using. I think the only real argument her and I have ever had was over putting my good knives in the dishwasher, I hand wash and dry all my knives. One more thing I might add is blade design, I prefer drop points over any other style and nothing over 4 inches long, it seems that anything over that never seems to be used. I can't remember who made the knives but one of the books I read about the buffalo hunters had a chapter on the knives they carried. The top knife at the time had about a 7 inch handle and a 3 inch blade. Made sense to me since I always tend to use the last 3 inches of the blade and the longer handle gave you more reach when gutting. I've always wanted to have a drop point made using that design. I see people using 6 inch blades but the only part that see's use is the last 3 inches. Some of the old buffalo skinning blades were damn near round on the ends.

This is close to the design I'm talking about.

$25 Mora - Amazon

Scandinavian bevel, no bs tool.

I have about 4 of these Morakniv knives and they are great.