Best Game Cleaning Knife

I would go with a fillet knife for the birds. And just a a knife specificly for big game.

fixed blade buck...enough said

Little To Farnorth Said:
fixed blade buck...enough said

I was thinking of getting one of these.  Which one would you recommend.

692BK Vanguard with the rubber handle.

I do like the buck 105 pathfinder small enough for the delicate stuff and big enough to cut open a deer or goat

a kitchen shears for the birds is all you need. As far as big game, I like a buck or a gerber.

get a fixed blade gerber and you will noy be disappointed

Buck USA.  Not Buck Taiwan or whatever the hell.  Been using a Buck 116 for many years.  I think it has a 4in blade at the most.  I don't think it's made anymore and I've been carrying it in a 105 case.

for birds and such i use forchsner (spelling) knives that i pick up from a resturant supply store, awesome knives that don't slip in your hand and you pick up different lengths and stiffness to match whatever you are going to be using them for.  Only bad thing is no sheath besides a cheap plastic cover, but i just wrap mine in a rag and throw in the door of the pickup and yes i have my concealed carry.  I've mainly been using the 6" with a spine that is a little stiffer than most fillet knifes and as long as you take care of them an edge is easy to put back on them.  I have actually started using mine for field dressing deer also, stay to one side of center on the brisket and it splits like a hot knife through butter.  I've had great luck with buck knives and kershaw knives and my go to knife that is in my pocket while hunting is a little skeletonized gerber, no complaints on any of them yet. 

Anyone had any experience with knives of alaska and are they worth it, been looking at picking one up for an up coming hog hunt and was wondering if they are as good as some claim.

Like any other equipment find one that fits you or feels right in your hand. I prefer a knive with the tang running all the way thru the handle, no folders for me. Prefer synthetic handle and leather sheath. I like to keep my knive between 7" and  8". I personally think those that have to carry a large bowie or Rambo knive have deficiencies in other areas if you know what I mean! Plus they are heavy, bulky and get in the way. I like small, compact and sharp. A good sharpening system is a must. A couple I own and like would be Knives of Alaskas Alpha Hunter about 8'  I have an old Schrade sharpfinger style knive about 8' also that I have used on everything from pheasants to elk. I also have an old Kabar skinning style knive that has been discontinued that is about 7" and when sharpened can shave with it.! One of these and a sagen style saw and your ready for everything I hunt plus fits easy in a fanny pack if need be. Good luck!

Murrdogg Said:
for birds and such i use forchsner (spelling) knives that i pick up from a resturant supply store, awesome knives that don't slip in your hand and you pick up different lengths and stiffness to match whatever you are going to be using them for.

I bought a few Forchsners a few years ago as I heard they were great knives. They were for the first time I used them and that was it. I've never been able to get those knifes to keep an edge for more than a minute or two. I don't even use them anymore and it sucks as I dropped some good coin on a skinning knife, 2 fillet knives, and a boning knife.

Any tips how to keep the steel sharp on those critters?

the best thing i found was to sharpen them often on a steel, once they get dull they are a pain to get back sharp.  I started slacking on sharpening mine lately and they got dull to the point i couldn't bring them back with a steel.  I have a couple of friends that swear by them also but they've learned how to resharpen them, once they get to the point that a steel won't bring them back they take them to a stone and work with them for awhile.  So far the best tip i could give you would be to hit them with a steel often, and once they get past that point take them to a stone when you have some time. 

Fox Island Outfitter Said:

Murrdogg Said:
for birds and such i use forchsner (spelling) knives that i pick up from a resturant supply store, awesome knives that don't slip in your hand and you pick up different lengths and stiffness to match whatever you are going to be using them for.

I bought a few Forchsners a few years ago as I heard they were great knives. They were for the first time I used them and that was it. I've never been able to get those knifes to keep an edge for more than a minute or two. I don't even use them anymore and it sucks as I dropped some good coin on a skinning knife, 2 fillet knives, and a boning knife.

Any tips how to keep the steel sharp on those critters?

I've never used one and don't have any but a quick trip to their website would have me believing they are very soft.  That's not all bad, just a few strokes on a kitchen steel likely shapes them right up if you don't make them really dull to begin with.  Not uncommon to see fairly soft blades being used in a butcher or taxidermy shop where they use knives more in a day than most of us hunters will in a decade.  Watch and see how many times in 10min they touch up a blade on a steel.  I'd bet in 10min you'll see them touch up 3-5 times at least. 

I have yet to use a fillet knife that couldn't use a touch up on a steel after 2-3 fish.  Rapala, Cold Steel, Knives of Alaska, and Wustoff off the top of my head.  Using a boning knife is even harder on blades but very soft blades allow for an easy touch up. 

Murrdog types faster than me.  (grin)

Murrdogg Said:
the best thing i found was to sharpen them often on a steel, once they get dull they are a pain to get back sharp.  I started slacking on sharpening mine lately and they got dull to the point i couldn't bring them back with a steel.  I have a couple of friends that swear by them also but they've learned how to resharpen them, once they get to the point that a steel won't bring them back they take them to a stone and work with them for awhile.  So far the best tip i could give you would be to hit them with a steel often, and once they get past that point take them to a stone when you have some time. 

Good comments.

Actually, the steel does not sharpen the knife.  It trues the edge.  That makes the knife cut better.  If you have a dull knife, you could run it along a steel all day and it wouldn't get sharp.  You will always need a stone of some sort periodically.

When boning out meat or anytime after the knife has made cuts across something like bone or cutting boards, etc. you need to use a steel to get the edge realigned properly.  Anybody that doesn''t have a steel should get one and use it.

Fox, I'll buy your Forschner knives in a heart beat if your looking to get rid of them.  I used them for boning/butchering at a previous job at a processing plant. In my opinion Forschner has great products and some of the best metal around. They should keep an edge for alot longer than that... strange.

What have you been using to sharpen them?

Big J

I remember watching Dave Zaeske cutting pork chops at the NDSU Meat Lab.  He ran his boning knife acroos the steel after every second chop.  They taught students a great deal about how to maintain knives.

I'll give em another whirl on my stone and try again on my steel, but I've done it before and haven't had any luck yet. My other go to knives usually just need a run on the steel to get em back to razor sharp so I was really dissappointed in the Forschner's. I'm by no means a great knife sharpener, but I've never had any problems with my other blades.

Bullheadmaster, I do love the grip and feel of the Forschner's, hopefully I can tune em up or I'll give you a good deal on them. The reason I bought them in the first place is because I sold restaurant equipment for a while and all the butchers and chefs I visited with loved them, so now I'm thinking I just suck at sharpening.

Now I'm thinking of running down to Scheels to check out sharpeners at lunch. Any suggestions to try something new? I've always used either a small diamond sharpener or a 10" course to fine stone.

Fox Island Outfitter Said:
Now I'm thinking of running down to Scheels to check out sharpeners at lunch. Any suggestions to try something new? I've always used either a small diamond sharpener or a 10" course to fine stone.

Lansky.  I'm not a fan of any of the electric sharpeners, I think they take off too much metal and it's too easy to overheat the blade if one isn't careful.  JMHO.