Best Hunting Knives For Turkey Season

It’s early morning, and a gobbler answers your cuts and purrs and soon he double gobbles to every note you send his way.

He’s coming, and then you see it—that red, white, and blue prominent gobbler head. The gobbler appears to be floating as he struts nearer. With a well-placed blast from the shotgun in your hands, the gobbler is on the ground, and now the work begins.

Did you remember to bring a sharp knife?

Buck Knives Hunting Knife Selection Guidelines

Hunting season will open in many regions of America in less than 60 days. Are you ready? If you are thinking about purchasing a new knife, then these tips by industry-leading knife manufacturer Buck Knives will aid you in that selection.

Selecting the right knife to hold in your hand begins with answering a basic question: What cutting chore are you trying to complete? You should also consider several features of the knife, including the materials used in building that knife and the many safety designs of the knife. A knife designed to properly skin a deer, like a broad and curved skinner blade with a gut hook on the back of the blade, is far different in shape and purpose than thin and sharp-pointed designs like a drop point or the thinner clip point blades which would work well for capping a deer around the antlers or for precisely breasting an upland bird. Answer the primary question of what will you be cutting most and you are on the trail to selecting the best knife for your hunting chores.

Next, look at the materials the knife blade is built from. For example, S30V is a high-vanadium steel that provides lasting toughness and great edge retention along with superior wear and rust resistance. Knife blades made with S30V steel, however, can be a little more difficult for some users to sharpen. Another common blade building material is 420HC which offers medium-carbon in stainless steel so it is corrosion resistant. On the other side, it is generally easier for most knife users to sharpen because it has a lower hardness than some other types of steel and provides good edge retention. Next, determine how the blade is heat treated. Buck’s famous Bos heat treating process ensures the blade is durable and ready to perform.

Next, grasp the knife’s handle and look at the overall construction. While many buyers and knife users prefer micarta and rubber handles for better grip when wet, and many knife owners also like wood for its looks and durability. Note, does the knife handle feel good in your hand?

Next, decide if you like a fixed-blade design—like Buck’s popular 120 General Knife— and for the knife to hang on your belt in a sheath, or if you prefer a compact folder design—like the iconic 112 Ranger Knife—that will go into a pants pocket or small day-pack space. For fixed blade knives, look at the blade guard between the handle and blade and in a folding knife study the mechanism for locking open—and closed. Some of Buck’s folding-knife design options are the lockback, liner lock, and framelock to name a few. All offer important features.

Best Turkey Hunting Knives

From notching a turkey tag to removing the tasty turkey breasts and drumsticks, a knife—make that the right knife—makes your field and butchering chores much easier. The good news is you have many great options to prepare for the meals in your future.

First, decide on a fixed or folding knife. A fixed blade knife is easier for many hunters to use and is easily secured in a sheath to be stored in a hunting pack or vest. Take a look at Buck 105 Pathfinder Pro Knife or the Buck 102 Woodsman Heritage Series Knife with classic Cocobolo wood handles.

The finer clip-point blade on the Buck 102 Woodsman knife is designed for detailed chores like removing a turkey breast from the bones.

Folding knives are smaller and easy to store in pockets, but remember which one of the many turkey vest pockets you place the knife in, or you could be searching for some time. Once you have the folding knife in hand, be certain the knife blade operates properly and will lock securely into the open position.

Good examples of folding knives are the Buck Knives 110 Hunter Sport knife with a 3.75-inch clip blade and the affordable 661 Folding Pursuit small knife with a 3-inch drop-point blade that weighs a scant 2.5 ounces and arrives with a sheath for storage. Remember to thoroughly clean all folding knives after use, so the knife is easier to open and use the next time you need it.

If you are the type of hunter who sometimes forgets a knife at the hunting site (it can happen to anyone), look at the half dozen knives Buck Knives offers with blaze orange handles in the Pursuit series, including fixed and folders. You’ll easily notice these colorful knives before you pack up and move on.

Always remember proper firearm and turkey hunting safety rules when going for gobblers. Some proper knife safety rules to follow include: handle all knives with care and always cut away from your body, not toward it; if you drop a knife, let it fall and do NOT attempt to catch it; keep a knife folded or sheathed when carrying in a hunting vest, and keep all hunting knives oiled and sharp. A sharp knife is safer than a dull one.

Buck Knives | Experience Equals Quality Craftsmanship

When it comes to designing, engineering, building and assembling, sharpening, packaging and shipping knives, Post Falls, Idaho-based Buck Knives brings many years of employee experience into those processes. In fact, the 320-plus employees at Buck Knives have more than 2,000 years of collective experience in the knife and outdoors industries. Yes, that number is correct—2,000 plus years.

"I was shocked when the number was totaled, so I immediately recalculated the years employees have worked at Buck Knives, or in the related outdoors industry," said Todi Harvey, executive sales and marketing administrator. "The total actually came to 2,233 years. That’s a huge number at any employer in America today." This number includes numerous long-term employees with more than 30 years of continuous employment with Buck Knives, plus one employee with nearly 50 years of continuous service.

Buck Knives was founded in 1902 by young Kansas blacksmith Hoyt Buck. The company expanded into numerous locations over the following decades and continued as a family-owned business. Along the way came iconic knives such as the Model 110 Folding Hunter, Model 120 General Knife with a fixed blade, the 112 Ranger folding knife, and numerous pocket knives.

Among the more recent innovations, Buck Knives offers its customers are options to build a custom knife with numerous blade and handle designs, plus colors and engraving. The Buck Knives product line today also includes specialty knives for anglers, plus kitchen cutlery and unique knives for weddings and special occasions. The company’s product line today offers nearly 150 knife models to assist hunters, anglers, outdoors enthusiasts—and everyone who carries or uses a knife— to meet life’s challenges.

Those knives are backed by employees who place years of experience and quality craftsmanship into each and every knife that is built and shipped from the factory. That experience is further backed by Buck Knives’ industry-leading Forever Warranty.

About Buck Knives

For more than 120 years, Buck Knives has been handcrafting the finest quality knives and tools, which are designed specifically for hunters, anglers, outdoorsmen, and knife enthusiasts alike.

Using the highest-quality materials and state-of-the-art processes, like the exclusive Bos heat treatment for blades, Buck Knives are built to perform at the highest level and last for generations.

Located in Post Falls, Idaho, and employing more than 320 people, Buck Knives is proud to make knives in America and stand behind them with their Forever Warranty.

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