What is a good hunting knife to buy for a first time buyer?

A gerber or Buck fixed blade knife. Do not buy a folder hunting knife i have had to manny come un fixed and cut the heck out of my hand while field dressing larger animalsWhat is a good hunting knife to buy for a first time buyer?
First time buyer? Do a little work, handle a lot of products, save a few dollars. If you buy a good quality knife (barring loss) you will be an ';only time buyer';.





Most of us have a 4 inch drop point of some sort... and a good folder.





I like carbon blades that can be resharpened on simple stones.





Older Schrades and Buck knifes were some of the best out there. Kershaw, Gerber and a few others sell pretty good mass produced products too. I own some Case knifes... and some of those have been very hard to sharpen (very hard steel) but once they were right they held a good edge.What is a good hunting knife to buy for a first time buyer?
* Schrade Brand*
I have a Winchester knife with a 4-5'; blade and a gut hook. Works for me, plus it was only $15 at Wal Mart.
There are many good makers out there. I have the original Old Timer Deer Slayer fixed blade hunting knife. I have had it for over 20 years and it holds a good edge and has seen many deer. Any knife that is Old Timer, Schrade or Uncle Henry will make a good hunting knife. Of course all three of these are the same company just different brand names. Also, the company closed down about 3 or 4 years ago and was bought out buy a company in Tennessee and uses the same names. The big difference is the metal for the blades are now made in China.





Another good brand is the traditional Buck fixed blade hunting knife.





Gerber makes some good hunting knives.





You really just have to find what you like. I am for good quality without the high dollar expense. That is what I liked about the Old Timer, Schrade and Uncle Henry brand of knives. My deer slayer knife cost me under $25 back 20 years ago and the new company still sells them and they are still around the same price. Old Timer also made a nice skinner knife as well...it was called the Sharp Finger and another was called the Drop Point. Both are small knives that I use for squirrel hunting and skinning of deer.





Go to Smokey Mountain Knife Works and get one of their catalogs: http://www.smkw.com/





I get their catalogs.
I bought a Knives of Alaska - Magnum Country Series knife made with D2 steel.





Here's the website:http://www.knivesofalaska.com/catalog/pr鈥?/a>





What I like about the knife:


- it stays sharp for much longer than my previous knives with 440 steel


- the rubber grip is great even with wet hands


- strong and well built





Dislikes:


- leather sheath (I prefer Kydex or ABS plastic type)
Gerber or Buck.





Don't buy cheap because you get what you pay for.





Anything MORE expensive than Gerber or Buck isn't worth the price. Anything less expensive than Gerber or Buck is lower on quality.
One of the best hunting knives out there for the price is the Alaskan Blade trader.





This knife has a solid design that allows it switch between blades quickly and easily.





The base model comes with three blades, hunting blade, gut hook/skinner, and the bone saw.





You can easily split the pelvis of a bull elk with the saw, gutting and skinning is less messy too with the guthook/skinning blade.





Typically the sell at our local BiMart for $29.00, but every so often they go on sale for around $20.00





Whenever they go on sale my father buys a couple and gives them away as gifts on birthdays or for Christmas.
I have narrowed my knife collection down to two that I actually use and appreciate...The every day carrier knife is a Kershaw with the mechanical open assist. My hunting/skinning/gutting knife is a Benchmade Black. Both have a great edge, and seem as though they are an extension of my hand when I am using them.
Hello Arnold L :


Probably 'Swiss Army Knife' is your best bet.