Hunting knife

[Sam Vimes]

With the demise of the Impala a few years ago is there a knife in the current Spyderco range that is primarily intended as a hunter? I'm thinking that perhaps the Stretch would be the only one left but the blurb on various websites puts little emphasis on it being a hunting knife.

[JD Spydo]

That's a good question because I also considered the fixed blade Temperance model a hunting knife. I myself truly miss the Impala and I wish now I had not traded the one I had.

The Impala was a great design by a South African hunter. It was one of the few folders with a gut hook and a good one at that.

I would bet that if enough demand would arise we might see it back later on. Or they might just have another model coming down the pipeline.

I also miss the Catcherman even though I still have one of them. It truly was a super nice, ergonomic, folding fillet knife that I also took on hunting trips with me.

[Sam Vimes]

I'm unlikely to be skinning any particularly large game in a hurry so large blades aren't too important to me. I do tend to like blades intended as skinners though. I've also come to like those with jimping on the spine of the blade towards the tip.
The Ocelot is nice enough and I'll get my mitts on an Impala one fine day. However, I'd love to see something like the Hunter, Pro-Grip or one of the Wegner designs. It stuck me that the Jester with a bigger blade and handle might just be perfect for me, especially if the FRN was replaced with G-10, preferably in orange so I'd have trouble losing it! :o :D

[The Deacon]

The Stretch II is the latest evolutionary step in a line that began with the Hunter, morphed into the Pro-Hunter/Pro-Venator/ProGrip, and then into the original Stretch.

[JD Spydo]

The older Spyderco Wegner models were truly a great hunting/skinning blade. The Ocelot which is another Wegner design is also a great blade for hunting and I like it's size but that handle with the footprints I didn't like for sanitation reasons.

I think there is a hidden treasure that Spyderco has that could be used for a hunter. I am speaking of the ATR model and you could either use the Stainless model or the Titanium model. As a matter of fact there was a Boar Hunting magazine that even did a review on the Spyderco ATR by a guy who used it as a hunting blade a couple of years ago. I think I still even have that magazine somewhere.

But the Impala was thee blade in my humble opinion for a really versatile hunting folder.

[Halfneck]

I prefer fixed blades for a hunting knife, but I think the small Persian would work well.

[Jazz]

The semi-skinner blade on the Stretch would be perfect for hunting - there's a review in Tactical Knives about it from a while back - all you have to do is look at the blade and see it would be great, in my opinion.

- best wishes, Jazz.

[SimpleIsGood229]

The Street Beat is an excellent hunting knife. Its deep choil and handle shape keep it in the hand, even when covered with deer blood and such. I know because I've done it. Another plus is that since it's a fixed blade, there's no folding mecanism to get boogered up.

[Manix Guy 2]

I have an Impala , great design . I would love to see it come back as a lockback . Deacon is right on the Stretch 2 is a further refinement of older models and will be my folder of choice this year . If I upgrade the scales of my Ocelot it will go hunting in the future, as Joe said paw prints are an issue . The ATR would be ok but not friendly in colder climes . Either version of the Persian would also be a nice set up as suggested earlier . The Endura can also do the job and the cost is helpful , just choose your steel . Regards MG2

[metalhed]

Greetings For hunting I have a SS Byrd Robin in my pack and carry a Native in my pocket.

The Robin is a great all around knife for me, when hunting.

The Kiwi is super for skinning thin skin animals, such as antelope.

This past September I used my Native to take care of 3 antelope, from start to finish. The serrations worked wonders in the ribs, cut right through- no problem.

One year I got seperated from the main hunting party and only had a Ladybug and I gutted a whole elk- minus the ribs and pelvis- with this tiny knife.

I think it is more of what you have or like, that will make a good hunting knife for you.

Metalhed

[cobrajoe]

Greetings For hunting I have a SS Byrd Robin in my pack and carry a Native in my pocket.

The Robin is a great all around knife for me, when hunting.

The Kiwi is super for skinning thin skin animals, such as antelope.

This past September I used my Native to take care of 3 antelope, from start to finish. The serrations worked wonders in the ribs, cut right through- no problem.

One year I got seperated from the main hunting party and only had a Ladybug and I gutted a whole elk- minus the ribs and pelvis- with this tiny knife.

I think it is more of what you have or like, that will make a good hunting knife for you.

Metalhed

Indeed. I have seen a rabbit skinned with a little ladybug sized ripoff that should have cost less than a buck.

As for a hunting knife, have you considered a Moran? If you'd rather have a folder, the stretch would work great, but I think there are other options: Lava, Persian, Tenacious, Catbyrd, Raven, Adventura, Chinook, Scorpius, Vagabond...

It all comes down to what you would prefer in a knife, granted none of the above are marketed for hunter's specifically, but the Stretch would be the closest as a direct descendant of the Hunter model. (Note: for a cheaper alternative, the raven and the catbyrd are very similar in shape and size, the raven is a great knife for the price.)

[Sam Vimes]

Gentlemen,
I'm not wanting a hunting knife, I have umpteen that I can and will use, many of them Spydies. I was simply tying to see if there was a Spydie in the current range specifically meant as a hunter. Seems that since the demise of the Ocelot and Impala that there probably isn't. The Stretch II probably fills the niche nicely, it certainly has the design heritage. Perhaps Spyderco have a bit of a problem selling knives targeted specifically at hunters and now avoid doing so? :confused:
I accept that I'm probably in a small minority of hunters that acknowledges that fixed blades are best for the job but simply hates carrying fixed blades. I'd much rather compromise a little and carry a folder.

[SimpleIsGood229]

It would seem that Buck pretty much owns the hunting niche. It's also the name that most often comes to mind when hunting knives are mentioned, I would think.

[Chris_H]

How about the Captain to fill the "Hunting niche?" If I recall correctly, the designer had specific hunting tasks considered when he designed that blade.

[SimpleIsGood229]

How about the Captain to fill the "Hunting niche?" If I recall correctly, the designer had specific hunting tasks considered when he designed that blade.

Oh, yeah! The Captain would make an excellent skinning knife. Being open-backed, it wouldn't trap too much ''stuff,'' either.

[Sam Vimes]

Having finally got hold of an Impala to go alongside my Ocelot I'm at a complete loss as to why the Impala wasn't more popular! I can well understand some of the criticism that was levelled at the Ocelot (pawprints, closed back trapping gunk and can't be disassembled for cleaning) but they simply don't apply to the Impala. The only negative I can think of is that it's probably a little large for the smaller game that I will generally use it on to be perfect for me. However, for the hunters amongst us that are regularly dealing with different varieties of deer I'd think it would be perfect.

[Jeremy McCullen]

I believe that Tim Wegner of Blade Tech designed the Ocelot. He has his own model the Professional Hunter under the Blade Tech line on knives. I have not compared it to the Ocelot but they look the same, basically the same blade shape and handle but the Ocelot was hollow ground and the Professional Hunter is flat ground. I have owned a Professional Hunter for 4 years and carried it daily during a tour in Iraq. I have dressed out 2 deer with it and I think it is a great designed hunting knife and EDC.

[Sam Vimes]

Jeremy,
I've got three Blade-Techs, Ganyana Lite, Mouse Lite and Pro Hunter Lite. As you say they are excellent. The Lite versions make for excellent budget beaters.

[Diamondback]

Having finally got hold of an Impala to go alongside my Ocelot I'm at a complete loss as to why the Impala wasn't more popular! I can well understand some of the criticism that was levelled at the Ocelot (pawprints, closed back trapping gunk and can't be disassembled for cleaning) but they simply don't apply to the Impala. The only negative I can think of is that it's probably a little large for the smaller game that I will generally use it on to be perfect for me. However, for the hunters amongst us that are regularly dealing with different varieties of deer I'd think it would be perfect.

...agreed; the Impala is a best folding hunter I've used for hunting. It just plain works. The only knife I like better for processing game is an old carbon Schrade Sharpfinger I bought 30 years ago at a local hardware store in Upstate NY.

Which makes me think......I'd probably like the Persian as a folding hunter too.

- regards

[ChapmanPreferred]

I have both the Impala with gut hook and the Bill Moran featherweight. I carry both for my hunting trips. Both work really well.