Spyderco Forums

I am new to hunting but thankfully I have a friend that is experienced and showing me the ropes. We are hunting whitetail next week, what should I bring to process deer? We have 3 tags between 3 friends

Phil Wilson 8cr13mov model - I assume this will be best as that is what it’s made for. But the steel…

Waterway
Military s90v
Pm2 in maxamet - rust concerns
Manix in m390
Gayle Bradley 2 - love that knife, I wouldn’t want it to get rusty or too messy

Any thoughts? I was thinking of bringing Phil’s knife with a folder backup

Of your list, the one I share is Waterway. I just used this knife processing a bison. It was great around the bung and stuff. It was really good for slipping into and separating joints as well.

Best backup is a good field sharpener.

Good luck eh!

My vote goes to the Military S90V. It will help you out staying sharp and not rusting, plus it's a 4" blade. You can clean and lube it after your through field dressing your game.

Try a Moran. It was designed by a hunter for hunters, though the Wilson is nice, too.

My primary would be a fixed blade, simply due to the fact that it's easier to clean.

Personally we bring three knives each hunt. That way we can rotate if one becomes dull and another guy can sharpen.

We go for deer, moose, black bear, wolf, and coyote.

I would go with a Moran drop point , I would only use a folder for small tasks and did use my Chinook 2 out of curiosity . I hav used my Randalls exclusively for years , as stated a field sharpener is another item that gets overlooked. MG2

I won’t use folders for this kind of work.

Since you are hunting whitetail you will probably be field dressing it and then processing back at home/camp.

Your Waterway and your Bow River are both very capable knives for field dressing. They can also both adequately skin and quarter a deer.

I bring a 3-3.5 inch blade out with me for field dressing. When I get home I use a 4-5 inch blade to skin it and break it down. After that I move inside and finish processing with a fillet knife and a kitchen knife. The fillet is great for trimming silver skin.

I am not a hunter, but my family were all hunters when I was a teenager so it was pretty common back then. Just about the only knives I remember using besides kitchen knives were old Schrade Sharpfinger skinners and practically everyone had a Buck 110 back then they may as well have been government issued and my uncle used an old KA-BAR. Suffice to say we made due with far less than we have to choose from today but those guys could put an edge on a spoon with a whetstone.

Folder vs fixed blade is a debate that will never end.

If you carry a folder, something worth considering is general safety when in use and when being carried. I opt for a backlock due to good bias to close and probably overblown concerns of detent based lock types accidentally opening if carried in a pack or crawling around through brush and such.

I carried a VG-10 Stretch 2XL last year and it was more than capable for field dressing and skinning a deer. Now that the SPY27 variant is available, thats probably the ideal choice for that model.

If you do carry a folder, clean up is something to be mindful of- lots of nooks and crannies. The Stretch 2XL is linerless so less concerns, and if you are comfortable with doing so is easy to disassemble.

I carry a fixed blade (a serrated Enuff 2) for primary field dressing purposes. I have a clean backup folder (a Native 5 Salt) in my kill kit, along with hand wipes, a microfiber cloth, latex gloves, and paracord.

My regular carry knife has been used on occasion to field dress as well when I’ve gone to help others field dress and their knives weren’t present or not up to the task.

I wouldn’t worry about steel type, field dressing isn’t that hard on a blade unless you split the sternum or hips.

Corrosion shouldn’t be a concern in a shorter hunting trip. If you are worried, you could wax or oil your blades ahead of time. I prefer not to have to wash my blade after packing up the meat.

Get the “Butt out Tool” for $8 on Amazon. Makes the worst part of field dressing a bit easier, especially if you are new to it.

Fixed blade-no brainer Moran drop point would be my choice along with a field sharpener

Easily the Waterway from among your choices. If you want to use a folder, I'd suggest the Stretch 2 XL. K390 version if you're able to wash it off easily afterward. Salt version and a sharpening tool if not. Sharpening tool is always a good idea anyway, especially if skinning is part of the plan.

The Bow River would serve you just fine. Nothing wrong with that steel. If you already have the Waterway, you may prefer that textured handle more than the smooth handle of the Bow River.

A knife is a tool. I would use the one that makes you happiest that day. I have used my ayoob se, and the siren s90. Before those I used a cs mayhem. My point is why own them if we don't use them? I also use a firearm to hunt, it always gets dissambled and cleaned and oiled afterwards.
This season I will carry my CF Subvert, and a SE Dodo. Why?Because if I am unwilling to use and maintain my knife, I never had a use for it but for art. Any of your spyderco will bring you joy.

I like small knives for field dressing. Carried a Fällkniven WM1 for many years, but in later years the Native 5 salt has more or less replaced it.

I usually have a simple fixed blade in my backpack as a backup in case something unforeseen happens, but the small knife is my workhorse in the field.

In my car or back in camp I will have a kill kit with a few more knives suitable for the next processing steps.
Skinning is mostly a pulling exercise and doesn't require much knife work. When I need to work some stubborn skin with a knife, thin and sharp is good, but the Native 5 will do as long as it's still sharp.

For splitting joints I use an affordable fixed blade of some type, e.g. Mora Robust or Hultafors OK4.

Any further processing is usually done at home, using affordable butcher knives, meat saw etc.

From your list I'd pick the Waterway. It's larger than I'd ideally want for field dressing, but it's a knife that can do a lot of tasks well. It will also be easy to hold on to when your hands are covered in blood and intestines. Which is never a bad thing. If you have some variety of cheaper knives you can add to a kill kit to support your Waterway and preferably a field sharpener as well, I think you'll do fine.

Fharing45 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 18, 2025 3:09 pm

A knife is a tool. I would use the one that makes you happiest that day.

This is really the truth. Given that he's new to hunting, his time would be much better spent reading about hunting techniques, studying a map to learn the exact boundaries of the property he's hunting, shot placement, following a blood trail, watching videos about proper field dressing/butchering, etc. Getting to the point of needing a knife is the hard part. Any knife will work fine if you know what you're doing. If worrying about 8cr is at the top of the list, your priorities should be re-examined.

This is the knife I’m using for deer gutting/cleaning. It’s a Spyderco Magnacut Mule with bright blaze orange G10 handles. I’ve had to take apart and clean every folder I’ve used to do the job. It’s a pain. That’s why I’m going fixed blade. The Mule blade length is ideal for the task. The orange scales are a must. I’ve had to go back to my kill spot more than once with a metal detector trying to find a neutral colored folder in the leaves. The Magnacut will hold up nice without rusting in my pack and it’s also fairly tough as well. That’s just what I do, do what pleases you though. Whatever you choose don’t use S110V.

jmj3esq wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 19, 2025 8:13 am

This is the knife I’m using for deer gutting/cleaning. It’s a Spyderco Magnacut Mule with bright blaze orange G10 handles. I’ve had to take apart and clean every folder I’ve used to do the job. It’s a pain. That’s why I’m going fixed blade. The Mule blade length is ideal for the task. The orange scales are a must. I’ve had to go back to my kill spot more than once with a metal detector trying to find a neutral colored folder in the leaves. The Magnacut will hold up nice without rusting in my pack and it’s also fairly tough as well. That’s just what I do, do what pleases you though. Whatever you choose don’t use S110V.

Very knice! I would love more Spyderco orange knives

jmj3esq wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 19, 2025 8:13 am

This is the knife I’m using for deer gutting/cleaning. It’s a Spyderco Magnacut Mule with bright blaze orange G10 handles. I’ve had to take apart and clean every folder I’ve used to do the job. It’s a pain. That’s why I’m going fixed blade. The Mule blade length is ideal for the task. The orange scales are a must. I’ve had to go back to my kill spot more than once with a metal detector trying to find a neutral colored folder in the leaves. The Magnacut will hold up nice without rusting in my pack and it’s also fairly tough as well. That’s just what I do, do what pleases you though. Whatever you choose don’t use S110V.

For a few years my S110V Mule was my main hunting and ice fishing knife. I can say that I have had to remove the scales because of odors that won’t go away. Stuff gets under there. It’s a price I’m willing to pay to have removable scales since I rotate one pair of scales through a pile of different mules.

I dressed my son’s buck last year with a Magnacut Mule with blue Halpern scales. It should serve you well.