Choosing between top-rated hunting knives isn’t always easy. Today, hunters have hundreds of blades, handles, and materials to choose from.
A good hunting knife doubles as a survival tool, and ideally, it’ll fit the animal you’re hunting. Skinning a bear requires a different tool than skinning a deer, etc.
In this post, we’ll explore the top-rated hunting knives for each animal.
Top-Rated Hunting Knives for Big Game
Big game hunting encompasses animals that weigh more than 350 pounds. Common big game animals in North America include elk, moose, bear, and bison.
The Stonewall Skinner
Big game animals often have thick hides (or skins), so it’s essential to have a skinning knife that can separate the hide without damaging the meat. Top-quality skinning knives can skin, cut, and chop all in one package, and the Stonewall Skinner is no exception.
The Stonewall Skinner is our favorite top-rated big game skinning knife for good reason. It’s full of features that make it the ideal knife for processing moose, bears, elk, and more. Essentially, it’s the heavyweight defender of do-it-all knives.
The Stonewall Skinner has:
- A thick spine that can withstand abuse
- A thin edge to slice with laser precision
- A carbon-steel blade for the perfect balance of edge retention, toughness, and easy resharpening
- A G10 handle that’s strong, durable, and stable while remaining lightweight and comfortable, even when covered in blood
- An enlarged belly that allows for long, sweeping strokes that result in fewer punctured hides
The Blackfoot
If you hunt both big and small game, consider investing in a blade that’s as flexible as your hunting trips. These top-rated hunting knives are durable and versatile enough to serve you every season for a lifetime or more.
The Blackfoot blade is our mid-weight do-it-all knife. It’s light enough to pack out for medium game, like goat and deer, but it’s durable enough to gut, cape, skin, and debone big game animals. It’s the perfect combination of thinness, lightness, sharpness, and toughness.
If you can only bring one knife on your hunt, the Blackfoot is it. It features:
- A versatile drop-point shape for caping, skinning, and deboning
- A compact size to suit both large and small prey
- A G10 handle for strength, durability, weight reduction, and grip, even in dirty conditions
- Multiple blade and handle variations to suit every hunter’s needs
Top-Rated Hunting Knives for Small and Medium Game
Medium game animals in North America are deer, wild sheep, goats, antelope, javelina, and other mammals weighing between 50 and 350 pounds.
Small game animals are mammals that weigh under 50 pounds, including rabbits, squirrels, coyotes, foxes, prairie dogs, weasels, and similar species.
The Flattail
The Flattail knife is another blade that excels with virtually any prey, but it really shines with small and medium game.
We designed this top-rated hunting knife with the help of Steven Rinella of MeatEater, keeping trappers’ and long-range hunters’ needs in mind. The name “Flattail” is even a reference to beavers, one of Steven’s most common targets.
The Flattail is surgical and exact, perfect for delicate caping and skinning tasks, but it’s stout enough to field dress deer and antelope with ease. It’s ultra-precise and ultralight, too, making it easy to carry with you no matter what game you’re chasing.
The Flattail has the following standout features:
- A MagnaCut stainless steel blade for corrosion resistance and edge retention
- A durable G10 handle for easy cleaning and an ergonomic grip
- A lanyard hole to make carrying easy
- A precision tip for deft cuts when you need them
The Speedgoat
If you’re looking for a top-rated hunting knife that’s lightweight but sizable enough to do the “hard work,” like caping out a deer, choose an ultralight knife like the Speedgoat. It’s our lightest multipurpose blade.
The Speedgoat is a fixed-blade, ultralight knife that can cape, gut, skin, and bone, just like the Blackfoot. Unlike the Blackfoot, the Speedgoat has a thinner and more lightweight profile, and it comes with a practical paracord handle. It’s one of our oldest and most popular knives, and it’s capable of virtually any hunting task.
A few of the Speedgoat’s other distinguishing characteristics include:
- An ultralight design with a skeletonized tang and thinner blade (less than 0.1″ thick at the spine)
- A 550 paracord handle that minimizes the knife’s weight and has practical uses, like tying down a tent, hanging meat in a tree, or acting as an emergency sling
- A full-size handle that won’t wear out your hands during extended use — no sacrificing comfort for size
- A lanyard hole for easy carrying and paracord threading
Top-Rated Hunting Knives for Birds and Fish
The most popular game birds in North America include pheasants, quail, pigeons, doves, ducks, and wild turkeys. The most popular game fish include bass, panfish, trout, and catfish.
The Mini-Speedgoat
Birds and fish usually have thinner skins and smaller bones than mammals, so a large hunting knife can be overkill. A small fly-fishing knife can also cut fishing lines, remove hooks, cut bait, and slice netting, even if you aren’t filleting your fish on the riverbank.
After noticing the Speedgoat was the go-to blade for small game hunters, we created the Mini-Speedgoat as a smaller, thinner, lighter alternative. This top-rated hunting knife is excellent for anglers and bird hunters, but also ideal for self-defense. It can comfortably attach to pockets, leggings, and other clothing without hindering movement or performance.
Some of the Mini-Speedgoat’s standout features include:
- The same performance and looks as the original Speedgoat at 17% shorter and 40% lighter
- Two unique sheath clips to carry on a pack, belt, pants, or other clothing
- The Speedgoat’s classic paracord handle for bonus survival tasks
The Flathead Fillet
We created the Flathead Fillet with anglers and fishermen in mind. It has the perfect balance of flexibility for filleting and rigidity for boning.
Despite the name, you don’t need to confine it to fish only. It’s just as suitable for breaking down meat and boning big game.
Because we designed the Flathead Fillet to process multiple animal types, it’s a bit more rigid than your typical fillet knife. It’s ideal for the hunter who pursues elk and deer most of the time, but goes deepwater fishing once or twice a year. The Flathead Fillet will thrash the competition when processing both.
The following features make this 12.5″ top-rated hunting knife ideal for a hunting or fishing trip:
- A MagnaCut stainless steel blade that’s easy to resharpen and won’t corrode in a saltwater environment
- A G10 handle that’s strong, durable, lightweight, comfortable, and keeps an excellent grip when wet
- A Cerakote finish for attractiveness and extra rust protection
- A long cutting edge and an upswept tip for the perfect filleting experience
The Sharptailed
We designed the Sharptailed knife for upland bird hunters. With a disposable blade’s sharpness and a full-size knife’s durability, the Sharptailed suits small game hunters perfectly. It’s ideal for skinning, processing, breasting, dispatching, and more.
Even if you’re not an upland bird hunter, the Sharptailed is a top-rated hunting knife for delicate cuts. It’s the king of ultra-precise blades.
It also has the following features:
- A slime-proof G10 handle for the best possible grip, no matter the conditions
- A lanyard hole for quick access and easy carrying
- MagnaCut steel construction to resist corrosion and keep a sharp edge
- A long, comfortable handle with visual embellishments to promote greater control on surgical cuts
Top-Rated Hunting Knives for Different Game Types: Final Thoughts
While certain characteristics are essential in any hunting knife, like a high-quality blade and a durable handle, the best top-rated hunting knife is the one that’s suited to your hunting style:
- If you frequently hunt big game, consider a versatile skinning knife like the Stonewall Skinner.
- If you’re an angler, the Flathead Fillet may prove most beneficial.
- If you hunt a range of game animals, the Blackfoot is a flexible option that always gets the job done.
- If you need small, surgical precision for caping small prey, the Sharptailed won’t let you down.
Regardless of the game you hunt, Montana Knife Company has a long-lasting, durable, top-rated hunting knife for your unique needs.
by Josh Smith, Master Bladesmith and Founder of Montana Knife Company
