Idaho – -(AmmoLand.com)- I wrote for Bass Pro Shop for 3 ½ years. The first year. I thought it’d be fun to write a WishList for the Outdoorsman. They said no, we want one for the hunter, the fisherman, camper, backpacker, and boat owner!? Since I write a lot of Knife Reviews for AmmoLand News I thought it’d be fun to write a Wish-List for the Knife Lover and list out some of the knives & knife gear that I like. Well, let’s get started.
SMITH’S CONSUMER PRODUCTS – When Smith’s does something, they jump in with both feet. They constantly impress me with their creativeness. I think it was just two SHOTS ago that Ricky Dukes told me that they were going to start offering knives. And start offer they did. They have a lot of economical folders as well as some nice 6, 7, and 9-inch fish filleting knives as well as an electric fish fillet knife. I like their Trailbreaker & Furrow folder and their 6” Boing/Fillet knife.
SYPDERCO – Spyderco knives come from the factory razor-sharp and all of their folders have their signature thumb hole to aid in opening. For folders, I like their Pacific II for boating and their Siren, Endela, and Native 5 for EDC. For fixed blade, I like their Moran and their Bow River is really classy looking.
KNIVES OF ALASKA, KOA – makes hunting/fishing knives. Charles tested them at his hunting/fishing camp in Alaska. For fixed blades, I like their clip point Pronghorn and for a drop-point, I like the Elk Hunter. For caping I like their Cub Bear. I also love their classy little The Legacy and if you want a lightweight camping/river knife to check out their Xtreme Series II & V. KOA just came out with a new boning knife name The Professional Boning Knife. It is the nicest boning knife on the market and is offered in two options-flex and semi-flex.
DIAMOND BLADES – If you want an elite hunting knife then check out this line of knives. It’s hard not to list all of them. They’re all that good. I like the Surge, the Summit, and the Pinnacle II caping knife. These knives will stay sharp longer than any knife on the market due to being friction forged
CASE KNIVES – Case has been around forever. I love their large yellow handle Stockman. If you’re a cowboy you have to carry one of them for roundups, cutting bull calves, hay twine, etc. As a kid, we used a trapper knife to skin our animals like the Case Trapper. The TecZ TL-3 is an economical EDC folder. As a kid, I’d of died for one of the Mushroom Cap Leather 6” Skinner Hunter knives. Expect to see more Case Knives reviews in 2021.
BUCK KNIVES – The 110 folder is legendary and is the knife that put Buck on the map. They’ve sold over 10 million. They also have a 110 auto that is cool. And I like their little 113 skinning knife.
SMITH & WESSON, S&W – makes a nice-looking fixed blade called the Allegiance.
SOG – They make a couple of tactical folders you might like. The TAC XR and the PENTAGON XR.
KERSHAW – I like their Camshaft and Airlock folders. In fact, at this moment I am carrying the Airlock. It has a fast activating blade and a thin profile so it is comfortable to carry.
- CRKT – I love their little Mossback knife. It is great for small cleaning jobs and breasting out your geese, ducks, and doves.
- BENCHMADE – The Bugout is a nice folder and the Crooked River folder is a nice looking one as well.
- MISTER TWISTER – Has a nice inexpensive fish fillet knife named Mr. Fisherman.
- CUSTOM MADE KNIVES – If you’re wanting a more personal custom-made knife check out Packard Knives. Ronnie makes some unique knives.
CULINARY
I like the Smith’s Cabin & Lodge set for my kitchen work. For slicing vegetables, preparing food, etc. I like the Spyderco Counter Puppies and their utility knife. For homemade bread, I like the Spyderco Bread knife and the Case Knives bread knife.
SHARPENERS
Two companies own the market on knife sharpening gear.
Spyderco actually started their company selling ceramic sharpening equipment. Check out their Gauntlet or Benchstone Extra Fine stone.
For stones, you need to check out Smith’s Consumer Products. Their 6” Fine Diamond stone is my go-to stone but the ultimate is their 8” Tri-hone stone set. It has a coarse diamond stone, fine diamond stone, and an Arkansas stone. Their 4” Combination stone is also popular. It is compactable and has a coarse and a fine diamond stone. When sharpening my kitchen knives, I like their Mesa Electric sharpener. I’m usually sharpening a pile of kitchen knives and want to whip through them fast and not have to do it by hand.
About Tom Claycomb
Tom Claycomb has been an avid hunter/fisherman throughout his life as well as an outdoor writer with outdoor columns in the magazine Hunt Alaska, Bass Pro Shops, Bowhunter.net and freelances for numerous magazines and newspapers. “To properly skin your animal, you will need a sharp knife. I have an e-article on Amazon Kindle titled Knife Sharpening #ad for $.99 if you’re having trouble.”
