Best hunting knives are a must-have for any outdoor adventure. A dependable blade can make all the difference when field dressing or processing game. That’s why the experts at Hunt Alaska magazine have handpicked the finest options. From skinning to butchering, we’ve got the perfect hunting knives for your next excursion.
Best Hunting Knives
Spyderco Stretch 2 XL Lightweight Salt
The Stretch 2 XL Lightweight represents more than 3 decades of evolution that began with Spyderco’s classic folding hunting knives. Through years of relentless refinement, they have arrived at a full-sized, full-service cutting tool that is incredibly lightweight and easy to carry. So, what could possibly make it better? How about crafting it with a corrosion-resistant blade steel and making it a member of their elite Salt Series. Tipping the scales at a mere 3.0 ounces, the Stretch 2 XL Lightweight Salt is the largest folding knife in their Salt lineup. Its 3.95-inch blade is hollow-ground from ultra-corrosion-resistant H-2 steel and is available in a choice of PlainEdge or fully serrated SpyderEdge formats.
The blade is supported by a sturdy back-lock mechanism housed in a lightweight fiberglass reinforced-nylon (FRN) handle. Injection molded in a bright-yellow color for high visibility, the handle features a non-slip Bi-Directional Texture pattern for optimal grip security and a fully configurable 3-position pocket clip that supports all possible carry options. We love how light, sharp, and corrosion-resistant this blade is. It was a go-to carry for much of the back half of the season.
White River Knife & Tool Pro Fillet Knives
Our Fish Alaska tester tried all 3 sizes of the White River Pro Fillet Knives with the black G10 handle and found them to be superior knives that held an edge. The 10-inch Pro Fillet is great for larger fish like kings and halibut while the 8-inch is just right for most everything else. The 6-inch model works well for skinning, fine trimming and fillet slicing for items like sushi and sashimi. Over the last few years, Publisher Marcus Weiner has been using 6- and 8-inch fillet knives when deboning deer and moose. He thinks these knives are strong additions to his knife collection and get used for processing both fish and game.
Work Sharp RKS Rolling Knife Sharpener
Our tester loves this easy-to-use, handheld, ergonomic knife sharpener. The magnetic angle block allows you to sharpen at 15-, 17-, 20-, and 25-degree angles and comes with 320- and 600-grit Diamond- and Fine Ceramic Abrasives discs. This new knife-sharpener design made it much easier for our tester to sharpen knives.
True SYK 7” Fillet Knife
True uses the word “bold” to describe this knife, and we have to agree, but don’t let the color distract you from the functionality. This knife is made of premium and eco-friendly materials, and is designed for hard use in harsh environments. We used this knife when breaking down moose and deer quarters in 2024. It worked very well and stayed sharp throughout the process. This knife offers great value, considering the price and performance of the tool. We also used the 4-inch model when deboning and found that both tools helped to debone meat and remove silver skin.
Benchmade Meatcrafter Dark Olive Santropene 4” Trailing Point
We love the original Meatcrafter, but with its 6” blade, it’s a little big for detailed trimming. The 4” Meatcrafter is perfect for detailed meat trimming. Editor George Krumm loves salmon collars, and the 4” Meatcrafter is his favorite for trimming the membranous material off the inside of the collars. We tend to use the Meatcrafter series at home, primarily to finish breaking down game or to trim pieces we’re about to cook.
According to Benchmade, “The trailing-point CPM-154 premium stainless-steel blade with SelectEdge is specifically designed for processing smaller animals and breasting out large game birds and poultry, the perfect amount of blade for delicate cuts around the breastbone.” The handle is Santropene which is quite grippy. The knife has a lanyard hole, and weighs 2.71 ounces. It comes with a Boltaron orange/gray sheath. Made in the USA, and like all Benchmade knives, comes with their LifeSharp free sharpening service.
Benchmade Mini Taggedout
The Mini Taggedout is a compact folder that comes in 3 different configurations: Orange Grivory handle, CPM154 wear-resistant stainless-steel blade; olive G10 handle and CPM-S45VN premium stainless-steel blade; and the model we tested—carbon-fiber handle, CPM-MagnaCut stainless-steel blade. This knife is a smaller version of the original Taggedout. It’s 4.1” long closed, 7.12” long opened, and has a 3.04” clip-point blade. It uses the AXIS lock mechanism to lock the blade and includes a lanyard hole. It includes a mini-deep-carry pocket clip for tip-up carry.
The version we tested weighs just 2.33 ounces—a very light knife for weight-conscious backpack hunters. It includes the orange Cerakote blade on the carbon-fiber version which makes it easy to spot, even in low light. It’s big enough to dress deer, sheep, and goats in editor George Krumm’s opinion, and makes for a nice, light everyday-carry knife, too. Made in the USA, and like all Benchmade knives, comes with their LifeSharp free sharpening service.
Benchmade Steep Country Dark Olive Santoprene Drop-Point
Publisher Marcus Weiner used this knife in 2024 to field dress a western Alaska moose. Regulations require that hunters salvage all the meat possible from the animals they harvest. To cut down on waste, ADF&G mandates that moose quarters and ribs come out of the field on the bone when hunting in certain units, like 21E that Marcus and his pal, Roby Medina, hunted in 2024. After Roby shot his moose, the team realized that they had left their bone saw back in camp, several hours away. Without the time available to head back to camp, Marcus spent 30 grueling minutes dislocating both rib cages from the moose’s spine with this knife. This was no small feat, and Marcus was suitably impressed with the strength and durability of this blade. This 3.54-inch drop-point knife blade is made from CPM-S30V stainless steel, and the handle is made from Santoprene. The knife is 6.42 inches long and weighs just 3 ounces. The jimping on top of the blade helps quite a bit with blade control. The handle has a lanyard hole, and the sheath has slots to allow you to strap the knife to a pack. This is a really versatile design for a hunting knife.