Looking for the best knife for you? Not only do you need to choose a knife that is well made, but also make sure that it has a functional design.

If you’re an outdoorsman, then it’s highly probable that you own a different knife for every occasion. In fact, you may have knife addiction problems. So, it begs the question, how many knives do we actually need in our outdoor world and how do you choose the best knife? Your wife may even ask, “won’t one knife do it all?” The answer to that question – a knife is a tool. You don’t just have one screwdriver do you? So, no, one knife will not suffice to complete all of our outdoor tasks.

But which knife? That’s the million-dollar question. Go to your local outdoor store and look at all of the different designs they offer. Or look at the websites of some of the more popular knives such as Case XX Knives. They offer literally thousands of knives. So, it is no mystery as to why you get overwhelmed when trying to make a choice.

So, how do you know which design to buy? First, I must ask what job do you want to accomplish? Then we can determine which design would suit you best. There’s not a “one knife fits all” design. So, to answer that question you really have to determine what task you’re about to perform.

To break this down so we can make a decision, let’s first discuss the proper designs for each task that an outdoorsman will encounter. For your outdoor purposes you could use/justify five different designs:

1. Clip point
2. Drop point
3. Caping
4. 6-inch boning
5. 8-inch Breaking (Trim)

Here’s why I say these are the only designs that you should consider: a clip point knife has a point, so you can cut the pattern (the first cuts into the hide). I love clip point knives and have skinned no telling how many pick-up loads of game with one.

On the other hand, with a drop point you can skin faster without fear of cutting holes in the hide as easily, which is important if you’re saving the hide. If you’re not saving it, then just use a clip point. I like for my clip point and drop point knife blades to be 3 ½-inches long. Not a right or wrong, it’s just what I like.

If you’re mounting your trophy’s head, you’ll also want a caping knife, so you can make the intricate cuts required such as cutting around the eyes, lips, and the feet/toes on your bears. They’re usually 2 ¼-inches long and have a narrow, pointed blade.

Next, you’ll need a boning knife to bone out your game or to fillet your fish. I like a 6-inch semi-flex blade. With a good boning knife, you can obtain clean bones (Clean bones means that you have removed all of the meat). I’ve boned everything from antelope to moose with a 6-inch semi-flex boning knife. It’s all you’ll ever need for that task.

To slice steaks or trim fat, such as on a brisket, you get smoother cuts if you use an 8-inch knife as opposed to a 6-inch blade, so you may want one of these in your kit. Yes, you can cut your backstraps into steaks with a 6-inch knife, it’s just that you’ll make smoother cuts with the extra two inches.

So, there are the five different designs I recommend. Do I always carry all five? No. I’ve skinned over 100 deer with a clip point folder. But as a bare minimum to clean and process your big game you’ll need a clip point knife and a 6-inch boning knife.

I test hundreds of knives per year and the DiamondBlade Traditional Hunter is the best designed skinning knife on the market. The spine is ground down on the tip so you can cut the pattern when skinning, but it is a drop point knife so you can skin your animal fast without fear of cutting through the hide. Due to the profile of the slightly curved handle and slightly upswept blade, while skinning you don’t even move your wrist, which reduces wrist fatigue if you’re skinning all day.

Designs in a Nutshell

I do a lot with knives and have written hundreds of articles on them and test literally hundreds of knives each year. I also teach seminars from Texas to Vegas and on up to Alaska. A lot of the seminars are at the big shows like DSC and the SHOT, but I’ve also done a lot in stores like Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop. After conducting seminars in the aforementioned stores, attendees always ask me if this knife or that knife is a good one to buy.

There are so many knives on the market now that it can be confusing as to which one to buy. So, what I would suggest is to first decide what task you are wanting to perform and then look for the tool designed for the job. There are some weird knives out there. I do not have a clue as to what half of them are good for. I think a lot of them are like fishing lures. They’re designed to catch the attention of a fisherman, not a fish.

Now to warn you of the next pitfall when choosing a knife. Just because a knife has a functional design doesn’t mean that it is quality-made. You and I could fly over to China right now, visit a manufacturer, pick from a list of designs on their wall and start a knife company (and that is what many companies do). So not only do you need to pick the proper design, you must also pick a knife from a quality company.

To further complicate things, there are some quality companies out there, but some sell the aforementioned weird designs. This frustrates me to no end. Why would you start building knives and not talk to your customer to see what design works best in their world? This constantly puzzles me. I’ve been invited to numerous unveilings of new knife company start-ups. They basically want me to “ooh and ahh” and tell everyone to buy two of everything they make. Granted they may make quality knives, but they still have dysfunctional designs. So first, only look at the offerings of a quality knife company and secondly, only consider their functional designs.

Moving along. We’ve covered what designs to look for, so now you have to find a good manufacturer. Here are a few open-minded recommendations.

Knives Of Alaska offers a line of economical, well-designed, quality knives. If you want a clip point check out their Pronghorn and if you favor a drop point, the Elk Hunter. For a caping knife check out their Cub Bear.

If you want the ultimate in design and quality check out the DiamondBlade line. Here are my favorites: for the best hunting knife on the market, the Traditional Hunter takes the prize. The spine is ground down to a point so you can cut the pattern. Yet, it is a drop point which makes it a great skinning knife. It is the best all-around knife I’ve tested to date.

I also love The Legacy. It is elegant. The Summit is also right in the middle of the mix as well so when I head out the door to go hunting it’s a toss-up as to which one I will grab. For caping, the Pinnacle II takes the prize. I can’t tell you how many top-notch knives are in the DiamondBlade line up.

So, as we close, not only do you need to choose a knife that is well made. Also make sure that it has a functional design.