A good hunting knife is a critical part of your hunting and outdoor equipment. From an everyday folding knife to a dedicated gralloching knife, we have a range that covers every task and every budget, plus the skinning, boning and butchery knives you need to turn the season's game into food for the table.
Which hunting knife?
For the hill (gralloching). A short, fixed blade with a handle that grips when wet is the stalker's standard. Mora's Pro C, Companion Heavy Duty and Robust are the knives we sell most, alongside the BushWear BushKnife in a high-visibility orange handle that is hard to lose in the heather. A gut hook or a dedicated bleeding knife makes the job quicker and cleaner.
For the pocket. A locking folding knife is the all-round tool for the shooting field and the truck. Opinel's No.8, No.9 and No.10 and the Jack Pyke Shires folders in rosewood are the long-standing favourites. See also our guide to the best pocket and field knives: Victorinox vs Opinel vs Morakniv.
For the larder. Boning, skinning, caping and gutting knives make butchery faster and safer than one general-purpose blade. Mora's ProGrip larder knives cover boning, gutting and tripe work at a sensible price. For the pelvis and chest, a bone saw does the job a knife does badly.
Carbon or stainless steel?
Carbon steel takes a keen edge and is easy to sharpen in the field, but it will discolour and rust if it is put away wet. Stainless steel resists corrosion and needs less care, which suits the larder and wet weather. Whichever you choose, a sharp knife is a safer knife; there is a full range of knife sharpeners.
The law on knives
It is illegal to sell a knife to anyone under 18 in the UK, so knife orders need age verification at delivery. Carrying a knife in public without good reason is an offence; a non-locking folding knife with a cutting edge of 3 inches or less is the exception. Going stalking or to work in the larder is a good reason, but keep knives out of sight and out of reach when you are not using them.
Brands include Mora, Jack Pyke, Opinel and Victorinox. Our earlier guide, how to choose the right stalking knife, goes further into blade shapes.
