Whether Large Or Small Game, A Good Hunting Knife Kit Is A Must

Skinning knives. Gut hooks. Fillet knives. There are so many different tools for a hunter to use when dressing their kill. However, having just one of those knives could make the process incredibly difficult. That’s where hunting knife kits come in.

These kits feature multiple knives and other tools to help make the process of, well, processing much easier. 

Why Should I Buy A Hunting Knife Set?

One word: convenience.

Sure, you could try to skin, dress, and clean a whole buck or fillet a fish with just a caping knife, but good luck with that. A quality hunting knife kit should cover all the bases and give you the confidence of knowing that your needs will be met on a hunt.

What Do I Need In A Hunting Knife Kit?

Your specific needs may differ depending on the types of animals you’re hunting. However, regardless of the species there’s a few items you will definitely want in your hunting knife set.

Skinning Knife

Your list should start here. Any land animal, whether it’s a 10-point buck or a small rabbit, will need to be skinned as one of the first steps of processing. Having a nimble skinning knife in your kit will make your life far easier than trying to brute force it with a pocketknife or something much larger like a kukri.

Caping Knife

A capable caping knife is necessary to get into the little nooks to get all off the meat off the carcass. Small and nimble, a good caping knife is worth its weight in gold and absolutely necessary for hunters of all types.

Boning/Fillet Knife

This is a must especially if you’re fishing. The boning and fillet knife will allow you to remove the flesh from the skin and cut through smaller, more finicky, bones. 

Bone Saw/Cleaver

While both are vastly different from each other, they both accomplish the same thing: breaking through large bones. A boning knife won’t be able to easily cut through something like the sternum or hip bones. A bone saw or a cleaver is the way to go. The cleaver, though, is more versatile as you can also prep the meat for cooking with it.

Gut Hook

The gut hook, at least a good gut hook, should open up the belly of a kill like a zipper and allow you to easily pull the guts and innards out. There are many high-end gut hook/skinning knife combo tools available so look for those as they’ll do both the jobs while also saving room in your pack. Standalone gut hooks are available as well.

5 Best Hunting Knife Kits

Gerber Myth Field Dress Kit

This is a perfect mix of rugged tools and true portability. This kit from Gerber only has two knives, but they’re both of the highest quality. A 7.25-inch caping knife and an 8.5-inch gut hook are both strong enough to process big game thanks to the stainless blades. The rubber handles provide an excellent grip while also being moisture resistant.

The piggyback sheath is just as important here, too. Both knives easily fit into the sheath, which is paracord friendly if not fully MOLLE compatible, and the built-in carbide sharpener will keep your blades slicing true when in the field. 

The only knock on this set is that there is no saw included, but the quality of the tools here is more than enough to dress deer, rabbit, quail, and a whole lot more.

MSRP: $75

Ruko 131

The last kit came in a sheath. This one comes in a briefcase. The 131 set from Ruko comes with eight different tools. The list includes a caping knife, skinning knife, bone saw, fillet knife, game shears, gut hook knife, standalone gut hook, and a cleaver. Yes, two gut hooks.

All of these tools come with an easy-to-see orange handle and are contained in a black polypropylene case. It truly is a one-size-fits-all set for hunters.

The tradeoff is in blade quality. All of the tools are made from 420HC stainless which, yes has good corrosion resistance but isn’t the top-quality steel of some other sets on this list. Regardless, if you’re looking for a high-volume, fairly-priced hunting knife kit, Ruko has you covered.

MSRP: $59.99

Victorinox Fish Fillet Kit

The first animal-specific set on our list is from Victorinox, the maker of the iconic Swiss Army knife. The company’s high quality and attention to detail is on display in this kit just like it is their famous red multi-tools.

This set includes a 3.25-inch paring knife, 6-inch boning knife, 8-inch fillet knife, and 10-inch breaking knife. There’s also a handheld sharpener and an included 8-slot knife roll. The high-carbon stainless steel blades are made in Switzerland and are just as at home at the campsite as they are in the kitchen.

While made for fish and smaller game like rabbits, especially the three smaller knives, the beefy breaking knife can also be used when processing larger kills. 

MSRP: $172.99

Outdoor Edge ButcherLite Game Processing Kit

This eight-piece hunting kit from Outdoor Edge is designed to process game all the way from field to freezer. The set includes a gut hook skinner, caping knife, boning/fillet knife, bone saw, rib cage spreader, game cleaning gloves, and a tungsten carbide sharpener so you can reset your knives’ edge when out in the field. 

The blades are made from 420J2 high-carbon stainless steel that provides quality edge protection and the full-tang construction, along with rubberized handles, provide a well-balanced knife that’s easy to grip. 

All of the tools tuck neatly away into the included nylon roll pack that converts to a belt scabbard for easy access when processing the animal. And, at just 2.4 pounds, this hunting knife set is light enough to easily tuck away in your pack. 

MSRP: $64.95

Smith And Wesson Campfire Set

This three-knife set features beefy blades and a straight-to-the-point ethos. With a caping knife, gut hook skinner, and cleaver, Smith and Wesson has made a no-nonsense set of knives that’s easy to pack away and versatile enough to break down your kills.

Made from 3Cr13 stainless, these blades come sharp and can handle the abuse you’ll most certainly throw at them. The included all-in-one sheath allows you to neatly pack away your knives for easy carry and transport.

There is no fillet knife so processing fish might be difficult, but the cleaver in place of a bone saw provides added flexibility. The cleaver can chop through most bones while also helping to prep food around a campfire.

MSRP: $45.66

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