A detailed search for the best hunting knife under $100
If you’ve ever tried searching for a great hunting tool but are overwhelmed by the different types of knives in the market, then this post on finding the best hunting knife under 100 dollars is perfect for you. I’ve been in your situation before but after numerous years of hunting and survivalist experience, I’ve handpicked my list of the Top 10 hunting knives that cost less than $100.
Remember, each of these knives has been personally tested by me or a fellow hunting expert, so you’re definitely going to be getting the best bang for your buck. Some of these hunting tools are even below the $50 range thanks to the amazing deals that Amazon runs from time to time.
However, if you’re short of time and don’t want to take the trouble of going through the entire list, then simply go with my #1 choice for the best hunting knife as given below:
1. Knife King “Emperor” Custom Damascus Handmade Hunting Knife
First up on my list of the best hunting knives under $100 is the Knife King “Emperor” Custom Damascus Handmade Hunting Knife. This razor sharp, rock solid hunting blade has a hardness of 58-60 on the HRC scale and has over 200 layers of damascus steel. The blade length is a good 8 inch while the handle is approximately 5.25 inches long.
The hilt and sub hilt design is great and the walnut grips are a pleasure to work with. The blade is real Damascus steel with a TUF Glide coating on top. The sheath that comes along with the knife is also of a great quality and one look at it will have you hooked to this hunting blade.
All in all, a great knife to choose for hunting especially if your budget is less than 100 dollars!
Key Specs & Features:
Blade: 8 inch length, 0.3125 inch thickness, 15N25 & 1075 Damascus steel, 58-60 HRC
Handle: 5.25 inch length, comes with a sheath
Weight: 12 ounces
2. Buck Knives 0103 Skinner Fixed Blade Knife
I’ve been a long time admirer of the Buck Knife Company because they truly make some great hunting & survival knives and the 0103 Skinner is definitely top on that list. Made from 420 HC steel, the 0103 Skinner is 4 inch long skinning blade with a black phenolic handle and comes with a pommel guard. Another great selling point about this knife is that it is Made in the USA so it’s a great way to support your country.
I’ve skinned multiple pigs using the 103 and have rarely had to touch up the knife post skinning which just goes to show you how great this is performance wise. It’s a must have in your hunting kit and at a price point of less than $50, this one is great value for money.
Key Specs & Features:
Blade: 4 inch length, 0.120 inch thickness, 420 HC steel with narrow tip, Made in USA
Handle: 4.25 inch length, black phenolic handle with pommel
Weight: 4.3 ounces
3. KA-BAR Fighting/Utility Serrated Edge Knife
3 rd up on this list of the Top 10 Hunting Knives under 100 dollars is the KA-BAR Fighting Utility Serrated Edge Knife. I’ve been using this 7 inch long 1095 Cro Van steel blade for quite a few years at various hunting expeditions and it has never let me down.
It comes with a Kydex sheath and locks securely into it. Mine didn’t come out fully sharp out of the box so I did have to sharpen it just a bit but that’s not a big deal. Some people did tell me that the grip becomes slippery during wet conditions but I’ve never really faced any issue so far – in fact, I quite like the grip!
It comes with serrations which give it extra utility especially while creating wood shavings for campfires. All in all, it’s a great hunting tool to own and at under $60, it’s a no brainer really.
Key Specs & Features:
Blade: 7 inch length, 20 degrees edge angle, 1095 Cro Van steel fixed blade, HRC 56-58
Handle: 4.125 inch length, Kraton handle with sheath
Weight: 11.2 ounces
4. Buck 192BR Vanguard Fixed Blade Knife
Another Buck on this list; this time it’s the 192BR Vanguard Fixed Blade Knife. This 4.125 inch long Drop point blade has one of the best edge retentions I’ve ever seen in a hunting blade and thanks to the 420HC steel, the strength of the knife is also excellent.
If you’re an outdoor hunting enthusiast or a big game hunter, then this blade is perfect for you. The handle is walnut coloured and contoured with a polished brass butt that is a boon when it comes to field dressing. It also is a Made in USA knife covered under the Buck Lifetime Warranty.
The 192BR Vanguard is perfect for all your outdoor activities including camping, fishing, hiking and hunting and is also priced extremely reasonably at less than $100.
Key Specs & Features:
Blade: 4.125 inch length, 420 HC steel fixed blade, Made in USA knife
Handle: 4.125 inch length, Walnut contoured with brass butt and leather sheath
Weight: 6.3 ounces
5. Kershaw Ken Onion Blur Folding Knife
Another one of my old favourites makes it to this list of the best hunting blades under 100 dollars and this time it’s the Kershaw Ken Onion Blur Folding Knife. This is one of the rare times that I endorse a folding knife but the Ken Onion with its Speed Safe option and Sandvik 14C28N steel blade is truly a hunting enthusiast’s delight.
You have the option of going with either a smooth or serrated blade and either ways, the 3.375 inch blade is ideal for extreme outdoor situations. The anodized light weight aluminium handle has a good grip that won’t give way even under slippery conditions.
For $55, this tactical knife is a great steal considering the amazing build quality and fast assisted opening. The perfect folding knife for all your hunting and tactical activities.
Key Specs & Features:
Blade: 3.375 inch length, Sandvik 14C28N steel blade, DLC black coating
Handle: 4.5 inch length, Speed Safe assisted opening, removable pocket clip
Weight: 3.9 ounces
6. Buck Knives 0102 Woodsman Fixed Blade Knife
We’re halfway down this list of the best hunting knife under $100 and there’s another Buck on this list (third and final one). This time it’s the Buck Knives 0102 Woodsman Fixed Blade Knife and at less than $40, you’ll be hard pressed to find a cheaper high quality knife.
The 4 inch long blade is made from 420 HC steel and offers excellent edge retention, which is a quality shared by most Buck blades. This is a full tang knife that has a finger guard integrated into the handle and features an aluminium pommel. It’s great for field dressing deer and the shape of the knife really helps in that aspect.
It comes with a leather sheath that has a plastic liner so you don’t need to worry about it getting all wet during rains. I’ve even used it for gutting chicken and rabbits and it performed remarkably well even with smaller game. One of my most trusted hunting tools ever!
Key Specs & Features:
Blade: 4 inch length, 420 HC steel blade, Made in USA, Buck Forever Warranty
Handle: 3.75 inch length, black phenolic handle, genuine leather sheath
Weight: 2.8 ounces
7. Puma Coyote Stag Handle Blade Hunting Knife
In at #7 on this list of the Top 10 Hunting Knives under $100 is the Puma Coyote – an 8 inch long knife with a blade length of 3.8 inches. The first and most impressive thing that you’ll notice about this knife is the stunningly beautiful Stag handle that feature brass finger guards and brass lined lanyard holes.
Made from 440A German manufactured steel, this blade has been an old hunting favourite of mine that I’ve used for skinning and field dressing. It’s a great drop point blade to own with a great edge and you’ll surely consider this as one of the best fleshing knives in the market once you get down to skinning whitetail deer capes.
It comes with a leather sheath, which honestly isn’t one of the best but is good enough to use and is durable. All in all, a great hunting tool to buy when your budget is in the range of $75-$100
Key Specs & Features:
Blade: 3.8 inch length, 4 40A German steel with stag scales, HRC 55-57
Handle: 4.2 inch long handle, leather sheath, handmade
Weight: 4.3 ounces
8. Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Pro Knife
One of the most famous hunting and survival knives in the world, thanks to the legendary Bear Grylls, this knife had to make it on this list. This is a full tang knife made from 9CR19MoV premium steel and has an overall length of 10 inches with the blade measuring 4.8 inches.
It comes with a fire starter mounted within the sheath so it’s a great boon for all those who intend on camping out in the wild. There’s also an emergency lanyard whistle which thankfully, I’ve never had to use but is definitely comforting to have around. Gerber is an extremely reputed knife manufacturer and they’ve combined their world class manufacturing skills with the legendary survival skill of Bear Grylls to create this masterpiece.
The knife really feels solid and balanced in my hands. The original survival knife had a 3/4 tang design but this new one is a full tang construction and it’s a good upgrade on the tang and pommel. However, it is not MOLLE compatible which is a bit of a turn off to me but the ferrocerium fire starter sure makes up for this.
Priced at just under $100, the Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Pro is a blade worth buying!
Key Specs & Features:
Blade: 4.8 inch length, 9CR19MoV premium steel, drop point blade, great for filleting
Handle: 5.2 inch length, no serrations, full tang, comes with a ferrocerium fire starter
Weight: 13.7 ounces
9. Puma Elk Hunter Stag Handle Hunting Knife
We’re almost to the end of this list and making its way in at #9 is the Puma Elk Hunter Stag Handle Hunting Knife. This 440A German manufactured SGB fixed blade tool is 4.2 inches long with stag handles that are similar to the Puma Coyote that I covered earlier.
The hardness is about 55-57 on the Rockwell scale and the overall knife length is 8.5 inches. It comes with a leather sheath that is beautiful to look at and does the job admirably well. There’s also a lifetime warranty but it’s only for the original owner that’s why I recommend that you buy a new one on Amazon where it’s available for a discounted price of less than $100.
The blade is ground to a fine edge but is quite thick and you’ll appreciate that once you’re driving this through the rib cage of a deer or a similar animal. All in all, a great knife that adheres to high quality German manufacturing.
Key Specs & Features:
Blade: 4.2 inch length, 440A German steel, 55-57 HRC
Handle: 4.3 inch length, full tang, leather sheath with stag handles
Weight: 6.7 ounces
10. Gerber Gator Premium Fixed Blade Knife
Finally, we’ve reached the end of this list that aims to help you choose the best hunting knife under $100 and at #10 is another old favourite of mine – the Gerber Gator, which is one of the most famous survival knives in the world.
This premium blade is made from S30V steel and has excellent edge retention and corrosion resistance. It’s an original Made in the USA hunting tool that comes with a high rubberized grip for all those wet conditions. The sheath is a nice black leather one and is again made in the USA.
It’s extremely sharp and I found that out first hand while using it on two large hogs. There’s also a bolster that helps protect your hand from sliding up on the knife and accidentally cutting yourself.
For less than 100 dollars, this knife is a dream come true for anyone who is serious about hunting game like deer, elk or hogs. Highly recommended from me personally!
Key Specs & Features:
Blade: 4 inch length, S30V steel, drop point blade, 0.75 inch thickness at the spine
Handle: 4.8 inch length, full tang, Gator Grip, US made leather sheath
Weight: 6.9 ounces
More Hunting Knives Under $100?
Well, I’m pretty confident by now that you would have made up your mind with regards to choosing the best hunting knife under 100 dollars after going through my exhaustive list. I also do understand that there might have been a great knife that I might have omitted or missed so if that’s the case, please drop me a note and I’ll try and have this list updated.
Till then, here are some great videos that feature some of the above hunting tools and which I think you will find useful