Best Hunting Knives for 2025

1. Best Overall Hunting Knife: MCK Nock On – Triumph Hunter XL

Taking the best overall spot for this list of the best hunting knives of 2024 is the Nock on Edition Triumph Hunter XL. This is a one-of-a-kind design collaboration between John Dudley and Josh Smith.

The knife is designed with versatility in mind. At only 6.2 ounces, it's light enough to pack for a deep backwoods hunt where weight is a consideration. However, because it's an MKC knife, it's also strong and durable enough to butch a large animal like an elk or moose if you need it to.

This knife has a 5.125-inch blade and an overall length of 9.75 inches, leaving lots of space in the handle for a good grip for the user. This knife is truly the epitome of a do-it-all knife, and at $325, its price is very reasonable – especially when you factor in this a 100% USA-made knife and is backed by MKC's Generations promise. 

2. Best for Skinning Hides: MKC Beartooth – Pro Skinning Blade

Another knife from Montana Knife Company that I love is their Beartooth Pro-Skinning Blade. On our top five knives of 2024, this knife firmly takes the spot for the best skinning knife.

This knife is specifically designed in collaboration with Alaskan Guide Cole Kramer to be used for fleshing hides. With a long, thin, curved blade, this knife is truly designed to excel at one job. This is the knife you break out when the field dressing is done and the animal is hanging up back at the skinning shack or the butcher's area.

The curved design allows the user to take long, sweeping strokes that utilize the entire length of the knife when skinning. The blade, which is as thin as some pocket knives, is lightweight but still strong. This knife is 10.5 inches in overall length with a blade that measures 6.125 inches.

At $350, this knife is a step up in price from the Triumph XL, but not much. The Beartooth Pro is a knife built to withstand professional use and is the best skinning knife on the market. 

3. Benchmade 15600-01 Raghorn Knife

Although we're big fans of Montana Knife Company and their entire stable of hunting knives, other knives are well-made and excellent for use in the field.

Benchmade is another well-recognized part of the outdoor community. In particular, as a simple and versatile knife, I like their Raghorn knife. This knife comes with a Kydex sheath for safe storage and is backed by Benchmade's lifetime sharpening guarantee.

This knife is what I would call a jack of all trades and would perhaps be best purchased by someone looking to bridge the gap between hunting and various other outdoor pursuits, like camping.

With a blade only 4 inches long, this isn't the type of knife I'd want to use for western big game or hunts where I'd be breaking down the animal in the field. However, if I've got to quickly gut a deer or process something smaller like a turkey or rabbit, this knife would work well.

At $300, it meets what I'd consider to be an upper-middle price point. If you plan to use this knife for more than hunting, the cost might be a great value for you. 

4. Kershaw Deschutes — Skinner, Gut Hook

Another respected name in the hunting knife space is Kershaw. They make all kinds of knives, from folding to large bowie knives.

As for their lineup of hunting knives, although they have several, I prefer their Deschutes Skinner with gut hook. At $79.99, this knife comes down quite a bit in price from the three we've previously discussed, but it's still a tier above the cost of some other hunting knives.

Much like the Benchmade Raghorn, the Kershaw Deschutes Skinner is around 4 inches long. I would use this knife simply for gutting an animal in the field. I'd be grabbing other knives when I got home to complete the job of skinning and butchering the critter, but in the field, this knife would work great for removing the entrails.

This same knife model is offered without a gut hook, but I think the gut hook is nice for ease of use, especially among users who might be less experienced with field-dressing animals. 

5. Gerber Exo-Mod Caper

Finally, we'd like to highlight a truly budget-friendly knife.

As I've already mentioned, spending on a good-quality knife is a worthwhile investment, especially considering the warranties many of these high-quality companies offer. That said, I know that not everyone can afford to consider a hunting knife an investment, so we'd be remiss if we didn't include a knife at a lower price point.

The first knife I was ever given as a kid was a Gerber hunting knife, and since then, Gerber has held a special place in my heart. Their Ex-Mod Caper is a great knife, especially for around $30. This knife is 7.33 inches in overall length and comes with a Kydex sheath for safe storage.

The Ex-Mod Caper won't hold an edge as well as some of the higher-end knives, but it will get sharp and do the job. This knife would be useful for field dressing and caping an animal, but I'd opt for another knife for the actual butchering process.