My 5 Favorite Hunting Knives Under $100

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Despite skyrocketing prices on everything from eggs to hunting leases, you can still buy high-quality and even USA-made hunting knives for under $100. Spending more will get you better steel and nicer build quality, but these budget-friendly knives perform with the best of them. Here are my top picks based on head-to-head testing and use in the field.

A few years ago I found myself on the side of a mountain with five others trying to break down two elk as quickly as possible. We were hoping to get out of there before tempting the two grizzly bears just a ridge over. Everyone had different replaceable blade knives, but about halfway through the first elk it was obvious, which of the knives was the best — the RazorPro L. Its blades were the easiest to replace and the mounting system was trouble free. Other knives got gummed up and the blades came off, but the RazorPro L chugged through deboning the two elk flawlessly.

In my head-to-head test, the Outdoor Edge RazorPro L once again rose to the top. One of the most important tests I did with the replaceable blade knives was seeing how easy it was to replace the blades while they were all bloody and had meat bits wedged into the voids. I could change out the blades on the RazorPro L in a fraction of the time of the other knives.

While the RazorPro L isn’t the lightest replaceable blade knife. It’s the most trouble-free design I’ve used. I don’t have blades pop off or break and can make it through an animal on one blade. When it’s time to swap a blade you just press the button, slide the blade out, and slide a new blade in. The rubberized handle stays grippy when your hands are covered in blood. The 3.5-inch blade is a good length for balancing maneuverability and cutting efficiency.

Buck Alpha Scout Select

The Buck Alpha Scout Select is made in the USA and costs $68. It cuts well, has decent steel, and I like its ergonomics. Although, the knife can be a little slippery when it gets covered in fat and blood. The sheath is this knife’s weak point. Securing the knife in the sheath takes two hands and I’ve yet to get it buttoned up in one try.

If you like the Alpha Scout’s design but want a larger blade, take a look at the Buck Alpha Hunter with a 3.6-inch blade.

Boker M.U.K.

The M.U.K. is an undeniably cool knife, and I was pleasantly surprised it was a performer too. The blade has a ton of belly, which is great for skinning cuts and it worked well for slicing up a backstrap. The ergonomics are good, but the handle could be longer and the back end of the handle comes to a sharp point. The sheath is well made and it comes with a pocket clip, so you can drop the knife in your front pocket.

Gerber EXO MOD Caper

The EXO MOD Caper is a slippery knife with very little traction. But it is a light knife and a decent cutter. The sheath is exceptionally good for a budget knife.

Dexter Boning and 7-inch Fillet Knife

I love expensive knives, but my butchering knives are all inexpensive because they work and I don’t have to be precious with them. The Dexter knives are a staple for professional butchers and I’ve adopted them as my preferred boning and fillet knives. They come sharp out of the package and are easy to touch up on a honing rod.

Once I have a deer skinned and deboned, I use the boning knife to get meat off a deer and then the fillet knife to trim up silver skin and cut portions. The boning knife has just the right amount of flex to get close to bones, but not too much flex that you lose control. For $13 you get a USA-made knife that’s practically perfect for the job it was designed for.