Hunting knife

A knife designed for tasks involved in hunting, especially field-dressing and skinning game. Its blade shape and handle are chosen for controlled cutting outdoors.

Knife blade: The cutting portion of a knife, shaped and sharpened to perform particular tasks. Its length, profile, and point determine how the knife handles skinning and field-dressing.
Field dressing: The removal of an animal's internal organs after a kill to prepare the carcass for transport or processing. It is one of the main jobs for which a hunting knife is carried.
Folding knife: A knife whose blade pivots into its handle for storage. It packs compactly, unlike the fixed blades often chosen for demanding field work.
Gut-hook knife: A knife with a sharpened hook on the spine, designed to open an animal's abdomen with a shallow cut. Its specialized hook targets opening the body cavity while reducing the chance of puncturing organs.
Knife handle: The part of a knife held in the hand, designed to provide control and resist slipping. A secure grip matters when hands are wet or exposed to blood and fat.
Skinning: The removal of an animal's hide from its carcass. A hunting knife's controlled edge helps separate hide without unnecessarily cutting the meat.
Fixed-blade knife: A knife with a blade permanently attached to its handle rather than folding into it. Its simple construction is a common alternative when strength and easy cleaning matter.
Replaceable-blade hunting knife: A hunting knife that uses disposable or replaceable blades rather than a permanently sharpened edge. A fresh blade can make repeated skinning cuts without field sharpening.
Drop-point blade: A blade profile with a spine that curves down toward the point. Its controllable tip helps limit accidental punctures while skinning.
Butchering: The cutting and preparation of animal carcasses into meat and other usable parts. After field dressing, the knife may help with smaller carcass-processing cuts.

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