Buyer's Guide 2003 - Knives

These knives made the cut.

Field & Stream Online Editors

1. Lone Wolf | Classic Utility
This Italian-made R.W. Loveless design lives up to its name. Simple in line, with a tough-as-nails green canvas Micarta handle and a heavy, flat-ground LV-04 stainless-steel blade, it will do anything you ask of it in hunting camp, from carving tent stakes to pounding through the brisket of the toughest bull elk. The cowhide belt sheath is equipped with a safety liner. $189; 503-431-6777;

2. Spyderco | Impala
The hollow-ground skinning blade and open-frame construction make this one of the lightest and easiest-to-clean folding hunters around. Scalloped areas on the blade back are well positioned for thumb control during intricate work, although they're best suited to large hands. This 83/4-inch knife is also available with a gut hook or a partly serrated blade. $160; 800-525-7770;

3. Columbia River Knife and Tool | Serengeti Hunter
The innovative Serengeti, three knives in one folder, is just the thing for the close-in work of caping out a trophy head. A hawksbill caper and a detail skinner are clipped to the handle of the main skinning blade. It's all put together like a Swiss watch. $100; 800-891-3100;

** 4. Buck | Revolution-XT**
Like few other knives, the Revolution-XT is a rotating lockblade. When you press the silver button, the blade revolves out and the clip end fits into the handle. During a month of constant use, it proved as handy for general camp and boat chores as it did for cleaning trout for the pan. $90; 800-215-2825;