The knife you reach for at the end of a hunt matters more than most hunters admit. The wrong blade turns an hour of clean work into three. Here's how we'd match a Dispatch blade to the job.
Skinner vs. drop point
A high-belly skinner like the Gravelly Range excels at separating hide with long, sweeping strokes. A drop point like the Montana gives you a finer tip for detail work around joints and the diaphragm. Most hunters are well served by one of each.
When a gut hook earns its keep
On big-bodied animals — moose, elk, bear — a gut hook like the Switchback or Brown Bear Gut Hook opens the cavity without nicking hide or paunch. On deer and antelope it's optional.
Steel, plainly
CPM-S35VN holds a keen edge and resists rust — a great all-rounder. CPM-3V trades a little stainlessness for toughness, which is why we use it on the big-game models. D2, on the Cub and Ridgeback, takes a hard, fine edge for smaller work and everyday carry.
Right-sizing
Bigger isn't better. The compact Cub D2 will process a deer faster than an oversized blade you're fighting to control. Buy for the animals you actually hunt.