Recommendation? Small Hunter/Bird & Trout

bratch

bratch

Gold Member
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Jan 10, 2005
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Hopefully this is the right spot for this

If I find some Christmas cash left in my stocking I am looking to add a small fixed blade to the collection.

Main uses would be cleaning ducks and fish, maybe small game if I ever get a chance to hunt them. Secondary could be light camp chores.

What I have narrowed it down to so far:

Ridgeline Bird & Trout
https://www.ridgelineknifeworks.com/product-page/trout-1

North Arm Mallard
https://northarmknives.com/product/mallard-bird-and-trout-knife/?c=d115e58d09e2

White River Small Game
https://www.whiteriverknives.com/co...tock/products/smallgame?variant=8018682413084

Bark River Bird and Trout in S45V
https://www.dlttrading.com/bark-river-bird-trout

Spyderco Waterway
https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details/FB43G/Waterway/1207

Any recommendations or opinions on this group? Am I missing any that I should look at? Trying to stay with the higher corrosion resistance so I skipped some of the options in 400 steel.
 
I've only got experience with the Waterway and can say that it's a generally excellent design for use on game or just around the house/camp. However, is NOT a small knife (4.44 inches) and I'm not certain it should be considered as a bird and trout knife, which I generally consider as having a blade with 3-inches or less. Granted, I think I'd rather clean trout with a Waterway than any of the other knives you've listed.

I don't think any of the knives you listed will disappoint. If you tend to like larger knives, go for the Waterway and you will be glad to have it. If you tend to like more compact knives then get a Waterway anyway because it's great, skinny and surprisingly easy to carry for its length, and you'll learn to love it.
 
oldmanwilly said:
If you tend to like more compact knives then get a Waterway anyway because it's great, skinny and surprisingly easy to carry for its length, and you'll learn to love it.
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I suspect that is what will happen unless I get an outpouring of Waterway love. I’ll end up with one of the smaller blades now and pick up a Waterway sometime before summer.
 
I only have experience with the White River and I really like it. I also like their White River Caper and it sees lots of use.

I have to admit I was very tempted by the BRKT B&T Knife but the two I was interested in sold fast and took that temptation away. The Waterway is a bit larger than I would use for a small game/B&T knife ... but that's just my personal opinion.

I don't know anything about the first couple knives you listed but the specs appear to be a decent knife and fit for those chores ... I just can't recommend what I have no hands on experience with. But I can say White River Knives have found their way into my hands often for real world hunting and game processing ... and I like them and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.
 
north arm mallard, s35vn, get rave reviews from users... sadly, I've not managed to get one yet - but it would be my pick of the bunch

so many great options in this range
 
IMG_0299.JPG IMG_0300.JPG IMG_0303.JPG They all look good, but that Ridgeline caught my eye. no experience with it so I cannot tell you why as I am not a hunter or fisherman, but it just looks handy for small jobs, I like a bird and trout for small cutting jobs, easy to carry and thin.
I know it will happen, we all like to post our ideas, me included, so there is my excuse, I have a Bird and trout from O'Neill that I got in nitro v, great blade length and I like the handle length, but it may seem long to others, it allows me to angle it in different positions. He does good work.
 
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I don’t have any experience with the blades on your list but I do a lot of small game hunting. I would recommend the Grohmann #2 Trout & Bird knife or the #3 Boat/Army/Yachtsman knife.
 
I've got an AG Russell bird and trout knife. It's a neck knife as well. To something I would look into if I were you
 
This is probably what V Vlade mentioned. I confirm it's a smashing knife for it's size (and it's price !). Second from the top :
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This said, my personal preferences would be the North Arm Mallard, the White River Small Game and of course, the B&T by O'Neill (beautiful, extremely functional knife and a great person to deal with). I prefer knives without choils, guards and all that stuff.
 
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I have a GEC Bird and Trout that I really like the steel is 1095 I think, what ever it is holds a great edge and is easy to sharpen, a little bit of oil on the blade when I'm done suits me just fine!
 
I think any of the knives you've mentioned would do a fine job of cleaning small game and fish. I have had this Buck 102 for a long time and use it primarily for breasting ducks, a job it excels at. I think this one is their 425MOD steel - it's from the very early 1980's. It sharpens fine and keeps an edge while cleaning a limit of ducks. There are a couple of Blade Forums knife dealers that get these made up in other steels (5160 being one). OH
Buck-102-Woodsman-on-12-18-17.jpg
 
For birds a good pair of game shears is by far the best tool. I process a fair amount of birds over the course of a season and I'm not really sure what a B&T knife would do for me. But I don't breast ducks in the field like Old Hunter--I roast ducks whole. With birds like grouse I remove the breast bone and all when cleaning and filet breasts off the bone in the kitchen after they're thawed. Dove, quail, woodcock are all processed with the shears.

But a small B&T type knife along with a filet knife would be the ticket for fish. There's a member here called Horsewright who makes some great looking knives like this.
 
bratch said:
Hopefully this is the right spot for this

If I find some Christmas cash left in my stocking I am looking to add a small fixed blade to the collection.

Main uses would be cleaning ducks and fish, maybe small game if I ever get a chance to hunt them. Secondary could be light camp chores.

What I have narrowed it down to so far:

Ridgeline Bird & Trout
https://www.ridgelineknifeworks.com/product-page/trout-1

North Arm Mallard
https://northarmknives.com/product/mallard-bird-and-trout-knife/?c=d115e58d09e2

White River Small Game
https://www.whiteriverknives.com/co...tock/products/smallgame?variant=8018682413084

Bark River Bird and Trout in S45V
https://www.dlttrading.com/bark-river-bird-trout

Spyderco Waterway
https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details/FB43G/Waterway/1207

Any recommendations or opinions on this group? Am I missing any that I should look at? Trying to stay with the higher corrosion resistance so I skipped some of the options in 400 steel.
Click to expand...
I've got the Kitchen version of the Mallard (Trilium) and the Waterway. Two different knives but both are excellent. The Mallard will be much smaller, thinner, and more delicate, more of a true B&T if you will. The Waterway will be bigger, more robust, pointier, and a better all around utility knife, plus it is as close to rust proof as you can get without going H1.

I've had the Mallard kitchen version for 5-6 years now and it is my go to pairing knife in the kitchen. The Waterway is more of a utility/EDC for me. Here is a review I did of it: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/spyderco-waterway.1734102/

I wouldn't consider my collection of users complete without either!

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bratch said:
Trying to stay with the higher corrosion resistance so I skipped some of the options in 400 steel.
Click to expand...
I'd say A2 steel is out. I live in Eastern PA and it will rust just sitting in my house during a humid summer.
 
The Coyote is A2, but the Arno Bernard is N690 stainless. I have several Arno Bernard knives in N690, as well five or so Lt Wright knives, mostly in A2. I lived most of my life in the Buffalo, NY area, so I can empathize with your concern about northeastern rust. However, I've been in Florida for the last fifteen years and have found that there's an even faster level of rust! I still use A2 and O1 steels, but every exposed metal tool or blade that I own gets either a forced patina, a thin coat of oil, or a coat of wax. Enjoy the shopping!
 
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You can find older LTW Coyotes in D2, which is close to stainless with its chrome.
 
herisson said:
This is probably what V Vlade mentioned. I confirm it's a smashing knife for it's size (and it's price !). Second from the top :
9RCO9Mw.jpg

This said, my personal preferences would be the North Arm Mallard, the White River Small Game and of course, the B&T by O'Neill (beautiful, extremely functional knife and a great person to deal with). I prefer knives without choils, guards and all that stuff.
Click to expand...

AG Russell knife is the Woodswalker, in aus 8 I think.
 
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