Dude, I have been watching your videos for about 2 years now. I am the proud owner of about 10 new knifes and counting. The Elk Hunter review has inspired me to subscribe. I have never needed to defend myself with a knife. I have however skinned over twenty deer and several elk. At first I used the old school Bucklite. I then upgraded to Gerber Gator in 154CM. When I wanted a fix blade I went with the Elk Hunter. The blade rocks. I carry it on every hunt and have never looked back.
I'm Knives of Alaska collector... in my opinion the best small operation knife company that is all American Made... tremendous build quality great saddle leather sheaths, great customer service and you get to own something that is definitely not following any "groupthink"... and they have two great knives for bushcrafting...
As soon as I saw the blade shape, long, sharp jimping, double finger choils, textured handle, great handle and nice belly (in a matter of seconds!) I started drooling. no joke.
The Mora's not as good for skinning but there are many options less than half the price of the Elk Hunter that will do just as well. She is a sweet knife though. How was the edge before you reprofiled? Thanks for showing.
Have you tried simply applying a few coats of scotch guard leather protector? I do that with my Bark River sheaths and the rain doesn't hurt them at all. JMHO.
I live close to the Knives of Alaska knife shop where they are made, and was there about a year ago... very cool and love their knives. Great Review Nutn
Great looking knife. I agree that there is no need for anything but the "Plain brown box." I think if you came in a box Nutnfancy, the box would be "Nutnfancy" as well! Thanks for another great knife review. Cheers, Dr. J!
That is a solid hunter's/bushcrafter's knife. Traditional bushcrafters love their leather sheaths. Me, not so much, but that's okay. I applaud you for stepping out to do a review on this variety of blades.
Wow! Clearly KOA use the knives they design. I love it, awesome sheath, no glossy paper BS or plastic crap. Just a knife in a box. Hiking your rifle around in the woods, this knife will be going with me next deer season. Great review Nutn.
Great knife review. I was thinking just this morning that I hadn't seen a fixed blade review in a while after seeing the SOG Field Pup I that I caught on sale at Cabela's ($18-$20) and when I check the subs here is a new knife to look at. Thanks again for the hard work you do and best wishes to your BiL, hope he heals up soon.
I may have missed it but I would love to see a utility vid on how to care for and sharpen your blades. I am looking for a good core of skinning / field dressing blades but dont really know how to best care for / sharpen them. Apologies if you have already done a care vid (please point me to it tho!) Thanks!
Nutnfancy, I would be interested to see your reviews of both the Habilis Bushtools S.R.T. (Self Reliance Knife), as well as the Blind Horse Knives PLSK1 Pathfinder 1 knife. Thanks.
Their D2 is very good btw. My Bush Camp Knife has stained some but the edge has held up very well and very sharp. It will rust some if you keep it in moisture and in the leather sheath. If you take it out of the leather sheath for storage and take care of the blade then you shouldn't have any issues with rust.
I like this knife better than my deer knife. It's a lot better looking, and I don't miss the hook on it. The weight sounds great too. The entire design is nice. A wonderful review, the honestly, the good and bad. Thanks Nutnfancy. Have a good day...
The leather sheath does have a drainage hole on the back. I'd also like to see a tough Kydex sheath, with an optional locking snap. Looks like a win from here !
Awesome knife! Awesome review. I think that price point is pretty amazing for what appears to be a high level of quality, in a US produced blade. Thanks for sharing.
awsome knife i like mr mora for a hunting knife because its has a hard plastic handle and it easy to keep clean will that handle absord bacteria and yuckyness same with the sheath
I really like the look of this blade. Hey fellow TNPers anybody got any experience with the Buck skinners? I'm thinking of picking one up and could use some advice.
Just came back from the deer hunt with the benchmade bone collector fixed blade with d2 steel and when I got home my blade had rust all over it for hunting d2 sucks would recommend it. From when I cleaned the deer to when I got home was about 5 hours
Hey guys. Just letting you guys know I live 3miles from KOA's factory and I can tell you that they are some of the nicest people I've met. All their products are made in Denison, Tx BY AMERICANS! The reason the company is called Knives of Alaska is because the owner is a hunting guide in Alaska. BTW. some of their popular knives are also available in skeleton form with kydex sheaths. Got my eyes on a Bush Camp or Extreme Model V. Same Knife except Model V has serration and Kydex Sheath.
I absolutely love this knife!! i understands nutn's POV in regards to the sheath however i appreciate the quality of the sheath even if its a plain work horse knife!
I got that knifes bigger brother at Cabela's a few weeks ago, good knives for a company I've never heard of until I went there. I see that company hitting it big and the prices shooting up.
Ya know, I was rather surprised by those Winchester fixed blades that have the pinned wooden handles. I received one as a gift in years past and decided to take it hunting last year. I gutted and skinned a doe with it and it worked great! I didn't even start thinking about stopping to put on edge back on it until I was nearly done skinning the thing. For $20 or less it's certainly a viable option for this POU
Thanks for covering this knife, it's one I'm considering for my next hunting knife. I own the KOA Yukon Belt Knife, and even though it's small, I field dressed an entire elk with it last year with the help of the KOA bone saw. I live their D2, it barely dulled during the entire effort. However, the traction of the Yukon Belt Knife leaves a little to be desired, so this could be an improvement on "very good."
Nice review Nutnfancy. Wondering how you would compare it to the Kershaw Elk Skinner II. I'm yet to use the "rubberized-feel" handle in skinning and am guessing I won't know until I try, but thought you may have some thoughts to share on the rival.
I've had my eye on KOA knives for a while. Then I kind of got interested in ESEE with their nice 1095 blades from Rowen. This review has definitely brought KOA back into the limelight. I'll be giving a close look at some of their two knife sets later this fall. Great review.
KOA knives are a great value. I skin alligators here in FL, which are exponentially harder on knives than any other game I have seen. They are a good test for edge retention and toughness. Most of my knives (medium priced to custom) either dull or chip after one gator. These knives hold up extremely well to multiple large gators and are comfortable to use for hours on end.
Love the new philo. on views. Saves you time and effort until time and effort are needed. thanks againg for alll of you effforts. The do not go " un- noticed" ;))
@Fight2GetPaid I use a buck Paklite and the buck 110. They are both great for skinning especially when used together. If you get a Paklite I'd reccomend you paracord wrap it. They sharpen well on ceramic rods also
Nice to see a KOA review. I have wanted this bade for some time now. I have their camp/caping knife combo and have found them to be very dependable and good friends over time.
While there are Elk in Alaska, the populations are quite small and are limited to a few islands. Generally the state Bull Elk harvest has been in the single digits per year. Alaska does have Elk but in contrast to Bear, Moose & Caribou, the population is infinitesimal.
Nice review, funny I just used this knife yesterday to butcher a whole leg of pork. Cut the hock, leg and shoulder bone off with the neck bone and some ribs. A great skinning and cutter, it's a tough knife no edge problems afterwards, could have done a whole pig I think. The handle has really good traction as my hands got a bit greasy from the job. I think the D2 steel is awesome. A excellent knife for the money and it is made in Alaska, has life time warranty as well. Cheers
Also, I live in the subtropics. All my leather sheaths grow mould very easily and take incredibly high maintenance. Not worth it when there are alternatives that are better in almost every way.
Hey Nutn - sweet review. Typing from way down in New Zealand & about to get over to OR to pick up my girl arriving in from the ME. Hoping to also pick up a 1st & 2nd Kind of cool hunter/skinner. The KOA Elk Hunter / Pronghorn (keen for your/TNP'er comments on DP vs Clip Point for skinning) are at the top of my list atm. However, I came across the Ontario Rat3 for around the same price & want to know if any TNP'ers had picked up the Ontario and had thoughts to share. Thanks again for the review
actually Alaska does have elk, i lived there for 2 yrs for the mining indus, i never got to go hunting i got laid off but the is elk, but theres a small amount
Nice review bro! Absolutely diggin' the amount of knife reviews you're putting out there... SWEEET!! Yet another fixed blade knife to add to my list of "wants"! LOL!
i like the grip from video and the top has that suration on it looks like fro extra controls while skining but thats my opinion from looking at it in video and i love fixed blades more then flip outs
Oooooh Yeah that looks like what I want! Thanks! I had never heard of KOA before this video so going to need to check out their website a bit. Always about Made in the USA stuff when I can get it.
I like the plastic sheaths as well I just wish these companies that do make them for there knives would have something of a buffer in/on the edge side inside the sheath so that it the edge isn't sliding against the plastic or metal and dulling the edge nearly every time you take the knife out.
