Cutting meat, especially after hunting, is not as easy as we think. If you start butchering meat without the right tools, chances are you will use a lot of energy and waste a lot of time. Fortunately, the best game processing knife set comes with all the tools you need for seamless butchering.
This post will offer you some great sets of knives from budget to high-end that you can have in your kitchen or garage shop when you want to turn large pieces of meat into edible portions. Keep reading to find out.
What is a Game Processing Knife Set?
A game processing knife set, also commonly referred to as a meat processing knife set or a butcher knife set is a set of knives that have a large blade size and sharp drop at the end.
However, the set comes with knives of different sizes to help cater to different tasks. It may include a butcher knife, a boning knife, a paring knife, a camping knife, a utility knife, breaking knives, carving knives, a fillet knife, and a skinning knife. It may also come with other quality tools like a knife sharpener, knife roll, and pair of gloves.
If you're still in search of the best game processing knife set, here are the best ones in the market today.
Which is the best game processing knife set?
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1. MOSSY OAK Hunting Portable Butcher Game Processor Set
- Perfect gift for Christmas, Birthday, Anniversary, Valentine's Day, etc
- 8 Piece Big Game Field Dressing Kit In Box: 8-3/4" Wood/Bone Saw, Steel Stick/Brisket Spreader, 7.5" Caping Knife, 9.5" Gut Hook Skinner, 10" Boning Knife, Tungsten Carbide V-Sharpener, Red Game Cleaning Gloves
- 8.7" Wood & Bone Saw: This bone saw with the clever blunt hooked tip would avoid breaking the bladder or intestines virtually, ensuring meat not harmed during dressing. The serrations are configured to increase efficiency with T-handle and innovative hook tip, 5" serrations, 1.9mm thickness, 4.1 oz
- 7.5" Caping Knife: This smaller fixed blade caping knife with 3.4 " blade features finer point and smaller scale, more suitable for smaller game, 2.85 mm thickness, 2.8 oz
- 9.4" Gut Hook Skinner: This fixed blade hunting knife features a 3.9" fine edge blade with gut hook, 3.2 mm thickness, 6.3 oz, designed for quick and efficient processing of game
The Mossy Oak Hunting Portable Butcher Game Processor Set boasts blades with a blend of stainless steel and solid 3CR13 build that is corrosion and wear-resistant.
Coming at a relatively low price, this knife set includes a 10-inch boning knife, 9.5-inch gut hook knife, 7.5-inch caper knife, 8.75-inch serrated wood or bone saw, a brisket spreader or steel stick, a pair of cleaning gloves, a tungsten carbide sharpener, and a storage case.
All the knives in the set feature full tangs where the contoured and camo-style handles are screwed on. These polymer hands are smooth but not very slippery, which comes in handy when the knives are filled with blood from the animal.
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2. Outdoor Edge 12-Piece Hunting & Game Processing Knife Set
- COMPLETE 12-PIECE GAME PROCESSING KIT – All the tools to process game like a pro; Includes a caping knife, gut-hook skinner, boning knife, butcher knife, wood/bone saw, tungsten carbide sharpener, ribcage spreader, heavy-duty game shears, carving fork, cutting board, and game cleaning gloves in a hard-side carry
- RAZOR SHARP KNIVES – This game processing kit for deer and elk boasts razor-sharp knives that are perfectly balanced. The full-tang 420J2 stainless steel blades undergo precise heat treatment, taper grounding, and hand finishing to achieve a shaving sharp edge, resulting in superior edge retention and performance.
- RUBBERIZED NONSLIP TPR HANDLES – This butcher knife set boasts ergonomically designed TPR handles that are rubberized for a comfortable and safe grip. These handles offer excellent traction in slippery conditions and are meant to reduce hand fatigue even during extended use.
- RUGGED HARD-SIDE STORAGE CASE – This game processing set comes with a sturdy hard-side storage case, where every knife and tool fits snugly and stays clean, dry, organized, and readily available.
- SERVICE FOR LIFE – At Outdoor Edge, we take pride in crafting durable and reliable tools that stand the test of time. If you encounter any issues with your Outdoor Edge knife, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Our team is dedicated to addressing all replacement and service requests promptly and efficiently.
Another one of the best meat processing knife sets is the Outdoor Edge 12-Piece Hunting & Game Processing Knife Set. This set includes an 8.3-inch butcher knife, a six-inch filet and boning knife, a 3-inch caper, a 4.4-inch gut hook skinner, a 10.2-inch serrated wood or bone saw, a carving knife, and a ribcage spreader.
It also includes a pair of heavy-duty shears, a pair of cleaning gloves, a storage case, a cutting board, and a carbide sharpener. This is the most complete knife set you will ever come across. The knives and all the metal tools are made from a high chromium 420J2 steel material.
However, the four main knives come with full tangs, and TPR handles, rubberized and contoured to provide a tight yet comfortable grip.
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3. Outdoor Edge WildLite, 6-Piece Hunting & Processing Knife Set
- COMPLETE 6-PIECE HUNTING KNIFE SET – This field processing set includes the six essential tools that help process wild game with expertise. It includes a gutting and skinning knife, caping knife, boning knife, game cleaning gloves, and a two-stage carbide/ceramic sharpener, which keeps the edge razor-sharp. The entire set comes in a lightweight and compact hard-side field carry case. It is perfect for processing deer, elk, caribou, poultry, and much more.
- RAZOR SHARP KNIVES – This game processing kit for deer and elk boasts razor-sharp knives that are perfectly balanced. The full-tang 420J2 stainless steel blades undergo precise heat treatment, taper grounding, and hand finishing to achieve a shaving sharp edge, resulting in superior edge retention and performance.
- RUBBERIZED NONSLIP TPR HANDLES – This field processing knife set features ergonomically designed TPR handles that are rubberized and nonslip. These handles are blaze-orange in color, making them highly visible. They reduce hand fatigue after prolonged usage and provide a comfortable and secure grip, even in the slickest of conditions.
- LIGHTWEIGHT COMPACT HARD-SIDE FIELD CARRY CASE – This hunting knife set comes with a convenient, compact, and lightweight hard-side field carry case. All the tools fit snugly in their designated slots, ensuring that they remain clean, dry, and well-organized, making them easy to access during your hunting trip. Its portability makes it the perfect addition to your backpack.
- SERVICE FOR LIFE – At Outdoor Edge, we take pride in crafting durable and reliable tools that stand the test of time. If you encounter any issues with your Outdoor Edge knife, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Our team is dedicated to addressing all replacement and service requests promptly and efficiently.
If you're looking for a smaller set of hunting knives, then the Outdoor Edge WildLite, 6-Piece Hunting Knife Set is a perfect option. Like most Outdoor knives, these ones are also stamped from the 420J2 stainless steel. All the blades are hand finished giving a very sharp edge that remains sharp for long.
The knives included in the set are a 2.5-inch caper, 5-inch boning knife, and four-inch gut hook skinner. It also comes with a carry case, a pair of cleaning gloves, and a two-stage sharpener- fine ceramic and coarse carbide.
The rubberized handles are contoured and have three curving spines on the surface to provide a comfortable grip. Furthermore, the bright orange hue on the sharp knives ensures that the pieces won't easily get lost.
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4. GVDV Hunting Knife Kit and Accessories
- 6-PIECE HUNTING ACCESSORIES - To make short work of gutting, skinning and processing an animal such as deer, buck and hog, the hunting gear includes an 8.1" caping knife, 8.7" hunting knife with gut hook, 9.6" boning/fillet knife, ribcage spreader, gloves, and hard-side case.
- 3 MUST-HAVE KNIVES - The smaller fixed blade caping knife with a 3.1” drop point blade is more suitable for smaller survival game. The Gut-Hook Skinner Knife with a 3.7” curved blade is designed for quick and efficient processing of game. And the Boning and Fillet Knife features a 4.7” fine edge blade with 1.6mm thickness which will help turn any fish or meat-based meal into a masterpiece.
- OTHER ESSENTIAL GADGETS - Ribcage Spreader completely open ribcages for easier field dressing and faster cooling of fresh game meat. Gloves helps protect you while you field dresses your game. The whole kit is suitable for fishing, camping, hunting, hiking and so on.
- RAZOR SHARP BLADES AND GROOVED HANDLES - The knives have 5cr15 stainless steel featuring high strength, hardness, and abrasion resistance. Grooved polypropylene handles with printing cover provide a reliable grip, even when wet. Their camouflage color offers superior visibility making the stuff easy to be found even in tall grass or in the dark.
- GREAT GIFT - The total weight of less than 24oz has made it the lightest, most compact knife set for butcher game in the field or at home with ease. The affordable price makes a great gift for both beginner and seasoned hunters. This cool men stuff is definitely a perfect fathers day gifts for dad.
The GVDV Hunting Knife Kit comes with blades that are stamped from 5CR15. This is an amazing stainless steel material known for its durability, strength, rust resistance, and edge retention. The handles have a camo-style print and are made from a polypropylene material that ensures comfortable handling of the knives.
Apart from the narrow but slightly curved contour, the handles also have grooves on the surface to provide a secure grip.
This knife set includes a 9.6-inch fillet or boning knife, 8.7-inch gut hook, 8.1-inch caper, a pair of game cleaning gloves, a hard plastic container, and a rib cage spreader.
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5. Lancergear Field Dressing Kit Hunting Knife Set
- 8-PIECE HUNTING ACCESSORIES - To make short work of gutting, skinning and processing an animal such as deer, buck and hog, the hunting gear includes a 9.85'' wood & bone saw, 9.5'' boning and fillet knife, 8.7" gut-hook skinner knife, 8.3'' camping knife, ribcage spreader, gloves, sharpening stone and hard-side case.
- 4 MUST-HAVE KNIVES - The wood & bone saw with a 6.7'' blade can help you easily cut bones and wood. The caping knife with a 3.5'' drop knife is suitable for smaller game and is convenient to carry. The 3.94'' gut-hook skinner knife curved blade can handle dressing game quickly and simply. The boning knife has a 4.9'' thin-edged blade that can quickly and easily separate and cut meat.
- OTHER ESSENTIAL GADGETS - The ribcage spreader will simplify field dressing, making the meat cooler faster and easier to conserve. The gloves help you protect yourself while field dressing your game. The sharpener can be used for sharpening on both sides, one side of it is made of tungsten steel for rough grinding, and the other side is made of ceramic for fine grinding. The whole kit can be used while fishing, camping, hunting and hiking.
- RAZOR SHARP BLADES AND GROOVED HANDLES -Unlike other hunting knife sets, our hunting knife is made of high-performance stainless steel (8Cr14MoV). Steel has been strengthened with vanadium, which is known to increase the toughness of steel and increase durability at extreme temperatures. The polypropylene handle with realtree printed overlay provides a reliable grip even when wet. The camouflage color makes it not easy to spot even in tall grass or at night.
- GREAT GIFT -This stylish knife set weighs less than 2.8lbs, making it the lightest, most compact set for butchering animals at home or in the field. The portable design makes it a great gift for both professional and seasonal hunters. This cool survival gear and equipment is also a perfect Christmas gift for dad, boyfriends, sons, and lovers of men.
The Lancergear Field Dressing Kit Hunting Knife Set includes blades and tools that are stamped from two different types of stainless steel, including 8Cr14MoV and 5Cr15Mov. Both of these stainless steel types are great and used by many high-quality brands. The combination of the two results in durable and corrosion-resistant steel.
This 8 piece knife set includes a 9.5-inch boning and fillet knife, 8.3-inch caper, 8.7-inch gut hook skinning knife, 9.85-inch wood or bone saw, a pair of cleaning gloves, rib cage spreader, a sturdy case, and a two-stage sharpening steel stone.
The blades have a razor-sharp edge that ensures it lasts for a long period of time. Moreover, the handles are wrapped using a camouflage printed material that is smooth yet secure enough to ensure it doesn't slip even when your hands are wet.
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What Do You Consider When Purchasing the Best Game Processing Knife Set?
1. Task
The most important thing you have to consider is the tasks you need to accomplish with these knives. Knowing these will help you get the best meat processing knife set that has everything you need. Here are some common tasks;
- Gutting- This is a process of removing the internal organs to preserve the meat well. Here, a short and sharp blade with a gut hook at the tip is required.
- Skinning- A skinning knife is used to remove the skin and ensure you don't tear the muscles in the process. For skinning, you need a short, thin, and curved blade.
- Deboning- This is the process of removing meat from the bone. Boning knives should be long and narrow, straight at the spine and gently curved around the belly. The boning knife should provide a little bend to be able to slice oddly shaped bones.
- Butchering- A butcher knife is used to cut large chunks of meat into smaller pieces. As a result, butcher knives need to have a sharp, thick, and hard blade.
- Caping- When making a hunting trophy, you need a caping knife for skinning the head of the animal. This knife resembles a scalpel with a curved blade tip to ensure it gets into the crevices. The blade length is often shorter than the handle.
2. Number of Pieces
Different sets come with a different number of knives. So, depending on what you're looking to do and your budget, pick a set will all the knives that will help you cater to your needs.
3. Material
Although most of the knives in a game processing set will come with built-in stainless steel material, others will be made from carbon steel, Damascus steel, or ceramic. Stainless steel is preferred because they don't rust easily and are easier to sharpen.
The handles can either be plastic, metal or wooden. Furthermore, remember to check the material of the case to ensure your knives are protected even when not in use.
4. Comfort
Some knives will come with rubberized handles for a secure grip. Others are well molded to comfortably fit the contours of the hand. Ensure that the handle of the knives doesn't have sharp or angular edges as it may create pressure points on the hand.
5. Tang
This is the unsharpened and unexposed part of the razor blade that extends to the handle. There are three main types;
- Full tang-Here, the blade is one piece and runs through the handle's full length. It is more preferred as it gives a better balance and robust design.
- Rat-tail tang- The blade becomes narrow as it passes through the handle and is welded at the base. This can make the handle wobbly over time.
- Half tang- The blade only extends halfway on the handle, which increases the risk of snapping.
The Anatomy of a Game Processing Knife Set
If you're new to game processing, the different kinds of knives might seem a bit difficult to understand. Some people will only use a boning knife, a butcher knife, or a breaking knife. However, there are a lot of different types of knives that are designed to make every step of meat processing easier.
Using the right tools for every step will ensure you get prime cuts and waste less meat after you're done cutting. Here are some common types of knives included in a butcher knife set.
1. Butcher Knives
A good butcher knife will come with a long knife blade with a big belly and a clip point. It is one of the first knives designed for sectioning your meat. If you're starting with a whole animal, this is one of the kitchen knives you should reach out for. The best butcher knife comes in handy when slicing thin pieces of meat and can be found in a butcher shop.
2. Cimeter
Nowadays, there are a variety of hunting and processing knives. The cimeter butcher knives are properly curved to provide better slicing. They are considered a perfect choice for trimming fat and cutting up pieces.
3. Cleavers
A cleaver knife is designed for heavy chopping. Most of them have a big heavy blade made from tough steel and a convex grind that helps reduce the chances of chipping. Cleavers are preferred for cutting large chunks of meat, sometimes having a bone.
4. Breaking Knives
A breaking knife is another chef knife that is basically used to cut down large pieces of meat into smaller ones. This is the type of knife you want to use when cutting out a pork loin or the tri-tip.
5. Boning Knives
A butcher knife set will include a boning knife which can be used for lots of things but is specifically designed for cutting and separating bones out of the animal.
However, there are several different types of boning knives based on flexibility. These knives range from flexible, semi-flexible to stiff. So, if you're cutting something delicate and small, you will want to get a flexible boning knife, but for cutting beef, you want to get a stiffer razor-sharp blade.
6. Butcher Saw
A butcher saw is mostly used when separating the different parts at very thick joints, for example, at the hip and shoulders. You can't use a regular wood saw or hacksaw for this kind of job.
Butcher saws have lots of use. They come with a specific shape of teeth to ensure you easily cut a bone and avoid getting clogged up with sinew and fat. In addition, a butcher knife set with a butcher saw will allow users to cut meat more evenly.
7. Slicer
A slicer is a long knife that looks like a bread knife but comes with a rounded tip. This kitchen knife is very sharp, thin, and has Granton edge blades. It is mostly used as a chef knife for slicing thin pieces of cooked meat.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Kitchen Knives
1. What other accessories are included in a meat processing knife set?
Most of the complete knife sets will come with gloves, spreaders, and carbide sharpeners. However, if the set doesn't come with additional accessories, you can always buy them separately.
2. Do butcher knives come with individual sheaths?
Although not all, some butcher knives come with plastic cases for safer storage. Always check if the brand sells sheaths and if not, you can always have one locally made from your tailor. Most durable and effective scabbards are only made from leather.
