Master Hunter 4.5" CPM 3V Drop Point Razor-Sharp Blade 4.75" Kray-Ex Handle Hunting Fixed Blade Knife w/Secure-Ex Sheath

Such an easy fix...in about five minutes you can custom tune the release tension by heating the top of the sheath using a hair dryer with the knife in place, and just letting it cool. After heating both sides, being careful not to melt the plastic, you should have no problem getting that snug fit that allows the blade to be drawn, but holds the knife securely in place. Yeah, it should have come that way...but you don't need to go buy a sheath unless you want something completely different anyway. I thought knives like this were intended for people that were resourceful, with some basic skills. Having heard of micro chipping of the Italian 3V steel in a couple of reviews here I tested the blade with some moderate carving on some hard maple when the knife arrived, and it held up without any damage at all. Actually, I was impressed with the performance, as well as the sharpness of the factory edge. My other Cold Steel camp knife is a 30 odd year old SRK in Carbon V, and as much as I like it, this Master Hunter is a little more versatile, not quite as heavy duty, and a better overall camp knife for slicing and such. Master Hunters with 3V blades are getting hard to find, but I'd expect the San Mai version to be similar, a great size, comfortable handle, light weight, with blade geometry that cuts well, but isn't at all delicate.

You’ll be hard pressed to find another 3V Steel knife this size in this price range. The handle is very comfortable and the Master Hunter features a thick, tough blade with a drop point design that makes it perfect for processing animals (ideally paired with a fillet knife) after harvest as well as feather sticking, carving, and even food preparation. For example we lost one of my tent stakes so I carved a new one in 5 minutes out of a stick I found with the Master Hunter. The flat grind on the blade makes it excellent for slicing and carving and bushcraft (I could absolutely make a snare or trap with it in an emergency), and the spine is great for throwing sparks with a ferro rod fire starter. However this knife simply isn’t quite big enough for chopping wood thicker than 1-2 inches, or batonning larger pieces of firewood. Also, the 3V super steel is ultra tough but because of that it takes 3-4x as long to sharpen as, for example, 1095 steel. Oh, and you’ll need to sharpen it because the factory edge isn’t that sharp. It took every bit of 20 minutes on my Warthog V-Sharp II system to get a good 25° edge on this knife. If it gets dulled out in the back country, you can forget about sharpening it on a river stone or something. That being said, I can process an entire animal, even a giant boar, with the Master Hunter without having to stop and re-sharpen. Also the excellent, comfortable, grippy handle means that you you can be quite dexterous with the knife, even if your hands are wet but that you can’t use the back of the handle for hammering. It comes with a very nice adjustable sheath that you can mount just about anywhere in any configuration. In short, the Master Hunter is, no surprise, an incredible hunting knife; no more and no less. The Master Hunter could absolutely be part of a great survival system if paired with a Silky saw, hatchet, machete, etc. but it is not a stand-alone survival knife. For a stand-alone survival knife I’d really recommend something that starts at about 7 inches with my personal favorite being the excellent Becker BK9.

This knife has been in continuous production for decades and as a result many knife aficionados are very familiar with it. It’s now made in Taiwan, but don’t make the mistake of assuming this is an inferior knife. This thing feels like it could survive anything. Thick, strong CPM 3V blade that was truly shaving sharp out of the box. Seriously, be careful taking it out of the package as it will cut you deeply. The handle is the grippiest material on a knife I’ve ever felt. The only negative in my opinion is the upper belt clip of the sheath. It feels too “floppy” to me. I prefer a stiffer material where the knife doesn’t feel like it bounces around with a light movement. Otherwise, overall this is a superior knife and at $100 bucks or so is an unbeatable value.

I have a master hunter San mai from quite a while back. It’s a tough knife that is razor sharp but I always wanted to try to cpm 3v version. I’m glad I did because this is a great knife. Not the easiest to sharpen, but once I got it where I wanted I noticed the difference. Extremely sharp. Surprisingly cpm 3v isn’t that hard to sharpen. I would say dc53 and d2 are considerably harder to sharpen. I wore out a smith’s diamond stone trying to put a good angle on those two steels.

CPM 3V to the rescue. I was torn between the master hunter and the Fallkniven f1. I have the SRK and Recon Tanto so I was familiar with the rubber grip. After reading reviews on the f1 it seemed the grip was a little small for large to extra large hands. So I decided to go with the master hunter, and glad I did. One beautiful blade and beautiful finish. Nice belly on the knife. I like the figure guard as well. Can be used as a tactical knife, camp knife, or general purpose knife. CPM 3v holds a good edge and can be sharpened with the right tools. Many of people like CPM 3v as their favorite knife steel and now I know why. The knife is 5 Stars, the sheath that I received was not. I would give the sheath 2 Stars because of 2 reasons. The lockup on the sheath is so tight, you can not remove the knife without 2 hands. The biggest problem with the sheath I received is it dulls the knife... I tested the edge of the knife on the sheath and came to the conclusion. My other 2 secure ex-sheaths do not dull the knives. This was the biggest disappointment with the knife. Saw a few videos and read a forum post about this same problem. Just be aware the sheath may or may not dull the knife. Overall the knife is a beast and a workhorse. Perfect thickness for my needs. But now I have to buy a Custom sheath for it. A reasonable premium steel for a reasonable price. A must-have for a collector or just want a good knife.

Very nice knife from Cold Steel shaving sharp out of the box and perfect bevel around blade. Blade nice and thick will last a lifetime if maintained properly. Handle is comfortable and should not have any hotspots with long use. Grip is rubber feel for a solid connection that will not give you blisters. It keeps your knife firmly in your hand and easily controlled for all cutting or shaving operations. I have wanted this knife for years and it was finally advertised for an outstanding price of 100 bucks. It will be a great addition to my collection. Now it's on sale for 90 and for 3V steel that is a great price. This knife will last forever if taken care of.

Wicked Sharp I purchased this Cold Steel Hunter in CPM 3V to replace a decades old Master Hunter in VG-10 San Mai III. I gifted the older Cold Steel VG-10 San Mai III Master Hunter to a friend, even after field dressing 21 White Tail Deer it was razor sharp. I chose the CPM 3V due to the VG-10 version no longer available (VG-1 is the current type of San Mai III steel). That being the case I decided to step up to the (IMHO) superior CPM 3V blade, I'm looking forward to putting it to good use this hunting season. As for my older (15 years) VG10 Master Hunter, the Kray-Ex grips is still in perfect condition and absolutely sure gripped even when covered with blood. Purchase the Master Hunter with confidence, you will not be disappointed. BTW, this is the 6th Cold Steel knife I've purchased, I've been very pleased with every product of thiers.

Very nice hunting knife. Been wanting a nicer one for awhile and this was it. Good size for field dress and quartering. Great steel, handle is grippy as can be.