Webley Hunter Knife

It was with some surprise and pleasure when John Bright, Highland Outdoor’s MD showed me the latest piece of Webley & Scott branded kit - a fi xed blade hunting knife. At the price, which is under £50, it’s doubtless made in China, but Highland has gone to a decent manufacturer, which is selfevident from the end result.

The Hunter was designed by a South African hunter and embodies to my eyes a simple, elegant and practical layout. The 3.34” blade is made from 420 stainless steel and offers a full tang layout, with a deep, drop point shape for its size. From the box it comes shaving sharp, be warned!

There’s a short half guard, which acts as a stop for either the fore finger or thumb depending if you are using it edge up/down. The handles are two smooth scales of rosewood that expands from front to back and offers a bit of belly. Not big but handfi lling and comfortable, though a bit of chequering or texturing would not have gone amiss to improve grip in the wet. These are held in place by two, hollow brass rivets, the rear most one can double up as a lanyard hole too.

Nice Size

Weighing around 3oz the Hunter measures 8 ½” nose to tail and is well presented with a good wood to metal fit, with no extraneous tool marks to mar the fi nish. Chinesemade knives are everywhere now and do represent a cost effective option. However, quality-wise this is well above the norm and a very good example of what can be done if you pick a decent maker.

The sheath is a simple, ¾-length bucket that retains the knife by friction alone. The leather is of reasonable quality and the stitching is also acceptable. However, I think a bit of leather food/compound would improve the look and longevity no end. The integral, two inch belt loop is riveted to the back and appears serviceable.

In use this is an elegant and practical field tool, the edge held it sharpness well enough to fi eld butcher a deer and it is easily touched up. The blade shape works well in tight areas and it’s a light and handy design, with the added kudos of the Webley & Scott name.