Here's a selection of my favorite knives. Whether you're looking for the best gifts for mushroom foragers in your life or shopping for yourself there's a good selection here. I break down the differences between some of the most well-known brands, and other, more obscure ones.
Every knife listed is one I use personally and no company has paid me to say anything here.
When I started hunting mushrooms, I got overly excited about getting to explore new knives, those made, and that could be used specifically for mushroom hunting. It was like giving a new drug to an addict. The question always lingered though: what's the best knife for mushrooms?
You don't need a sword
At first, I had some pretty hilarious ideas about what made a good mushroom hunting knife. I spent hours online reading reviews, measuring and comparing, and obsessing over silly things that looked more like Renaissance festival regalia than something I could actually use to harvest food.
Pretty funny when you consider one of the most famous mushrooms hunters in the U.S. brings plastic picnic knives on planes when he goes on out of state forays.
"You're hunting stationary mushrooms, not defending yourself from a lion attack while tracking wildebeast in the Serengeti."
Ten years after embarassing myself, I have some really solid advice for anyone that's looking for the best type of knives for carrying outside, and harvesting mushrooms. Let's just say it was a lot less complicated than my juvenile, and kitchen-addled brain thought.
First, here's a couple broad points about mushroom hunting knives, as I see it.
The Best Mushroom Knife is Small, Compact, and Lightweight
This is the biggest thing to consider. You're hunting mushrooms, not 1000lb antler-toting animals in the Mountains, and the knife should reflect that.
At first, for me, still buzzing off a record year where I cut 50lbs of chicken of the woods mushrooms off of one tree and about the same weight of hen of the woods, I bought a handsome skinning blade from Puma, and the monstrosity pictured below from a company in Russia.
After getting made fun of at a foray by older hunters, and a couple awkward looks at gas stations with a 6 inch pewter boar handle protruding from my belt while hunting a candy bar, I learned.
Moral of the story: less is more, now, I've downgraded my collection to only the smallest knives, unless I have an actual deer to skin, which only happens in the fall.
Fixed Blade or Folder?
At first, with my kitchen experience, I thought only fixed-blades would do. Again, remember you're hunting stationary mushrooms, not defending yourself from a lion attack while tracking wildebeest in the Serengeti.
That being said, I do like both fixed and folders for carrying in the field, but I keep them small, compact, and concealable. In short: the Buck 102 is the best fixed blade knife I've ever owned, and the opinels can't be beat for lightwieght folders.
My Favorite Mushroom Knives
In no particular order, here's my top 6
Opinel(s)
Opinel Mushroom Knife 30$ Weight: 50 g
There's probably no blade more widely known for mushroom hunting than the Opinel mushroom knife. Just like it sounds, this is an actual design made for picking mushrooms, with it's curved blade and brush on the opposite end.
At first I didn't know about the brush, but it's nice to have, especially if you're picking mushrooms growing in pine needles or leaves like Lactarius or Lobsters.
The curved blade is ok, but it won't stay as sharp as the Opinel no.8 carbon above. But, at the reasonable price of around 30$, every mushroom hunter should have one of these.
Don't be fooled by look-alikes either, there are a lot of similar-looking, and cheaper brands out there, but they are often too heavy and awkward, with thick blades that are hard to sharpen. (See what not to buy at the bottom of this post)
Opinel no.8: Classic Carbon Steel Blade 10$ Weight: 50 g
This is the most common knife I carry besides the Buck 102 below. This Opinel style is feather-light, classic carbon steel. New to carbon steel knives?
Just know this: it will get a patina, needs regular cleaning and attention to ward off rust, but it will hold an edge better than any stainless steel knife you've used, and the edge is easy to put back on since the steel is soft.
I've had mine for 10 years and it's still a razor, not to mention it's cheaper than a hamburger.
Buck 102 60-125$ Weight: 70 g
This is on my hip as much as the Opinel no.8 carbon. Buck's one of the most famous American Knife makers. The 102 is often given to children, but don't let the size fool you, it's slightly longer than the others in this post with the fixed blade.
This means it will take one hell of a beating, year after year. The stainless steel blade can get a bit dull with a lot of use and no TLC, but with proper, care these will last a lifetime.
One of my favorite features is the drop point and the tip of the blade-great for getting in little holes of a tree, wedging out a resistant fungus, or just clipping easy shrooms all day long.
After you're done cutting shrooms, you could easily use it to skin a whole deer--I have plenty of times. This is a multi-talented blade, and so much fun to wear I feel like a boy scout. Just pull your shirt over it when you go into the gas station.
Japanese Higonokami 10-80$ Weight: 30 g
This is definitely the honorable mention knife for this post. Not only are Higas small, and ultra-light, razor sharp and easy to sharpen as they're carbon steel, they flip open lightning fast after breaking in like a switch blade.
The only catch, is that means there is no safety. Even so, I've owned a couple of these and have never kept them anywhere but my pocket, and I've never cut myself.
I've found that I like to keep them in the thin coin pocket of a pair of jeans, which holds the knife straight up and down, with just enough clearance for me to be able to grab it easily from the pocket. Note the rust on mine, once again, carbon steel is wicked sharp, but needs regular attention.
Anza 50-75$ Weight 93 g
Hands-down, the strongest, abuse-loving knife here, Anza's are basically indestructible. The secret is that the knives are all carved out of steel files, that is, steel that's used to cut through other steel, like stainless. It also hold an edge like a carbon steel knife (because it is).
You'll feel the extra weight in this, and the slightly thicker blade can be overkill for small, casual mushrooming as "flexible" doesn't translate to above benefits, but the small knife model here is not bad, especially if you want something to double as a camp knife.
Heck, with a hammer, you could use an Anza to cut down small trees, or use it as a chisel. Sometimes I reach for it when I'm deboning animals or chiseling chaga.
Helle Algonquin 150$ Weight: 60 g
The ritzy one. Small enough to be a gift for a 12-year old, but ideal for small tasks, especially delicate mushrooming. To sweeten the deal, it's light as air, and at 60 grams, it's nearly as light as the 10$ Opinel, just with a sexy, minimalist Nordic handle and mirror-finished blade. Last, but not least, is the carry method.
In the United States it's not really a thing, but in Europe, especially in Scandinavia it's common to carry small knives in a sheath around your neck. It might sound weird but it's actually a really great way to carry hiking.
It tucks into a shirt quickly if I see civilians, and is all-around a luxury to use. The only tradeoff, if you could call it that, is that it shouldn't be abused like the Buck or Anza, but sometimes it ok to have nice things.
What you don't buy
All the knives pictured below I don't have pictures of, because they're not good enough to make a hotdog skewer.
The knives pictured below are all sold as "mushroom knives", but they all suffer from one or two annoying issues. Generally speaking here, all of the below probably have: blades that are too thick, they're ugly, handles that feel square and awkward, etc. I don't recommend them.
David R
Where'd you get that silly boar's head knife from?
Zlatoust?
Alan Bergo
HA! It may look silly but you're the one asking where I got it. I doubt the company is making them anymore, yes Zlatoust, they make a number of puuko-style Laplander knives. Good quality but small Helle type puukos are better for what we're discussing here. Zlatoust are more for say, boning a deer.
Todd Maggio
I would like to humbly suggest that the best tool for collecting mushrooms is not a knife at all—and I have a collection of over 200 pocket knives. Let's face it, most people do not keep their knives sharp enough, not even close. Dull knives will push the mushroom over, ripping it from the mycelium before they finish the cut. The cleanest and least disruptive method is to use scissors. In particular, scissors designed to trim aquarium plants. They're long and curved so you don't have to stoop down and get at ground level—in fact, if I were to design mushroom scissors they would look exactly like aquarium scissors, maybe a little longer.
Alan Bergo
Thanks for the comment Todd, I actually prefer scissors if I'm going to the motherload black trumpet patch, and I use a variety of scissors almost daily as I harvest many more plants by volume than mushrooms, and for plants, scissors are a must. Scissors aren't the end all mushroom cutting tool though. They might be nice for a few small species, but as they get larger the stems won't cut clean and some will break under pressure, although this is a small detail. Bigger reasons for me are that one important thing I do in the field is scrape or clean some mushrooms, and clipping with a scissors to trim debris would be onerous. They're not going to work on larger prey like tree polypores either.
Kenji Fuse
I'm having difficulty finding an Opinel mushroom knife, in Victoria, BC, Canada. Any advice?
Alan Bergo
You can't order them online?
Cathy Strzempka
Which number Opinel besides the mushroom one?
Alan Bergo
Sorry, no. 8 make sure to get carbon steel.
Susan
I bet an old fashioned straight edge rasor would do the trick also. What do you think?
Alan Bergo
I have a friend who uses one. Similar to the Japanese one in this post.
John
I wanted your opinion about the opinels. I want to gift a mushroom knife for a friend. She got a mushroom guide and she wants to start picking them. My idea would be to go for the opinel 8 Stainless for the following reasons: compared to the carbon one, it will need less maintenance, which I think might get to be a burden rather than a pleasure. Concerning the mushroom specific n8 I not sure about paying double for it because eventually a normal knife could prove more versatile in case she quits mushroom hunting fast and then she'll have a knife that might be useful for other purposes.
So, my question is if really there is a big difference between the mushroom specific one and the normal stainless opinel 8 or even if the carbon doesn't need as much maintenance as I thought and it would be eventually a good gift. What would you recommend me considering what I said above?
Thanks a lot for this guide, it was very useful to have an overview on the subject 🙂
Alan Bergo
John,
My girlfriend's father used a carbon steel Opinel no8 all his life and passed it down to her. She doesn't know a thing about knives and loves the old-weathered patina look. Stainless is easier to take care of, and I'd say it's really a toss-up between those two. Personally I prefer the carbon since it's sharper, maintenance is just wiping it off, really. The mushroom specific model is for the enthusiast, but might help get her excited. Ah, choices.
Sarah
Hi there,
Helpful article! Do you recommend a particular sheath for the Opinel mushroom knife or do you just keep it in your pocket (or elsewhere)? Thank you!
Alan Bergo
Sheath isn't necessary. Since it's a folder I just carry it.
David D.
Great article! Thank you very much for sharing.
Alan Bergo
Glad you could find it helpful.
Jason
Regarding your comment: “You’re hunting stationary mushrooms, not defending yourself from a lion attack while tracking wildebeast in the Serengeti.”
I disagree with this in the sense that here in the Pacific Northwest, you might actually find yourself using your mushroom knife to fend off a (mountain) lion when it mistakes you for a prey species as you crawl about in the undergrowth trying to reach that elusive chanterelle. For this reason I prefer a 6" blade. In grizzly country, something larger may be prudent.
Also worth considering is visibility since it's hard to avoid putting the knife down on the ground while brushing/collecting your finds and all too easy to wander off to the next patch you spot only to realize your knife is no longer with you. A bright color makes it much easier to find you missing piece "over there somewhere". On that note, I would never spend too much on the knife in case I realize I've left it somewhere a mile in the bush and it's starting to get dark. Better to have another cheap spare.
Alan Bergo
For the vast majority of mushroom hunters, this sort of scenario does not apply, and suggesting it does is silly. I carry a firearm if I go places during bear season, but it's only a couple days a year. I stand by my original statement 100%.
Allan Hitchmoth
Hello Chef Bergo!
I'm just now coming across your site! I'll be stopping by frequently.
I'm 65 and yet, new to the whole mushroom foraging thing... Still learning (and MAN! There's a LOT to learn!)
Here, in New Hampshire, the only bear we have are American Black Bear. (and they're sort of, the pacifist of the family) Never the less, I'm also one of those politically incorrect types that ALWAYS has a sidearm,(we can do that, here) and encourages ALL responsible and benevolent people to do the same!
I think it goes along with some of your comments pertaining to useful mushroom hunting knives, some being "...not the best tool for the job..."
All the best, Chef!
Thanks for your info!
Alan Bergo
Allan, thanks. We have black bears on our property here in WI. They're mostly pacifists, but a couple hunters have been charged by a mom on the property over the past few years. I'm generally not too wary of them. Last Oct when I was shooting a film in the wilderness in BC, without food, water, shelter, or even a sleeping bag, I did get a little worried when the only thing I saw on the ground was piles of bear scat filled with huckleberries (the show will come out in about 5 months on a major streaming service. After the shoot the production team told me there were 3 grizzlies on the island during the summer near where we'd camped-those bears I do worry about.
Wes
I left my old hunting rifle leaning up against a stump here in the Pacific northwest several years back. Deer hunting and ran into a parched of Chantrells, and off on my knees through the forest I went ever so quietly, found deer, but my hunt was over for I had lost my rifle. That sucked, found it the next year while mushroom picking. Just gave it away a couple months ago. Good rifle, good mushrooms. Great fun.
Jason
Some people might consider carrying a firearm when mushroom hunting more silly than carrying a 6" mushroom knife...;-) As far as I know, bear season = mushroom season, unless you're looking for mushrooms under snow pack. At any rate, I'm not saying that a knife is good bear protection, this story notwithstanding: https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/survivor-of-grizzly-bear-attack-near-powell-river-tells-his-tale
However, if one was to get jumped by a cougar a knife is probably better than your bare hands. Yes, it would be silly to use a bowie knife for mushrooms, but a slightly longer blade can also be useful for cutting the stems of large mushrooms like porcini below the ground and when they grow from under logs and at odd angles. And for morels I think it would be hard to beat a thin-blade utility knife. A curved, sharpened spine can also be very handy for scraping debris and gunk from the concave top of some types. The knives you list all look great, but as you suggest, requirements differ for the individual, your region, and the type of mushroom etc.
Alan Bergo
People can hunt mushrooms with a sword for all I care, but they're not the best tools for the job.
Jody M. Brewer
I'm new to mushroom foraging and just joined a great group. Looking for the knife you reviewed, the ANZA weighing in at 93 grams. The only one I can find is 8oz (226.796185 G) which more than twice the weight you quote. Is yours a typo or do they not make that weight knife any more? I did order the Opinel #8 carbon steel knife but I want to have another option as I am an artist and tend to drag half the forest back to my house for uses in future creations! Thanks for any guidance you can give me.
Alan Bergo
Jody. Get the buck 102. It’s probably my favorite. It can be tough to find the smaller Anzas.
Wes
So I hoped onto this site because I make custom knives, and am studying on what makes a good mushrooming blade, I live in the Pacific Northwest, and have picked shrooms my entire life, have always used whichever hunting knife I carried for prime season always coincided with hunting a hunting season or another. All knives I make are carbon steel, stainless is complicated to work with. Anyway if you have any suggestions, or would like to try out a blade or two let me know. I'm all ears for suggested ideas though.
Alan Bergo
Wes, sent you an email.
patches
how do you sell them id love to look at them and support you
Moynul
Opinal is one of the best knife-producing companies. Thanks for sharing nice information.
Linda
Thank you so much for providing important information in this article. I think it's a very good knife. Can you share any good mushroom recipes?
Alan Bergo
Erm, there are over hundreds of mushroom specific recipes on this site.
Glenn Haley
50+ year journeyman here. Opinel w/ brush rules! Hori Hori for harvesting Pacific Northwest pines, they’re big out here. I’m enjoying website.
Alan Bergo
Thanks Glenn
Linda
Thank you so much for providing important information in this article. I think it’s a very good knife. Can you share any good mushroom recipes?
Doug Pineo
For all the reasons Alan and many commenters stated, you might wanna' consider an inexpensive Morakniv: for example, the Morakniv Craftline Basic 511 High Carbon Steel Fixed Blade Utility Knife and Combi-Sheath, 3.6-Inch Blade. Nine bucks on Amazon, carbon steel, orange handle, sturdy HDPE sheath, not made in China. At the inexpensive price, you can put one or two in each of your rigs, your ebike panier, your turkey and deer hunting backpacks, etc. They have a zillion models, many of which are available in high carbon steel or stainless. So, pretty much like setters versus shorthairs, or boxers versus whitey tighties. No, I am not employed by or paid by Mora, I'm just out under the sky a fair amount. These aren't the finest bench made knives ever made, but they are eminently practical. if you're dragging a knife blade through wet forest duff, soil and a mushroom stalk, a Morakniv will be a lifetime tool and super cost effective. That said, I also have a half dozen Opinel folders in differente sizes. Superb, superb working person's tools.
I'm after chanterelles tomorrow morning, and will be bringing an old linoleum knife I just relocated in one of my tool boxes. I buffed it up on the Scotch wheel. But, I'll have one of my many Moraknivs with me too, just for backup!
Gregory F
+1 on Moraknivs! They are the opposite of precious but the epitome of high function. Like you, I keep several around (both carbon and stainless). They are ridiculously easy to sharpen as-is, and - with a little effort - can handle a more aggressive edge. I do not understand how they are so inexpensive.
All that said, I cannot bring myself to buy one of their mushroom-specific knives, tho I do sometimes long for an integrated brush.
Jim Symons
I’ll admit to very limited experience wild mushroom hunting experience. My background is commercial and home growing. Along with a serious interest in knives. Our pickers at the farm use the Ontario 3.5” fruit/mushroom knife. It’s a carbon steel clip point with a rounded tip. ($5) One of our pickers has done a brisk business fabricating sheaths.
I’ll second (or is it third?) the Morakniv. But I would step up a model to the 4” Companion. Still less than $20. Featherlite with an excellent snap-in sheath. My everyday carry out on the ranch. With a quality Sandvik stainless steel and a scandia grind blade it’s qualified to dig in the dirt and pry up rocks if it comes to that.
I have a brass higo no kami in my pocket. Sharpest edge you can get on carbon steel. I would guess the Rockwell to be north of 60. I wouldn’t stick it in the dirt. Anyone I care about has gotten one as a present.
If you take me mushroom hunting I’m going to carry all three.
Alan Bergo
Thanks Jim, yes. These will all work fine, and really I'm getting into minutia and personal preference here. This is only for the rabid mushroom hunter. I know one person who brings a plastic knife, and claims it works well. Personally, especially in the summer, I like something sturdy and versatile (the buck or carbon opinel) as it's great for both harvesting terrestrial mushrooms, as well as quickly releasing and cleaning polypores and things that may need to be carved out/off of trees.
Tony
Thank you. This is good information. I've never had a dedicated knife specifically for foraging. Then I saw this post, and it reminded me of the Opinel no. 8 knife I had as a teenager (1970s). It was such a great knife! So I immediately ordered one (and cut myself within twenty minutes of unpacking it). Can't wait for next spring!
I'd love to see more posts like this about tools/equipment. I need a new daypack, so I'm in the process of trying to figure out what features to look for in a pack to be used primarily for foraging. Hearing your thought about packs/baskets/buckets/bags would be really helpful. Thanks!
Chief Ox
Yeah carry little knife! Wait n see what bear or cougar does to you hunting shrooms. Silly city man!
Chief Ox
Six inches or better is always good blade wise Incase you shaft an animal above us on food chain
Alan Bergo
Dear character from the movie Deliverance. Cutting a mushroom with a six inch knife is silly. There's no reason you can't have a few knives in the car. I carry a machete for gooseberry branches, a large knife for different things, and small ones for foraging. I keep a firearm if I'm in bear territory.
Vova
Hello, I really enjoyed this article. Now I know what knife I will buy for picking mushrooms after it becomes safe to go to the forest. I'm from Ukraine, and now many places are dangerous because of the war. Muscovites mostly attack from the east, destroying entire cities with their rockets and bombs. Although I live in the west of Ukraine, there is a risk of an attack from the north to the west! Therefore, it is forbidden to go to the forest. Once again, the article is very informative. I also thank America and Americans for their support, we feel it and appreciate it very much!!! Peace to all, thanks!
Gary
Has anyone used the Marttiini mushroom knife? Looks highly functional and cheap enough. When on a foray, I use my Opinel #8 mushroom knife, or my #8 carbon, but my EDC knife is a little Gerber LST that I have cut more mushrooms with than any other. Could be better steel, but I love its size and weight.
Alan Bergo
Thanks for sharing your knife trio Gary. Love the Opinel 8.