Hogue is breaking into a new knife category, releasing their first pair of hunting knives just in time for the fall. The Extrak and Expel are Hogue’s take on two classic hunting knife formats, filling very different roles indeed.
Extrak
We feel comfortable calling the Extrak the headliner in Hogue’s new hunting lineup. It reads as a multi-function hunter’s companion, with a 3.3-inch clip point blade ready for the complex, delicate, but demanding duties of a hunting knife. Of course knife genre is a fluid thing and the Extrak, with its classic profile and extremely light carry weight of just 1.9 oz., will have appeal for anybody in the market for a general outdoors knife or even a mid-sized EDC fixed blade.
The full tang Expel is made from M4 tool steel. M4 is only semi-stainless, but makes up for that possible shortcoming by being both rugged and long-lived in terms of edge retention. Hogue minimized the risk of rust by coating the entire Extrak frame with a Cerakote, in your choice of black or hunter-friendly, high visibility orange. Simple black slab G-10 scales are laid on top of the frame and look like they can be easily removed. One thing to note, however, is that the Extrak does not come with a sheath, only a blade guard; depending on how you want to carry it you’ll have to source a sheath yourself.
Expel Scalpel
Meanwhile, the Expel fills a more niche role in the hunter’s inventory. Like the Gerber Vital or Kershaw Lonerock, this is a cutting implement with a replaceable stainless steel blade. Because users won’t have to plan ahead in terms of sharpening, they’ll always have a razor-sharp, detail-capable 2.5-inch blade to hand. The handle is made from 440C stainless and comes with letterboxed G-10 scales, available in black or orange. As with the Extrak, a blade guard, not a sheath, is included with the Expel. Hogue says the Expel uses Havalon replaceable blades; they include five with each knife.
Both Hogue hunting knives are available now through the company’s website.
Knife in Featured Image: Hogue Extrak
