The hunting knife will likely be the first bladed weapon the player stumbles upon during the game. It can serve as a weapon, but it is also a tool to remove hides from animals when the player has learned the skill gut animals.
Availability
The player can find their first knife at the beginning of the game, by following the water to the right, and examining the corpse located there. Another good way to acquire a hunting knife is by killing gnomes, as they commonly use them as a weapon.