What kind of knife do you use to skin?

[whodaman]

im in the market for a new hunting knife. I lost my old one in lake mozingo in marysville mo last spring i was cutting up some bait and there it went right over the side but i wanted to hear what you guys use to do this job

[baitchunker]

well, my good intentioned wife bought me a gerber gator with a gut hook a few years back. and like a loving husband i use it. it has good grip, and holds an edge pretty well. also i like the gut hook. but when it is time to sharpen it, it has proven to be the most difficult knife to sharpen that i have ever owned.

personally i prefer a nice little "old timer" with a rusty blade. lol. its what i grew up on.

but there are some really nice knives on the market these days, depending on what you want to spend. i have a nice kershaw that works real well, and CRKT makes a good one.

im sure some of these other guys will chime in with better suggestions though.

[223reload]

I am never without my Case trapper pattern pocket knife. I also carry a custom made drop point hunter that my Father in law had made for me as a christmas gift. It has a 3" stainless blade ,and a multicolored laminate handle.

[kat in the hat]

To skin, I just use my Victorinox Kerschner boning knife because that is what I have in my hand when I'm ready to butcher a deer. It doesn't take a special knife to skin one because you really don't even need a knife to skin a deer except to cut the legs off, and get the skin started. Whatever knife will work fine as long as it is sharp. I have used a Rapala fillet knife to butcher deer and it worked just fine.

[jtrew]

The best skinning knife I ever owned was an 'Indian Crooked Knife' (not to be confused with the carving knife that goes by the same name). It's basically a curved knife that makes about a quarter of a circle, so that you're always using a curved part of the knife, with no sharp point to cut the skin. I got mine from a place called Herters, which used to be a very big mail order seller of outdoor equipment. They no longer sell by mail order, and what little business they still do, they market through Gander Mountain (I think).

[crazy]

really don't even need a knife to skin a deer except to cut the legs off, and get the skin started.

Man so meat just falls off the bone? What about the guts they just fall out as well. I need to learn the this new way. Really any good knife that holds an edge will work. Personally I hate gut hooks they get in the way and don't do there job that well.

[kat in the hat]

Man so meat just falls off the bone? What about the guts they just fall out as well. I need to learn the this new way. Really any good knife that holds an edge will work. Personally I hate gut hooks they get in the way and don't do there job that well.

Sorry...didn't know that gutting and butchering a deer was the same as skinning one. Review the question. I answered it correctly. :wink: I use one knife for the entire process...a Victorinox Kirschner boning knife...but I don't really use it to skin the deer. The skin just pulls off rather easily.

[bownero]

I have a custom skinning knife made by Skyblade Knives in Bozeman, Mt. It's called the MINK. It has a 2.5" blade. It holds a razor sharp edge. It has gutted and skinned 4 deer so far and it's still razor sharp!! The handle is made of African Afzelia wood. Very beautiful knife!:big_smile:

[katfish ken]

I always pack my Case Trapper in a sheath on my belt and a small Case 3 blade pocket knife. Usually I use the 3 blade for skinning. It doesn't take a big knife for the purpose. Use the trapper to field dress with.

[Jacksmooth]

Sweet Knife brownero!

I use a kershaw pocket knife. The blade is only about 2 inches long. Dont need much to skin them but it sounds like your using it for more than just that. A good old timer or a buck would work just fine and not hurt your pocket too bad IMO. You can use a cheap bread knife for cutting up bait for fishing. It takes the scales off good and cuts thru bone like a champ. Its also cheap if it goes overboard.:wink:

[ozzyso44]

Case XX Skinner. Good knife, good price.

[H2O Mellon]

What's wrong w/ a trusty ole Buck Folding Hunter Model 110?

For around $30-40 you cant beat 'em.

With that said, I still use more Gerbers than anything.

[craddock1]

There is a slaughter house near here. About twice a year they sell all thier used knives. I have 6 in my boat and 1 in each tackle box. best bait cutting knife I have found. I carry a craftsman pocket knife and have gerbers and cases in a drawer seldom use any of them. I jsut can't part with a good knife.

[peewee williams]

I like the old 3 bladed stock mans knife with the spey blade.I have skinned and butchered a cow,hogs,chickens,Turkeys,Geese,Ducks,all kinds of fish and game including helping with a Moose.You can cut bait,rope,make a gasket,trim your toenails or cut a splinter out of your foot.It is just a good sized,good all around "Pocket knife".

Now I have many specialized knifes for many jobs picked up over my 50 years.Many never used for what they were made for,like the one that I have that was made to cut off human heads in a far off land or my WW1 bayonet.One is a great hand ax machete cross and the other a great pig sticker when things go wrong catching wild hogs and bringing them out alive.I have knives made like the fishermen used before Columbus sailed.The stock man knife is still the best all around knife to me.A 2 bladed Trapper or Barlow is also hard to beat.

At times,I have carried 2 and 3 knives when feasible and useful.

I have carried a pocket knife and a small pistol in my pockets for most of my life.I have now also slept with them in my pocket for over 15 years now as I have slept in a chair for all of this time.I have not been able to lay down for years now.Now I do remove them to bathe,BUT they are within reach.

I prefer the old meteorite deposit made or Stainless Steel for knives and pocket pistols that will be carried constantly.I sweat and fall overboard!These do not rust.

[CountryHart]

I've carried a case trapper all my life. It'll skin anything i get on the ground, from quartering an elk, skinnin hogs or shavin sleepin mice without waking them.:wink:

[bluejay]

I'm on my second Case Trapper. I was filleting crappie one day and the wife was cutting out the ribs. She kept the ribs and thru the knife into the lake. She said OH S*** and I new what she did with out looking. She bought the second one. I use it to clean all kinds of game. Gotta be careful with it as I keep it sharp enough to shave with. When i sharpen my knives my legs get these bare spots all over them. LOL

[dust777man]

I use a fillet knife by American Angler. Couldn't find my regular skinning knife one day so I used the fillet knife. Been using it ever since. Does the job real well.

[peewee williams]

I've carried a case trapper all my life. It'll skin anything i get on the ground, from quartering an elk, skinnin hogs or shavin sleepin mice without waking them.:wink:

I would much rather watch you TRY to shave the head of the average sleeping woman and TRY to get away with it.Now that would be something to see!

[peewee williams]

I'm on my second Case Trapper. I was filleting crappie one day and the wife was cutting out the ribs. She kept the ribs and thru the knife into the lake. She said OH S*** and I new what she did with out looking. She bought the second one. I use it to clean all kinds of game. Gotta be careful with it as I keep it sharp enough to shave with. When i sharpen my knives my legs get these bare spots all over them. LOL

Wear long pants when you sharpen your knives and that won't happen.:smile2:

And no,I am not going to ask you what you wear or do not wear while you sharpen your knives!:wink:

[Snagged2]

HI Bownero,,
You have any idea of the Blade steel used in that custom?? I carry and use knives made with D-2 or 154CM,, They give that type of performance.. just curious.

[billNpam]

I have Buck with a gut hook.

[katfish ken]

Anyone that wants to try your hand at making your own custom knife. The best thing to start with is a saw blade. I have made some knives out of them and they make great knives. An angle grinder and bench vise is the basic tools you need to turn out some great knives from saw blades.

[katfish ken]

Here is a picture of A Skinner that I made a while back. This one has a bone handle. The blade is made from a saw blade. I cold blued the steel on this one.

[Blue Duck]

My main hunting knife is a folding Gerber. Holds an edge and works well.

[on_the_fly]

we have made a few from saw blades too but they are very brittle though. but for the avarage use they are ok good looking to if you spend a little time on them.

[Snagged2]

IF you guys want to make knives from salvaged materials,, some of the best steels will be found in the material used to make bearing races,, It is a 52100 alloy and when properly forged , shaped, hardened , then differentially tempered, will give you excellent service,,,,,,,,long as you don't spin a bearing!!!:wink:

Another steel that works well, is from leafsprings, however, coil springs would probably work also, Not sure of the make up, but, it is tough, and holds an edge well. My suspicion is it real close to 1095 carbon steel, however, it may not have that much carbon in it.. There's much better materials to use, but, it does make a good blade.

My suggestion would be to buy a known material (alloy) O-1, D-2, , 154-CM, those types will give you superior performance compared to most any knife you can buy "over the counter" O-1, W-2, 1095, 1084 etc, can be easily heat treated usually with general shop equipment,, the "exotic" alloys may need professional help!!:ooooh:

The important thing with salvaged material , is it should be annealed to work it, and when you're done, it needs to be RE-heat treated,,, That's real important.. for a blade worth carryin''

If you acquire dedicated material, you actually save some time as you don't have to "undo" anything.. Either barstock, or a semi-finished blade...

[catfish_clayton]

One of my boxing coaches went deer hunting above my house. He got one so I went up with him to skin it and gut it. He uses an exact-o knife. That thing sliced through that deer like it was butter. It's all I use know. Best hunting knife I think you could have.

[kennylee]

I use 3 knives to clean my deer.

Gutting-
2" Case lock blade with a drop point, razer sharp (20 deg hone)

Skinning-
5" Full tang heavy blade, with a drop point, blunt tip and a belt loop sheath (25 deg. hone)

Boning-
6" Boning knife, full tang with a curved blade and sharp tip (20 deg. hone)

Watch your fingers sharp knives are unforgiving.:ooooh:

[peewee williams]

The perfect knife is the one that YOU like the best to do your present job with.

I have a assortment of very,very old great knives made from "PIT SAW" blades.These are the blades use back when a log was put across a pit,one man stood in the pit,one on top and sawed boards with this 2 handled hand saw.It was the only saw mill at the time!If you like your bacon xxx-tra thin,wish to fillet or skin a fish,wish to de bone a bird with a knife,they are great.I also have knives that could skin a Elephant or Hack through his leg bone or tusk.Each has a good use.

Now the Khukuri/Gurkha knife set is my favorite woods set.The large blade is a great hand axe,Machete,shovel while the two little knives in the set were my skinning,butchering,cooking,eating,fire starting (with a piece of flint) and just good all around utility knifes.Great where your life can depend on knives.They have been proven in everyday life and battle for 100's of years.My first impression of one was seeing a old rolled over chain drive Mack pulpwood truck being hacked open by one to get the driver out in the early 50's.There was a lot of steel there in those days!Old junk trucks were all that the poor pulp wooder could afford.Those trucks were pre WW2!

Now I also love my Alaskan Ulu for skinning and butchering.

Heck,I just love knives.Most all of them!

[fishnvince]

I'll let you guys know as soon as I kill one