What kind of skinning knife do you use and why?

[Satty141]

Toor knives for me. Made in USA

 

[Flip888]

I like to use a Buck 110. I have the s30v Cabela's version, but I usually just use my regular 420hc version because it's got a lot of sentimental value. I also carry with me an old buck 105, 103 or 118 depending on what I'm doing.

 

[justinspicher]

KoA Muskrat for me. It rides in a kydex sheath behind my bino harness.

 

[Dennis]

Love the traditional knives and photos. I miss carrying my own custom made knife.

My thoughts and my light weight setup. Currently, I carry two Havalon knives for all knife work and use the gutless method most of the time. One handle has a gut hook for all initial hide cuts, cutting around legs and removing tenderloins. The second handle has a #60 blade for skinning, quartering, de-boning etc. I carry a few extra blades of each along with a few #22 blades for capping when needed. I have found that it's easier to have two knives working together rather than replacing blades back and forth.

In my pack I also carry a very small and light weight Leatherman PS mini tool at 1.58 oz. for changing blades, pulling cactus needles out etc. The tool has pliers, wire cutters, tweezers, scissors, screw driver etc. I also carry a light weight Gerber folding saw for building shelters, blinds, and clearing shooting lanes etc.

Good luck,

 

[Coveyleader]

I used to use cheap "Rapala" fillet knives, they were good. Now I just use the Havlon Baracuda. I hate short blade knives for skinning, or breaking down animals. Too slow.

 

[Holocene]

I love beautiful knives as much as the next guy, but knowing myself in field conditions and being on a limited budget drives me this direction:

Havalon Piranta for 95% of everything, from trout to elk to turkey. It is lightweight, and like others have said if you are doing it right you can use 2-3 blades on an elk. I'll use one blade all turkey season. The knife washes up nice in the sink with hot water, Dawn, and an old toothbrush.

Screwpop Utility Knife with a roofing/carpet blade to use as a skinner and not dull my main knife. Who actually sharpens a gut hook? This little guy gets me through hair and hide so I don't dull the main knife.

Benchmade Steep Country as a go-to fixed blade knife.

 

[Te Hopo]

I carry my own DIY Ultralight knife that I made as the name brand UL knives are ridiculously expensive here in New Zealand.
12c27 stainless steel, 4" blade, basic sheath that holds it in tight and is made from a piece of alkathene water pipe, sharp like a scalpel and holds an edge.

 

[sndmn11]

S90v Yukon belt knife style skin inner with all cork handle, and pma11 leaf blade mule with carbon and cork.

 

[JGTWI]

Lt Wright small northern hunter.

I can’t stand the change a blade knives, partially because of breakage, partially because I don’t care for the throw away mentality of them like many things now a days. That and I’m of the firm belief that every outdoorsman should know how to sharpen a damn knife.

View attachment 378926


The shape of this knife is perfect for cutting up animals. After a dozen plus deer with it I can’t think of a single thing I’d change

That’s a great looking knife. Tried looking them up to see how much they cost, but seems that they’re no longer available.

 

[Lawnboi]

That’s a great looking knife. Tried looking them up to see how much they cost, but seems that they’re no longer available.

Small Northern Hunter

Our version of the Canadian Belt Knife: Small Northern Hunter. Perfect for skinning and preparing wild game, excellent for a variety of camp

ltwrightknives.com

Still available direct. See link above. They do runs of them for dealers as well in different handles but like everything else now adays they sell out fast.

 

[JGTWI]

Small Northern Hunter

Our version of the Canadian Belt Knife: Small Northern Hunter. Perfect for skinning and preparing wild game, excellent for a variety of camp

ltwrightknives.com

Still available direct. See link above. They do runs of them for dealers as well in different handles but like everything else now adays they sell out fast.

Well…thanks. That just costed me $136 . Had to get off the site fast so it didn’t get worse.

And Ive been thinking I should sell off more knives, cause a guy can only use so many. But I didn’t have a Canadian belt knife…

 

[Lawnboi]

Well…thanks. That just costed me $136 . Had to get off the site fast so it didn’t get worse.

And Ive been thinking I should sell off more knives, cause a guy can only use so many. But I didn’t have a Canadian belt knife…

You will enjoy this one. I’m sort of a collector as well and since getting this one it’s all Iv used on game. That shape let’s the knife do the work not your arm.

Really like what lt did with aebl

 

[BDWMT]

What steel?

Is that horn or mammoth teeth?

It is mammoth tooth and the steel is S45VN.

 

[Lucas B]

I have been through a few solutions to lightweight knives over the past several years. I am currently using a Rainier Fastpak. It's shown the best edge retention of any knife that I have to date.

Late last year I came to the sudden epiphany that if weight was truly a primary concern, then I need to be running a Victorinox paring knife with little Smith 2-step sharpener. This combo gets you to right at 2.2 oz. You will always have an acceptably sharp knife that is far more durable than any of the scalpel blades. You dont need pliers to help you change out blades. And it's so cheap the you wont care if something gets lost, it's less than $30 for that combo on Amazon.

I watched my taxidermist skin a deer using just a simple paring knife and then tried it myself on a doe. I got really upset at how much time and money I had spent researching and trying different high end steel knives. The most effective option , and lightest weight to boot, ended up being the cheapest and least sexy.

 

[Lucas B]

Correction. That combo is $11.50 today.

 

[MTNHUNTER76]

Outdoor edge with replaceable blades. I have several because for some reason I lose knives constantly. Cheap, always sharp, they work great, and I don't cry much when I lose one.

 

[Felton]

I carry the Gerber vital and spiderco bill mornan.

The Bill Moran comes in at 3 oz and was designed by him as what he would consider the best light weight hunting knife.

 

[Mojave]

I am done with replaceable blade knives or replaceable scalpel knives. Two roe deer and an antelope and i about cut my hand off.

 

[RCL]

White River Backpacker in S35VN.

 

[Snowhunter11]

Buck knife with sv35 steel. Holds a good edge