Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Best knife for skinning and processing deer

I Wilson Sheffield.

Herder Solingen are also very good and worth owning, they generally have a "spade" stamped on blade or inletted into handle.

FG,
There is almost nothing better for working up meat than several 50-60 year old carbon steel knives...Easy peasy to put a razors edge on them with no effort...I bought 6 new carbon butchering knives couple years ago... They’re okay. But, they need to age another 20 years before they turn into an Heirloom knife...They’re getting close with the pantina “rust” build up already starting...Most of my serious butchering blades and bone saws are like yours that were handed down from grandpa to my dad and now me...😎

Russell Green River Works.

Dexter, Chicago cutlery.

So I take it you're a fan of CPM-154? It's on my list to try.

I have a CPM 154 boning knife that Dale Atkerson made for me. I like the steel a lot. It's easy to live with and takes a lot of use and abuse. I have other smaller CPM 154 folders that do not see near as much use and they're good, but I can't speak to their durability. This boning knife is stiff. Zero flex. It's me favorite knife for fileting some fish and boning out deer. Try it sooner rather than later.

I'm a Grohmann DH Russell #1 fan...

I like that pattern have to try one..

Brad, somethings missing from your pic...Hmmm. Maybe a 308? 😎

That has changed over time. I have 3 niches.

1) "Inside work" ... this is cutting loose the diaphragm and the anus. I like a short folding lock-blade knife. My preference for 20+ years has been a Gerber LST with a blade slightly over 2 inches sharpened razor sharp. I haven't budged from this and I don't expect to.

2) "Field dressing" .. I bundle throat cutting, skinning, quartering, rough boning, and removal of lower legs, all of those steps needed to bag meat for attachment to a pack frame for pack-out, in this. I have used many larger knives over the year, but in the spirit of saving weight, I bought a Benchmark "Steep Country" last year and I think it is going to be my long term answer. I also got a Cold Steel pendleton lite hunter which may supplement it.

In the past I've used a Buck General, Gerber LMF, Gerber LST magnum folder, and Buck Vanguard. I think the "Steep Country" will send them all out to retirement.

3) "Processing" ... this is kitchen work, boning, cutting strips for grinder or jerky, and slicing steaks. I like the Gerber LMF best ... mine is a first generation version which looks like the "Steadfast" does now, not the current version.

I have a few new toys to further work into rotation. I picked up a Cold Steel master hunter. This may replace the LMF completely. May get the #2 nod when it's elk instead of deer on the menu. We'll see. I also have a couple of Buck "pack lite" knives I carry in my hunting pack as backups in case I somehow lose or damage my primary knife. They're light, small, and sharp.

Tom

I got one of those sometime around 1990... its best use is chopping broccoli, and it’s not very good at that.

Most overrated knife I’ve ever seen.

I had the Grohmann DH Russell #1 and really liked it for skinning, but it was stolen. I picked up a couple of the cheap Cold Steel copies. Have not skinned a deer with one yet, but the steel appears to be very good. Takes a wicked edge and holds it well. My Buck 110 folder works well as well as my #118 Personal Knife. The very best skinner I have is a McGoogh, an odd looking knife bought in Bastrop, Louisiana, many years ago at a craft sale. If I can figure out how to post a picture on this forum I will post a picture of my McGoogh. I have never seen or heard of another McGoogh. Supposed to be made of old saw mill blades. Takes an edges and holds it until it thunders.

Can someone explain to me how to post a picture?

Thanks JStewart. Will work on that later today. Been up to long now.

I dont use any fancy knives but have had very good luck using simple Scandinavian knives. The top three knives work great sharpen great and hold their edge well. The drop point ( second one down) is a great all around knife for hunting. The old buck 110 and small folding Chicago cutlery knives are usually with me on my hunts. I think is good to have two knives with you in the field anyway. After all these years reading on here I am getting the urge to get a good custom knife but it's all I own for now. I skin and debone elk and deer now in the field ( because we can register our deer in the field now in MN). So my hunting knives are my processing knives also.





The carbon steel Mora on top
Then 2 fiskars/normarks
A small Chicago cutlery hunting folder
And the trusty 110 buck

Kirk

I like that. I use a custom ingram with a 4" blade for processing but I would like a little bit longer blade sometimes.

Is that blade very flexible?

Older Buck 110 gutting, Forschner Cutting them up, different mix match skinning cutting off lower front legs etc.

The Buck 118 Personal has worked well for me for years.

Haven't used it yet but I just bought a 118 in D2. I think it will perform pretty well as double duty skinning/processing knife.

By no means "the best", but it is my current favourite play thing.

Behring...note that whoever hafts them must have small hands as I found it needful to plait around the handle behind the guard to make it comfortable to hold and to stop twisting under pressure.






added, it may not interest anyone but I have found that Emu oil, derived from the fat of our native bird does a very good job of keeping rust away from the blade and seems to keep the stag in good nick...plus it is edible and doesn't stink.