Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game What’s your favourite skinning knife

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I have never gotten too worked up about what knife I'm using. Within reason, they all work okay. Most of the time, it's whatever I have been carrying clipped in my pocket. Also, I try to get deer hung up and skun as soon as possible, when they're still warm so they cool quicker and peel easier.

This being the "General Big Game" forum I guess we're not talking about skinning for skins, but for furbearers I do like a bit more purpose-built knife. I tend to use a Case Trapper for that.

The shape isn't nearly as nice as something like the Wyo skinner that Jud posted, but an Olfa utility knife has always gotten the job done in my "skinning shed", and it sure is nice to be able to just snap off the dull tip.

A Cold Steel Master Hunter and a Gerber Gator and now this little beauty from Godogs57

I find the shape does matter, a sweeping curve works better for me. I cut through the hide much less with the skinning blade design. I use several: Gerber Flayer M2 steel, Shrade D2 Skinner, Victorinox skinner, Godogs Loveless M4, Ansi skinner old file blade. These all have some curve to them and the Shrade is almost an Ulu in shape. All of these have good to great steel and will only need touching up if I hit the gambrel or other steel with them.

My neighbor gave me a carpenters hatchet re-shaped as a round head tomahawk, this works well for flaying where you hammer off the hide. I will have him round and taper the blade some more so it will work by itself. Now I hammer with the right hand and use a knife in the left. The less cutting the better.

An Ulu makes a great skinning tool.

I was just seeing what guys preferred to use or carry during hunting season. No real definition just a general consensus.

My hunting knives are all fixed blades, 3.5" to 5" long, with a flat grind.

All are either drop point or spear point ( allows cutting hide without catching viscera/soft tissue). Dislike clip point design for this reason (tip catches soft tissue)

Specifically: Cold Steel Master Hunter ( carbon V), Spyderco Bill Moran FBO2 (vg10), Northwoods Knives Canadian Skinner ( 52000), Benchmade 190 Hunter (440c), Mora Robust (carbon steel), none-branded Solingen steel knife ( dad gave me 40 years ago).

The Spyderco Moran drop point, and Cold Steel Master Hunter are my two favorites- but I like them all.

This is where I have found myself for the last several years.

What's my fav-o-rite skinner.........

Depends.........

















Typically something with "belly" such as a semi-skinner.




but from time to time I will use a " Hunter" style blade.












ya!

GWB

geedubya,

I'm liking the looks of the Sheep handled blade, second photo, as well as the ivory (Micarta?) twins, third photo. Would you mind telling me who made them, and maybe some contact info?

Dale Howe, Howe Mountain Knives, Buffalo Skinner, Rams horn, 3V steel



https://www.howemtnknives.com/


The knives in the second photo are by ABS Master Smith, T K Steingass. They were inspired by pix of S R Johnsons repros' of RW Loveless "Lambs"



I'm not a player on $10K knives so I asked TK if he would do a repro of two of the three.




Loveless "Lamb" repros, 154 CPM, Ivory Micarta with black G10 plugs in Loveless bolts, 416 Stainless furniture, Thin Black liners, Tapered tangs.



http://steingassknives.com/


ya!

GWB

now thats a man with problems or priorities i am not sure which....showing up at camp with literally a case full of knives

Wow there are some nice knives posted above.

My field knife is a buck 119, not perfect for anything but usable for almost everything. After many years of use i am very confident and comfortable with it.

For skinning any small sharp (I think it was Rio7 and CRS who stated this previously ) knife.

At the beginning of deer season I have a selection of small knives shaving sharp, works grant for skinning and the rare event I need to cape.

Camillus double locking Jumbo Trapper. Been carrying in for 20 years.

I've enjoyed using my Spyderco Bill Moran for a few seasons with no issues.

https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Moran-Stainless-Durable-Handle/dp/B0888TSH4G

My go to and all time favorite for the last 20 years is the Buck Vanguard 192. Mine is a rebber handled version. I find it about the perfect size in every aspect for a hunting knife.

G-W. those are some sweet looking knives, thanks for posting

10/4

IIRC, between 2006-2008 my original BM Syderco, I used extensively. I gave that one to a hunting buddy. I recently acquired a replacement.



ya!

GWB

This is where a drop point really shines.

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For those who don't know what a "skinning knife is.... Here are examples of What A Skinning knife LOOKS like.
Guys..... there is a diff.


[quote=geedubya]What's my fav-o-rite skinner.........

Depends.........

















Typically something with "belly" such as a semi-skinner.




but from time to time I will use a " Hunter" style blade.












GWB
-------------------------------------

You don't know what you're missing if you don't use a real 'skinning' knife.

Jerry

I prefer an orange handled one...

That way I always know where it is and am less likely to accidentally kneel on it or other dumb stuff.



Seriously though, a combo of a Mora and a Havalon work perfect for me, or just a Mora. That and a bone saw and I am G2G.





Pic of elk just because.




The rifle used was not my usual .308. This one got hit with a 6.5 Manbun and 143 eld-x. at 485.


While I love my little Schrade Sharpfinger and older Gerber, I have not taken them to the field in forever.



Another elk from this year, also a 6.5 Manbun. 385 this time.




While I like looking at the fancy knives and think they are quite cool, the Moras are just too practical. Kind of like showing your friends your fancy Les Baer 1911, but carrying a Glock!




Cheers!