Good skinning knife?

M

Mr. Hands

Joined
Feb 20, 2009
Messages
78
Looking to buy a dedicated skinning knife for the little Coues Whitetail deer we have out here in AZ. Would like something with a curved blade and good steel unlike the hunting knives I've used to butcher deer in the past. This knife will stay sheathed and at the camp until its time to bone out the deer so I need a real working knife, not something that will function as a camp/field knife also. Something with a guthook is a bonus but not mandatory because I also have a Gerber EZ-Zip which works pretty good for that. My budget is around $50-70. Was looking at maybe a Victorinox Forschner but am open to any suggestions. Thanks
 
Ankerson said:
Cold Steel Pendleton Hunter would be a great choice in the range.

http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=CS36LPSS


Or just a little higher:

Cold Steel Master Hunter VG-1 4.5" Steel Blade With Gut Hook

http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=CS36G
Click to expand...

The Master Hunter is a little more along the lines of the blade profile I was looking for. Something with a curve to it and the gut hook is great too. The Pendleton looks a little bit like an old Schrade PH2 I have that I skinned the last deer with. Definitely looking for more of a true skinner for the next season. Thanks for the suggestions.
 
No problem, I thought I knew what you were looking for. :)

I don't think you can lose with either one. :D
 
I've used a lot of different knives for skinning, and keep coming back to my trusted USA made Schrade Sharpfinger.

Sharpfinger_Knife_09a.jpg
 
yep sharpfinger is for you they are the tried and true skinners, if you ever go custom get a dozier.
 
I also like the sharpfinger, but I skinned one the other day with a Bark River Fox River, and it will unzip one in a hurry. Blade shape is excellent for skinning.

Back when I was a rooting tooting deer slayer, I had a hand in skinning a 10-12 deer every year, and I did the most of that work with a Spyderco Delica and a Spyderco Jess Horn micarta handle lockback, which is pretty much a Delica with a thinner flat ground blade.

I also have a semi-skinner shape knife made by Lone Wolf that is an excellent shape for skinning, and I particularly like this little knife for boning out hams, etc - it's the best blade shape I have tried for that. I don't know how much it costs. I traded for it.

If I ever get back to laying them down like I used to, I would look hard at a Bob Dozier fixed blade of some kind. He has the best looking hunting knives I have seen, but I have not owned one.
 
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The sharpfingers are hard to beat, just make sure you get an old carbon steel one and not the new chinese stainless ones.

I have been using a Bark River woodland special and cant complain...good steel, A2
 
Dang those Sharpfingers look cool. One of the first knives I ever got when I was a kid was a Schrade PH2 so I'm kind of partial to that brand.
I'll also check out those Bob Dozier's and Bark Rivers but they might be a little beyond my budget.
 
This CRKT has been an outstanding skinner for years and you can still find them online well inside your price range.

CRKT 6204 Alaska Bwana
DSC07165.jpg

DSC07164.jpg




:)
 
Those Fingerlings sure are nice knives as well.
May have to splurge and track one of those down.
They just look like they're really good quality and will fit the hand nicely.
Nice sheaths too.
 
Take a look at the Spyderco Bill Moran in VG 10. Great little knife for what you are looking for, and right in your price range.
 
It's a little higher than your price range, but I use a BRKT Wolf River for skinning and butchering.

For field dressing, I use whatever general purpose utility/camp knife I have on me at the time.
 
I'm suprised no one has mentioned the outdoor edge line of knives... for a dedicated skinner I think they fit the bill nicely
 
The Buck 118 was given to me a long time ago. I never thought about it, but what is the primary use of this blade? Is it skinning? That's what I had assumed, but the blade shape doesn't look like what people here post as skinning knives.

buck118.jpg
 
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