Leatherman Surge for skinning animals

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Warriors Meadow

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Feb 11, 2016
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I'm just curious if anyone has used the Surge as a skinning knife. I'd love a dedicated skinning knife but if this will suffice I'll use it until more funds become available.

Thanks
 
any sharp knife can skin and process game, so as long as you keep it sharp, sure it will work.
And a leatherman seems like it could clean up pretty well so it should work fine.

A lot of people dont use folding blades and leathermans because they get gummed up with animal parts and tough to clean all the crevices and stuff.
I personally prefer a fixed blade for ease of cleaning and I had it custom made to the specs I wanted. :)

But the act of skinning and processing game, no doubt a sharp leatherman will handle it just fine.
 
I would absolutely hate to try to clean my Surge after skinning something with it. If money is tight I would look at a Buck 673. They can be found for under $20 and will make the whole process a lot easier.
 
It is definitely doable but it's gonna be a miserable job to clean it out. I recommend using brake cleaner to flush out the insides or even a nice quick dip in boiling water with a little bit of cleaner in it.
 
Thanks for all the quick replies. I honestly never considered cleaning it out. Things aren't that tight. I just have a few things I'd like (or think I need first) first. Maybe I can use the parts washer at work to clean it out.

I'm currently looking at a ka-bar Becker BK4. I'm getting into bow building and this would make an excellent draw knife/ hatchet. I can also use this knife for trail/ shooting lane maintenance and blind building. I'm guessing it's too big for skinning. This sheath has a pocket for the smaller BK11, 13 or 14 and I want to save up for one of those. I like the idea of the 13 because it's stainless and I won't have to worry as much about rust on the blade while I'm in the field.

Thanks again for the replies.
 
Welp it looks like everyone else noticed the obvious. OP you didn't think of what would get all over the inside of the MT? Have you ever cleaned and dressed game before?
 
I honestly haven't cleaned game before. I just got my hunting license, bow only, yesterday and now I'm trying to figure out the tools/equipment/ toys I want/need. I think I have my father's day, birthday and Christmas presents planned out for the next few years lol.
 
Warriors Meadow said:
I honestly haven't cleaned game before. I just got my hunting license, bow only, yesterday and now I'm trying to figure out the tools/equipment/ toys I want/need. I think I have my father's day, birthday and Christmas presents planned out for the next few years lol.
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Something Stainless, with a non reactive/staining handle. The 119 is tried and true. My game knife is a San Mai III Master Hunter.

I drop it in a bucket of water after the field dressing is done. You certainly don't want to resheath it until you can hit it with hot water and soap. For me, I prefer a good stainless over carbon, in a hunting knife.
 
Yes... The obvious has bee said, and cleaning would be nightmarish... It will have blood etc, literally everywhere inside it unless you're exceptionally tidy and skilled... Which I"m guessing you won't be your first time.

Stainless is good, so is a good non slip handle... You don't want your hand to slip up onto the blade when you're arm deep in a body cavity. Also although you can get a decent edge on the Surge blade, it won't hold it for long, especially dressing game.

There are any number of under $100 knives that would be better. Start with an inexpensive fixed blade, and learn what you like and don't like for this task. Then get a really good one.
 
Rapt_up said:
Yes... The obvious has bee said, and cleaning would be nightmarish... It will have blood etc, literally everywhere inside it unless you're exceptionally tidy and skilled... Which I"m guessing you won't be your first time.

Stainless is good, so is a good non slip handle... You don't want your hand to slip up onto the blade when you're arm deep in a body cavity. Also although you can get a decent edge on the Surge blade, it won't hold it for long, especially dressing game.

There are any number of under $100 knives that would be better. Start with an inexpensive fixed blade, and learn what you like and don't like for this task. Then get a really good one.
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You don't think I have the delicate blade skills of a surgeon?
 
Maybe. :) but most guys are pretty messy the first few times. If you can bleed them out first it helps cut down on the blood but that doesn't always happen.
 
Warriors Meadow said:
I honestly haven't cleaned game before. I just got my hunting license, bow only, yesterday and now I'm trying to figure out the tools/equipment/ toys I want/need. I think I have my father's day, birthday and Christmas presents planned out for the next few years lol.
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I also would absolutely HATE to use any pliers based multi-tool to skin game. The inconvenience increases as the size of the game increases and the frequency of use. That said, it's possible; but not a good choice.

If funds are really short, I'd pick up a Mora fixed blade for the field dressing and skinning use. I would have no problem using a medium to large sized slip joint, even a SAK. But fixed blades are easier to clean. Knives like a Rough Rider will do the job by the way ($10-$12). You don't need to spend $100 or more on a fixed blade. I used a trapper type traditional slip joint for years as my only hunting knife. I later changed to a Schrade 250T (sort of a two bladed Buck 110). Then shifted to a small fixed blade which I have multiple choices for this use. I still carry a folder hunting as a back up in case I loose or misplace the fixed blade.

The ideal field dressing knife is a short fixed blade ( 3"-4") that is razor sharp. Most seem to prefer a drop point style like the Kabar Becker BK-16 as an example. Longer blades are better for the actual meat prep. Any sharp boning type kitchen knife will work for that.
 
My thoughts, and they aren't necessarily right:

Leatherman blades, in my experience, don't take or hold an edge like a lot of other knives. Maybe the Surge is different, but they seemed soft to me.

Chemical cleaners like mineral spirits and brake cleaner aren't appropriate for cleaning a food knife. They aren't good solvents for organics, and they leave behind stuff you don't want in food. Soap and hot water are what you want. If they aren't going to do it, don't use that knife. Leatherman tools are generally all stainless, so as long as you dry it well and re-oil (food safe oil), this should be fine.

A really sharp, easy to use and clean knife for processing animals can be really cheap. You can buy a stainless Mora with a thin, sharp blade for $9. Schrade and Buck have skinning knives for less than $20. A commercial kitchen supply store will also have appropriate simple prep knives.

There are plenty of activities were a very advanced knife is a real benefit. Processing game isn't one of them - a very simple knife is more than sufficient to get things done. A simple grind, thin blade and plastic handle is going to be better than something fancy.
 
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