What's the best skinning knife?

[Zachary]

I have heard that the Outdoor Edge T-Handle Skinning knife is one of the best knives.  What do you guys recommend?  Where should I buy them on the net?

Thanks,
Zachary

[Joel]

Zac,

Never tried a  T-handle skinner. They look logical though.  I really don't pay attention to pure skinners much since I only hunt from small game to whitetail deer.  They're easy enough to do with any blade that's handy; in my case  that's either a 5" drop or clip point hunter.  I have one of each.  Skinned them with Case stockman's, Buck 110's, opinels, shrade folders etc.  I think if I was doing something from the size of Elk upwards, I'd pay a lot more attention to a skinning knife.  Or a big pig.  Far as price goes on those outdoor edge skinners, I did a quick search, and the best I found was at Cabela's.  But suggest you just search on  Outdoor edge knives, and see what you can find.

[Zachary]

Zac,

I think if I was doing something from the size of Elk upwards, I'd pay a lot more attention to a skinning knife.  Or a big pig.  

Far as price goes on those outdoor edge skinners, I did a quick search, and the best I found was at Cabela's.  

Joel,

Actually, the skinning knife's primary use will be for a BIG PIG (or at least I hope so if one comes across my barrel ).  Let me tell you, I used T-handle skinners last year (a friend's of mine) and it worked very well but, believe it or not, although it did the job, you had to resharpen it after skinning a big hog.

Coincidentally, one of the lowest prices that I did find was in fact Cabelas.  I found one website that was cheaper, but for about $4 more, I decided to go with Cabelas and not worry about possible thoughts of fraud, customer service problems, etc.

Zachary

[Naphtali]

When you write "skinning knife," is this a one-trick pony that will be used for nothing else?

About four times a year a friend and I go to his father's small cattle ranch. The father slaughters and butchers a steer or heifer with our help. The steer is selected by how ornery it has been.

He shoots it in the forehead with a .22 rifle. We put a gambrel through its hocks then hoist it with a tractor.

Once the animal is bled and gutted, we skin it by pulling with one hand and forcing foreknuckles of the other hand to separate hide from meat. We call it "fisting." And I have no idea if the rest of the world skins this way.

What I took so long to write is: We seldom use knives to skin. Where we use knives is around small bony areas, such as the face -- but this is caping. We do it this way because the father insists the hide be free of cuts and rents caused by nervous knives.

To make a long story less long, were skinning the only thing the knife does, accessible cutting edge -- that is, severely curved with no point -- is your best bet.

If the knife serves many purposes, the knife shape I find easiest to control is similar in shape to Marble's "Woodcraft." A.G Russell offers a modified version that is slightly better to my eyes. Best of all shapes is the long out-of-production Cold Steel TwistMaster "Clip Point." This is the Woodcraft shape that I use now, and would buy as fixed blade if I had the money available.

I emphasize this shape is not an ideal "skinning" knife shape. I consider it an ideal "using" knife shape. It's always in my pocket.

[rd2903]

Used alot of knives over the years, from caribou on down.  I liked the stainless quality of a buck but always had trouble sharpening them.  When I started making my own, stainless seems to be prefered by all of my clients.  440C or ATS34.  Many claim that the 34 will hold an edge better.  However 440 tempered to 59-60 rockwell and ground to a fine edge will skin 6-8 deer without being touched.  I sharpen them just fine enough to stick on your finger nail.  When a guide can cape, skin and cut three animals, elk, black bear, mule deer,  without touching the blade I believe that puts it through its paces.   Big hogs are the real test , or so I'm told.   However never had anything to do with big hogs, sold a pair to a florida hunter who will get back to me.  When he does I'll post it.  Been to busy to post much, hunting season is upon us again, Need to get back out to the shop.

[TimWieneke]

I just took a 340ish hog a couple weeks ago and tried a few commercial blades on dressing it.  Field dressing was easiest with a Buck Vanguard with a standard drop point blade and the rubber handle.  For the little bit of skinning I did on it (before sending it to the butcher shop  :-D), I found a sharp fillet knife to work best.  Lotsa fat on hogs, even wild ones, and I found that the fillet knife went through the fat the easiest, while it seemed to bunch up on the other knives.

In hindsight, the next time I go hog hunting and take commercial blades with me I'll take one of those pull type wyoming skinners for slitting the belly skin and fat at the same time, the vanguard for cleaning out the inside and a folding fillet knife for skinning.  Oh yeah, don't forget the saw if you need to quarter them in the field (next time I'll definitely try to bring a 4 wheeler).

Have fun!

Tim

P.S.  Has anyone tried the Cold Steel Master Hunter in Carbon V?  I've been interested in picking up one of those to compare to the Buck Vanguard.

[Naphtali]

TimWieneke:

I own three Master Hunters. Bought factory seconds. Blade shape is OK. Flat grind I think is more durable than double-hollow grind. I especially appreciate the grip. Unless your hands are thickly covered with grease, grips are sticky, easy to use -- very safe.

Contrary to its chemistry, I find Carbon V blades more corrosion resistant than one might expect. Edge stays sharp, in my opinion, better than 440-c or ATS-34. Blade is MUCH EASIER to sharpen.

I have a thing about rust. I picked up five TwistMasters very inexpensively on close-out. On the one I use, I cleaned the blade and sprayed the pivot with LPS-3. This was two years ago. I carry it in my pocket, not in its belt holster. I wanted to force myself to see how bad, and uncomfortable for me, the corrosion would be.

My gut is still very queasy about using non-stainless steel knives. I would never buy another. But I gotta tell ya, the steel discolors. It has been difficult to induce ANY rust. When I have done it, the corrosion is slight, and on the surface. It comes off by washing the blade with dish soap and scotch brite sponge.

I DO NOT "PRESERVE" THE BLADE. I merely dry it. . . . I guess I'm still "testing."

Don't be put off by Cold Steel's hyperbole. Master Hunters are nice machines. I strongly prefer the TwistMaster Clip Point shape. It is a Marble Woodcraft with more dropped point.

I hope this helps.

[TimWieneke]

Naphtali,
I didn't want to say it outloud considering some views on how "inferior" carbon steel is...  but I also have a twistmaster and the trailguide - both with unprotected carbon v steel and have had similar results as you have mentioned.      Not only that, but I've found that the best way to ihibit the growth of rust on a blade is to use the knife.....

Tim

P.S.  I do have to say that the midwest climate I live in is much nicer to carbon steel than some coastal climates.  I took a "stainless" knife on a cod fishing trip (I was completely soaked from the saltwater spray after about half an hour) out of Gloucester in Massachusettes and got rust spots on that after 1 day out there....

[Horsefeathers]

How about the skinners that the Buffalo hunters used to skin thousands of "Bison" in days gone by. They are still available by the original Mfr.,J.Russel-Green River Works. and the best part is the price. About $20 Finished or $3 or $4 for the blade, put your own handle on it. Check it out in supply catalogs or Black powder such as Dixie Gun Works,Mt. State Muzzle Loaders Etc. .... I hafted one for a hunter whose hand me down he inherited from his dad was about wore out. It was purchased in the late 1930's. They got their moneys worth ,Eh?.........Horsefeathers.

[TimWieneke]

You know that's a cool idea Horsefeathers....  I've never been able to get those skinners to work for anything for me that another knife design wouldn't do better.  Always figured they were so specialized for skinning bison as to be a bit on the "useless" side for any other purpose.  Who knows?  Maybe they're just the ticket for skinning big hogs.  Doggone it - had my hog skinning system all worked out and you had to go and make me thing it over again...  

Tim

[Robert]

...what I usually grab first is my Shrade/Old Timer #142.  Just a good basic knife.  Holds an edge real good, but is best sharpened with a diamond stone.

[Naphtali]

TimWieneke,

I alternate living between extreme northwest Washington state -- aka temperate rain forest -- and southwest Florida. In either case humidity and rainfall are high.

My head tells me if I can't force these blades to corrode, maybe I'm tilting at windmills. My gut tells me to continue testing.

And you are correct. Using the blade, even merely stropping it against a pant leg, renews the integrity of the steel's surface.

Cold Steel's hype really puts me off. Jeeze Louise, let the knives stand on their merit. Carbon V's chemistry is nothing extra special. I happen to appreciate the package of blade shape, handle, and blade steel.

And for the same reasons their SRK, as delivered, is close to useless. But that's another story. Let's not go on a tangent.

[Tony]

Zachary, as far as your question on what is the best skinning knife, here is my answer. There is no such thing as the best skinning knife, but rather a personal preference. I have several different knives that I would not hesitate to use as a skinning knife. I also have used my Motycka custom, an old Buck crosslock, an Old Timer lock blade and a Cold Steel SRK. It just goes to show that each one of these knives are different but all have been used for the same purpose and yet I would not consider anyone of these or any of my other knives to be the best skinning knife because at any given time they will and have got the job done.

Tony