Which knife?

[Don Fischer]

My all time favorite knife was a Puma Hunter's Friend, about 4" as I remember, with a drop point. I love drop point's! gave my son my custom knife, Track made in Whitefish Montana. Carbon steel and held an edge long long time. have three of four Schrade's folder's, love them! Two Schrade's and two Uncle Henry's and an Old Timmer pocket knife. Have a Buck sheath knife a girl friend bought me. It does not have that beveled edge they had originally and it is a drop point. I've never been able to sharpen those old Bucks. Wow, just found another Uncle Henry folder. Bought it at the Old truck stop on the west side of Boise in about 1974, been a good old knife. Got a really nice Buck knife for judging a field trial several years ago up in Washington. It's a model CPM 154 with my name engraved on one side of the blade and NW Irish field trial club on the other. It's a stunning knife but I doubt i'll ever use it. Gonna go to my grandson when I'm gone.

Favorite of the bunch, that old Puma Hunter's Friend! I can't afford Pumas anymore though.

[ascast]

I use a Marbles of my long gone grandfathers. Maybe 60-70yrs old. I don't know the model, but the point is clipped or dropped and lays just right for taking off leg skin, ribs etc.
I used others but don't like the point. Used a Swiss folder more than once too. I think the ( once called ) Wyoming skinner that uses replacable razor blades was a useful tool also, but will not replace the 4-5 inch fixed blade.
I don't see point in the "hollow ground' business either. They are sharper than sharp ( or need to be ) until they are dull, then it's back to good old stoning to maintain a hiar shaving edge. good enough.

[GabbyM]

Excuse the hijack here:

For any of you that have used the various skinning knife styles.
Looking at the Dexter skinning knives. They have the large radius beef skinner with a very sweptback blade then sheep plus a lamb skinner. With less radius. I like wood handles but these would be gifts for my two son in laws who do quite a bit of hunting. From What I've observed they'd be happier with plastic handles. They live in Arizona. So javelina to Elk. I sort of like the looks of the 5 1/4 inch sheep skinner item 06143. Except for the white handle. Black handled lamb skinners don't have the large finger step. But really, I'm sixty years old and have never had my hand slide up over a knife blade. Would buy the leather sheaths too just because.
http://knives.dexter1818.com/skinnin....html?limit=15

I hunt with a 6" Case xxx leather handled hunting knife I received from my parents as a Christmas gift back around 1969. It's opened up every big game animal I've ever killed. I'd not say it's a great knife but it's mine. Over the year a few pocket knives. Now I have a very nice Case Trapper full size. Those blades are the same length as a common kitchen paring knife. For decades I carried a six dollar 12 inch machete in nylon sheath sewn into my coat. But now have a Lampson's Sharp 12" butchers knife for that task. Just a very high priced machete. Weighs less and is way sharper. The big blade is more for cutting wood than meat. Like most little boys. I like my toys.

[JesterGrin_1]

GabbyM sorry if I missed it but what is the question?

But if looking at a Beef Skinner I would say to take a hard look at the one from VICTORINOX. It has a nice thin slicing blade and a very good feeling handle. However I do not know of anyone that produces a leather sheath for the knife but it would not be a hard project.

[GabbyM]

Thanks Jester I'll do that. That post was ridiculously long. Sorry about that people.

[GabbyM]

GabbyM sorry if I missed it but what is the question?

But if looking at a Beef Skinner I would say to take a hard look at the one from VICTORINOX. It has a nice thin slicing blade and a very good feeling handle. However I do not know of anyone that produces a leather sheath for the knife but it would not be a hard project.

Dexter has sheaths that are sort of universal by size and shape. Plastic or leather. One is for the swept back skinners.
http://knives.dexter1818.com/sheaths...rotection.html

[Echale3]

I use a large Boy Scout BuckLite lockback folder for skinning and gutting, and a reproduction 18th century "fighting knife" for deboning and quartering.

I like using two separate knives, that way if the stench from the tarsal glands or some gut goop gets on the one, I'm not compounding things by using the same knife to process the meat. I just feel like it's more hygienic, not that butchering a deer while it's hanging by it's ankles from a piece of rebar in a sheepshed is really all that hygienic.

[Lloyd Smale]

used to collect marble knives. the factory was only about 50 miles from here and I knew one of the workers and he got knives for dirt cheap and sold them to me. I had over 30 of them at one time. Then they closed the factory here and went I think to texas and started having there knives made overseas. I went to a gun show with my knives and sold every one of them. Wont have one today. They went overseas and left a bunch of good guys that I knew without a job. IF you like there old knives check out bark river knife company and rapid river knife company. there both ran by ex marble employees and actually make a better product then marble ever did.

I use a Marbles of my long gone grandfathers. Maybe 60-70yrs old. I don't know the model, but the point is clipped or dropped and lays just right for taking off leg skin, ribs etc.
I used others but don't like the point. Used a Swiss folder more than once too. I think the ( once called ) Wyoming skinner that uses replacable razor blades was a useful tool also, but will not replace the 4-5 inch fixed blade.
I don't see point in the "hollow ground' business either. They are sharper than sharp ( or need to be ) until they are dull, then it's back to good old stoning to maintain a hiar shaving edge. good enough.

[jcren]

A 40 year old buck 110. Strong lock-back and one of the best pieces of steel I have. This thing can cut hair off your arm without touching skin.

[jgt]

Don, the Puma model knife you are referring to is called a "Hunter's Pal". I gave my step-dad one and after he died my mom returned it to me. My wife has a God-daughter who married an avid hunter, so I cleaned it up and gave it to him. I still use the Puma "Skinner" I bought myself when I got my step-dad's knife. It served me well through 28 days of survival school and never needed sharpening. It was the most borrowed knife in base camp. I also use a Buck lock blade and a couple of custom knives. One made from a file. I found a two dollar butcher knife in a junk shop made from an industrial hack saw blade and sharpened it up for the kitchen.

[duckear]

ESEE-3 for everything hunting the past few years.

[mic]

I have 2 knifes that i use a home made scalpel pocket knife and a victorinox huntsman folding knife.

[robinsroost]

I like my Gerber Gator, 4" stainless blade 1/2 half serrated, folding. It has a soft handle which is easy to grip even when covered with blood. It will easily cut through the ribs to separate them from the sternum.

[fcvan]

When I read the title 'which one' my first response was (smartazz, of course) the one in my hand. Then I read the entire thread.

I observed images of several 'styles' of knives I have used and enjoy. One was a simple blade I had butchered many rabbits with, heard of several folders I would carry but likely wouldn't field dress with. Anyway it made me think. For me there are 2 categories, the gifts, and the working blades. I was given (and still own) the Schrade sheath knife from when I joined the Boy Scouts. It holds an edge today as it did almost 50 years ago.

I had an old folder from the swap meet, not worth a damn, but the first knife I bought. Not worth a damn, but 2$ who cares. No I don't have it.

I bought a Case 3 blade for my grand dad for his 90th. He made it 89, so I keep the knife today.

I never had a Buck 'quintessential' folder, but my dad does. When I retired, I chose a knife that resembles the Buck, but had more rounded edges, hand made in Georgia. Who want's a watch when you retire, I rarely use a calendar. I chose the knife.

There is the knife I was gifted by my wife's uncle, a John Deere emblazoned ***, but it was a gift. Kind of a Buck knock off, doesn't matter.

There is the knife from when I retired as a Hostage Negotiator, gifted by the team. Engraved with name and years of Team Service. I thought 'wall-hanger' until every other team mate said 'no, tool, use it.' It gets used and carried.

My brother gave me a pair of Cold Steel folders, one a Tanto blade, the other a drop point. Good knives, SS, take and hold an edge well. I thank God that Dad and one of his close friends taught me how to properly put an edge with a stone. A football coach taught me how to use a steel, and a thing or two about brisket.

A knife or two from my wife, nothing fancy or expensive, just sharp, stay sharp, and well, she is the boss. The main one has a seatbelt cutter thing so you can cut a belt without opening the blade or exposing the 'victim' to an open blade. Once a first res-ponder, always. (yes, I carry gloves, first-aid, etc. Even since the Boy Scouts)

The last knife was a recent gift from a long time hunting buddy. NRA sent it to him, 3" sheath knife, engraved, holds an edge, good profile for skinning/caping. He is approaching 70 next month, broke his hip and doesn't move like we did 30 years ago. We hunt, I go along as muscle in case we are lucky, I mostly go so he isn't in the woods alone when his wife can't go. She is still working or she would go.

Best for last. Dad bought a farm that several hundred years ago was the center of an Indian village for a local tribe. Grand Dad spent 15 of his last years in the 'bunk house' on the ranch. He walked 3 miles every day until he couldn't, mostly touring the fenceline and the oak tree near the spring, you know, center of the village. That spring became the center of a town built by folks who sent the Indians to the Spanish Mission some miles away. The town is gone but the school house/post office/general purpose whatever, is a historical monument moved to another location.

Grand Dad would scour the land after a good rain and collect arrow heads. Dad even found an old grinding bowl and the pestle buried near the Oak tree and the spring. Acorns were a huge part of the local diet.

Then Grand Dad found a longer blade, not a spear tip but a skinning blade. At least that's what it looked like compared to museum pieces I had seen. Off course the antler handle, sinew binding, pine pitch was all gone. That obsidian skinner was sharper than anything I could ever make.

Funny how such a simple topic as knives, blade composition, and designed use can bring out such simple thoughts.

[long_arm]

I like knives and always have a couple with me. Hunting field chores typically go to Gene Ingram knives or a few other custom makers. Boning and processing chores at home usually go to F. Dick or Victorinox

[Jim22]

For a small deer I think a pocket knife like the Buck Stockman will do fine.



Other brands make similar knives that would work as well. I have found that, if kept sharp, the small curved blade is eexcellent for turniing toes, eyes etc. on trophies. Also, once started deer hide comes off pretty easily.

Jim

[willy]

I favor a bigger knife,,I use a high carbon 7” blade with a big belly and coffin grip, It is strong enough to split a whitetail pelvis and I can easily split the ribs on the chest to open up the chest cavity,,I can easily field dress a deer in under 5 minutes with this knife.It also works on smaller game.