Skinning knife

[GoodOlBoy]

Yeah, well once you scald the carcass to help when scraping the hair then skinning it isn't that hard on a pig, BUT most folks don't try to save pig hide either. Heck alot of older folks I knew didn't skin it AT ALL when butcherin' a pig. Once you scrapped the scalded hide that was it. Butcher the hog, and go about your business. BTW The standard 7" Old Hickory knife is a good one for butchering hogs.

Oh and folks who keep saying "I don't like points on my skinning blades". One, huh? I used a schrade sharp finger for years on hides I wanted to keep, and it dang sure has a point on it. Most hides are HECK to get started without one. And two, when using an American Butcher pattern knife like the 7" old hickory you flip the blade over after the initial cut so that the spine of the blade rides the meat under the hide, and the cutting edge is "up". That's why I never understood "gut hooks" on blades because you could already "zipper" the hide without one. Now if what you are worried about is poking a hole in the hide with the point, then I suggest you reevaluate how you are handling the knife itself. Besides the fact that you peel 99% of hides off after the initial cuts (you peel without assistance of a blade) if you are having a particularly difficult time with the hide then the cuts you should be using to separate meat from a hide are a draw cut, not a cut shoving forward. With a draw cut it is difficult to poke a hole unless you are just trying to do it, because all of the cutting is done with the curve and belly of the blade, NOT the point.

Anyway, I dunno, your milage may vary. Your technique may vary. Heck I may be misunderstanding the problem...

But you want a non-chinese blade for butchering hog, and you want it to hold an edge, AND you want it under $20-25 then a Old Hickory 7" butcher, or a Russel Green River 7" pattern butcher (that you put handles on yourself) are going to be hard to beat.

my 2 cents...

God Bless...

GoodOlBoy

[crowbuster]

I have used a lot of knives. I still have way to many. I have come to love the havalon type replaceable blades., stay off bones and they last a while. Im using the weibe skinner daily. Nice big handle reduces fatigue

[Lloyd Smale]

for 14 bucks im skeptical but ordered one. A carbon steal hunting knife for 14 bucks is about unheard of.

https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Comp...rds=mora+knife

We have a couple of them +1 on the quality and sharpness

[Lloyd Smale]

I skin a lot of deer. ALOT. To be honest I could care less if I cut the hide. they go in the trash anyway. I like a pointed blade. It allows me to get in tighter places and allows me to punch holes in the hide to use as finger holds to pull the hide off. The #1 prerequisite for me is it has to be SHARP. By the end of the crop damage season my hands look like a grenade went off near by. 99 percent of those cuts came from me getting lazy and not touching up the edge on my knife every couple minutes. A dull knife will cut you much more often then a sharp one be it rounded or pointy. Its why I don't have much use for a stainless knife. They may be fine in the field when a guy has to gut 3 or 4 deer because they do hold an edge a bit better then carbon steel. But they are harder to sharpen and harder to keep sharp and what that causes (at least for me) is I tend to try to use them to long without touching up the blade.

[jonp]

for 14 bucks im skeptical but ordered one. A carbon steal hunting knife for 14 bucks is about unheard of.

I think you will be surprised, Lloyd. Let us know.

[tomme boy]

for 14 bucks im skeptical but ordered one. A carbon steal hunting knife for 14 bucks is about unheard of.

they are fantastic knives. Just make sure to use coconut oil on them after you use them so they don't rust. Or put a patina on them to force it to make it look a 100 years old. Mustard works well. Anything acidic. You just want to darken the blade.

My new favorite is this one in 140 length. These things are built like a tank. I have both the SS and the carbon.

https://www.varusteleka.com/en/produ...on-steel/56524

Attachment 233425

[RU shooter]

I have the thicker blade version of that knife . Very sharp outa the box and stays sharp for quite a while easy to touch up too . For the money it's a heck of a tool .

[Lloyd Smale]

if you don't care about looks (which I don't) deer blood left on a bit does the same. My main gutting knife is an old marbles and the blades about black on it.

they are fantastic knives. Just make sure to use coconut oil on them after you use them so they don't rust. Or put a patina on them to force it to make it look a 100 years old. Mustard works well. Anything acidic. You just want to darken the blade.

My new favorite is this one in 140 length. These things are built like a tank. I have both the SS and the carbon.

https://www.varusteleka.com/en/produ...on-steel/56524

Attachment 233425

[Loudenboomer]

I see National Knives has the Mora 511 carbon steel on sale for $6. If you need a small knife it cant be beat for the price point.

[lightman]

Try the Mora. I did about 6 deer with a Mora including skinning and boning. All I did was to hit the knife with the steel occasionally. Never had to resharpen one yet.

I just ordered a pair of the Mora knives off of Amazon. $9.99 and free shipping.

[Drm50]

I had a skinner made to my pattern before the custom knife craze started. I wanted no point and knife is about
4" long and 3" wide. Actual cutting edge comes back over the top half way. I have never used it on wild hogs but
have relieved several domestic hogs of their hides with it. I had to be in on a lot of scald & scrape when I was a
kid and now just skin them. Deer hunting I carry a Canadian Trapper which does come to a point but not like a
Bowie type. This is the only knife I skinned a wild hog with and it got me by. If I had to do it over again I believe I would go with a professional skinner with a carbon steel blade like Old Hickory. I have skinned a lot of steers
with them or similar makes.

[Tim357]

I have a old hickory skinner works great cost $12.00 when I bought it new. you can not beat old hickory most butcher shops around here use them.

Ed Zachary. Usually around $10-15. Smoky Mountain Knife Works or Knifecenter will have a goodly assortment

[Royalwolf]

Drop point bark river.

[Kuffar]

I'll second that! 👌

[cwlongshot]

Any good feeling light weight 2-4” blade with a good belly made from good steel is gonna fit your bill.

Much information out there on steels. Carbon is always a good choice if you can sharpen a knife as they sharpen well and quick but wont hold that endge as well as a harder steel.

I probably would grab my Buck103 but many more with same style
Blade that are just as nice.

Skinning animals changes depending on how long they have been hanging. A fresh kill, I dont really even need a blade much. One that has hung a week and is close to frozen is a bear of a job.

I bought two blades for hunting this year. One I have t used tagts a Havalon replacement blade scalpel jobber. I dont expect it to be a good skinner.



The second that I REALLY like is the Outdoor edge SWING blade in blaze. Its handle dosent get slippery even covered in blood! It has a wicked gutting blade thats AWESOME at slitting hide from the leggs of deer!!! Its main blade has pretty good belly. Razor sharp and hard steel!



CW

[Butler Ford]

Yes, you can have a quality skinning knife for less that $20. https://www.lehmans.com/product/old-...skinning-knife

[jaysouth]

the best field knife I ever used. Dexter Russel Sheep skinner with wooden handles and carbon steel blade. Easy to keep sharp $18.90

https://www.bunzlpd.com/lamb-skinner-knife-3

[Static line]

These are what I use for skinning and butchering,when I do it and if I do it.These knives are great and carry that old mountain man nostalgia because it is the same company since the pre 1840's. You can even buy a kit and make your own handle design.
https://www.crazycrow.com/green-river-knives
Don't need no $200 knife for field dressing or skinning,just need to know how to sharpen.

[trapper9260]

I do alot of skinning for doing trapping and deer hunting and small game and the knifes I use for skinning for trapping works for me and makes it easy for me.I do have one that I use for deer hunting for field dress the deer

[ulav8r]

Another good way to patina a blade is to peel a few apples and slice them. Will also remove light rust if it occurs. This was recommended by my uncle, a professional butcher. I enjoyed the apple pies that resulted.