What skinning knives are you using?

[Gator1067]

Lately I’ve been using Silver Stag Knives. American made and hand made. Same person answers the phone every time you call. Steel is great and holds up very well. Just passing it on. Curious to see what knives every one favors for skinning. Always looking for a good knife that holds up.

 

[John B.]

I use a CRKT Free Range hunter, and a Havalon... cleaned several dozen deer, hogs and a few dozen gators in the last few years. No complaints.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

Old timer sharp finger.

 

[Mullet Hunter]

Ray Johnson custom skinner..

 

[Gator1067]

Thank you for responding. The old sharp fingers are tried and true for sure I will look into the others. The havalon is the skinnier replacement blade knife rite. I use the outdoor edge replacement blade with the gut hook combo but don’t like how meat gets gummed up between blade and frame.

 

[wildrider666]

Wyoming Knife, it will do just about anything but split spine long ways. I still have the first one I bought with the metal handle, put quite a few replacement blades on it. It has finger holes to easily maintain your line when covered in the slick stuff. You will never nick a bladder or bowels if you use it right. The current production knife has a poly or resin grip, same two blade angles.

I think any good, sharp, fixed blade knife with a 4-5 blade will augment the Wyoming Knife. Never seen a big-ass Rambo knife do anything well on a carcass. Quarter the big stuff down the spin with a hatchet and pack hammer (wood handle cut down to seven inches +-). Dull knives make more work and do a crappy job. Pack Stone, Rod or extra blades. Lol. I'd rather have an average steel blade that I can put an edge on in a minute or two than that advertised superduper "Edge Holding stuff" that also superduper hard to put an edge back on it.
We've all seen old kitche and butcher knives that we can only guess the original blade contours, "Those" are cutting tools! IMHO, YMMV

I don't trust a folder OR folding locker on game. Too much action around bone and I've heard the story and seen the stitch work from one that went dead into the trigger finger joint and only stopped halfway into the middle finger.

 

[Famine]

Silver Stag as well. Great product and customer service and as you said hand made in the USA.

 

[Bowhntr6pt]

I'm not much of a knife guy, but I got these perhaps in the early 90's, really can't remember. My brother and I got them from a friend who had quite a few.

Know nothing about Robert Gay other than he was from the St. Vincent Island area.

Handles are Sambar antler.

 

[Gator1067]

Those are good looking knives. I’m not a knife fanatic myself but when your skinning 4 to 5 hogs or a couple deer a night. it’s nice to have some good steel that you don’t have to keep hitting on the rod every couple seconds. I’ve really become interested in the D2 steel. It’s holds up very well. My buddies joke that they just bring me along to skin. I think they are joking at least. Lol

 

[Deersniper270]

Boker Arbolito Stag Hunter. Been using it about 5 seasons now and it’s great. I also use my dads old folding schrade knife that is serrated all the way down. It’s super dull and works great at not cutting meat while cutting the skin off.

 

[SAWMAN]

I always have at least four in my pack.
Buck Kalinga
Havalon w/ 5 new blades
Small foldout from Harbor Harbor Freight w/ the sharply hooked blade and two extras( they are double hooked)
And a small streight blade (usually a Buck)
The hooked and small streight are great for taking the backstraps of hogs. It works like a zipper. You just "unzip" the skin from the animal. --- SAWMAN

 

[FrankT]

My Kit

 

[Gator1067]

That is interesting. I will have to try that. Always looking for new ideas.

 

[Gator1067]

I have a great guy where I am that is retired and lives to sharpen knives. Only charges us $2 to $4 a blade. Uses belts and is good at what he does. Have some old butchers knives he brought back from the dead.

 

[Dp850]

Nothing but disposable havalons since I was guiding in AK

 

[SAWMAN]

ONLY Havalons ??
What animals were you processing ?? How many ?? How fast ?? --- SAWMAN

 

[Dp850]

Mountain goat grizzly and moose

 

[M118LR]

Once you mention Alaska.
"Try an Ulu & you will buy an Ulu." (just like the Subaru commercial.)

 

[Telum Pisces]

Nothing but disposable havalons since I was guiding in AK

Not the havalons, but I have went completely disposable and replaceable as well. I get 2-3 deer out of a blade before I toss it. If it was a regular knife, I'd probably try to do that fourth before wanting it sharpened etc... But the new blade is so freaking sharp that I just don't want to full with the slightly dull one anymore and so I toss it after 2 - 3 animals and put a new blade in.

 

[M118LR]

About that skinning Grizz. (LOL)