Best knife for skinning deer?

[Newhunter1234]

Looking to buy a new skinning knife. Any recomendiations on what's the best knife out there for field dressing and skinning game for a reasonable price.
Looking at the buck 110 folding knife but open to any kind of knife.

[Scottmisfits]

Hard to go wrong with Buck. My favorite knife is from CRKT, the Shenanigan. I a am moving away from Folders though. I have a Puma that I’m really starting to like and I like my Grohman as well. Lots of different options. Find one that fits comfortable in your hand and go.

[IronNoggin]

Originally Posted by Newhunter1234

... Looking at the buck 110 folding knife but open to any kind of knife.

The sky is pretty much the limit when it comes to hunting knives, and you will get a whole world of different recommendations in that regard I do believe!

That said, there is nothing wrong with using the Buck you noted.
Been packing one (now two) for everything over 40 years...



Cheers,
Nog

[korie83]

Almost any knife can do the job, as long as its sharp (and you sharpen as you go)!

That being said, there are a few ways you can go about it. If you have the ability to carry a kit, I like the Outdoor Edge processing kits, gives you a couple different knives for different tasks, a rib spreader, saw, and sharpener. Pretty much everything you need.

If you are looking for a single knife solution, I like many of the more affordable options from Kershaw. The Elk skinner with the gut hook is a good budget option, or the antelope hunter.

For folders, the Buck 110 is a solid choice, I really like the Buck Bantam, good steel and very light weight. Just don't get a camo patterned handle, just going to make it harder to find when you set it down in the grass.

If you're willing to spend up for something nicer, check out Steel Will's Gekko series. They come in fixed blade or folder, and they are amazing knives.

[Slicktricker]

Love my puma skinner also have a buck knife as well

[Hogie135]

I like the Swing blaze made by Outdoors Edge.

[1899b]

For skinning and skinning only believe it or not I like an olfa knife. For everything else my Buck 110.

[last minute]

I have used many and still come back to buck knifes I do like tge gerbera drop knife 154cm but it's only good for a animal .
I had a nice puma white hunter but it grew legs and walked of
this year I'm trying an outdoor
Edge swingblade hunting knife I picked up in the states from Gander Mountain before they closed cheap .
not sure what your budget is buck knives are pretty cheap they can go a long waysbut it all comes down to personal choice good luck

[stob]

i use a 3 blade folding browning that has a saw / gut hook skinner and a reg blade ... bades are 4.5" long approx and all fold into the handle ... on my 2nd one and I have done moose / elk / deer / antelope with nothing else one still be using the 1st one but left it on the running board once and could never find it again

[fps plus]

Originally Posted by stob

i use a 3 blade folding browning that has a saw / gut hook skinner and a reg blade ... bades are 4.5" long approx and all fold into the handle ... on my 2nd one and I have done moose / elk / deer / antelope with nothing else one still be using the 1st one but left it on the running board once and could never find it again

Above for general gutting etc but a havalon for skinning . The 2 make a great combo. I as well have used a Browning 3 blade since the early 80s and was given a havalon as a gift and it is far superior for skinning

[M.C. Gusto]

Besides my customs, Grohman knives are my favourite

[glen1971]

Find one that feels good in your hand. I've got a few that I carry with me all the time and always fall back to a couple.. One is folding Outdoor Edge that rides on my belt and I use it to cut the scent glands out on deer. The second one is a CRKT fixed blade. I don't recall the name as it is quite a few years old.. It holds the edge and I use that for most field dressing. Then I got a Havalon (folding) and an Outdoor Edge (folding) disposable blade knives a couple of years ago. I'm still getting used to them but would lean towards the outdoor edge as the blades are a bit firmer and easier to change. Have an SOG folding saw, with a blade on the other half. I mainly use that one for the saw to split the briskets and pelvis on the animal.

[CF8889]

I've been looking at some Benchmade knives. But I've got a 110, and it'll definitely do what you need. Go to a shop and hold a few. See what feels comfortable in your hands.

[SamSteele]

Picked up a Grohmann #103 Short Skinner last week. I like the feel of the handle, but haven't had a chance to use it yet.



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[Scottmisfits]

Not the Grohman I have but make sure you carry a sharpener of some kind on you. You can get them sharp but they don’t stay sharp. That being said, it’s still one of my favorite knives to use.

[madball]

I've used the Gerber Vital and Hand saw only for my last 4 animals, the last of which was an Elk. I love not ever having to sharpen the knife, just take the dull blade off and replace it! I can get an animal gutted & quartered with just these 2 tools and they both work incredibly well. I went through 3 blades on my Elk this year and I could have got it done with just 2 if I wasn't so picky! Can't say enough good things about them

[Newview01]

I have a used a few different knives but the one that stood out was the sharp one.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Scottmisfits

Not the Grohman I have but make sure you carry a sharpener of some kind on you. You can get them sharp but they don’t stay sharp. That being said, it’s still one of my favorite knives to use.

Mine will quarter a moose or elk, or dress and skin a couple deer, and still be usably sharp. It requires very little work to get back to shaving sharp afterwards.

I like the Grohman #1 the best ( the knife sitting on the hind quarter in Iron Noggin's pic) I don't feel that there is any knife in its price range that can beat it. If you want a folder the Buck 110 is great, I like the smaller 112 a little better though.

Honestly though, a good old Mora knife is all you really need, and you can spend many times the price of a Mora and still end up with a worse knife.

[IronNoggin]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

... I like the Grohman #1 the best ( the knife sitting on the hind quarter in Iron Noggin's pic) I don't feel that there is any knife in its price range that can beat it...

For a fixed blade, I tend to agree.

Cheers,
Nog

[RatFink]

Benchmade Saddlemountain Skinner would be my choice if I was buying another knife: http://www.benchmade.com/saddle-moun...er-family.html.
I have the Buck Ergohunter and its blade is just too much of a pain in the ass to sharpen.
I also have the Benchmade Grizzly Creek, but folders SUCK for skinning because of all the crap that gets in all the holes.

I was having a discussion the other day with some guys at a knife store and they introduced me to this knife, which is apparently absolutely amazing for skinning: http://www.benchmade.com/hunt-series...a-cleaver.html

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by IronNoggin

For a fixed blade, I tend to agree.

Cheers,
Nog

And as for folders I would agree with your choice as well, you can spend a lot more money on a folder than what a Buck 110 costs, and end up with a worse knife.

For folder vs fixed I think it depends on the hunter, IMO a fixed blade is superior in actual use and if the knife is to be kept in a pack or on a cartridge belt etc... a fixed blade is preferable. If one prefers to keep their knife on the belt that holds their pants up, which can not be easily removed when riding in a vehicle or sitting in a stand, then a folder has some extra convenience going for it.

I keep my hunting knife either in my pack if I bring one, or more often hanging off of my fanny pack, and I don't usually hunt from a stand or return to my vehicle once I start hunting... so for me the added durability and ease in cleaning makes a fixed blade preferable. I didn't always do things this way though, and in the past I've preferred a folder.

[Guide5689]

Havalon for any game


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[sav_edge_308]

A knife is a knife is a knife. Max 4" blade and keep it sharp, don't let the marketing get you.

[1899b]

Originally Posted by sav_edge_308

A knife is a knife is a knife. Max 4" blade and keep it sharp, don't let the marketing get you.

Exactly!!!!!

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by sav_edge_308

A knife is a knife is a knife. Max 4" blade and keep it sharp, don't let the marketing get you.

Couldn't get much further from the truth. Maybe you aren't capable of noticing a difference... doesn't mean it's not there.

[crazy_davey]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

Couldn't get much further from the truth. Maybe you aren't capable of noticing a difference... doesn't mean it's not there.

Exactly right!

[LongBomber]

I have somewhere around 100 knives- always looking for the next great knife. Tried all kinda of steel from 440 to s110v/90v/m390 etc. My advice is stop cutting the hair. Poke a hole and cut from the inside of the hide out. And skin carefully without cutting through into the hair. Any steel will do much better if you avoid cutting hair.
And go to acklands and buy some blue rubber cut resistant gloves. Best $20 I ever spent. Not only do you not cut yourself, but they grip hide very well, you can almost just pull the hide off.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by sav_edge_308

A knife is a knife is a knife. Max 4" blade and keep it sharp, don't let the marketing get you.

NOT true. A buck 110 only costs $50 on sale. It is true that you can spend $300 and not get a blade 6x better, but if you only spend $20 on a knockoff you are going to get a knife 500x worse.

There is a minimum quality of blade needed to make a reliable hunting knife that will last and do its job properly, and there are a whole raft of choices for 50- $100..

[Ossie]

Buck knives are great, but stay away from folders (ie Buck 110 - the best folder IMO) for gutting skinning as they are a pain to clean afterward. Fixed blade that feels good to you...can't go wrong with Buck, Gerber etc

[element2012]

The buck folder is a great knife. The hollow ground blade is easy to keep sharp