Anyone ever skin with a tanto?

L

Lavan

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Nov 8, 2000
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Just musing. Seems that the little soft point of the tanto could be even better for skinning than the belly of a "skinner."

Anyone ever tried?

:confused:
 
Well, and I'm a little embarrassed to say this, but I tried a cow elk with a Cold Steel Recon Tanto. I'm embarrassed because having done it, I feel like an idiot for even trying, but the fact of it was that I had no choice since I had no other knife. I was able to do it, but it was a complete PITA. Never again. Maybe some can handle a knife much more adeptly than I can, and maybe that will make a difference. But when it's freezing cold, snowing or raining with snow on the ground, and darkness coming up fast, I prefer something with a design that makes the job a whole lot easier and quicker.
 
I did a rabbit and a squirrel once with an Emerson CQC-7 it worked better than I expected, but obviously not the best tool for the job.

It was nice to know I could do it I guess....
 
gutted and skinned a small buck several years ago with a cold steel tanto, worked ok but not truckloads of fun. later,ahgar
 
Tanto tips with straight surfaces and sharp corners have disadvantages. When you are skinning you generally try and separate tissues along their natural boundaries. The sharp corners tend to catch and cut things you were trying to keep in one piece while the flat edges tend to go straight even when the tissues margins are curved. A shorter blade like the CRKT M16 is pretty controllable and will work ok. A long blade like the Recon Tanto is going to make your life difficult. A compromise between a drop point and a tanto blade contour is a straight back blade like a Mora. They work well for a good price.

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I have a custom tanto with acute edges from tip to first turn onto the cutting surface. I believe people call this the American style tanto.

It seem difficult, but not impossible to skin. But the softer angles on the traditionlal tantos seem better suited to it.

Moreover, a skinner style blade is best.
 
Lavan said:
Just musing. Seems that the little soft point of the tanto could be even better for skinning than the belly of a "skinner."

Anyone ever tried?

:confused:
Click to expand...

Tantos completely suck for skinning game. Don't waste your time.
 
one of my buds occasionally uses a BM stryker M2 for dressing game, seems to work for him, he uses either the stryker or a buck 110, sometimes a generic sheath knife about like a K-Bar, i guess depending on what mood he's in.

imho it would require a std "V" grind tanto though, like the stryker, maybe a spyderco Lum tanto, an emerson CQC7 would not be good. it would work, but wouldnt work very well at least compared to a "V" grind, would be better than napping a rock though lol.
 
I dunno, I'd rather knap a flint blade than use a tanto (especially a chisel-ground example) to skin game.
 
they are not the best for that, but they werent designed for it either.

still rather have one than nap a rock though.
 
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