Best skinning knife?

Fonly said:
I agree with you, unfortunately a lot here do not see it the same way.
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Most are still experimenting to see what this or that knife feels like and how well it works for them. I do too from time to time. I have just South of one thousand knives. They range in age from 1892 through 2010. I've not used anywhere near all of them and I likely never will. I have two dozen of some patterns by the same maker and a dozen examples of single patterns made by various makers such as the Sportsman pattern and the Outers pattern. And I have a full set of the sheath knives made by George Schrade, butcher knives made pre-war by LF&C, Marbles, Remington, Kinfolks, Case, Jean Case, A. Kastor & Bros., Germania, A.W. Wadworth, Dunlap, Fulton, Streamline, Fairmount, Syracuse, Kent, Imperial, Kingston, Sta-Sharp, Kwik Kut, Colonial, Craftsman, Herters, Ulster, Western States, several customs, a Becker BK11 etc. But I always come back to my own favorite duo for skinning and butchering chores, both in old inferior 1095HC carbon steel, both now discontinued.
 
Here in New Zealand,this is the iconic farmers knife,99% carry them..They are purely a skinning knife IMO and do so extremely well...This is my one,unmarked carbon blade,double tapered tang and quite old....good tool.....FES

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Only skinning, I can get away with a slip joint, but I also process my meat and don't like something that meat can get in the joints. I have this Terrio Medium Bushcrafter that is way sharp and slices through deer like nobody's business. It's really a joy to use.

 
I've skinned a ton of deer with a Case Trapper (gutted a bunch with it too). I normally butcher with an old 160 Old Timer.
 
I have a sharpfinger and it doesn't hold an edge very well but I do like the shape. I may have a custom one made.

Until then I'll be using a Russell sheep skinner.
 
Hollow ground stainless? The older ones are still available new if you want one and watch patiently.

I am guessing that this is your knife whether it came clampacked or in a fold down box with the same graphics.

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But if you are considering a custom, there are some makers here that can do a riff on the sharpfinger that you would be proud to own.

Sanders.
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Weeks.
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It came in a flimsey box with those graphics. It's carbon steel; no "+" stamping on the blade.

I've been on the lookout for an older one but haven't gotten lucky yet.

Those customs are very nice...almost too nice to gore up.
 
rzwieg said:
It came in a flimsey box with those graphics. It's carbon steel; no "+" stamping on the blade.

I've been on the lookout for an older one but haven't gotten lucky yet.

Those customs are very nice...almost too nice to gore up.
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Well they snuck in there circa '01-'02 and made the blades stainless without marking it with the "+". But I'll take your word that yours was 1095. You would know it if it wasn't. And as I mentioned, it changed to a hollow grind... that's the tell in a photo, not the tang stamp. There are a dozen or more on the bay at any given time if you know what you are looking for. But these customs from makers here on the forum can be as plain or fancy as you want. Either of the makers above will make one to your specs and for less than you might imagine. And they aren't the only ones here either.
 
The clamshell pic is a little fuzzy. It doesn't look hollow ground just shoddy. The blade on mine is a bit discolored but 1095 or not, it does suck...big time!

You're right I should hit the net.

Thanks Codger.
 
Codger that isn't my knife. To make sure it is carbon I did a bit of cold bluing on the back and it took nicely. The blades I bought in high school are much better.

When I lost my old Schrade muskrat it was replaced with a Case.
 
S.Caroway, you will have to contact the makers and ask them. Costs will vary depending on the materials you want to use, and whether you want a standard pattern they might already have blanked or if you want the design tweaked in some way. Both of these makers have makers memberships and you can find them in the makers forums. Click on their names and a dropdown menue will give you the options for contacting them directly. None will or should discuss their pricing on the open forums. I will say that you could take the wife and kids out for a really nice meal and spend as much.

Rzwieg, If your knife is the plain grind in carbon steel, I can't imagine what might be wrong with it. If you have either acquired it with a dull edge or dulled it to an obtuse edge and can't get it back shaving sharp yourself, there are some fantastic tinkerers here who can make it scary sharp for you and it will stay that way with an occasional touchup.

Both metals can be found in that packaging as it was current when the running change was made. Finding an earlier one in the tan box is not a problem though. Or the earlier woodgrain box. And you can be pretty sure you have found a tan box or earlier knife by a subtile difference in the tang stamp typestyle. They will have a full seriff "1" in 152. Later ones will have a no seriff "l" and the last ones will be top serif only. I hope this helps.

Michael
 
LOL! The 1 is as you said "|". I hadn't noticed that! It can't be stainless of some sort?

I know how to sharpen a knife. I've messed up many blades learning. (ever try to sharpen case stainless? Chipola) However I haven't touched this one in long while. I'll try again.
 
When I let one of these get absolutely dull, I use a coarse diamond hone rod to bring it back. But you might be amazed at the difference between "sharp" and "scary sharp". If you've never had a knife sharpened by a pro, you don't know what you're missing!

And no, if it took cold blue "nicely", it is not likely stainless. And if it has the non-serif typestyle "l" it could be either steel, but more likely carbon steel as your test seems to confirm. More proof? Cut up a potato, onoion or spread mustard or mayo on a sandwich with it and let it sit on the table a hour or so. Heck, even cutting up some breakfast steak to make fajitas and let it sit with blood on it an hour or two.

As knife habits and knife knowledge evolved over the years, many new owners came to view such staining as a defect or an indicator of poor quality cutlery steel. And with the combination of Schrade's own liberal warranty policies, and those of two of it's major retailers, Sears and Walmart, returns were killing their profits. So they were forced to convert many traditionally 1095 blades, fixed and folding, to stainless.
 
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