Folder for skinning small game. 50-100 or cheaper?

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makey98

Joined
Jan 25, 2006
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Looking for a new folding knife for general carry and rabbit/squirrel skinning and general cutting. Doesn't need to be super strong for prying, chopping etc. I have some koyote fixed blades for the hard stuff.

I would like a thin blade profile and I guess by that I mean a thin blade height. Sort of like a barlow or slipjoint size or like a bird or fish knife.

Would prefer scandi or chisel grind instead of the usual hollowgrind, but I can just reprofile it over time i guess.

No assisted opening please and it needs to have a clip. I love the classic slipjoints and their are plenty that would fit the above description, but if it doesn't have a belt clip I never have it on me. I have to have a clip!

Thanks all.
 
I've cleaned LOTS of rabbits and squirrels and honestly - my goto blade is either the small one on my SAK (Super Tinker or now my Huntsman) or maybe even better - the one on the classic.

You don't really use the blade that much in skinning - just a bit of help here and there. For making the initial incision to gut the critter and for actually cleaning the beasie - that blade is absolutely perfect.

The only time you'd need anything bigger for rabbits and squirrels is if you choose to use a knife blade to crack the pelvis and I wouldn't use a nice folder for that task anyway.
 
IMHO a frame lock is ideal for this task, because you can easily clean it under running water.

- Boker Trance
- Kershaw OD-1
 
If I HAD to use a folder, it'd be a Case Sodbuster in CV or a RAT-1. The blade shape is pretty ideal... although I typically find fixed blades much more suited to the task.
 
GingivitisKahn said:
I've cleaned LOTS of rabbits and squirrels and honestly - my goto blade is either the small one on my SAK (Super Tinker or now my Huntsman) or maybe even better - the one on the classic.

You don't really use the blade that much in skinning - just a bit of help here and there. For making the initial incision to gut the critter and for actually cleaning the beasie - that blade is absolutely perfect.

The only time you'd need anything bigger for rabbits and squirrels is if you choose to use a knife blade to crack the pelvis and I wouldn't use a nice folder for that task anyway.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. I've used my little Vic classic, a sharp finger, a 110, a swisschamp.....anything really, but I've used a case trapper mostly. I think I use it to start the initial cut, and again to slit the belly......No major blade work there.
 
ditto to knifenut 1013 the spydie in ffg is great for light work. the delica may be a little large at 1st but who knows you may need it for larger animals. dennis
 
I use the Buck 112 my Grandpa passed down to me, but a new 112 or 110 works just fine. I'd stay away from the drop point blades that are all the rage now a days (I love them for EDC, hate them for cleaning game). The upswept tip of a clip point or other big-belly knife lets you cut when you pierce instead of puncture.
 
Hi,

Pick out a trapper you like and don't look back. Dressing smallgame is pretty much why the pattern was developed.

dalee
 
You can use pretty much any pocket knife to skin small game. If you want a TRUE dedicated folding skinner....look at the Bladetech Folding ULU, its crazy looking but it was designed for skinning. I wouldnt use it personally but I think it looks funky :).
 

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barrabas74 said:
You can use pretty much any pocket knife to skin small game. If you want a TRUE dedicated folding skinner....look at the Bladetech Folding ULU, its crazy looking but it was designed for skinning. I wouldnt use it personally but I think it looks funky :).
Click to expand...

that looks ok for skining but close to useless for cleaning/ gutting a rabit.

i'm thinking kershaw OD-1 or 2. has a clip and a nice pointy blade for getting at hard to reach places if need be and strong enough to break or cut rib cage and pelvis.
 
The RAT 1 folders are very nice, and quite cheap for what you get. I like the full flat grind and thin edge, though it may be a bit wide for your use. I was gonna suggest the Benchmade Onslaught, but it's out of your price range. Looks like a folding Marbles Woodcraft to me.
 
I think the muskrat was designed to that purpose. Here is a picture from a Case website.
7406.jpg
 
Thanks all. I personally love all the slipjoint suggestions, and that would be my preference, but I need a clip. I wish someone would make one with a clip. Non-traditional I know, but more convenient. I always lose them!!
 
I use a slipjoint for small game. I prefer ats34 or 1095 blades. Case, GEC, Queen. I like the gunstock, jackknife, or stockman patterns.
 
makey98 said:
Looking for a new folding knife for general carry and rabbit/squirrel skinning and general cutting. Doesn't need to be super strong for prying, chopping etc. I have some koyote fixed blades for the hard stuff.

I would like a thin blade profile and I guess by that I mean a thin blade height. Sort of like a barlow or slipjoint size or like a bird or fish knife.

Would prefer scandi or chisel grind instead of the usual hollowgrind, but I can just reprofile it over time i guess.

No assisted opening please and it needs to have a clip. I love the classic slipjoints and their are plenty that would fit the above description, but if it doesn't have a belt clip I never have it on me. I have to have a clip!

Thanks all.
Click to expand...

Any of the KaBar Doziers.
 
A 3 blade stockman, a Barlow, or a small trapper. Any of these will do anything you need, given the requirements you listed. I've been using a 3 blade stockman to skin/dress small game for the past 25 years. The availability of spey, sheepsfoot and clip/California clip blades helps them handle any small game dressing chore you throw at it, save for joint breaking.
I've used a 1979 Uncle Henry 897UH for this purpose for a quarter century.
Currently, Case offers the best quality and most appropriate knife for the job.
A medium stockman, like my UH has a california clip blade (looks like the blades on the muskrat). and full sized stockman has a regular clip blade, and the blades are generally wider and thicker than a medium stockman.
Plus, you can get the Case in either stainless or carbon steel. Carbon would be my choice, though stainless would work just fine as it does with my UH.
For whittling/carving, carbon is head and shoulders above stainless. For dressing, stainless is nice.
A full sized trapper is too big for squirrel/rabbit/birds. It's designed more for critters like large raccoons, foxes, beavers, bobcats, coyotes, etc. The blades are twice as long as what's ideal for what you want to skin.
That's why I quit using my Case trapper for small game.
I bought it specifically for small game and found out that my medium stockman is much better suited to the task.
The california clip works well as a boning and sticking blade. The spey blade is nice for skinning since it doesn't tend to poke through the skin. The sheepfoot is nice when you need to apply some pressure to the tip when cutting.
Buy good quality. Buy a Case, if you can afford it. It's a knife that will last you a lifetime.
Don't buy a cop knife for small game. The cop knives are ill suited for that kind of work. It's like using a meat cleaver to fillet fish.
Spyderco and similar knives have their uses, but small game dressing isn't one of them.

Pocket clips on knives are a great way to lose knives. All the knives I've lost had pocket clips. They were all clipped to the pocket like they were intended to be. They all got knocked out of the pocket and lost. I no longer carry a knife with a pocket clip. i got tired of losing nice cutlery.
carry the knife in your front pants pocket, or in a pouch/sheath. Even sheaths tend to get caught on things and can be damaged. Pocket carry is the most secure carry for a pocketknife.
You could use a sodbuster jr, but the blade design isn't ideal for the task.
A good Barlow works well, too. A stockman works better. Either one should serve you well.
 
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