Skinning Knives

[coote]

The subject of skinning came up on Bondy's recent thread about Wharncliffe knives.

The top knife is what I recognize as the traditional skinner as used in my area. When I was younger this was the style of knife I expected most farmers and many hunters to be carrying. If this particular one ever had any brand on it, it appears to have long gone. I suspect it was the NZ 'Green River' brand made by the company that now sells the high quality Victory Knives.

The smaller knife is one I made from some bandsaw blade. Although the steel of the Green River would probably hold an edge longer than my home brew blade, I far prefer the smaller knife for skinning and odd jobs. The narrow blade is at a slight angle to the handle, and this really helps to make the 'opening' cuts along the legs and belly a lot easier. For me anyway.

The smaller knife is also a lot more convenient to carry. This particular one has often been carried horizontally on the front of my belt. I have a crude sheath made out of some food grade conveyor belt. This sheath has a fairly open construction so I can get inside to clean it out.

I would happily skin and bone out a deer or wild hog using just this knife. A longer blade would help me keep some of my cuts neater, but the small knife would do the job adequately.

 

[udtjim]

I like a drop point hunter syle blade the best for skinning. I have skinned a lot of cows with the olk Hickory skinning knife like in you picture abaove.

 

[rzwieg]

I too prefer a smaller blade like a Turkish clip. I use my curved skinner mostly for beavers. There's no pulling or fisting the hide off one of those guys.

 

[Wandering_About]

The more I use my Izula for skinning, the more I like it. Really works great.

 

[banana-clip]

I got a Busse Hack that will make a great skinning knife, will post some picks of it.

 

[OkefenokeeKnives]

I used a Case Trapper CV with the yellow handle to skin the deer I got last month,the knife had been sitting on the computer table and it was just calling out to be used. I used the Spay blade for everything even quartered the deer with it. This is all good cept I am supposed to be selling knives not using up my inventory.

 

[Joezilla]

What about the spay blade do you like when skinning. I'm curious.

 

[Anrkst6973]

All the old women had a curved butcher knife like that when I was a boy, it was their only kitchen knife in most cases. Men had a slightly shorter variation most often made from old crosscut saws, sometimes old sawmill blades for the thicker spine. Them old timers could skin and quarter a deer or hog in minutes flat. I find that I pull out that spay(spey?) blade too when theres an animal to be butchered..not sure why..my 80 OT Stockman seems to be the tool I always reach for and the spey blade only measures 1.75 in of cutting edge. Putting a fingertip all the way up behind the point to open the body without nicking the innards or working the skin from the body all the way to quartering the animal..the little blade can do it all. Must be a culture thing..just using what we're accustomed to. best to all. anrkst

 

[fishshooter]

What about the spay blade do you like when skinning. I'm curious.

When I was growing up, most the old guys used a Case Trapper for everything from fish to deer and hogs. A couple of things I like about the spay blade is it doesn't poke through the hide or into the entrails as easy, and you can flesh with the tip. This also makes it easy to cape with, less likely to mess up the hide when working it off the throat/neck ares.

 

[Joezilla]

I keep changing my preference

 

[SouthernCross]

I really like this one for both the opening cuts and skinning of medium to large animals :thumbup:

Kind regards
Mick

 

[evbouret]

I keep changing my preference

smaller machetes actually work great for skinning, eh Joe?