What bushcrafter should I take hunting?

U

ukknifer

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Jan 30, 2010
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What is the best hunting skinning knife out of these bushcraft knives?

These are the ones I have. Going hunting but cant take them all.

1- Barkriver aurora
2- Barkriver fulltang kephart
3- Skookum bush tool
4- Barkriver little brother in 3v
 
Elmer Keith wrote that just about any 4-5" blade with a bit of a drop point would do just fine, and he skinned out animals for many years as a hunting guide. (The pro's don't use gut hooks either.)
 
Honestly other than preference it doesn't matter... if the knife is sharp, the handle is comfortable and you know what you are doing it'll work.....a guy over on the trad forums usese a stockman with a 2 inch blade to dress out elk... I use a mora for most game prep....if youhave a favorite take that... all being similar in size and havingthe same grind.. the differenc will be negligable
 
I stumbled across this vid checking out a cheap knife a friend of mine bought. It might give you some insights.

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I really enjoyed that video clip shunsui. Your friend isn't afraid to say what works for him and what does not without paying attention to price or brand name. I saw other videos of him using some Fallkniven knives and he was fast to point out the pros and cons of each design. Thanks for posting.
 
You just don't need a big knife for hunting. Small works very well, and is much easier to carry around.
Not saying that if you just want to carry a big one, then do it, but it is not really needed.
This little 154CM blade is a wonderful blade for field dressing and skinning.
TimOltKnife.jpg
 
That a nice knife, really like the handles.

But I don't think it helps the original poster. He's got 4 knives to choose from. Which one would you suggest?
 
Hard to beat the Kephart, I don't like thick blades for hunting and dressing.:thumbup:
 
If you intend on keeping the hide then you'll want an blade with an tip that is less accute or pointy than something like the Skookum or Mora style blade. It's just darn easy to put an hole thru an hide with an sharp point.

If you are just wanting to skin it out and aren't worried about hide preservation than any old blade will do if it's sharp. In this case it really doesn't matter. I'd take any of your blades if I were just making meat.
 
Any of them will do. Take whichever you feel most comfortable using for what you are doing :thumbup:
 
The Aurora is definitely out. Skookum bush tool, out.

Flip a coin. Heads, Keaphart. Tails, Liten Bror.

For me it would be an easier choice because I only use a Bravo 1 or a Liten Bror in the field and know exactly what I would use each one for. So if it were me, I would have to take the Liten Bror. There is wisdom in constraints.
 
G'day UKknifer

ukknifer said:
What is the best hunting skinning knife out of these bushcraft knives?

These are the ones I have. Going hunting but cant take them all.

1- Barkriver aurora
2- Barkriver fulltang kephart
3- Skookum bush tool
4- Barkriver little brother in 3v
Click to expand...
What sort of game are you intending to process?

Have you used any of the listed knives for hunting/skinning?

Whilst some might require an adjusted grip by placing the forefinger along the spine at the tip to prevent cutting through the underlying tissue...

Razorsharpfingernail.jpg


...IMO all would be capable of the opening cuts required to start skinning game animals.

The bigger belly on the Skookum would be better at the flaying cuts that are sometimes use when skinning, but it is certainly not the only one that would do the job.

In truth, the only correct answer is the knife you know you can use the best for the job :thumbup:

P.S. Don't listen to anyone that says that only one style of knife can be used. They are only showing their lack of ability with different styles of knives :D




Kind regards
Mick
 
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Depends on the type of game. But I would go with a small knife. For a try - I skinned and cleaned out more than one hare with the SBT, -doable, but it was not much fun. My favorite is an SAK Farmer or Fallkniven U2 for those tasks.

I have no experience skinning & cleaning game larger than Roe Deer, but even on those, the small knives work a treat. Hide will quite easy come off with using the hand and the help of a couple of nicks from a sharp edge.
 
SouthernCross said:
P.S. Don't listen to anyone that says that only one style of knife can be used. They are only showing their lack of ability with different styles of knives :D

Kind regards
Mick
Click to expand...

Sage words!:thumbup: As long as you have a sharp edge and know what needs to be done, you can skin game with anything. I worked with an old retired Infantry Master Sergeant. He forgot his knife and ended up gutting and cutting down a full sized dear to fit into a duffle bag...with ony a razor blade:eek:

I own all four (excpet my Kephart is a partial tang early version). I'm more comfortable with a little extra belly for gutting. Either the Skookum or Kephart would be my choice, although Mick made a great post on how effective that BRKT Liten Bror could be. I would stick with the advice as to whichever one you are the most experienced and comfortable handling.

ROCK6
 
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