Best fixed blade for skinning whitetail under $125

[hebert3279]

I posted a comment last night asking about the best spyderco folder for skinning deer. I may be looking into a fixed blade as well and curious your thoughts on the best fixed blade used for skinning and cutting soft tissue? No bone to be cut with knife.

[The Deacon]

If you're talking Spydercos, I'd go for the Moran Drop Point. Street price is under $100.

[dubya3]

I was recently in the same "dilemma". I ended up trading for a MULE in S110V and bought a set of Micarta scales for it. I don't like large blades for gutting/skinning a deer and this is about perfect size. I have normally used a blade with a bit more belly than the MULE but after handling it I feel it'll be a great performer with the flat grind and good ergos. I believe I have a picture or two of my MULE in my sig

You can buy a brand new MULE 20 from SFO for around $80, G10 Halpern scales for around $40 shipped and you have many choices for a sheath. I saw someone use the nice Temperance 2 sheath with their MULE and said it was about $30 so you could have it all for ~$150 or less. The best part of the MULE is you have around 20 (I think 19 actually) different steels to choose from, and price varies accordingly.

Cory

[Surfingringo]

A mule would be a good option. So would the Moran that Deacon mentioned. I prefer shorter blades around 4" for that work.

[NoFair]

The Serrata is on sale and can be found for about $110... Might be better for meat work than skinning, but should do fine...

[jmh58]

Being that most skinning knives have smaller blades.. Wonder how the Swick 4 would work?? John :)

[SpyderNut]

If you're talking Spydercos, I'd go for the Moran Drop Point. Street price is under $100.

+1
That would be my recommendation too.

[JD Spydo]

At the time in which the first TEMPERANCE model was still widely available you could get either a PE or SE version for $80 to $90 NIB. When Sierra Trading Post closed them out I got two of them from them for under $50 each. To me it's still a super fixed blade for a huge range of uses.

For Spyderco fixed blades that are current in the main line up I have to agree with the DEACON about the MORAN models. For the price of a fixed blade made of VG-10 steel you can't hardly beat it.

[SG89]

Last fall I used a g10 dragonfly2. Didn't give me any issues. You might try the ARK fixed blade that's what I plan on doing this fall. Happy Hunting!

[can't freehand]

I posted a comment last night asking about the best spyderco folder for skinning deer. I may be looking into a fixed blade as well and curious your thoughts on the best fixed blade used for skinning and cutting soft tissue? No bone to be cut with knife.

not sure why you would prefer a folder to a fixed blade for skinning animals. Obviously, with a folder all the fat, gore and blood is going to get jammed in between the moving parts, and I think you void the knife's warranty is you disassemble it.

Buy the Southfork in S90V

[SG89]

I posted a comment last night asking about the best spyderco folder for skinning deer. I may be looking into a fixed blade as well and curious your thoughts on the best fixed blade used for skinning and cutting soft tissue? No bone to be cut with knife.

not sure why you would prefer a folder to a fixed blade for skinning animals. Obviously, with a folder all the fat, gore and blood is going to get jammed in between the moving parts, and I think you void the knife's warranty is you disassemble it.

Buy the Southfork in S90V

Folding knives are easy to clean don't let that discourage you if you're heart is set on a folder. Whenever I'm holding a folder my hand almost completely covers the opening so minimal blood and tissue gets in the knife's inner workings. It's a tool. If you take care of it, it'll take care of you. Nothing a little water, cleanser, a toothbrush, and some oil can't fix. If a fixed blade is more your style then by all means choose that. Carry both! Lol.

[Surfingringo]

I posted a comment last night asking about the best spyderco folder for skinning deer. I may be looking into a fixed blade as well and curious your thoughts on the best fixed blade used for skinning and cutting soft tissue? No bone to be cut with knife.

not sure why you would prefer a folder to a fixed blade for skinning animals. Obviously, with a folder all the fat, gore and blood is going to get jammed in between the moving parts, and I think you void the knife's warranty is you disassemble it.

Buy the Southfork in S90V

Folding knives are easy to clean don't let that discourage you if you're heart is set on a folder. Whenever I'm holding a folder my hand almost completely covers the opening so minimal blood and tissue gets in the knife's inner workings. It's a tool. If you take care of it, it'll take care of you. Nothing a little water, cleanser, a toothbrush, and some oil can't fix. If a fixed blade is more your style then by all means choose that. Carry both! Lol.

Good post. I use folders all the time at the fish cleaning table. My Pacific Salt as seen hundreds of cleaning sessions and has had all manner of blood, gunk and scales wedged up in the handle and lock. Nothing a waterhose won't take care of. I agree with your ideas about the smaller blades too. I mostly fish these days but grew up hunting deer, rabbit and squirrel. I cleaned everything with a sub 3" folder. Dong get me wrong; I love the Southfork...one of my favorite and most used knives. Larger fixed blades have their place when it comes to butchering (and fish cleaning obviously) but game "cleaning" is really just gutting and skinning and I prefer using a smaller blade for these tasks.

[can't freehand]

I posted a comment last night asking about the best spyderco folder for skinning deer. I may be looking into a fixed blade as well and curious your thoughts on the best fixed blade used for skinning and cutting soft tissue? No bone to be cut with knife.

If you're doing Spyderco, go all out and do the S90V Southfork just for the thrills.

honestly though, you can skin an animal with just about any knife as long as its properly sharpened. I skin deer and pigs with an Ontario RD-4. Its a 1/4 inch slab of 5160 that's pretty much useless and I don't care about it, so I end up not only skinning animals but also hacking through bone and gristle.

If you really don't want to spend money, buy Spyderco's new kitchen utility knife from Amazon for around $25 dollars, a great value. Its in CTS-BD1, which is nearly identical to VG-10 and you end up paying about 50 dollars less.

[can't freehand]

If you really don't want to spend money, buy Spyderco's new kitchen utility knife from Amazon for around $25 dollars, a great value. Its in CTS-BD1, which is nearly identical to VG-10 and you end up paying about 50 dollars less.

I'm sorry, not the Utility knife but the Paring knife, the one with a 4.46 inch blade, which is actually in 'MBS-26, not CTS-BD1, though MBS-26 is even closer to VG-10.

Its for 25 dollars on Amazon. I would do that over the Bill Moran knife, which is the exact same steel and costs over 70 bucks. I think the difference in price offsets the perceived disadvantage in design, though there really isn't any. 'Skinning' knives, 'tactial' knives, and, god, 'Bushcraft' for 'processing' sticks; its all marketing fraud.

[TomAiello]

The Serrata is on sale and can be found for about $110... Might be better for meat work than skinning, but should do fine...

Where?

I totally need a back up Serrata at that price.

[NoFair]

Amazon... $111 afaik