Best knife for deer skinning.

[JD Spydo]

I used my junction and Hap40 stretch this year. Worked great

I’ve not skinned anything with my Junction yet but I think it would work well as would the Southfork.

It’s a shame both knives are discontinued. :)

Oh BLOKE quit being modest :rolleyes: I know you skin at least 2 to 3 red Kangaroos a week for your own supply of "outback burger" :D :D
It's a little chewy but I bet it tastes a lot like chicken :D

But what do you do with the skins and the left over tails :eek: :D

Ah, hahaha! I won’t eat Hoppers Joe, but truth be known, I’ve skinned a few. Usually with a 5” swept back Dexter Russell boner.

Australia is the land of waste. If we drop a Roo for the dogs all we use are the back legs, the back straps and the tail cut into three inch section. The rest is left to rot or for foxes to eat jammed up by a log or stump. :eek:

Dogs love Hoppers! :)

BLOKE I have two of those "Dexter Russell" boning knives. I'm sure the two of them that I have are the same as the one you're speaking of. Now one of mine has the Dexter Russell insignia but it also has a VICTORINOX label too. And those aren't bad knives at all. I got one from a friend who works at the Airport that they confiscated from someone who had it in their carry-on luggage which is a violation>> and then I got the other at one of my thrift store ventures I had this past year. But again for no more than you pay for those Dexter-Russell boning knives they aren't bad at all. They even hold an edge better than I expected.

And please let's not soon forget how nice of a fixed blade that the SOUTHFORK proved to be. And I do wish they would offer the MORAN in Spyderedge and also offer a Sprint run in one of the Supersteels. They would disappear extremely fast I can assure you all.

[Mad Mac]

My experience is mostly with wild boar. A serrated edge is helpful for making the initial cut through the hide and to cut through sinew and cartilage in the joints. An SE can also be used for skinning but a plain edge will provide a smoother cut for separating the large muscle groups.

Have not tried it yet, but the belly and trailing point of the Rhino make me think it would be good for skinning, though it is not very big.

I am partial to the Bill Moran drop point mainly because it has a comfortable handle and a fixed blade is easier to clean. It does a good job, but for skinning, the trailing point Moran would have been a better choice.

The Stretch is intended for a hunting folder and looks like it would be up to the task but I gave mine to a nephew who is a sportsman and have not used it myself.

In general, for caping, skinning the head and neck for a mount, a drop point is recommended. For skinning, a trailing point. It does not hurt to have several different knives for different tasks, sharpened in advance. A good excuse to buy more Spydies and a Sharpmaker.

[Mad Mac]

Since this thread is about skinning, I don't suppose anyone's sensibilities will be offended if I show some Spydies in action. Stop here if you are disturbed by the sight of blood. The hands in the pictures are those of Cousin Dave.

Here is a modest Tenacious SE making the initial cut and unzipping the back of a boar. Instead of gutting and field dressing game, Cousin Dave likes to use the gutless method to process deer and hogs. He hangs them by the neck and removes the hide and lower limbs. Then separates shoulders, backstraps and hams.




On another occasion, my good knives were in my other truck, so I had to press my "emergency" Byrd Cara Cara into service that I keep in the glove compartment of my work truck. Like they say, it's not the dog in the fight, it's the fight in the dog.


Moran Drop Point at work.


A K2 should make a good skinning knife with that big belly and trailing point. I liken it to a folding bushcraft knife or survival knife. It's a BFK... a Big Folding Knife. Why? What were you thinking?


The Stretch I never used.


Once you get that venison cooked, don't forget you will need some Spyderco kitchen knifes to carve it up.


Good hunting!

[ShawnKirkpatrick]

Very nice pictures. Good suggestions as well will good evidence to back them up.

Since this thread is about skinning, I don't suppose anyone's sensibilities will be offended if I show some Spydies in action. Stop here if you are disturbed by the sight of blood. The hands in the pictures are those of Cousin Dave.

Here is a modest Tenacious SE making the initial cut and unzipping the back of a boar. Instead of gutting and field dressing game, Cousin Dave likes to use the gutless method to process deer and hogs. He hangs them by the neck and removes the hide and lower limbs. Then separates shoulders, backstraps and hams.




On another occasion, my good knives were in my other truck, so I had to press my "emergency" Byrd Cara Cara into service that I keep in the glove compartment of my work truck. Like they say, it's not the dog in the fight, it's the fight in the dog.


Moran Drop Point at work.


A K2 should make a good skinning knife with that big belly and trailing point. I liken it to a folding bushcraft knife or survival knife. It's a BFK... a Big Folding Knife. Why? What were you thinking?


The Stretch I never used. Ungrateful niblings.


Once you get that venison cooked, don't forget you will need some Spyderco kitchen knifes to carve it up.


Good hunting!

[Bloke]

BLOKE I have two of those "Dexter Russell" boning knives. I'm sure the two of them that I have are the same as the one you're speaking of. Now one of mine has the Dexter Russell insignia but it also has a VICTORINOX label too. And those aren't bad knives at all. I got one from a friend who works at the Airport that they confiscated from someone who had it in their carry-on luggage which is a violation>> and then I got the other at one of my thrift store ventures I had this past year. But again for no more than you pay for those Dexter-Russell boning knives they aren't bad at all. They even hold an edge better than I expected.

And please let's not soon forget how nice of a fixed blade that the SOUTHFORK proved to be. And I do wish they would offer the MORAN in Spyderedge and also offer a Sprint run in one of the Supersteels. They would disappear extremely fast I can assure you all.

These are typical of work knives I’ve used to skin deer, goat, sheep etc. and they travel in a knife roll under the seat of my truck when I meat hunt. They’re cheap as chips and great performers for what you pay. And I’ve never cried when I’ve lost or misplaced one. The Fine F.Dick steel is worth four + times the price of either knife but should last a couple of life times. :)

[Bloke]

Since this thread is about skinning ...

Cool pics there, Mad! :)

I’ve never dressed or eaten any of our carrion eating filthy pigs, but I’m happy to shoot them. Though we’ve caught little ones, penned them up, fed and wormed them etc. and an old Italian man would take them away and bring back salami and sausages.

When I was young I used to unhinge and remove the bottom jaw of any with exceptional tusks but I never liked putting my hands in their mouths. :eek:

[Skidoosh]

I posted this a while back https://youtu.be/_-Wdwjlu9mY
The guy uses a Moran.

I would suggest a fixed blade, the mule teams are great. If not I'd go for Spyderco Southfork or a Sprig or the Moran.
For a folder I would suggest GB 1 or 2 or a stretch. There was an old post of a guy using a stretch on a moose.

[FK]

Fixed blade,,,, why contaminate a folder with animal skinning?
It is impossible to clean out the pivot area without complete disassembly.

Regards,
FK

[BornIn1500]

What’s the extra care steps for taking care of a non stainless steel like V-TUKO?

I wouldn't worry about the special steels for deer hunting and skinning. The standard VG10 is great for that. No reason to get the newest steels for that.

[standy99]

BLOKE I have two of those "Dexter Russell" boning knives. I'm sure the two of them that I have are the same as the one you're speaking of. Now one of mine has the Dexter Russell insignia but it also has a VICTORINOX label too. And those aren't bad knives at all. I got one from a friend who works at the Airport that they confiscated from someone who had it in their carry-on luggage which is a violation>> and then I got the other at one of my thrift store ventures I had this past year. But again for no more than you pay for those Dexter-Russell boning knives they aren't bad at all. They even hold an edge better than I expected.

And please let's not soon forget how nice of a fixed blade that the SOUTHFORK proved to be. And I do wish they would offer the MORAN in Spyderedge and also offer a Sprint run in one of the Supersteels. They would disappear extremely fast I can assure you all.

These are typical of work knives I’ve used to skin deer, goat, sheep etc. and they travel in a knife roll under the seat of my truck when I meat hunt. They’re cheap as chips and great performers for what you pay. And I’ve never cried when I’ve lost or misplaced one. The Fine F.Dick steel is worth four + times the price of either knife but should last a couple of life times. :)

Good hunting on those bananas, can be slippery buggers :D

Bottom one was all I used as a butcher, still get them for $30 I noticed the other day.
Like the f-dick flat steel with the lines in it. ( glad I bought it 20 years ago as a bit $$ now )

Best folding knife I have used to skin anything is the Gayle Bradley 1. Buffalo, roo,s whatever. Rinse and spray with food grade inox after use as I live tropical, never had a issue with M4

Use a Burt Foster fixed blade if I am really going hunting.

[Mad Mac]

It bears mentioning that in my photographs, Cousin Dave is shown processing the hogs bare handed. This is not the recommended practice. Wild hogs are known carriers of diseases. Nitrile or other surgical type gloves are a wise precaution.

We have caught or shot more than a hundred hogs. A dozen or more have been processed and consumed. The meat is lean, tender and flavorful. All of the hogs appear to be clean, healthy, in good condition with surprisingly soft fur and bristles. Some smell like maple syrup, perhaps because of all the acorns they eat.

Most people prefer a young hog for butchering. My local taxidermist and game processor has trapped hundreds of hogs and is of the opinion that even a tough old boar is good to eat. The pan sausage that he makes is very lean. Store bought pork sausage is high in fat because of the diet of domestic pigs.

Several times, I have set up my game camera over a dead cow. You can feed cattle good grass, clean water, minerals, salt and cubes for 18 years and then they will up and die on you. Where is the gratitude? In Texas they are supposed to be buried or burned but like most of the ranchers around here, we give them a "sky burial". We leave them to the buzzards.

Scores of vultures will work on the carcass by day for a week or more. Coyotes appear at night. One of my pictures has five coyotes in it. A hog carcass on the other hand will completely disappear, hide and bones, in 24 to 48 hours. Coyotes love them. There is no doubt hogs will eat anything and are known to eat their own dead, but I have no photographs of a feral swine come to dine on a carcass.

If we had Kangaroos, and I hope we never do, I wouldn't mess with a nasty old pig either and maybe someday I will have the chance to eat Kangaroo tail chops. But in the meantime I will have to settle for free range organic pork. Cheers, mate.

[ShawnKirkpatrick]

That also makes sense. The knifes that have interests me mentions in the thread are a Mule team, stretch,Moran, and still kinda interested in a H1 if anybody has any insight to how well the steel may hold up skinning a whole deer?

What’s the extra care steps for taking care of a non stainless steel like V-TUKO?

I wouldn't worry about the special steels for deer hunting and skinning. The standard VG10 is great for that. No reason to get the newest steels for that.

[Doc Dan]

One of the Morans would be a great choice. It was designed for hunters by a hunter. One of the Phil Wilson models would be good choices for the same reason. For a folder, the Stretch is a good choice.

[Fargo203]

That also makes sense. The knifes that have interests me mentions in the thread are a Mule team, stretch,Moran, and still kinda interested in a H1 if anybody has any insight to how well the steel may hold up skinning a whole deer?

What’s the extra care steps for taking care of a non stainless steel like V-TUKO?

I wouldn't worry about the special steels for deer hunting and skinning. The standard VG10 is great for that. No reason to get the newest steels for that.

True if you are only doing one and can touch up between. I often have several to do at a time and dont want to deal with a dull knife. I believe if you choose H1 for this task you will be disappointed.

[ShawnKirkpatrick]

Thanks! I figured that. It did seem like a pretty intense task for a steel of that caliber.

That also makes sense. The knifes that have interests me mentions in the thread are a Mule team, stretch,Moran, and still kinda interested in a H1 if anybody has any insight to how well the steel may hold up skinning a whole deer?

What’s the extra care steps for taking care of a non stainless steel like V-TUKO?

I wouldn't worry about the special steels for deer hunting and skinning. The standard VG10 is great for that. No reason to get the newest steels for that.

True if you are only doing one and can touch up between. I often have several to do at a time and dont want to deal with a dull knife. I believe if you choose H1 for this task you will be disappointed.

[ShawnKirkpatrick]

Anybody have any opinions on the Spyderco Enuff vs the Moran? They both have VG-10, kind of the same blade shape. All I see is maybe the Enuff would offer maybe a better grip.

[Fargo203]

Anybody have any opinions on the Spyderco Enuff vs the Moran? They both have VG-10, kind of the same blade shape. All I see is maybe the Enuff would offer maybe a better grip.

The Enuff might be a bit short when it comes to field dressing if you cut around the rearend to free it up. Between the two id go for the Moran with the drop point.

[Holland]

[Wartstein]

Last pic: Stretch 1 in HAP 40!! Probably the best folder for "everything" I am aware of! I am not a hunter, but it seems to be good in that realm too... ?! (As it is based on the Spyderco hunter, it should...)

[ShawnKirkpatrick]

The stretch sure does look really good to me. I think it’s between the stretch, Moran. And Mule team. To bad I can’t afford to buy them all.