Hunting/Skinning knife appreciation thread

PintsOfCraft

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 13, 2013
Messages
118
Location
Vermont
What do you carry and why do you appreciate it?

Warning...slightly sentimental: I carry an old school folder, Old Timer 125ot Mustang. I love the easily re-sharpened carbon steel blade with its razor-like edge. Honestly I've been on a nearly life long quest to beat it but all things considered just can't. I know they are heavy, ugly and too thin to provide much field or camp utility, but geeze I can skin two hogs back to back with just a slight touchup if I do my part. Its all stained up now but has SO many memories I'll never let it go.

Cheers
 

NorthT

FNG
Joined
May 23, 2013
Messages
79
Location
Memphis Tn
I use a buck 110 folding knife. I carry it even though it's heavy as crap but it has done every elk I shot, and can make it Thur the entire elk without having to sharpen it. The other reason I carry it is because it was my dads and he gave it to me. I also carried a outdoor edge with the replacement blades on my trip, I used it to skin a friends elk, his first, and I can honestly say I was impressed with how sharp it was. Will it replace my 110, probably not. To much sentimental value to me
 

chiefhoyt

FNG
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
79
Location
Mountain View, CA
I used Kestrel Knives UL on my buck this year. I like it because is weight nothing, its sharp and is sturdier than say a havalon. I like a little more backbone in my knife when breaking down an animal, just a personal preference.
 

jmez

WKR
Joined
Jun 12, 2012
Messages
7,404
Location
Piedmont, SD
DH Russell Canadian Belt Knife by Grohmann. My brother gave it to me years ago for Christmas. An all around great knife. Easy to sharpen, holds an edge very well, and the shape works well for everything. I like the feel of a real knife.
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
15,527
Location
Colorado Springs
I got this Buck 110 folder for my 15th birthday, and have used it on 20+ elk and multiple deer and fish and everything else over the years.....I'm 49 now. But as you can see it's wearing down a bit. I picked up this Gerber Gator with S30V steel on clearance from Cabela's a few years ago, and I absolutely LOVE it! Fits my hand very well, doesn't slide around with blood, and has great balance and size for my preferences. I completely skinned out and deboned my bull in 2012 with this knife and it still shaves paper cleanly with ease.
 

Attachments

  • 100_2650.jpg
    100_2650.jpg
    98.7 KB · Views: 98

fredmb

FNG
Joined
Jan 1, 2014
Messages
52
Location
Denver, CO
Yea, I made the switch to a Havalon as well. I did take some time to learn how to use a knife that thin, but once I understood that I couldn't stab and hack with it I fell in love. I feel like a surgeon out in the woods now.
 

SethH

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 27, 2014
Messages
114
I use a buck 110 folding knife while hunting at home. My dad always had one, I remember it on his belt while in the woods from the time I was a little boy. Now I use the one he gave me. I did buy a new buck ultra lite skinner for my elk trip this year and loved it!
 

jtw

WKR
Joined
Aug 24, 2014
Messages
330
Location
Olympia, WA
I have an old buck fixed blade my dad gave me that I've used the past few years. This year I'm trying out the havalon. I don't think the flimsiness will be a problem as I have good knife skills from countless dissections in college. I've always hated sharpening knives and the ability to just replace the blade seems awesome.
 
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
918
Location
Des Moines, Iowa
Bark River Gunny Hunter for me. The blade geometry, ergonomics, and CPM 3V steel (for combined edge retention and lateral strength) are second to none.
 

Attachments

  • unnamed.jpg
    unnamed.jpg
    51.4 KB · Views: 67
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Messages
1,109
Location
Beaverton, Oregon
Although I have many knives that I've collected & use over the years, this one I appreciate the most. (This is an appreciation thread right?) This is a knife I made back in High School in the early 80's. It's patterned after a Ruana #14 skinner, made from an Oregon chainsaw bar; torched, ground, tempered and polished by my own hand. I tempered it to perfectly; hard on the edge, softer in the spine and used bone from my 1st mule deer for the handle. I have made several since for family members, but this one is mine. I've carried it on many a hunt, it's skinned so many animals the bone is stained red in spots.
Hunt'nFish

DSCN3630.jpg
 

diesel7

Banned
Joined
Sep 30, 2014
Messages
108
Location
Gila national forest N.M.
I have used and really like my bark river bravo 1 in 3v, i would recommend it, also survive knives gso 4.1 is really good. But the toughest knives I have with good edge retention are my swamp rat knives, ratmandu or hrlm. You cant go wrong with any of these, I have used the hell out of them on every thing from pigs to deer and elk. Awesome knives. Basically anything in cpm3v or 52100 is a good combination of edge holding and sharpening, with very good toughness.
 

Navaluk

FNG
Joined
Sep 25, 2014
Messages
14
schrade Mini-pro hunter fixed blade 2.75 inch blade. I wore out my first one and am on my second. $30 and it has worked on everything here and abroad.
 
OP
PintsOfCraft

PintsOfCraft

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 13, 2013
Messages
118
Location
Vermont
I'm loving this thread, both for practicality & new information. Thanks all for sharing your thoughts!
 

Hawkeye

FNG
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
57
Location
The High Country
My appreciation for this knife is only 1 month old but the it sure did the trick this year. I was running the Havalon for a couple years and it worked pretty good as an ultralight knife. This year I made the switch over to the outdoor edge razor lite and was very impressed. It was as sharp as the hav and sliced through meat, hide and cartilage with ease. It kept its edge through the whole mule deer bone out and I didn't worry about breaking blades. It is slightly heavier than the havalon but was worth the extra weight.
 

Beendare

WKR
Joined
May 6, 2014
Messages
8,247
Location
Corripe cervisiam
Skinning and processing knife is all about the blade steel and Rockwell. Get yourself something with great steel [see sticky on bladeforums.com] and you will be amazed.

Bark River Gunny Hunter for me. The blade geometry, ergonomics, and CPM 3V steel (for combined edge retention and lateral strength) are second to none.
I have one of these-amazing blade but heavy- I use it as a camp knife. I use a Buck Alpha with the S30v steel blade as a processor- I've owned tons of knives and its impressive
 
Joined
Jun 9, 2014
Messages
72
My father bought me one of the new Benchmade Saddle Mountain Skinner knives as a gift before our hunt this year. I'll cherish it forever because he gave it to me. I'll use it forever because of how well it has performed. I'm over the moon with this knife.
 
Top