Best knives for gutting and skinning

[nathanpezold]

I'm looking to buy some knives for skinning and gutting mainly deer but possibly squirrels or predators. What are some good knives for this? I do not want it to be really expensive but looking at around $100. Thanks

 

[Marbles]

For that price, somethig like an ESEE Izula. I lik my Benchmade Altitude for small things like ptarmigan and fish as well as big things like bear and deer. It is out of the stated range but a similar blade is what I would look for in a mid range steel (such as the ESEE). I always just used whatever folder was in my pocket for squirrels as a kid.

 

[nathanpezold]

Thanks for the response...I would not mind spending a little more. Do you use the benchmade for field dressing to?

 

[Marbles]

Thanks for the response...I would not mind spending a little more. Do you use the benchmade for field dressing to?

Yes. I have used it for everything on a deer. For skinning a bear having a larger blade with more belly is nice, but not required.

I really like the S90V steel of the Benchmade, but it takes more work and skill to sharpen. It will hold the edge very well though. The ESEE will sharpen easier, and being carbon steel hold an edge well. It will rust easier than the Benchmade too. I spend a good bit of time around salt water or in the rain, so corrosion resistance matters a lot to me. In a different environment that would not be the case.

 

[Lowg08]

I’m a straight up bench made guy. Myself and my son both carry one. I carry the grizzly ridge. My son has the hidden canyon hunter. Great knives. Thinking about trying a mora

 

[TheBootBowhunting]

Around $100, Benchmade Steep Country. It’ll do everything you need. I have an altitude and I still prefer the steep country.

 

[AllPNW]

I second the Outdoor Edge knives. No need to sharpen while dressing. Last season we got two bucks late afternoon and dressed and broke them both down with this knife. New blades swap out in 10 seconds.

 

[sherbert409]

I really like LTWright for fixed blade hunting and bushcraft knives. I use a Frontier Valley in A2 as a bird and trout knife. It’s by far my favorite pattern they make. For the bigger stuff like deer I think a Large Northern Hunter in AEB-L is tough to beat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[camelcluch]

I would really look at the Rainer Knives Fastpak. Very good knife for about $120 and he runs a few sales through the year.

 

[ZAK13]

I've been using a Buck 110 for years, from fish, deer, bear, and turkey, no issues. Also the last few years I've added a Havalon Piranta. Both work great.

 

[RADunfee]

ESEE AGK... Ashley game knife

 

[gumbl3]

For me it's Havalon.. but I imagine I'd be happy with any replaceable blade setup after fumbling with fixed blades for years

 

[MtnMuley]

I'd go with the Outdoor Edge Swingblade and Havalon Piranta for the $100 budget you have. I own tons of knives from Kestrel's to Benchmade's to you name it etc. and that combo will do anything from doves to buffalo with ease. The "gutting" blade on the Swingblade is the most underrated blade on the market today. It makes all my cuts for skinning animals as well.

 

[meddlecho]

ESEE AGK... Ashley game knife

Absolutely love this knife.

 

[sherbert409]

Question to the OP, do you know how to sharpen/have sharpening equipment or do you have the desire to learn? It appears there are two camps here with the suggestions. Disposable and non disposable blades. Maybe if we know the answer to the question we can provide more examples that meet those criteria.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[River_Hunter]

Love my 5 in. Case leather handled skinner hunter.

 

[nathanpezold]

Question to the OP, do you know how to sharpen/have sharpening equipment or do you have the desire to learn? It appears there are two camps here with the suggestions. Disposable and non disposable blades. Maybe if we know the answer to the question we can provide more examples that meet those criteria.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I would love to learn to sharpen knives


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sherbert409]

That is great. It is truly a dying skill set. If that is the case then I would suggest going with a fixed blade knife like some have already suggested. I also would suggest focusing on a high carbon tool steel (1095, 52100, O1, A2) or a low Vanadium Stainless (LC200N, N690, AEB-L, 14C28N). I arranged those steels in order of edge retention, but note the lower they are on edge retention scale the easier they are to sharpen. All on the list are pretty easy to sharpen though, even for a novice. All on this list have reasonable edge retention for the task at hand. All of these steels can get razor sharp with minor sharpening equipment. I like carbon steels but I can understand that most people don't like dealing with rust. A2 is a favorite of mine, but AEB-L is remarkably tough and gets stupid sharp.

For new sharpeners I recommend diamond stones. They cut fast and leave a "toothy" edge that works well for skinning and other outdoor chores. If you want to dip just one toe in, I like the DMT diasharp credit card hones (Coarse, Fine, Extra Fine for $25). I keep these in my pack for in field touch ups, but they are very serviceable. If you enjoy sharpening you can get better/faster results going with a full size bench stone.

 

[Dbevans]

Im going to go against the grain and recommend the outdoor edge razor pro. If you want a thinner knife you can get a different model (it has a gut hook). I’ve skinned a few moose with the outdoor edge and let me tell you I’m never going back to fixed blades or pocket knives.

The blades are just so sharp and when they dull, you can just throw a new blade on there in 3 seconds. The only downside is since it’s a pocket knife type, meat and blood has another place to go so it takes a couple more minutes to clean it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ThatredneckguyJamie]

Another vote for the Havalon...scalpel sharp everytime