what knife do you use to field dress your game?

ironsighter said:
While I am still very content with my Outdoor Edge Swing Blade for basic field dressing / gutting, I decided to get myself something special for skinning.

While in Japan recently, I had the local blacksmith in my wife's home town make me up a couple of nice custom skinning knives. This guy is pretty famous for making everything from various kitchen knives to axes, garden tools, etc. His ancestors were sword makers. We have a couple of kitchen knives from him and even after a year of use, they are far sharper than brand new Henkels.

The best part is, I own two grades of wet stones and can keep a scary sharp edge on all of them.

Just a sample of his work:

43506be2230126270002.jpg
Click to expand...

very interesting knives. the one on the far left is the kind i ve seen with a japanese hunter i guided. he told me they called it the hunter knife simply.
 
I used the bottom Bark River this week to dress a small buck and have to say it is a superb field knife for dressing deer size game and smaller. I was surprised at how well it handled the task and will be with me on all future deer hunts. As a skinner, I still like the Russell Belt Knife better.

GMnkBAfl.jpg
 
Last edited:
Enzo Trapper 115 flat grind in Elmax Steel has become my favorite. If I am feeling nostalgic my fathers 1960s "Original Buffalo Skinner" made in Solingen Germany
 
Suther said:
I hear the outdoor edge razor knives are very good too, for similar reasons but with a more durable blade. I've been debating between the two but haven't pulled the trigger on either... Guess I haven't seen a sale price I couldn't pass up yet lol

8565111.jpg
Click to expand...

Update - found a sale price I couldnt pass up! Lol Bought a havalon for $30. Haven't used it on big game yet, but boy does it work nice for ducks!
 
Use a grohmann belt knife or a Czech special force knife for vz58’s, that darn knife is wicked sharp. I used it for a moose and cutting up meat for sausages and I never had to sharpen it yet!
 
I use two, one to get rid of the scent glands. Then use the other to clean it. Usually Bucks or Gerbers. A triangle ceramic sharpener is always nearby too.
 
I use a Benchmade steep country. Last week I field dressed and completely skinned a buck and the knife would still shave hair off of my arm afterwords. I like the bright orange rubber handle too. Easy to grip even when bloody or wet. Besides, has there ever been a dummer place for camo than on a knife handle??? How many times do you have to set your knife down when you're field dressing? Where's my knife?!?!
 
For years (about 10) all of my knife chores on big game in the field were handled by a pair of Buck Vanguards with the rubber handles, and they did a good job.
Was skeptical at first of the Outdoor Edge Swingblades, until I used one another guy in the hunting party had. Field dressed 5 whitetails with it one evening (group of hunters with doe and buck tags) and was impressed. Went out and bought two the next day. those 4 knives are still in use today over 10 years later, with one of the Swingblades always on my hip and the other 3 in my daypack. Love those rubber handles for grip they provide when hands are slippery with blood and fat.
As a note, one knife touches hair only, the next knife does all the skinning, while another knife is used for quartering and deboning meat only. If the knife touching hair gets contaminated by the glands (always done last), it gets switched out for the 4th knife and does not touch the inside of the animal or any flesh. This keeps transferrance down and ensures the meat is as good as possible.
Have a Havalon Piranta for splitting lips and turning ears and such when caping and need a small sharp edge.
 
Deer and moose - I used the Swingblade for a while - did the trick. Curved gutting blade was hard to sharpen well. But then I received a Helle Gaupe for my 40th birthday and have been using that since. Does a great job, holds and edge for the whole job and does it all with a lot more soul than the swingblade. Love it.
Pheasants and ducks - 6” el cheapo rapala filleting knife. Can’t beat it.
Cheers,
Dave
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom