Knife steel preference and style?

Hey Everyone. Wanting to get some opinions on skinning knives. I plan to make a few for the shed this year and wanted to see what your preference was on blade material (hi carbon steel, stainless, etc.) as well as overall design. Planning on trapping rats, mink and coon.

Thanks for your opinions and advice

Depends on how often you want to sharpen your knives...I like D2 but if you arent the patient type in sharpening, go high carbon.

Have several Damascus that I sharpen when I feel guilty. Not that they need it. Get what you pay for.

D2, or O1, as far as 'tool steels', I like 1095 high carbon steel. Maybe cheaper and easier to get, depending on your supplier.




Charlie

I like 1095 and also 5160 spring steel. Easy to work with and sharpen. And cheaper to buy. Figured if it’s being used in the shed all the time, it is well greased from the fat. But of course they should be cleaned and looked after.

As for blade style, i prefer the filet style. Skinny profile with a needle-like point for opening cuts.

D2 steel. For the three furbearers you mentioned, all you'll really need is a pelter (short triangle blade) and a skinner (short drop-point), as well as a 2-handled fleshing knife on a beam.

Good luck, sir...

Jack

I don't know beans about knife making but these are not only cheap but great pelters for rats mink coon coyotes cats and fox.
https://www.katom.com/135-11113.html

I like these for beaver
https://www.katom.com/135-06123.html

great price and easy to sharpen. touched up regular with a few strokes from a good steel and they don't need sharpened very often.

1095 is great all around, but D2 gets the nod for me in skinning. A2 not bad either

I like D2 and would love to have one made in style of the Canadian Belt knife.

I also like D2 .

I have always liked Grohmann knives. Good quality and well made

D2 can be a bugger to forge. I hear it’s pretty hard.

Anyone got a link for Gulu's * sp.knives

Though not my skinning knife I've got a ZT with S35VN steel and boy does it hold an edge, couple swipes on the steel and its razor sharp again.

As a beginner at trapping I am in need of a skinning Knife.
My problem is I have no idea what D2, A2 1095 or 5160 stand for or mean?
I stopped at our local knife store in Branson and he has like 30 different knives?
I have no idea what I will need.

I am hopping to catch coons, cat's, fox and coyotes.
I plan on freezing the carcasses until I have several coons to practice on.
I have every thing to build a skinning stand.
I just don't have skinning knives just 2 fa lay knives.

Thanks for any help.
Jim

I use this for skinning. Mine is a dexter russell brand
https://www.minntrapprod.com/Triangle-Pelter-Fox-Mink-and-Muskrat-Knife/productinfo/BOL-TRI/

having one of these around for everything else or when i need a longer blade
https://www.minntrapprod.com/Resharpened-Skinning-Knives/productinfo/RESP-001/

I wouldn't get to caught up unless you want green stuff or plastic flying away from your wallet. I've got way more money in knives than what I care to think about. Starting out, anything resembling a filet knife will do you great for everything except maybe beaver.

If you do want to learn a bit more, you should check this page out: https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Steel-Types--332

D2, A2, 01, 1095, etc. are different steels. The percent of elements in the steel varies which gives the different steels different properties. Some are flexible, some are hard and some are brittle. Books have been written on alloy steel. A good place to start would be the "Machinery Handbook" or as commonly called "The Machinist's Handbook".

Old chain saw bars make great blades. Use coolant when grinding them.

For general skinning starting out stick with the inexpensive dexter-russell. Learn how to keep them hair popping sharp. Then decide whether that extra bit of edge retention higher grade steels offer is worth the extra coin.
My preference is ats-34/154cm and D2 though D2 is a mother to bring back an edge on as it's pretty dang wear resistant.
For everyday beaters that's easy to bring back cold steels version of krupp stainless is hard to beat.