Basic Skinning Knife?

Am in the process of moving from trapping a few problem animals that are normally fed to the buzzards to trapping slightly larger hobby scale, which means harvesting the pelts. So thoughts turned to a basic skinning knife (coon, rats, coyotes to start). Then it occurred to me that my old pocket knife.......a Buck Trapper #311.......is still on the shelf. I can usually get it sharp enough to shave pop the hair off my arm. For starters, should that be OK?

If not, what is a good knife for an entry hobby guy?

Oh boy I see you must enjoy opening a big can of worms too ha ha

I'm a fan of old case pocket knives the large sod buster or the double bladed old timer hunting knife or the 80T large stockmans knife .
Just as important is a sharpening system to help keep the knife sharp with a steel .

The bottom line is whatever knife fits your hand and the job you want it to do while you're using it is the one you want .
I hope this helps.
Allan

What Allen said. Get as much info before making a decision. Also if you know of any GOOD local fur handlers talk to them. Can’t wait for the fights here. lol

The type of knife (probably common to others, but new to me) I'm seeing guys use to open up a coon, rat, coyote, etc, is one ........like this........

https://www.pcsoutdoors.com/ausable-brand-erie-pelting-knife.aspx

Short straight blade that would be easy to put on a stone......or strop. And carbon steel vs. stainless. I can usually do pretty well with carbon steel on my stones.......stainless don't rust, but never seem to get as sharp for me as a good carbon steel does.

Then there are others like it that have replaceable blades......like scalpel blades.

I guess for $15 investment, you get to find out if it works?

I like a long thin blade for skinning land fur-similar to a filleting knife.

For an all a round basic skinning knife I would go with a 3 1/2 inch blade paring knife as shown at the bottom of this picture:

Get a Havalon and a good smooth steel for touch up. After over a decade of handling fur I got a Havalon Piranha using the 60A Stainless blades. It is a nice set up and should have tried it years ago.

Yep try one out. See what works.

Hern that bottom one is a furriers knife for cutting tanned blocked skins.

Looks like a lot of short, sharp, pointy knives are being used. In which case, my old Buck may be just fine........



That is the only pocket knife I've ever carried on a regular basis. Bought it about 50 years ago.........have field dressed deer with it.

Between that, a box cutter and my Rapala fillet knife, should have enough to get me started.

My kitchen steel is an old Shapleigh Hardware steel......pretty long.....and compared to a much newer Dexter steel, seems awfully smooth by comparison. So much so, I always assumed it was worn out and no good. Coming to realize that is not the case. A couple strokes on it and a good kitchen knife that is slowing down comes back to life.

Next question, has anyone ever used a wood workers draw knife for fleshing?

I use it on Mink & Weasel. Really just a razor blade with fancy holder.


I haven't.
Two different knifes designed for two different things.
A fleshing knife is used to push away and has a dull and sharp edge, a draw knife is used to pull towards one's self and only has a sharp edge.
Handles straight out on flesh'n knife, handles are angled downward on draw knife.
I use draw knives quit a bit, most weeks. Just can't see me using one on a pelt.
If I'd modify a draw knife to do pelts, for the time it took, I'd be better off buying the right knife for the right job, a flesh'n knife.

HayDay yes your old buck knife will work the one old timer hunting knife I mentioned is a larger version of it.

Myself I'd spend the money for a different knife to use as a skinning knife but that's just me.

As for a fleshing knife Lee Steinmeyer makes a darn good knife or there's always less expensive one's offered by some trapping suppliers . Lee makes 3 different types all of them are quality knives feel free to tell him I said so if you like ha ha

It'll work, my dad uses one, used to use Case Trapper, knives and one year I bought him a Buck Trapper. He used it for a while and then lost it for a few years them found it again and is using it. I don't like Havalon's myself. I know quite a few people who use them but they are flimsy bladed to me, and I don't like the shape of the blade. Also while sharp new, they are like a blade sharpened on a coarse stone, they are "burry" use a steel or fine stone to touch them up before using them.
Personally I use an old Buck 112 pocket knife that I've had since high school. I broke the tip of the blade using it as a screwdriver and ground it down to a point again, making it probably 3/8" shorter. It has been sharpened so much over the years that closed you can see between the middle of the blade and the handle. I have a new one but don't like the shape of the stock blade as much and am still using the old one. Can't say it is the best, but it is the knife I am most comfortable with. I've skinned everything from weasels to moose with it and it has quartered an awful lot of elk. Clients look at you funny when they get up to a big bull and you pull out a 2 1/2" bladed pocket knife and go to work on it

I probably own fifty knives and prefer a fixed blade Buck that used to be my grandpas for skinning beaver, a small needle tipped knife (usually and Old Timer I have laying around) for weasels, but about everything else gets skinned with my old reliable pocket knife.

Make sure it is a straight blade, no serrated blades. I have an old Schrade that I purchased from Garold Weiland back in the day, and am still using it.

You want something with a blade of this shape for ripping and skinning.

Send a member named Horn a PM he'll set you up with some very good resharpened butcher shop knives that work excellent for skinning. Its all i use. I have a whole box of them.

Horn also has a good selection of F. Dick sharpening steels which once you learn how easy it is to keep a edge after a few soft strokes across the steel you'll wonder why you didn't get one sooner !
Yes I'm guilty of this myself even if it was many year's ago when i finally figured it out ha ha
Allan

Thanks for the info. Just ordered some.

Pay attention to ADC and the box cutter with the hooked blade. That Is the ultimate tool for making those opening cuts. Open 15 or 20 critters and then turn the blade around do 20 more then throw away the blade and put In a new one.

I use the replaceable blade knives. They work very well for me and I use them to skin everything. I am also new to fleshing but they are very useful for taking off thin pieces I can't get from the fur.

Been using it for years.

I use the hooked linoleum blades for opening cuts then switch to a victronix serrated pelter for the rest. I use a winch so not a lot of cutting till I get to the head.

Seriously? I have opened over 400 coons/beaver with one side of one blade, would of done more but it was a new season so I flipped it to the other side, I think it earned it. LOL I have two knives with two different sized hooks a smaller hook for fox and coyotes and a deeper hook for coons and beavers. The smaller hooks don't cut into the meat as much, which I find to be easier when started the pull on coyotes if there's no meat cut loose to hang on the hide. They are too small to get through the thicker fur and leather on coons and beavers though.

Coon size... https://www.acehardware.com/departm...YQpiEAQYFSABEgJis_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Coyote size... https://www.fleetfarm.com/store/det...1k4WB7AIVFI3ICh3bYQpiEAQYECABEgICZPD_BwE

Those are certainly insanely sharp but do not suit my style of skinning at all. I like to put a lot of pressure on the knife and get the eyes ears and mouth cut loose fast. If I try that with those havalon type knives they are dull after one critter as they dull has on bone and teeth. If I were taxi skinning I bet I'd find them more useful.

The box cutters I use have an adjustment so you can adjust the hooked blade as to the depth of the cut.
They dull up a bit faster when your doing beaver.