I skin and gut a lot of rabbits, like an average of 7-10 a week. Until now, I have been using whatever knife I could get away with, but I am tired of that.
I want a decent knife that keeps a good edge that I can skin my weekly 10 rabbits and not have to worry about it, or sharpen constantly.
I also do hogs every now and then (4-8 a year), so I need something that I could use for them, too.
I am a complete novice on knives. I know how to use them for the things I do, and I know how to sharpen them for what I do, but beyond that, I know nothing, and I am willing to admit it!
A.G. Russell has a lovely little knife, the Bird and Trout that comes in a few different steels AUS-8, VG-10, D2 and ATS-34 ($30 and $45) and has a great sheath (push button) that secures with a clip that could be a tiny bit bigger.--makes it hinged so you don't stab yourself sitting down.
I bought the AUS-8 and the D2 and was given the VG-10 and all three have been used quite a bit...The AUS-8 is easiest to sharpen but dulls quicker...As much as I love D2 the VG-10 has held sharpest the longest.
The CRKT Minimalist is a great little knife as are the M.U.K. and the Russ Kommer fixed blades.
Ontario has the Little Bird, Afghan, RD4 and especially the RAT3 and ESEE has the ESEE3 and Izula-II--both are super rugged.
There are hundred of makers out there who produce a small fix blade that will work,..I favour the ultra classic D.H. Russell Bird & Trout or the Original both by Grohmann.
Do you skin the rabbits because you keep the pelts which we'll do in mid-winter, the rest of the time we just pull the skin off using our thumbs.
Those by Charles May that Cocador submitted--I love the Young Skinner (2½") and the SP7 (3"), Cowkiller (2 3/8"), Cottonmouth II (2¾") as well as the Bird & Trout (3¼")...You need a small blade but if you're doing lots of bunnies at once then a longer handle will be a lot easier on your hands.
Handle: 4 1/2" Stained Birch & Reindeer Antler
Blade: length 4 1/8", width 13/16" High Carbon Steel (0.8%, 59 on Rockwell)
Sheath: Individually handmade Natural color leather with a reindeer logo
this is the knife I use every day if you dont mind it not being stainless and the little extra attention HC knives need this one is razor sharp all the time
and currently its running bout $60
Yeah, I keep the skins, so no quick and dirty skinning. I can do a skin pull, and have a rabbit cleaned in under a minute, but that hide will be almost worthless (rips, holes, knicks).
These are some good suggestions, I will look into them. The Moras look really good, same for the AG Russell.
I am really wanted a workhorse that stays sharp. The knives I currently use are really not made for the kind of work I am doing, they dull quickly.
I'll be butchering rabbits for a long time in the foreseeable future, so I need to get something that saves times, rather than creates more time for me.
I do prefer fixed blades, and I don't care about stainless. Should I care about stainless?
well, I got a few Mora's, 511 and a classic #1. We'll see how they do. I'll probably upgrade to something later, depending on how these ones perform, but if they live up to their internet reputation, they should be fine for me.
Correct. My recommendation...bark river knife and tool. Great blades for hunting. Steel holds an edge great and the convex blades slice through stuff like a hot knife through butter.
Bark river gunny, bark river fox river etc etc. Like stated, you want a knife with lots of belly and a decent tip to pierce through the skin. Barkies are on the high end side, but they are worth every penny. Check out knivesshipfree.com for a huge selection of barkies. Many sizes, many handle styles.
But I recommend you check out virtuovice on youtube. Hes a knife enthusiast from japan and does tons of hunting, specifically stag hunting. He has lots of experience with different blades especially convex ones. He does table top reviews as well as hands on skinning videos. This stag season he did a series on hunting and skinning knives and in each video he takes three or four knives and reviews them. I guarentee youll learn a ton and most likely youll be able to find the knife you want from watching his videos.
I have an expensive skinner that doesn't even come close to the Mora, in any form, in sharpness.
The skinner I have is a Muela Ibex in 440c and I am scratching my head as to why it will not get a decent edge as it is supposed to be a fairly good knife by all accounts.
I do know that the Moras' sharpen up to scary sharp and will hold an edge extremely well.
I think that you made a good choice and the other suggestions are good as well.
I just like the idea of having a function knife for little money, Lots of them.
yeah, well, the Moras looked good, so I am going to try them out. I am also going to try a few more of the $100 or less options mentioned here, one by one, and find the one I really like. Because I do so many (400+ rabbits a year), it pays to have the best fit for me, and I don't mind looking for something that fits really good.
The Mora will definitely be a huge step up from what I currently use, and it will be a great starting points for me.
It probably will take a while, especially with a task so detailed and fine as skinning. Youll probably go through many knives until you find that right one. One with the best balance, handle design, etc etc. Again, def watch those videos.
I made a bullnose skinner for a hunter I know and he said it was "the best skinning knife he ever used". I was obviously very happy to hear that. He was trying to explain what he wanted and even tried to draw it once. I found a picture on the net and emailed it to him and he said "That's it" so I made a design as close as I could. He just got an elk the weekend before last and he used it to dress it out. See attached pics.
I am currently selling my blades for $100.00 + shipping.
I'll definitely watch the videos, and I'm starting a list of knives to start looking at. I want to see how the Moras perform, so I have some to compare to.
I've been using crap knives for so long, I don't know what I'll do once I get a decent one in my hands!
I have time to really find what I want, cause I'll probably be skinning rabbits forever. I also do bigger animals (hogs, sometimes a deer or cow), but the bulk is rabbits. I've been limping by for a while, and it haas just gotten to a point that I need to get the right tool.
Skinning isn't too delicate of a job, especially on rabbits. You have to be careful, but I feel you are more likely to punch through a deer hide than a rabbit, mainly because it takes more force to separate a deer hide from the flesh. I really use a light touch with the knife, and try and move fast, but deliberate, keeping my hand moving from side to side. Obviously, the detail work on a rabbit is that much smaller, which makes it slower, but I can have one finished out pretty fast. Of course, I have tons of practice.
I'm sure I'll be relearning some things with better knives, which will slow me down at first, but I am hoping it will save me frustration.
Lots of great comments and suggestions here, I really appreciate the help!
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