# Nice skinning knife for small game?



## Mulegirl

Anyone have any favorite skinning knives for small game--squirrels, rabbits, etc? I'm going to get my husband a present now that he's regularly managing to shoot squirrels.

. . . now to hope he doesn't stop onto this forum. Honey, if you do, please forget about this until your birthday!


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## tinknal

You really don't need a "skinning" knife for small game, the skin is more or less pulled off. Just a small (3 inch) sharp knife with a good point is all you need. Most pocket knives work fine.


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## LonelyNorthwind

Get him a Buck


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## Pops2

I use a small stockman's knife for all my skinning. It is better for big game too as the smaller blade is easier to control lets me work faster, also no gashes in the hide to sew up later.


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## dkhern

i like my gerber ezout w/3" half serated blade. the first half blade is unserated and sharpens easily. i use it to open the hide. i use the half serated part to break the leg bones over. works for me. good luck


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## Lilith

I use my Kershaw Alaskan Trader for skinning everything. The blades switch out depending on what you are working with. You can get blades for fish, bone saws, skinning hooks, long blades, short blades ect ect. 























These trader knife sets are amazing! So many uses!


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## Bearfootfarm

> I use my Kershaw


*Kershaw* makes some of the best knives in the world, and they aren't overly expensive.
You can PAY a lot more and still get lesser quality with many other brands

Here's a good place to research knives:
http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce/main_front.jsp?siteFlag=eknifeworks


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## Hollowdweller

Bark River makes some nice small blades that probably could be used for that purpose.


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## tinknal

I have used my buck folding hunter (4 inch blade) on everything from doves to processing deer from start (dressing) to finishing (packaging).


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## JawjaBoy

I have an old Old Timer Sharpfinger that is excellent for skinning most anything. Good carbon steel blades on the old ones. I would not have a new one however, as they are now made in China and have cheap stainless blades. If I was to need another one, I would try to find an old USA one on Ebay or somewhere similar.

Like this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Schrade-Sharpfinger-Knife-New-Old-Stock-Made-in-USA-/350694265427?pt=Collectible_Knives&hash=item51a701d253


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## tryinhard

For around $50 you can buy a Case XX Pocket Hunter knife. It is like their original folding hunter knife only smaller. It has 2 blades, 1 clip and 1 skinning/filleting style blade. It works well for smaller game and is easy to pack around in your pocket.


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## diamondtim

tinknal said:


> I have used my buck folding hunter (4 inch blade) on everything from doves to processing deer from start (dressing) to finishing (packaging).


The 110 is a great knife. The 112 is smaller, but of the same quality. Get the one with the U. S. flag on the package as its made here.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE

I had one of these(see first link below) till i lost it , didn't use the saw much but the pick, tweezers and blade were good , mine was an old schrade /oldtimer that had a carbon steel blade , before they sold out to china 
the saw was quite sharp and could cut a deers pelvic bone used it a few times when i forgot my larger folding saw.

the blade was nice and thin and for small game could be slid up the inside of the leg then pulled out cutting from the inside minimizing fur on the meat 
if i cut at the joints over a fallen limb or log it cut right thru the legs , i wold do all 4 legs then run the knife up each the back ones to the tale after the tail bone cut thru the hide was easily pealed off the rear legs then you had something to hold onto with both right hands in the right hand and the fingers hooked inside the hide by the tail pull and it would only need a bit of help over the front legs then cut at the neck and a good twist and of popped the head 

the thin blade made a lot of scenes to me for the squirrel and it could be carried easily 

a trapper would be a good choice if your looking for a folder 2 things i like in a knife besides a good blade shape is carbon steel and USA stamped on the blade , and they are hard things to find 
buck 420hc is good steel most of the properties of stainless as it doesn't really tarnish but enough of the good qualities of carbon ability to take and edge easily and hold it decent I only wish buck would move all their production back to the US however at least their quality control seems decent i purchased 1 schrade knife after they went under and were moved to china and it just wasn't the same as the one i had,but it wasn't this model either.

the case is USA and gets good reviews i don't have one but i think it would be the one i would try , with the second being the buck

http://www.amazon.com/Schrade-Timer-Trapper-Knife-Folding/dp/B000IE9M16/ref=cm_cr_pr_sims_i

http://www.amazon.com/Schrade-Bearhead-Trapper-2-Blade-Folding/dp/B000IE7R0O/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_i

http://www.amazon.com/Buck-384BRW-T...8&qid=1360980787&sr=1-2&keywords=buck+trapper

http://www.amazon.com/Case-Cutlery-...8&qid=1360979132&sr=1-42&keywords=case+knives


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## bassmaster17327

Look up Anza Knives, the guy makes them in the USA from files, on the edges of the blade you can still see the grooves from the file. I use the this on http://www.ebay.com/itm/Anza-Knife-...848?pt=Collectible_Knives&hash=item3a71714140 for small game and even skinned a deer with it. It is very small with 4 inch total and 1 5/8 blade but it is perfect size for small animals. At under 35.00 for a knife made in USA it is a good deal


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## vicker

Best pocket knife you will ever own. and under $20.
http://www.opinel-usa.com/products.asp?cat=Opinel+Carbon+Knives

I use this one.
http://www.opinel-usa.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Opinel-knives-No-9-carbon-steel-folding-knife


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## Allen W

Bought a cheap reground knife foe fur skinning. thinking about getting some more. They have a nice handle and keep an edge well. http://www.minntrapprod.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=493_129&products_id=3151


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## Mulegirl

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! I'll start looking through and see what might work . . . fortunately I have a couple of months to go!


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## Oldcountryboy

I'd look for a small pocket knife with about a 2 to 4 inch blade on it. The narrower the better so that it'll slip in under the skin easily. Great for skinning squirrels out.

Since I lost my old timer and don't want the new ones, I've been using a old thin bladed chicken knife from a processing plant. Has a blade about 5 inches long and about 1/4 inch wide. Stainless still but it's great for slipping under the skin and ripping upwards. With a little practice you can skin a squirrel out in about a minute.


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## Silvercreek Farmer

For squirrels, I like a good sharp pair of kitchen shears with pointed ends for poking through hide. Snip the feet off, slit the hide down the belly, and around the neck, hold onto the head and pull the hide off down to the tail, snip the tail off. Slit the belly, ribs, and pevis, gut. Then snip the head off.


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## poorboy

The Opinels.....finest cutting tool for the buck spent...


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## Oldcountryboy

Silvercreek Farmer said:


> For squirrels, I like a good sharp pair of kitchen shears with pointed ends for poking through hide. Snip the feet off, slit the hide down the belly, and around the neck, hold onto the head and pull the hide off down to the tail, snip the tail off. Slit the belly, ribs, and pevis, gut. Then snip the head off.


I just purchased a pair of scissors made by Berkley. Found them in the fishing department of WW. Suppose to be for fish but when I seen them I had skinning squirrels on my mind. The Scissor blades are about 4 inches long and have a curvature to them. They are narrow and sharp pointed. It even has a gut hook on it and something of a bone crusher on the handles. 

I just happen to have a couple of squirrels in the freezer that happen to be frozen whole with the hide still on them. Don't ask! But as soon as I have time to thaw them out, I'm going to try these scissors on them and see how they work.


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## Dale Alan

Another vote for Opinel,great cutter for the price. I carry one everyday, I really like how it locks, closed and open.


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## rcbaughn

Don't know if you've purchased yet, but look up Wayne Clay knives. They are handmade and I love mine. They are pretty pricey, but they will last a lifetime and he will always have a story about his knife being craftsmen built instead of a factory made one. 

I'm sure there are a ton of great factory made skinning knives out there and I own a few too, but the Wayne Clay is the one I always go to whenever I kill something. Holds an edge the best and has a great weight and hand feel. Can't say enough good things about it!


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