An effective instrument for cutting through rope, separating wires, and slicing through fruits and vegetables is a skinning knife. A high-quality skinning knife has a blade that is sharp enough to slice through flesh cleanly without crushing or mangling it and is composed of hardened high-carbon steel that can tolerate continuous use.
Skinning knives are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, giving buyers a wide range of options when selecting the best skinning knife to add to their collection of kitchen tools. The amount of meat the user intends to prepare and whether they choose an open or closed style knife will determine the ideal skinning knife. When purchasing a skinning knife, one should also think about the handle’s size, weight, and balance.
Last but not least, keep in mind that some goods are only sold in particular areas, thus when traveling, one might wish to pack a few additional skinning knives to have on hand at the destination.
What To Consider When Choosing The Best Skinning Knife
When shopping for a new skinning knife, there are several factors worth considering. The following section looks at these in detail.
Intended Use
Before deciding on a new skinning knife, think about how you intend to use it and what features would help make that experience better.
- Fishing: For those who enjoy fishing off the coast of a deserted island or simply just catching some fish to eat, a sturdy pole-mounted knife is an essential tool.
- Camping: If you’re camping outdoors, you’ll want a lightweight knife that you can easily carry around with you. A small folding knife is perfect for this application.
- Work: Whether cutting through thick sinew or trimming away excess fat, a heavy-duty fixed blade knife will serve you well if you find yourself using it beyond normal working hours.
- Luxury: This type of knife is meant for display rather than practical use. It should be robust enough to stand up to regular handling but made from high-end materials like titanium or carbon fiber.
Blade Material
The three main materials from which skinning knives and other types of blades are constructed are steel, stainless steel, and carbon steel.
- Steel has long been considered the strongest material for sharpening knives because of its ability to hold a sharper edge than either stainless or carbon steel. However, over time, even high-quality steel can become dull. To prevent rust buildup, wash and dry brush your knife immediately after use and before putting it away.
- Stainless steel blades are easy to maintain and won’t rust. They also tend to stay sharper longer than both steel and carbon steel. However, they don’t have the strength of steel, so care must be taken when chopping or sawing.
- Carbon steel blades are often used for fileting because of their ability to hold a sharp edge. These blades need more maintenance than stainless steel blades, as they quickly rust if not washed properly. But unlike stainless steel, they remain razor-sharp indefinitely without having to be replaced.
Handle Comfort
Comfort is key when using any kind of knife, whether it’s a manual labor-saving device or a power tool. An ergonomic handle reduces hand fatigue and makes gripping the knife easier. Most handles are made out of wood, plastic, G10 (glass fiber reinforced nylon), or Micarta (a resin composite). Each material has its benefits and downsides.
- Wood is a tough material with a rich history behind it and while it feels good in your hands, it can easily become slippery during operation. Additionally, wooden handles tend to get very hot due to friction caused by repeatedly slamming them against hard surfaces. Finally, wooden handles tend to swell with moisture, making them difficult to fit into tight spaces.
- Plastic is durable, inexpensive, and resistant to swelling. Plastic handles tend to be less comfortable than wooden ones, though, especially if you wear gloves while operating the knife.
- G10 and Micarta are tougher plastics that are more likely to withstand rough usage than plastic handles. These handles tend to be very smooth and provide excellent grip regardless of whether you wear gloves or not.
Length
A short knife is useful for gutting and preparing fish, whereas a medium length knife is ideal for general purpose tasks such as cutting meat or removing the head of a deer. Longer knives allow for precision work, such as detailed carving or sewing. Longer knives are great for bigger game animals or large cuts of meat, such as ham or beef brisket.
Weight
If you’d rather not hold the weight of a full-grown turkey or a bunch of fish while trying to cut it up, then lightweight is the way to go. Weighted knives add stability and balance to your knife-handling skills. Some weighted knives include a metal shank inside the handle where you can insert lead weights to increase the knife’s overall weight. Other weighted knives have hollow handles filled with gas bubbles; as the handle heats up, the gas expands, increasing the weight and reducing the dexterity of the knife.
Edge Retention
How long your knife stays sharp depends largely on two things: how much you use it and how you clean it. You’ve got to keep using it and washing it to ensure that the edge remains sharp. Otherwise, it will start to lose that razor-sharpness and become blunt quite fast.
To prolong the life of your knife, make sure that you regularly clean it with soap and water. Using a commercial knife cleaner may also do the trick. Just remember that cleaning too frequently can actually shorten the lifespan of your knife.
Versatility
One benefit of choosing a quality skinning knife is that it doesn’t only come in handy for hunting and fishing applications. Any avid DIY enthusiast could probably find a dozen different uses for one of these tools.
Types Of Skinning Knives
Skinning knives come in many different shapes and sizes. The most important thing to consider is how much control you need over the tool, so make sure it’s one that suits your needs.
Full-Tang Knives
The full-tang knife has a long wooden handle with a steel blade sticking out the end. This allows for more force when skinning because you can apply pressure on both hands on the same side of the knife at the same time. It also makes cleaning up after the kill easier since there isn’t any blood dripping down the face all over the place. However, this kind of skinner doesn’t work well if you are working alone or don’t have help cutting something into small pieces.
This kind of skinner works best if you are part of a group where someone else will be assisting you. Having multiple people holding various parts of whatever animal you are processing helps tremendously when removing each limb separately. Also, having someone who is good with tools like a hunter or trapper cuts down on the amount of time you would spend doing chores around the campsite after dark. Finally, it keeps your dinner guests safer as they won’t wander off without being escorted by a member of the group.
Single-Blade Knives
A single-blade knife features one sharpened edge instead of the traditional double-edged design found on a multi-blade knife. This causes them to be slightly smaller overall but very handy, nonetheless. Also, since there is only one sharp edge, these kinds of knives cut items apart more easily than their multi-blade counterparts. For example, breaking an elk femur is much faster and less awkward using a single-blade knife. Additionally, since there aren’t any extra blades getting in the way, it is possible to use a single-blade knife to carve through thick hides more quickly.
Finally, since there is no risk of damaging yourself, you can take greater chances trying new recipes and techniques. You might even try something like boiling an entire buffalo leg before attempting to remove the meat. If you succeed, bravo! If not, oh well, maybe next time.
How We Chose Our Top Picks
When looking for knives, we first looked for those that met the standards of being a good knife, having respectable features and value, and still fitting in a pocket or handbag. We next focused our search on the price range, choosing only knives that cost more than you’d pay for a disposable lighter.
Last but not least, we got rid of any knives that had partial tangs or narrow rat-tail tangs because we found that these types of tangs do not provide any additional benefits over full tangs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Skinning Knives
What is the best type of knife for skinning an animal?
The one you train with.
How sharp should a skinning knife be?
Sharp is sharp; it either wears down your file or harms your hide. However, most experts concur that a 20 to 25-degree edge is sharp enough to prevent unneeded discomfort and injury while being sturdy enough to not require much maintenance in the field. Knives used for ordinary purposes, such as camping, frequently have inferior edges, making it harder to maintain performance levels that are high.
Can I take a folding knife into the field?
Sure, but make sure it’s locked into place with a locking mechanism (usually found on newer models) so it won’t accidentally switch between open/close positions while in use. Also, consider getting a secondary blade just in case the primary fails due to corrosion or other issues.
Are pocketknives allowed on planes?
Yes, provided they are locked into place with a locking mechanism (usually found on newer models) and cannot possibly come loose inside the plane. Note also that some TSA officials might question whether or not you’ve got proper training to responsibly handle a firearm. Make sure you’re up to date on all regulations regarding knives before traveling.