My old KaBar. Made fast work of the deer skinning, and the kid’s Dad was impressed by it and wondered what it was. Geez, who wouldn’t recognize an official USMC Fighting Knife. I’ve skinned deer with one since about 1960 or so. Got a new one in about 1980. Anyway, he already ordered one. A real man’s knife. Who wouldn’t want one? Beats those little pig stickers some guys use. Little foo foo knives...

I've skinned a lot of deer with my my folding Buck 110. It works pretty good on smaller stuff like rabbits and squirrels

I forgot my knives and had to skin my daughters doe with a box cutter. Actually worked pretty well!

I skin most of my deer with a 4" Fixed blade knife.


if I can hang them up and do it properly I have a 6" folding buck knife that I like to use

They skin a lot easier hot, too.

Next time, skin one with a scraper. As in artifact. Really impress the young un's.

I use a Schrade Old Timer 15OT most of the time. I have a SOG Revolver that is very good, and flips to a saw blade, which is what I carry in my pack. But these days we usually carry back to camp and hang them, so the larger fixed blade is great. (and a Ryobi reciprocating saw for bone work).

I have a SOG Bladelight that I have never used, might have to give it a try in the dark this year.

I use a snap-blade box cutter. Cheap, sharp, and one will get you through a deer.
Been considering buying a Havalon though.

i've had to use a Mini Buck before to dress an animal, and that was a big pain,
but it got done.

i use butchering tools like meat cutters used to use before they started band sawing
everything like they do now. goes a lot quicker with those (for me)
i could get by with just a 6 inch stiff boning knife for skinning and all if i had to choose
just one.

I switched to my havalon for skinning. A can't sharpen a knife to save my life anymore, so the replacable blade is nice, and always sharp.

Wifes a nurse, she gave me some out of date scalpels, works great. Cut myself last year though and did not even know it. I think I bled more than the deer.

a metal scalpel expires....?

My 40 year old, made from scratch, drop point Loveless copy. Stay's sharp thru a couple of deer..

Yep! Just about anything medical has an expiration date and if not used has to be tossed.

that's ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ wise.

if i hadn't learned to sharpen by hand years ago (by screwing up a lot) that's ^ ^ ^ exactly what i'd do.
you can buy a near lifetime's supply of blades for just a bit of cash, and they're small enough to carry everywhere