Looking for a good knife only for skinning moose. At a reasonable price, one that resharpens well. thanks.....

I have never skinned a Moose, but for hogs, deer and different exotics I have taken in Texas, I like the Knives of Alaska. I have the Bear Cub (good boning knife), the Skinner with the gut hook, which is extremely heavy dute and works great, and I have thier camp knife for general use.

My opinion FWIW.

Jim

Russianhunter, a boker ceramic. Use it only for skinning, dont mess around bone or anything else with it. It will stay sharp for a long time. Cabellas has one that boker makes for them. 2" blade and the cost is around $60, my boker was $100 6 years ago. I can still shave with it. If for some reason it does get dull you have to send it in to Colorado to get sharpened. Mine has been thru probably 10 animals and 2 of them moose (was just helping with one and skinned the other with it). The blade is brittle and that I why I said just skinning.

I used a gerber gator with the ats34 blade for my moose hunting last year.I was able to cape out and clean and quarter an entire moose without resharpening the blade.The rubber handle is also very comfortable and does not slip.The price is only about $65 in canada so they are very reasonably priced.

Russ...
I use the Schrade "sharpfinger" knives...about $22.00 American. I carry three with me...they are inexpensive but are easy to sharpen. I have used on Moose, Bou, and use to compliment razor blades when I skin bear. I love them.
best,
bhtr

go get yourself a regular buck or other and a good sharpening kit, your wife will love the sharp knives in the kitchen and you won't have to do any dishes

I don't buy fancy 100.00 knives cuz it seems that those are the ones that get lost your regular buck will be around for years

And to answer your Q. I use a Falcon knife to do it all!!

p.s. ceramics are nice for the can and the tub this brittle martial does not belong in the bush where conditions are less than ideal

I use a buck skinner.

http://www.cutlerytogo.com/anzaskinner.html While I have not personally tried one of these, it will be the next one I try. I don't know if you are familiar with Ben Lilly, but this type (not style) of blade was good by him. A trial blade I made was pretty good.

Kromer,
If you arent able to use a good blade and not lose it, you can be trusted to lose a cheap one too.

My ceramic has had a sheltered life. It has spent all of it's useful life in either Alaska or the Frank church wilderness area. I don't lend it out to those who use fine tools like a wrecking bar. It serves me very well and will continue to in the future.

I have other knives and they are kept sharp.

8MM or more, that is a fine looking blade.

[ 07-13-2002, 21:27: Message edited by: Customstox ]

I have used all sort of knives for skinning moose, except for Knives Of Alaska. There are some inexpensive knives made by Vitorinox, and sold by Smokey Mountain Knife Works (catalog) and other shops. It is a skinning knife that has a 4" to 6" blade. They are made of a hard stainless steel (maybe surgical steel), and cost from $12.00 to $14.00. The black handle feels rubbery to the touch, and is made of a substance that resists bacteria growth. The blade is thin and stays sharp enough to skin two moose before re-sharpening. They go by the name "skinner" and such.

The best way to sharpen such a knife is by using a Lansky sharpening kit, or any other kit such as this one. The blade is very hard and difficult to sharpen. The sharpening kit allows you to hold the stone over the edge so it is always at the same angle on both sides.

For skinning moose you want a sharp "skinner," and another one for backup. To open the hide, use a short and sharp fillet knife. Poke a small opening on the hide without cutting the flesh below, then turn the fillet knife so the edge is facing upwards, raise the hide with one hand and insert the tip of the knife under the hide (about 1" to 2" of the knife's tip). Now, lift the knife as hard as you can (to maintain the hide raised), and at the same time move the knife forward under the raised hide. Be careful of what is ahead of the knife's tip when you move the knife forwards. You want the tip of the knife to move just between the hide and the flesh below, and that's why you have to lift the hide with the knife as you push it forwards.

My hunting buddy in Libby, Montana is a taxidermist and guts, capes, skins,etc. everything with an exacto knive...you know, the little bitty knife with the retractable blade that breaks off in half inch segments when the tip gets dull.He much prefers it to conventional knives.

Rockhead is going to skin mine.

quote:

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Originally posted by rockhead:
I use a buck skinner.

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I use regular skinning knifes with plastic handles, my current one is from Fiskars I think. But we take our moose to a skinning shed that is equipped with a block and tackle and rings in the floor. We skin the back legs and then we just pull the rest of the skin of with a few helping cuts..

You guys will love this one...

Just picture a giant razorblade with a big handle on it.

Tigersharp Knives web page

My brother and I both use the fixed blade hunting model of these knives. I was impressed with his after using it last year to skin a 350lb black bear (don't you hate it when the grease and oil from the bear hide drips down your arm and off your elbow...nasty!). The blade was still razorsharp AFTER I finished, and furthermore, he had already skinned two wild pigs with it!

It take 15 seconds to slip in a new blade. Together the the "blade holder" and the blade are very rigid. I never worried about breaking it.

He paid $100 for his two years ago; I only paid $50... sucker!!

I bought mine here:

NDS Products (right side, half way down) web page

I'm curious... has anyone else has heard of or seen this knife??

Crisp Triggers!

Ten minutes with a Wyoming Knife on a warm moose makes all the cuts and a $15.00 Green River blade riveted to a deer antler finishes the job off. For deboning I like a Normark 6" folding filleting knife.

They will all work fine,just have an ambitious
nephew on hand to wield it .
They (nephews) come in handy to pack also.Try
this. Me You can't pack that moose out all by
yourself,no way. Him Just stand back old man.
NOTE;This will only work once per nephew.
Jeff

Randall Model 11 "Alaskan Skinner" for the heavy work. Set of "Bare Bones" knives (made by Bob Scherf, North Star Taxidermy, Juneau, AK) for caping chores.

Pay attention to "Ray,Alaska" he's got the right idea. For a large animal such as Moose use what professional butchers, like myself use, a good Victorix skinner and a diamond impregnated steel is all you'll need!

Oh yea, "Marsh Mule" reminded me. Wouldn't be caught dead standing over a moose without my diamond sharpener!

RUSSIANHUNTER,
A moose is IMO, the hardest on a knife I know of. Followed closely by the big bears. I've had the best results with the Buck line. I've heard people complain about their being difficult to sharpen, and I agree. This is due to the hardness of the blade. This is also the reason they hold an edge so well. Not all stones will cut a Buck blade. The standard or soft stones won't get the job done. A good hard works great. Have a good hunt.