What knives do use for cleaning and butchering game and fish?

[hunting]

Like to upgrade from my old Rapala filleting knife and old Gerber Ez out 450 folding knife.

[Steeleco]

While I have my Buck Vanguard that I use lots, my son bought me a Havalon Piranta last Xmas. If I were starting anew I'd only buy this https://www.havalon.com/piranta-fitment-2

[BeerMan]

I have lots of knives, but now I always use these.
https://www.outdooredge.com/collections/hunting/products/razor-lite-rl-10?variant=20617642947

[tigrr]

I use a hunting knife to open an animals hide and then it is Victorinox from there on. The Victorinox skinning knife cuts skinning to a fraction of the time. The butchering is the same and I keep 5 people using my knives busy and sharp with a good quality steel. My favorite fillet knife is Victorinox as well. It will cut through bones but they are hard on the edge. Touch up required after 2 big lake trout.
I sharpen all these knives before the butchering event and with the steel they stay sharp till we are done. Using the steel properly you bring the wire edge back to the front and then touch it up. Watch a video about using a steel properly.
Any knife that touches skin and hair should not be used on meat.

[Arctic Lake]

25 years working with meat used mostly Victorinox which are great ,then employers switched to lesser line ,Swibo .
Even the Henckles you get at Cabelas will get you by they also sell Victorinox . Get a good honing Steel made by
F.Dick of Germany or if the price is too high go with Henckles with the yellow handle from Cabelas .
Arctic Lake

I use a hunting knife to open an animals hide and then it is Victorinox from there on. The Victorinox skinning knife cuts skinning to a fraction of the time. The butchering is the same and I keep 5 people using my knives busy and sharp with a good quality steel. My favorite fillet knife is Victorinox as well. It will cut through bones but they are hard on the edge. Touch up required after 2 big lake trout.
I sharpen all these knives before the butchering event and with the steel they stay sharp till we are done. Using the steel properly you bring the wire edge back to the front and then touch it up. Watch a video about using a steel properly.
Any knife that touches skin and hair should not be used on meat.

[boxhitch]

todays line up is
Knives of Alaska Cub Bear caper
Rapala 6" and 8" fillet
12" steaker
Solingen Original Buffalo Skinner

[moosinaround]

Just got a Cutco fillet knife for fathers day this year, worked awesome. I have one of those home butchering kits, and I don't mind the boning and steak knives out of it! usually have the Havlon out during butchering as well! Moosin

[decker9]

Went full custom and never looked back. I may look into a fillet knife some day.

https://i.postimg.cc/kgjnLwbY/A28-CB7-A7-F629-43-EA-90-C6-B7-F868880908.jpg (https://postimg.cc/SnMFM6Vc)

[wallz]

This is the route I went for the hunting knife, plus @20 sheaf from amazon. Oh, and $3 worth of paracord wrap for the handle, as I opted not to finish it off with a "proper handle". Actually works great and keeps the weight down a tad.
https://www.canadianoutdoorequipment.com/helle-utvaer-blade-blank.html

[fishhunt]

This is the one I have and it's fantastic. But I hardly ever need to use. :sad:

https://www.outdooredge.com/collections/hunting/products/razor-pro

[MichelD]

Tiny little Buck Lite
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/buck-lite-folding-knife-0755617p.html

and a Morakniv in the field.


https://www.amazon.ca/Morakniv-Companion-Stainless-Military-4-1-Inch/dp/B004ZAIXSC/ref=asc_df_B004ZAIXSC?tag=bingshopdesk-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814196245846&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584413741203286&psc=1

I find the Morakniv is pretty darn good for anything I want to do at home on the buthering table too.

[MRP]

The same Mora knife for about 35 years, got it and a point ignition file to sharpen it for about $10.

[Banker]

I have searched long and hard for a great knife and spent a ton on money on promises which have let me down in the field. I finally purchased a Grohmann #100 Large Skinner (Outdoor Dream) and one of their 8" fillet knives. I have cleaned 6 deer with the skinner and a ton of fish with the fillet knife, and I am very impressed with how they hold an edge and the ease to sharpen them at the end of the day. There are counterfeits out there from China, so best to buy factory direct.

They are relatively inexpensive for what you get and will last a lifetime and they are Canadian made.
https://grohmannknives.com/

[Squamch]

Fish, whatever knife is in my pocket usually.
Deer, whatever knife is in my pocket usually, but I also bring an outdoor edge with a swappable blade, and make an effort to use that instead of my regular pocket knife.

[horseman2]

A Kershaw Deer Hunter and a Buck El Cajon with a gut hook.
Gut hook is a misnomer but works great on the inside of the legs where the skin is thinner.
Russell 6" was a great knife but heavy.
Sometimes when a knife is considered dull it is because there is a build-up of fat just back of the cutting edge which prevents the blade getting to the cut.
Paper towel is your friend just by wiping the blade clean.
Gutted a deer "once: with a Swiss army knife . . . it probably still has blood inside and that was 20 years ago!

https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/bb50/horseman23729/2015-04-12_11.59.22.jpg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds (https://app.photobucket.com/u/horseman23729/p/77956895-d9f6-43fc-a9b9-565f7d4c3801)

[boxhitch]

Tiny little Buck Lite
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/buck-lite-folding-knife-0755617p.html
.More than one guide carries only two or three of these or the Gerber STL, for sheep or goats, small choirs
extra knife instead of a sharpener

[lakelander]

I carry the Mora fixed blade and an Outdoor Edge razor lite for the swappable blades. It is super sharp and only $40 at CT. Get one - you won't regret it but be careful you don't slice your finger!

[hawk-i]

I use what ever is on sale because I hate sharpening and throw them out when dull. A CT sale knife will usually last for one moose.

[madcalfe]

benchmade altitude for gutting/ deboning and a outdoor edge for skinning

[wideopenthrottle]

I used to only carry a folder uncle henry and a leatherman that has a fine sharpening file to touch up the uncle henry when it dulled a bit.. I put the folder in my day pack and now carry a leatherman and two fixed blades..one is a custom skinner from blacktail designs and the other is a kabar (for hand to paw combat with a grizz...heheheh)

[Greenthumbed]

I have a Buck Vanguard #192 that I carry on my belt. This knife is really nice. Sv30 steel is crazy sharp and holds its edge forever. The rosewood handle is a thing of beauty and the leather sheath is very well made. This knife is worth every penny I paid for it.
I keep an Outdoor edge change-a-blade in my kill kit as a spare. These are very utilitarian knives that get the Job done. Nothing fancy, not a thing of beauty, but darn practical. I do like practical gear!
I also keep my father’s Solingen “Buffalo Skinner” in the door pocket of my jeep. The knife has a carbon steel blade that can be sharpened to a wicked edge. I love this knife because it was my father’s and it is a heck of a knife.
I find the Buck #192’s drop point style blade a bit more handy than the Solingen’s skinner type blade.
All three of these knives are excellent and would recommend them to anyone.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my Leatherman Wave that I carry on my belt almost everyday of my life. I use this knife so many times in a day that I can’t be without it. It really does do it all!

[604Stalker]

Cleaning and processing my havalon. And my silky saw at home butchering a butcher buddy gave me some off brand boning knife the little havalon will more than do the job they are litterally a scapul with a replaceable blade and they actually have bonesaw and guthook atachments I carry a seperate set of knives incase its lost and was recently gifted a kabar used my havalon that the silky big boy for the h bone cut and my deer was in the coolers in an hour flat

[geologist]

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xvBGcxTOJFs/maxresdefault.jpg

[1S1K]

I use a havalon for skinning, and then a combo of a Victorinox and a Japanese boning knife to carve up the meat. The victorinox does the grunt work, and the Japanese boning knife is incredible for the silver skin removal and other fine work.

https://knifewear.com/products/kasumi-boning-160mm?variant=5314082948

I’ve gone through an entire moose and elk without needing to sharpen the Kasumi.