Boning with a Skinner?

Hey All,

I have a Hunter's Element Classic Skinner;
https://www.hunterselement.co.nz/pro...lassic-skinner

Blade is 5CR15 steel (similar to 440A, without the edge retention). I have a handheld carbon steel/ceramic touch-up sharpener.

Is this rig any good in the field, and could I get away with skinning and basic boning-out in the field with this knife?

I'd appreciate any comments and advice please - Hunter's Element knife quality in general, 5CR15 steel used for skinning blades, skinners doubling as boners...

TIA,
Dave

You will be fine. One advantage with that steel is that although it doesn't hold its edge for that long it is easy to sharpen. Plenty of deer are dealt to with Buck knives and their steel is no better.

The shape of the knife will be fine for what you are wanting to do too. Its a good useful shape for skinning and boning with just the one knife.

i have skinned many animals with a buck with no sharpening, gerber is a different story. some good.some bad

Looks good for shape, very slightly too wide if being picky. Just make sure that the handle isn't slippery with blood and fat on it. Will do the job fine

That sort of blade shape with a bit of belly is one of my preferred field knife shapes. The knife you carry in the field is a jack of all trades, you need to skin, bone and gut the carcass.

It's not what I would use if boning out at home but for the field is a good compromise between the jobs

I use a Mercator, it’s not a skinner or a boning knife. It’s small and light and sharp. At home is a different story, I have a dazzling array of knifes. When you’ve butchered 30 deer you’ll start to think about the perfect knife, what you have there is perfect for now��

well said 2post...Ive used many knives over the years....bacho,mercator,green river,svord phesant,bowie,even the humble swiss army folder have done the job..

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Originally Posted by 2post

I use a Mercator, it’s not a skinner or a boning knife. It’s small and light and sharp. At home is a different story, I have a dazzling array of knifes. When you’ve butchered 30 deer you’ll start to think about the perfect knife, what you have there is perfect for now��

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Mercators are so last year :)

I have over 30 knives, most of them Bark River. Only 3 are folders (including an old Mercator) ... and one of the folders is as good as any knife I have. It fits in my belt pack and the edge lasts several deer. Cost $100 odd landed in NZ. Its a 3.75" long Cold Steel and in CPT-XHP steel which is like a much improved D2. I highly recommend them.

Only negative is that they have a very silly name.
https://www.knifecenter.com/series/c...l-broken-skull

Attachment 119354

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Originally Posted by Tahr

Mercators are so last year :)

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I think you'll find they're so last 50-years.

I haven't killed one, only lose them. I get the carbon steel (no idea what ABCs it has) rather than the stainless. Always add flagging tape or a lanyard because they can disappear quite easy.

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Originally Posted by mimms

I think you'll find they're so last 50-years.

I haven't killed one, only lose them. I get the carbon steel (no idea what ABCs it has) rather than the stainless. Always add flagging tape or a lanyard because they can disappear quite easy.

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As above. Have dealt to many animals in the field, their only failing is they're easy to lose and they wear holes in your pockets if you don't use a belt scabbard.

Boning with a Skinner is no problem.
Skinning with a boner though could be painful.... ;) :P

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tahr

Mercators are so last year :)

I have over 30 knives, most of them Bark River. Only 3 are folders (including an old Mercator) ... and one of the folders is as good as any knife I have. It fits in my belt pack and the edge lasts several deer. Cost $100 odd landed in NZ. Its a 3.75" long Cold Steel and in CPT-XHP steel which is like a much improved D2. I highly recommend them.


Only negative is that they have a very silly name.
https://www.knifecenter.com/series/c...l-broken-skull

Attachment 119354

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So 35 years ago for me, you’ve butchered more the 30 deer so can change knifes. Probably half of them this year. Mind you I’ve butchered more than 30 sheep and haven’t considered changing out my 1st green river. ��

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Originally Posted by woods223

As above. Have dealt to many animals in the field, their only failing is they're easy to lose and they wear holes in your pockets if you don't use a belt scabbard.

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Put a loop of para cord on it and then loop the cord through the belt loop and then the knife back through the cord - only takes a second or two to get off and never sits in the bottom of your pocket wearing it out and it will never accidentally wander off from there.

started out with a green river bushmans friend...the boning knife they make now replaced it...did everything with that knife and the shape of blade is still what I prefer...sort of a 7" bowie with the upper edge not sharp. skinned hundreds of sheep n goats back when was on the farm.

My go to for pretty much everything is just the victrinox curved boning knife, easy to sharpen, stick pigs, skin/bone animals, fillet fish etc.
https://www.blademaster.co.nz/shop/S.../-5650315.html

That's a nice looking knife, but you could save yourself $60 and get a lot more varied use out of something else.

One knife can't do it all, nowadays you need specialised equipment and that's why I carry all four types:Attachment 119419

From the top we have the 'sticker', 'gutting', skinner and boner.
The same goes for ammunition, again I carry ammo for each situation bullet 1) yearlings, spikers, chamois and fallow 2) Hinds and medium pigs 3) Red Stags and Boars 4) Tahr

@Tahr, that knife is one of the very few Cold Steels with a full flat grind. Still sold in XHP too ,when a lot of the other CS designs are being migrated over to S35VN. Miles of straight edge before the belly, available in orange & blue rather than just handle colours that mean it is gone forever when dropped or inadvisedly put down in some situations. A lot to like there. I think if I ordered one in I might take to the spine with a grinder though, and use it as a test case for attempting to sandblast off the dlc coating along with the writing!

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Originally Posted by Puffin

@Tahr, that knife is one of the very few Cold Steels with a full flat grind. Still sold in XHP too ,when a lot of the other CS designs are being migrated over to S35VN. Miles of straight edge before the belly, available in orange & blue rather than just handle colours that mean it is gone forever when dropped or inadvisedly put down in some situations. A lot to like there. I think if I ordered one in I might take to the spine with a grinder though, and use it as a test case for attempting to sandblast off the dlc coating along with the writing!

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I took the V grind off mine and convexed it with water stones, and a lot of the coating came off while I was doing that. Yes, they are great. Lots to like and way better than the Mercator.

Mike Stewart (the owner of Bark River) told me that he would have used XHP but Carpenter couldn't supply enough of it or guarantee continuity. Cold Steal were in the same boat it seems.

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

started out with a green river bushmans friend...the boning knife they make now replaced it...did everything with that knife and the shape of blade is still what I prefer...sort of a 7" bowie with the upper edge not sharp. skinned hundreds of sheep n goats back when was on the farm.

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hmmmmm just looked and PGG Wrightsons web site still has bushmans friends advertised.

Sorry don,t like the handle on the knife far to narrow for me, I have used various knives over the years, best folder in budget range, opinel either number 8 or 9, a good budget is the mora as a fixed blade, below are two knives I have used a lot,
Attachment 119458
Attachment 119460