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Utility Knife for field dressing/skinning?

Tjraley2

Tjraley2

Well-Known Member
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Joined
Feb 21, 2018
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814
Location
Stoughton, WI
Has anyone tried using a utility knife for field dressing or skinning deer?

Seems the only downside would be the thinness of the blade. But with all the different blade shapes and the cost of replacement blades, it seems like it could be a great solution for someone working with a budget.
 
Tjraley2 said:
Has anyone tried using a utility knife for field dressing or skinning deer?

Seems the only downside would be the thinness of the blade. But with all the different blade shapes and the cost of replacement blades, it seems like it could be a great solution for someone working with a budget.
Click to expand...
I would imagine it would be fine for skinning, and adequate for deboning. I prefer a small, 3" fixed blade for skinning, or a havalon piranta. For cleaning and deboning I'm starting to really like a victorinox paring knife, or a small, 4" filet knife.
 
I am sure someone here knows the name of it. But there is a blade for utility knives that is a gut hook, roofing blade maybe? Between that and the normal blade, I have cleaned A LOT of hogs. Cheap and works really well imo.
 
I’m just about to pull the trigger on a havalon. I’ve got a 3 inch skinning knife I’m having a tough time getting razor sharp. Perhaps I just suck at that...

I’ve also been looking at the victorinox line. The bearded butchers I think are who I first heard recommend them.
 
I did the field dressing and all the deboning with a carpet knife from Lowes on my recent doe kill. It worked surprisingly good.
Upper and lower sharp curved end and reversible blade. One blade did it all. The Rage broadhead cut through the heart, not the knife.
The upper exposed edge was not great for field dressing. I had to use my fingers to prevent cutting the stomach which I cut a bit anyway. When deboning the meat the upper edge was useful since I could slice up and down without turning the knife. The fully open angle is what you see so it took a few minutes to get used to it but it worked OK.
Original post of my knife use here.

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I used my 10 foot electrical conduit rope pusher to push the rope up a tree. It worked. I shot a doe. Now I can try for the buck. My tether was set at 17 feet which seems kind of low but the leaf canopy was around there so I could not see as far if I went higher. It was so thick in there at...
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Field dressed a doe this week with a utility knife....with through the ribs no prob. Overall worked well enough for field dressing ut didn't care for it when skinning. You really need a rounded point for that.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 
ericabbott said:
Havalon Piranta 2-3/4" scalpel blade and an Outdoor Edge Swingblaze
Click to expand...

I was a deer processor for some time and this man has it right.

Get a Havalon or an Outdoor Edge replaceable blade folding knife. My favorite is the Outdoor Edge Razor Pro, the gut opener is perfect. I've run 40+ deer in a single night on that OE Razor Pro before replacing. Now that's with not nicking bone etc. You start hitting bone and you'll be swapping blades in a couple deer.

Swap to any sharp boning knife when it's time to break and cut for table.

That utility knife or any other sharp thing will work but it is really worth saving for a good skinning knife and boning knife if you are taking care of your own meat.
 
One trick I learned is to put a little dish soap in a ziploc bag of warm water and let your knife soak in that overnight.
 
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