Good skinning knife?

[Bean Counter]

Anybody have an experience (or rumors) with the Gerber Gator II?  Cabelas sells it for $40, but I've seen it on eBay for $15 cheaper.  I saw a similar skinner by Knives of Alaska at Sportsmans but that was like $120.  Yikes!

I post it under Elk Hunting because I want it to be able to do an elk, as well as deer and bear. Thanks.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp;jsessionid=S55F3D4TNH4PZLAQBBLCCOVMCAEFAIWE?id=0033881516986a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_RESULTS_NYR&returnPage=search-results2.jsp&No=0&Ne=46&nyr=1&noImage=0&Ntt=gerber+knife&Ntk=Products&QueryText=gerber+knife&Ntx=matchall&N=51&_requestid=111203"

[bucklucky]

Get one custom made from rainshadow here on the site, I bet those other knives wouldnt even compare.

[jdb]

any good knife that will hold and edge will do just fine. the gerber would be an excellent choice. JB

[rainshadow1]

The 420HC is a little easier to sharpen and gets sharper than 440c or ATS34. Conversely, it'll dull faster, need to be sharpened more often, and not be as tough as those. If you don't use your knife a ton, or use it real carefully (avoiding other metal, rocks, bone, sand, etc.) then it's a good choice. Gerbers in general have been decent for the money.

No, they don't compare, but I can't do a knife for $40!!!

[Bean Counter]

The 420HC is a little easier to sharpen and gets sharper than 440c or ATS34. Conversely, it'll dull faster, need to be sharpened more often, and not be as tough as those. If you don't use your knife a ton, or use it real carefully (avoiding other metal, rocks, bone, sand, etc.) then it's a good choice. Gerbers in general have been decent for the money.

No, they don't compare, but I can't do a knife for $40!!!

I checked out your website.  That's some beautiful work.  You really do get what you pay for I guess.  Losing my $20 pair of binoculars on my first deer hunt was one of the best things that ever happened to me--I upgraded to Nikon Monarch ATB.  Perhaps I'll first get that Gerber and then you'll be hearing from me a little later!   

[Bean Counter]

Steve,

PM about your products..

[SNIPER10]

Bean Counter,

I use the Havalon Piranta.  It is a removable blade knife that uses a 60X scalpel blade.  It makes extremely short work of any skinning job.  I have used it to skin numerous elk, deer, and even a bison.  When the blade gets dull, just replace it, no sharpening needed.  I can usually gut and skin an entire elk with only one blade.  I can do two deer per blade.  The knife is about $40.00 and 100 blades are about $27.00.  You can get them from havalon.com.  I like the plastic handle one better for holding on to, but the metal handle one has a better locking system.

Good Luck,

JT

[jackelope]

good skinning knife...
thanks again steve...exactly how i was hoping it would turn out.

[rainshadow1]

It's in the mail! 

[cascademountainhunter]

i like BUCK KNIVES. they are all good and not to expensive.

[HoofsandWings]

I think knives with the folded steel blades work well for skinning. Something in the 10 to 20 folds, but maybe more is better.

[TheHunt]

My opinion the best skinning knife:  http://www.havalon.com/  Absolutely the best skinning knife I have ever owned...    40 dollars, plus comes with 12 blades.

I own the the Piranta.  Would not use it to bone out a big game animal but would skin one in a heart beat

[rainshadow1]

Damascus (folded) can be one of the best performing edges in the game, from any angle, if it's heat treated right.  But $40 isn't even a downpayment!

[AlpineMuley]

I skinned a whole elk with a knife from QVC, after my $90.00 grber went to #QW#$.  It really doesn't matter on the blade, as long as u can keep it sharp.  I had to keep sharpening the QVC knife every 15mins.  Since then, I have four knives (1 custom) for various portions of the skinning process. 

[rjm5]

I would forget about a knife and use scalpels. Thats all we use for deer, bear, and elk. There cheaper anfd lighter than any knive you'll buy and when the blade gets dull you put another one on. Its just another way to go if you don't want to carry the weight of a knife.