Need a knife that will hold an edge

[Hillbilly stalker]

Sounds like your on bone a lot. No offense intended, but I can clean 2 deer with most knives and be fine. Might have to run it over the edge of my truck window for a second. I’ve got a $20 Jr. sodbuster that will peel ones britches just as fast as an expensive knife. Any knife that holds a edge for an extra long time is usually too hard for most people to sharpen. A member on free turned me on to a Rada super paring knife.....it’s wicked on a deer.

 

[Impact97]

Sounds like your on bone a lot. No offense intended, but I can clean 2 deer with most knives and be fine. Might have to run it over the edge of my truck window for a second. I’ve got a $20 Jr. sodbuster that will peel ones britches just as fast as an expensive knife. Any knife that holds a edge for an extra long time is usually too hard for most people to sharpen. A member on free turned me on to a Rada super paring knife.....it’s wicked on a deer.

No offense taken. I have been cleaning deer for 35 years and honestly have been out of the new knife game for a while. Maybe I am getting old and ornery, but that last deer I cleaned just seemed to send me in a new direction. If I can learn something new (or old but new to me), it is worth the time spent.

 

[NCMTNHunter]

A few years ago, I switched to the outdoor edge razor knife with the replacement blades.

It is the best thing that I have used for skinning and quartering deer/hogs. I can usually skin 2/3 deer or a hog with a single blade and it takes about 15 seconds to change the blade to another scalpel sharp blade. I use the knife only to quarter a deer including short boning the hams and cutting through the ball joints. Those are tough on blades.

Before anyone calls me lazy, I can sharpen a knife and I own a lot of them, even some customs, but as far as working up game, these replaceable blade knives are hard to beat.

I’m going to have to second this. I have some really nice knives and I have always prided myself in being able to get a knife sharp enough to make the hair jump off my arm. That being said the usefulness of the outdoor edge knife is just too hard to ignore. I can carry this single knife as a replacement for the multiple knives + sharpener I used to carry on pack trips. Plus when it gets dull you just pop another blade on there and keep going. I refused to “wuss out” and switch to this knife for a long time but now I’m dang glad I did.

 

[model88_308]

They've been mentioned multiple times here lately. Morakniv is the way to go for a sharp, from the get-go knife that resharpens, IMO, rather quickly and will do what you need it to. There are deals now, for two Morakniv with Carbon steel blades for under $20. Buy a pair delivered for under $20 and should one get dull (I doubt it will) grab#2. Five minutes on each with a GOOD rod (mine is impregnated with diamond dust) will give you a shaving edge for the next time.

 

[sea trout]

I know there will be multiple thoughts on this, but I am looking for some ideas of knifes that will hold a good edge.

Thanks,

If you're ok with sinkin 150 to 200 into a need one in a lifetime knife then look up Rick Lammons on facebook! Handmade in Jefferson Ga. They are insanely awesome!

 

[F.A.R.R.]

Not sure how much your lookin to spend (custom knives can get pretty expensive)

But if they are in your price range Knives of Alaska makes a nice knife - and their steels (many are D2) hold and edge well

 

[K80Shooter]

Here's my thoughts, without knowing what you have (brand, model and steel type) it's hard to say what's happening. I have lots of fixed blade knives, both custom and store bought. I've never had one that wouldn't skin multiple deer before needing sharpening again. I'm wondering if maybe you have the edge set at too much of a angle for it to hold a good edge. In other words the edge is so thin that it's losing it's ability to hold a edge.

There's lots of good blade steel out there today, ats34, cpm154, s30v and a host of others that will hold a edge as long as it's sharpened properly.

 

[K80Shooter]

Check this out for a little more info on steel type and use.

https://knifeinformer.com/discovering-the-best-knife-steel/

 

[dusty200001]

Benchmade

 

[CowtownHunter]

It is unbelievable how fast a knife will dull if you cut into the hair. Avoid that and finishing out a deer shouldn't be an issue. May need to strop the blade with sharpening rod (or your leather belt) from time to time. I always use two knives...one to cut through the hair and the other to skin and quarter. But I've recently fell in love with Outdoor Edge replacement blades. I can do more but I change the blade after processing 1 deer. Also the sooner you skin the deer after putting it down the easier it is to skin it.

 

[livinoutdoors]

Havalon or any replaceable blade knife with a couple of blades is easier to carry than a sharpener. Plus my pocket buck all set.

 

[treemanjohn]

Don`t never let it get dull. Touch it up as needed.

Correct . Touch it up as you go.

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

Daddy said “Son if you can’t learn to sharpen a knife you got no business owning one”
So I barely learned to get it to cut hair.
I aint a pro sharpener the way my friend can yet he refuses to sharpen mine sharp as his. So I carry two sharpeners and two knives in the truck.
I’ve used anything from a swiss army two incher to a fifteen incher to a ninja gas station garbage to a found piece of chirt. The knife doesn’t matter but how sharp it is does.
Whether I sharpen once a decade or ten times a deer it doesn’t bother me cause I got knives and learned how to get them all almost JB SHARP.
That man is blind as a bat but he can trail any deer in the pitch dark and he can sharpen a brand new scalpel out of the package making you think it was dull when he started.
Frustrating he wouldn’t let mine get that sharp just once, just once!
moral of this is to sharpen what you got nothing else is needed after that.
I’ve even skinned one with an old style beer tab and the can itself.
Anything to learn.

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

Oh ps.
Maybe retemper the one you got!!!
You can do it in your home oven.
And change the way it sharpens

 

[flyrod444]

I've skinned and cut up more than 80 deer over the years using an old carbon steel henkle & henkle trapper pocket knife. I can usually complete two deer before I have to touch up the blades. Having two blades helps. I broke the bone handle on this knife 20 years ago and decided to take it apart and fit it with elk horn handle. While henkles are no longer sold you can still get the same knife from boker. They made the henkle pocket knives anyway. Make sure and get the carbon steel boker made in Germany. I lot of the boker knives are now made in China. Plus, magnum, and tree brand traditional knives are some that are made in China. If the shield has solingen on it the knife was made in Germany.

 

[Nicodemus]

You don`t need to make but 8 cuts on a deer to skin it, then put your knife down.

If you braintan hides, you know what I`m saying. And more important, you understand.

 

[rattlesnake1]

Gerber Gator, I have the fixed blade and folder , you will not have to sharpen it while you clean a deer.
you can probably clean several before you need to sharpen it.

 

[rattlesnake1]

Don't let your wife wash it in the dish washer ! that will dull it right up.

 

[godogs57]

Give me a shoutout if I can help. My knife this year gutted, skinned and worked up a pronghorn antelope and then a 6x7 bull. I sharpened it one time after finishing it in my shop. Stop by the house and I'll show you it still shaves.

Hank

 

[Nicodemus]

Give me a shoutout if I can help. My knife this year gutted, skinned and worked up a pronghorn antelope and then a 6x7 bull. I sharpened it one time after finishing it in my shop. Stop by the house and I'll show you it still shaves. View attachment 993771

Hank

I need to stop by and see you soon.