Best Skinning knife for $200

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by obsessed1

Looks amazing. What grind did you get? It looks like its not nearly as high as usual? That blade should be a beast at gutting/skinning

My money says it’s not finished in that picture. He also hasn’t put his name on it in that pic yet.

Here is a pic he sent me of the first pair I had him make and he wasn’t done grinding these yet either.




Wait until it shows up and I bet it’s the signature, high hollow grind.


Nice knife Dean.

[sns2]

For sure it’s not finished. The finger guard is as sharp as the tip. I would also say he uses two wheels, a smaller followed by a larger wheel for the high grind. That’s what I meant by spit and polish. The next pictures we see will be stunningly nice. Book it.

Honestly fellas, the degree of finish on these knives is really nice. These guys who make them at this level are true craftsman. They are utility tools, but they are also beautiful. Really beautiful in and of themselves.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Phil McCracken

That is a very nice knife!

If you don't mind me asking, what is the blade length?

Reason I'm asking is I am presently experimenting with these semi skinner blades.

Some other fine AO members have shared similar information on this, which I greatly appreciated, and I am trying to figure out a "medium"...Thanx...

Happy to let you know that info, I will try to remember to post the measurements when I have it in hand. Looks good like it is and he did say it was not finished in this picture. Really looking forward to seeing the finished product.

[Phil McCracken]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Happy to let you know that info, I will try to remember to post the measurements when I have it in hand. Looks good like it is and he did say it was not finished in this picture. Really looking forward to seeing the finished product.

I appreciate that very much...Thanx...

[Pathfinder76]

I have just had occasion to skin a couple more black bear. I did them both myself and left paws in and caped them. One I did with a Crotts Semi Skinner in D2 and one with a Spyderco Gayle Bradley 2 in CPM M4. Both wore their original edge and both started shaving sharp. Neither ended that way. Both were still sharp enough to skin an animal but neither of the two were impressively sharp. I attribute caping them as being the culprit for being hard on an edge. I think I can improve upon the original edge on both though.

Ergonomics are still playing heavy favourites to the Semi Skinner. It really is, IMO, without peer. My hand actually cramped up a bit after using the Gayle Bradley. No discomfort with the Crotts.

[ClutchCanadian4]

I paid $180, love it.
https://bighornsteel.ca/

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

[Dean2]

So Pathfinder76, what are you thinking of in terms of improving on the Edge so it stays sharper longer? I have a Crotts Semi Skinner in D2 in the mail to me now so interested to know.

Nice looking Yogis and some great pictures.

[Pathfinder76]

Thanks Dean. I just think, and this is only my opinion, that a very coarse belt edge is somewhat fragile. I think the apex is weak and I also think there is a wire there. A slightly more refined and stropped edge should maintain itself longer.

But I do think bear heads are tough on edges. At least with my ineptitude. I’m hitting teeth plenty and they are hard on knives. If you are only skinning, an edge will last forever.

[sns2]

I was seriously considering buying a Wicked Edge. Just now, I realized how many times I could send my knife to Pathfinder76 for custom sharpening. Wicked Edge is definitely on hold!

My Baba modelled the value of a dollar for me well. Baba didn’t raise no dummy!

[averagejoe]

Originally Posted by sns2

I was seriously considering buying a Wicked Edge. Just now, I realized how many times I could send my knife to Pathfinder76 for custom sharpening. Wicked Edge is definitely on hold!

My Baba modelled the value of a dollar for me well. Baba didn’t raise no dummy!

But shipping both ways is a minimum of $40 (and going up a lot every year), plus sharpening costs. Sending out for 15-20 sharpenings and the system could have been paid for. The dollar value goes up when you can also have all the knives at hone sharpened as well. Plus the families, the inlaws, the neighbours... and you could earn money on the side making the system pay for itself

Sounds like the perfect excuse to go for a visit, just to save on shipping costs you know. No risk of something getting lost in the mail either. Certainly no plans to give the WE a test to see if you like it. No siree.

Now... where was that enablers anonymous meeting again?

[Twisted Canuck]

Sharpening aside (and I appreciate the first hand input and review), nice bears Pathfinder. Always appreciate seeing a dad hunting with their kids. Well done.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by averagejoe

But shipping both ways is a minimum of $40 (and going up a lot every year), plus sharpening costs. Sending out for 15-20 sharpenings and the system could have been paid for. The dollar value goes up when you can also have all the knives at hone sharpened as well. Plus the families, the inlaws, the neighbours... and you could earn money on the side making the system pay for itself



Sounds like the perfect excuse to go for a visit, just to save on shipping costs you know. No risk of something getting lost in the mail either. Certainly no plans to give the WE a test to see if you like it. No siree.



Now... where was that enablers anonymous meeting again?

You SOB

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

[Coiloil37]

Finally the time of year we can get some reports on these knives you’ve all bought.

Nice bears.

Please update us with subsequent sharpening. From reports I’ve read, how a knife is sharpened and what it’s sharpened with can make an enormous difference on edge retention.

As can avoiding bone, unless your running a steel that can handle the abuse. Personally I avoid bone like the plague.

What grit did you finish the blades at? How much stropping did you do? You sharpened with diamond yea?

I’ve owned the GB myself and that M4 was pretty impressive steel with an equally impressive heat treat so between the two going dull I would say something could be improved.

Shane… I’m staying out of the sharpening thread for a reason. My opinion, buy an 8” duo sharp DMT course/fine and practice.
Leave the course stone with the blade shaving and only take a couple passes on the fine side to further refine the edge. Maybe two or three passes on a diamond loaded strop and go cut stuff.

This is all the hardware you need.




Then just spend a little time to hone your skillz.


If you want to scare yourself with the edge it’ll need a little more refinement but the edges I get off that stone cut a looooong time.

I refined the edge on my southfork one day just because I could and you could shave your face with it. Who knows how long it would last in the real world.

[sns2]

If I were a Catholic, which I'm not. And if I went into the confessional, it would go something like this...

"Father forgive me for I have sinned in the last month. When Pathfinder76's Semi Skinner arrived in my home, after the 24 hours of travail, I gave in to the temptation to shave half my arm with it to see just how good it was."

To which the Priest would reply, "Was it as good as you were expecting?"

To which I quickly replied, "Indeed, it was!"

The priest genuflects, and says, "Go in peace. I would have done the same. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak."

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

[sns2]

[QUOTE=Coiloil37;4555488]

Shane… I’m staying out of the sharpening thread for a reason. My opinion, buy an 8” duo sharp DMT course/fine and practice.
Leave the course stone with the blade shaving and only take a couple passes on the fine side to further refine the edge. Maybe two or three passes on a diamond loaded strop and go cut stuff.

This is all the hardware you need.




Then just spend a little time to hone your skillz...[/QUOTE

Heehee. You are right. If I am now owning quality knives because there is a real aspect of art in them, I may as well learn the highest form of sharpening.

No reason not to keep both.

Kevin, I just put a screaming sharp edge on this knife. It's so sharp, I could sneak into your tent, shave your balls with it, and sneak out without you as much as twitching your eyelid!



Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

I have just had occasion to skin a couple more black bear. I did them both myself and left paws in and caped them. One I did with a Crotts Semi Skinner in D2 and one with a Spyderco Gayle Bradley 2 in CPM M4. Both wore their original edge and both started shaving sharp. Neither ended that way. Both were still sharp enough to skin an animal but neither of the two were impressively sharp. I attribute caping them as being the culprit for being hard on an edge. I think I can improve upon the original edge on both though.

Won’t matter if you are constantly touching the bone when caping. In fact, it may work against you with a finer edge.

What do you mean by “sharp enough to skin” but not “impressively sharp” though? In my experience, no knife will shave after the work equivalent to caping (when hard on the bone). It may still be sharp and have a decent working edge, but it definitely won’t shave, or shave clean, I should say. And it’s not supposed to, really.

I’d also be interested in knowing how it performs with a different edge doing the same work in the same way. Someone send him more bears

Have you ever fixed that Spyopera that chipped, Pathfinder?

Originally Posted by sns2

Kevin, I just put a screaming sharp edge on this knife. It's so sharp, I could sneak into your tent, shave your balls with it, and sneak out without you as much as twitching your eyelid!

Have you shaved your arms clean by now but still experimenting? Haha.

Coil, did you get to the Cruwear you mentioned you bought?

[Coiloil37]

[QUOTE=sns2;4555496]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

Shane… I’m staying out of the sharpening thread for a reason. My opinion, buy an 8” duo sharp DMT course/fine and practice.
Leave the course stone with the blade shaving and only take a couple passes on the fine side to further refine the edge. Maybe two or three passes on a diamond loaded strop and go cut stuff.

This is all the hardware you need.




Then just spend a little time to hone your skillz...[/QUOTE

Heehee. You are right. If I am now owning quality knives because there is a real aspect of art in them, I may as well learn the highest form of sharpening.

No reason not to keep both.

Kevin, I just put a screaming sharp edge on this knife. It's so sharp, I could sneak into your tent, shave your balls with it, and sneak out without you as much as twitching your eyelid!



Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

I’m glad you’ve found something that works for you. That’s better then most people.

As for your other hypotheses… I doubt it. I sleep with my eyes open and have pictures to prove it. Nothing sneaks up on me.

[Pathfinder76]

I just mean that if you wanted to shave with them you might be disappointed, but they would have processed a deer no problem. Bone is hard on edges for sure and disarticulating bear feet is a pain in the butt. I’m sure that does my knife no favours. Then add to that caping and your knife does take some abuse. A lot of times I’ll deal with joints with my pocket knife and cape with my Havalon. But in the interest of science AND less knives to clean I used one knife. :-)

I have finished both of these knives at 1000 grit with diamond stones. Then stropped approximately 10-20 times. That still gives me a toothy finish. We shall see what they do now. But they are sharp. Also, I hear of guys unable to put an edge back on M4. But with diamond stones it is a cake walk.

The Spyopera wasn’t chipped after all. Just a bit that looked like it was. Thank goodness.

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

Won’t matter if you are constantly touching the bone when caping. In fact, it may work against you with a finer edge.

What do you mean by “sharp enough to skin” but not “impressively sharp” though? In my experience, no knife will shave after the work equivalent to caping (when hard on the bone). It may still be sharp and have a decent working edge, but it definitely won’t shave, or shave clean, I should say. And it’s not supposed to, really.

I’d also be interested in knowing how it performs with a different edge doing the same work in the same way. Someone send him more bears

Have you ever fixed that Spyopera that chipped, Pathfinder?


Have you shaved your arms clean by now but still experimenting? Haha.

Coil, did you get to the Cruwear you mentioned you bought?

Yes I did but haven’t used it yet. Not sure if I’m going to either. I’ve got four PM2’s that are users so I suspect the Cruwear will be catch and release. The odds of me breaking or losing the four I’ve got in a lifetime is very, very slim.

If I do decide to use it I’ve got a few different scale options in the safe. The purple isn’t my thing.

[fishnguy]

Just popped up. For those that want and keep missing out. Good deal, it seems, for the steel and handle material.

https://forthenrycustomknives.com/sh...-skinner-s90v/



Edit: while very minor, but I like the way it is stamped too, on the spine vs the blade.

Edit 2 few minutes later, lol: hope it was one of you who grabbed it.

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

I just mean that if you wanted to shave with them you might be disappointed, but they would have processed a deer no problem. Bone is hard on edges for sure and disarticulating bear feet is a pain in the butt. I’m sure that does my knife no favours. Then add to that caping and your knife does take some abuse. A lot of times I’ll deal with joints with my pocket knife and cape with my Havalon. But in the interest of science AND less knives to clean I used one knife. :-)

I have finished both of these knives at 1000 grit with diamond stones. Then stropped approximately 10-20 times. That still gives me a toothy finish. We shall see what they do now. But they are sharp. Also, I hear of guys unable to put an edge back on M4. But with diamond stones it is a cake walk.

The Spyopera wasn’t chipped after all. Just a bit that looked like it was. Thank goodness.

That’s what I thought you meant.

Bear feet suck, lol.

Gald to hear Spyopera is ok. Chipping it badly would definitely be upsetting. Too many dolares.

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

If I do decide to use it I’ve got a few different scale options in the safe. The purple isn’t my thing.

Haha. Why did you order purple though? Doesn’t look too bad though, but definitely wouldn’t be my first choice, or second.

[spurly]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

Just popped up. For those that want and keep missing out. Good deal, it seems, for the steel and handle material.

https://forthenrycustomknives.com/sh...-skinner-s90v/



Edit: while very minor, but I like the way it is stamped too, on the spine vs the blade.

Edit 2 few minutes later, lol: hope it was one of you who grabbed it.

Very nice knife but will probably end up about $550 CDN to get it here.

[fishnguy]

^ I estimated $510 at today’s exchange rate, haha.

[spurly]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

^ I estimated $510 at today’s exchange rate, haha.

Did you forget the $15 snoop charge at the border, and the GST ,on the claimed amount?

[spurly]

Originally Posted by spurly

Did you forget the $15 snoop charge at the border, and the GST ,on the claimed amount?

It’s $50 USD just for shipping alone.

[Athabasca1]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

Just popped up. For those that want and keep missing out. Good deal, it seems, for the steel and handle material.

https://forthenrycustomknives.com/sh...-skinner-s90v/



Edit: while very minor, but I like the way it is stamped too, on the spine vs the blade.

Edit 2 few minutes later, lol: hope it was one of you who grabbed it.

Just checked, already sold. Dang, too late on that one.

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by spurly

Did you forget the $15 snoop charge at the border, and the GST ,on the claimed amount?

Nope. 325 USD ~ 425 CAD plus 40 USD shipping ~ 52 CAD, GST of $21 plus $10 fee (they ship via USPS, or used to), for a total of ~ 508 CAD.

Edit:

Originally Posted by spurly

It’s $50 USD just for shipping alone.

We will split it in the middle then, haha. I guess shipping went up, which isn’t surprising. I may have also been a bit low on the exchange rate.

[spurly]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

Nope. 325 USD ~ 425 CAD plus 40 USD shipping ~ 52 CAD, GST of $21 plus $10 fee (they ship via USPS, or used to), for a total of ~ 508 CAD.

Edit:


We will split it in the middle then, haha. I guess shipping went up, which isn’t surprising. I may have also been a bit low on the exchange rate.

Last time I checked I was quoted $51 US for shipping. I was working off $1.31 for exchange, so could be off there. Still sucks that it’s so far away from the original $325 US.

[fishnguy]

For sure. Many purchases on the other side of the border stop at that math, lol.

[spurly]

Sad but true.