Best Skinning knife for $200

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by nimrod

Well my new to me knife goat knife is 2.6 ounces

I've got a couple of the buck skeletonized knives, a caping and a skinning. Dandy little knives that weigh next to nothing, great for packing. I see Buck isn't making them anymore unfortunately

[obsessed1]

Originally Posted by MountainTi

I've got a couple of the buck skeletonized knives, a caping and a skinning. Dandy little knives that weigh next to nothing, great for packing. I see Buck isn't making them anymore unfortunately

I have one in each size as well as the caper and hide zipper. Decent knives that take a good edge but too much belly for my taste and the grips are too thin for my old hands to get and keep a decent grip

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by obsessed1

I have one in each size as well as the caper and hide zipper. Decent knives that take a good edge but too much belly for my taste and the grips are too thin for my old hands to get and keep a decent grip

They definitely aren't built for comfort, but nice to have a couple in the pack when shaving weight. Great lightweights for sure

[sns2]

Fellas, someone on this thread recommended the Benchmade Puuko 200 as the best knife for $200. I just watched this video. Very impressive performance. You may also pizz yo pants laughing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx9UXfgqKw4&t=695s

[graybeard]

Originally Posted by sns2

Fellas, someone on this thread recommended the Benchmade Puuko 200 as the best knife for $200. I just watched this video. Very impressive performance. You may also pizz yo pants laughing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx9UXfgqKw4&t=695s

The funny youtube video aside, the Benchmade 200 Puukko in 3V steel is unreal.

It has the rubber handle that doesn't compare aesthetically to that of the beautiful custom knives you have seen in this thread, however it does not slip in your hand when it is wet or cold.

The 3V steel in any knife is very good.....So for a knife under $200 this one is a good choice......

With time and patience, I just picked up a used Puukko 3V with the leather sheath, for well under this threads $200...actually under $75...

Don't ignore the Manly Patriot CPM 154 for under $110 either....FYI, the Manly Patriot in D2 steel is under $75.

For those of you on a budget, there are lots of knives with great steel out there, and under $200, they are just not a beautiful as a $400-$500 ones, but the steel still performs the same.

Good luck,

[Pathfinder76]

So here is a few knives I’ve picked up. This is not to brag. At all. I sold knives to fund these which included custom knives. But, bear season is coming, and that is a great time to test cutlery. I have two others on order from Dan Crotts but they are months out. I also have one being made locally by a friend that might just be the ticket. I helped a little in that one’s design. These may get sold when the others arrive. I’m not a collector, but I have had trouble finding the perfect knife. That knife may not exist. Lol. But I want to test a few this spring. Anyway, here they are. :-)

[M.C. Gusto]

Originally Posted by sns2

Fellas, someone on this thread recommended the Benchmade Puuko 200 as the best knife for $200. I just watched this video. Very impressive performance. You may also pizz yo pants laughing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx9UXfgqKw4&t=695s

I would think this is the best value a guy could find. I have a sprint run Benchmade in this steel and it’s by far the best knife steel I have tried.
The blade does seem like a bushcraft design and I’m not sure how it would perform compared to a designated skinning knife, regardless I think I will buy one.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by M.C. Gusto

I would think this is the best value a guy could find. I have a sprint run Benchmade in this steel and it’s by far the best knife steel I have tried.
The blade does seem like a bushcraft design and I’m not sure how it would perform compared to a designated skinning knife, regardless I think I will buy one.

I like they way you roll!

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

So here is a few knives I’ve picked up.

Lol. You are quick. Well done.

I have Crotts lightweight hunter (I think that was the name, but could be mistaken) that is similar in shape to yours. The handle is very different though. Nice knife but I never used it hunting. I think it was one of the last “nice” knives I bought.


Dozier had a few “collabs” with Boker. I don’t remember exactly, but feel like it was three, or at least three that I can remember. One of them was either semi skinner or pro skinner. Steel was an average AUS-8 (I use an AUS-8 knife currently that I mentioned in this thread a while back), but it had good G-10 or micarta scales. I don’t remember how much they were, but feel like under $100. Another was a D2, a better quality knife, with micarta scales, but was kind of pricy, maybe under $200. I don’t remember which model it was copied from, but definitely some drop point. The third was… I don’t remember; the steel was AUS-8 as well but had… hm… some wood scales, I never bought one. Those were under $100 as well, I believe. Those aren’t “Arkansas Made”, but maybe someone wants to look into these options. Not sure if any are still for sale anywhere since it’s been awhile.


3V is a solid steel, one of the best, imho. Many quality (and some of the best) bushcraft knives are made from it: tough as nails and holds the edge reasonably well. Properly treated, it is a superior steel to D2, be it Dozier or anyone else on top of their game, imho.

Graybeard, awesome pick up for under $75! If you see another one at that price point, let me know, lol, I will get one too!

Pathfinder, I agree about the “bushcraft” knives. Yet, I have a friend who would chop a tree using one of those with a perfectly good axe lying next to him. Go figure. He is one of those “nuts” though that would buy a knife just to “test” it, sometimes destroy it in the process even. I do admit, there are situations I can see where one would carry a knife and a little sharpener vs a knife and an axe though.

[fishnguy]

Correction to the above ^ since I can’t edit anymore: I never bought a Crotts’ knife before; the one I have was given to me as a gift by my “nutty” friend also mentioned above.

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

Lol. You are quick. Well done.

I have Crotts lightweight hunter (I think that was the name, but could be mistaken) that is similar in shape to yours. The handle is very different though. Nice knife but I never used it hunting. I think it was one of the last “nice” knives I bought.
.

It was quick. Lol. It really wasn’t my intent. A couple kind of fell in my lap really. Dozier is such a long wait (years) that I have never really given them much thought as an option. Then this thread got me looking and I discovered a used one (I don’t think it has ever been used) and it kind of snowballed from there. The intent is to end up with, probably, a pair. Eventually.

I wanted to test a couple. Bear season, which is coming right up, would be a good opportunity for that.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

Correction to the above ^ since I can’t edit anymore: I never bought a Crotts’ knife before; the one I have was given to me as a gift by my “nutty” friend also mentioned above.

You should post up a pic of that knife. Love to see it.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

It was quick. Lol. It really wasn’t my intent. A couple kind of fell in my lap really. Dozier is such a long wait (years) that I have never really given them much thought as an option. Then this thread got me looking and I discovered a used one (I don’t think it has ever been used) and it kind of snowballed from there. The intent is to end up with, probably, a pair. Eventually.

I wanted to test a couple. Bear season, which is coming right up, would be a good opportunity for that.

That green burlap micarta is really growing on me. I really like it, Pathfinder. Did you sell your Ingram?

[robinpeck]

I like this set from Roselli of Finland.

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by sns2

That green burlap micarta is really growing on me. I really like it, Pathfinder. Did you sell your Ingram?

I did.

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by sns2

That green burlap micarta is really growing on me. I really like it, Pathfinder. Did you sell your Ingram?

Looks to me like you need to edit the $ amount in your original thread title sns2

[sns2]

Originally Posted by MountainTi

Looks to me like you need to edit the $ amount in your original thread title sns2

Buddy, I thought of changing the title to best skinning knife under $500. Lol.

I ended up ordering a Crotts Semi-Skinner. Will be about $500 by the time it arrives. After reading, it became clear to me that it was worth it to spend the money to have a piece of gear that will improve the experience of processing game, and will do its job just as good when I’m too old to hunt, and it’s been passed down to my son.

Is it better than a $200 knife? Likely hold an edge better based on Coiloil’s reviews. He’s one of the guys whose words I really pay heed to. Pathfinder is in the same category as someone who makes my ears perk up when it comes to his experience with various types of outdoor gear.

In any event, what got me to squirrel away some extra $$ for it was what else can you get for $500 that you can say may be the very best of its kind like one of these Crotts or Dozier skinners? In making my decision, I read literally every word I could find about those two makers’ knives. Many others echo what the guys I have mentioned on this thread have said about the quality of them.

I can’t buy the best rifle, scope, or binos for $500. But I can buy arguably the best performing skinning knife for that price, and if it ain’t what it’s cracked up to be, I can sell it for minimal loss.

Something tells me, I won’t be selling it.

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by sns2

You should post up a pic of that knife. Love to see it.

It’s in the box, lol. Maybe I will dig them out to post in the other thread (the knife collection or whatever it is called). But it looks like this, except the handle is something like burlap or linen micarta or some such. Something reddish:



There are more pictures and details at Fort Henry about it. Also, mine, just like the knife in the pic, isn’t D2; some “fancy” steel, maybe XHP as well, but not sure.

Originally Posted by sns2

That green burlap micarta is really growing on me. I really like it, Pathfinder. Did you sell your Ingram?

IHMO, micarta (or G10) is the way to go. Personally, I wouldn’t buy an expensive “real use” knife with the scales made of anything else. There are many steels that you can’t go wrong with, but those two handle materials are the ticket, with (unpolished) micarta being my first choice. Eventually, nice micarta starts looking better than wood, bone, or stag too, lol.

Edit: I should have used Fort Henry, not Google to look. Mine looks, I’d say, exactly like this:



Fort Henry says vintage linen micarta, which is probbaly what mine is. Not sure if elmax or xhp steel though.

[sns2]

Very nice

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by sns2

That green burlap micarta is really growing on me. I really like it, Pathfinder. Did you sell your Ingram?

What is interesting about this knife. Or strange. Is that one scale is green canvas and one is brown. Both are quite nice. But I really like the green.

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

Dozier had a few “collabs” with Boker. I don’t remember exactly, but feel like it was three, or at least three that I can remember. One of them was either semi skinner or pro skinner. Steel was an average AUS-8 (I use an AUS-8 knife currently that I mentioned in this thread a while back), but it had good G-10 or micarta scales. I don’t remember how much they were, but feel like under $100. Another was a D2, a better quality knife, with micarta scales, but was kind of pricy, maybe under $200. I don’t remember which model it was copied from, but definitely some drop point. The third was… I don’t remember; the steel was AUS-8 as well but had… hm… some wood scales, I never bought one. Those were under $100 as well, I believe. Those aren’t “Arkansas Made”, but maybe someone wants to look into these options. Not sure if any are still for sale anywhere since it’s been awhile.

Looked into it a little bit. While I didn’t see any for sale (except for the first one in a US shop and one in NZ), but here is some info.

The first one I mentioned is Boker Dozier Anchorage Pro Skinner, AUS-8, micarta:



Came with green or black micarta scales.

The second is Boker Dozier Drop Point Hunter, D2, micarta:



These were very well made in Germany. Doubt it is easy to find now.

The third is Boker Dozier Arkansas Traveller, AUS-8, olive wood:



Pretty meh, imo, especially the olive wood scales part.

[Pathfinder76]

Well, now two of my knives pictured above have found a new home with a member here. :-)

[fishnguy]

^ Haha, you are quick! Which one did you keep? I’d guess the bottom one.

[Pathfinder76]

:-) I did.

[spurly]

Somebody got some very nice knives. Bet they are very happy.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by spurly

Somebody got some very nice knives. Bet they are very happy.

Holy crap did someone ever get some beauty knives!!!

[spurly]

Yup lucky bugger.

[nimrod]

This one is my carry knife now

https://goatknives.com/collections/k...r-skeleton-pro

[sns2]

Originally Posted by spurly

Yup lucky bugger.

Lol

[Cain32mag]

Hanta versatile hand precision knife is good. I bought a pair for $189