for skinning I use whats called a Wyoming Skinning knife. It works great and you can either sharpen or just throw the blade away and replace it after about 7 or 8 deer. My usually lasts about 3-4 elk before it needs to be touched up on a wet stone. For gutting my gerber 4 inch lock blade my small buck or any one of my Schrade old timers all about 3-4 inch blades. I even used a simple razor blade knife used to cut carpet one year to skin an elk that worked good to although the blade was very flimsy. As for sharpening I use a system by Smith where the blade is clamped in a small device and guide rods give you the exact angle every time works wonders. I do agree I like my older Buck over my newer one the steel seems way different. But gerber has some products I bought my kids and I love them and have purchased 3 in the last year.

I use a 1930s Ka-Bar drop point 4.5" blade with stacked leather handle. It is a great all round knife for gutting OR skinning and holds a nice sharp blade well. Its steel will pit so care must be used storing it well oiled (DON'T LEAVE IT BLOODY). I DO NOT like using an extremely sharp knife when gutting an animal. If you're not real experienced field dressing big game, I SINCERELY recommend avoiding the razor sharp knives. It's just overkill that's liable to get you injured and mess up your hunting trip (especially if you're a bit excited). Skinning and butchering is another matter. However, again, if you don't have a lot of experience (and I mean a LOT), then using a razor sharp knife for skinning will probably cause you more problems than necessary. Much easier to ding the meat or hide with a real sharp blade. Also, if you do use an overly sharp knife for skinning, make sure the carcass is stable (i.e. someone is holding onto the off side to keep it from spinning and moving while you're working). For me, real sharp knives only have merit on the butcher table. Boning or fillet knives serve the best purpose there although a large butcher knife is usually useful for a few things. A fillet knife is about the worst thing to use when skinning.

For dressing birds a fillet knife is all I use although I'm sure a good pocket knife would work as well or better. Long blade on fillet knife is ideal for peeling the lungs out of the rib cage, especially on little birds like huns. I keep the blade sharp but not real sharp. Just not needed and if it's not needed it is simply an unnecessary hazard. The knife I use for this (and I use it A LOT) is, believe it or not, a cheap dollar store knock off. Holds a blade great. Who woulda thunk it! My Martini fillet knife is as good or better but it's usually tucked away in my tackle box and I just don't bother getting it out (anyway the dollar store one resides in the kitchen where I do the birds). The only drawback to those fine Martini knives (certainly the best blade out there for the money!) is the leather sheath which gets wet all the time when fishing and then becomes terrible stinky. Sometimes when I open my tackle box the smell will about knock my head off!

Custom damascus skinner I made (pic on profile)

I've got a Buck in my pocket right now. Not too hard to sharpen (although I use a whetstone) and it holds it's edge pretty good.

Yeah I used to sharpen knives for my mother and grandmother. The first time she cut her self cutting a potato against her thumb not realizing I had sharpened it I was told no more sharpening.! In my experience a sharp knife is safer, however no knife is safe if not used correctly. I sharpen using my witrock until I can shave.

mspl

My dad was referring to "straight razor" sharp! Yes, if a blade will take the hair off your arm, it'll work just fine on game.

Buck Vanguard for me.

I actually like Buck knives, but I recently fell in love with the Outdoor Edge Swing Blade for gutting and skinning. I got the one with the orange handle so I don't lose it when I put it down. (outdooredge.com/SwingBlaze-p/swingblaze.htm)

Outdoor Edge has an excellent line of products for a great price. Personally, I have their butchering kit, the swing blade, and the folding fillet knife, and I have been thoroughly satisfied with all of them.

I use a Buck for field dressing because it is strong enough to cut through a tough sternum or pelvic bone if necessary. It also has a long enough blade and sharp enough point to cut a throat instantly. You are right though... it does not keep its edge well enough to skin.

I use a folding blade Schrade Oldtimer with about a 4 inch blade for skinning. That thing is razor sharp and holds an edge well enough to skin about 10 deer or antelope before needing blade attention.

A longer knife is easier for cutting the windpipe, that's for sure. But that's all it's good for. I usually have to dig around blind for the esophagus anyway and I DON'T want a long knife blade in there with my fingers. When dressing the animal you want your hands closer to the end of the blade, especially when your cutting out that diaphragm in a cavity full of blood. I almost never split the pelvis in the field any more. Just a lot of wasted work. It's unnecessary and a good way to break a blade. Helluva lot easier to just cut around the pooper and pull it back through. I'm usually out in cold enough weather so that it's not necessary to open the sternum either. If the animal has to be dragged any distance, it's best to avoid splitting either the sternum or pelvis. Actually, it's best to drag deer with guts in as far as possible.

OH, I suspect its a matter of personal choice regarding knife use. I worked in a butcher shop for a while and got accustomed to working with razor edges. I even welded scalpel blades to the top of my fish pliers for cleaning catfish. Now, that is the only kind of edge I use because it will cut with minimum effort and it avoids the blade jerking as it breaks through tissue.

I just about cut a finger off my second day on the job and after that paid great attention to knife etiquette. Now, I never put my fingers in front of a blade and never push or pull a blade toward any part of my body. As a result, I've never knicked myself since then.

I used to feed my mink 150 pounds of fresh meat a day and had to butcher a few cows, horses and/or hogs a week to provide them food. I have frozen my fingers doing it when temps dipped below -20; especially if the animals were nearly frozen when I got to them. With deer and antelope, I was taught to break the sternum to spread the chest cavity wide open to cool the meat as quickly as possible. I was also taught to gut game as quickly as possible for the same reason. That has always worked for me as my main concern has always been retaining the quality of the meat and it seems to work. Not saying that other techniques wouldn't work; just haven't tried them.

By the way, I was never very good at field dressing but manage to get through it. My dad and cousin were great butchers and they always made it look so easy. I still appreciate the art of someone who really knows what they are doing.

Knives of Alaska Pronghorn hunter and or a havalon, both are scary sharp (havalon is a daggone scalpel) You know a hide can work on a knife edge pretty good and it is a PIA to quarter an elk with a dull blade. Keep them sharp and move slowly (methodically) Even my KOA needs the edge touched up towards the end. The havalon just change the blade.

I will amend my previous post somewhat. A fillet knife is very useful when skinning to slit the thin hide up the inside of the legs. But that's really about it. The blade is usually a bit too long for my liking for general skinning. I would advise switching to either a skinner or drop point design with about 4" blade, preferably the latter because it is so useful for so many different jobs.

I prefer the sharpest knife I can find. There is literally nothing too sharp. If you are cutting yourself, it is because you are letting the edge of the blade contact your skin, not because your knife is too sharp.

Dull knives are actually more dangerous than sharp ones, despite what you might first think. A sharp knife cuts smoothly and with very little effort. A dull blade, on the other hand, requires force to cut, and when the material gives, you lose control of the blade. That holds true regardless of the temperature and angle of the slope you happen to be standing on. If you cut yourself, its because you don't handle a knife well.

I carry a knife made by Bob Legler, link below. They are more expensive than production knives, but you will have to spend a lot more to find a better knife. He also offers great service and is a nice guy to boot! Mine is the Beaumont, and I would buy the same one again. (actually, I should do that, God forbid something happen to Mr. Legler).

I use the Schrade+ Pro-2 for most everything. Sometimes a Buck 119 if needed. The Buck Pathfinder is also very useful. In the pack is a fixed blade/hatchet combo that i use as backup and to split pelvic bones. Also in the pack is a pull through 2 step sharpener if needed.

In the field I also carry a long blade for finishing wounded game without expending another round. My favorite is the Cold Steel 'Boar Hunter'. It has a 8.75-inch blade.