I just got done breaking down my first feral hog. The old an brought 2 home from tx and naturally gave it to me to process. These critter can be quite fatty when corn fed from a feeder. I found that a caping knife is exceptionally good at removing fat layers and also "silver skin" (aka connective tissue). For you other Ameritech butchers out there give it a try you won't be disappointed.
I once skinned, quartered and deboned a mule deer with a drywall knife, just to see if it could be done. It was simple and quick.
Big knives are a thing of MY past.
Yep, size doesn't matter!
Yep I have so many knives yet my 2.5 inch esee izula does 99% of everything, everyday and on every animal. I use a 4-6" fillet knife or 6" flexable boning knife whne processing in my garage. But in the field the izula does it all. I just bought a white river caper knife (almost same as the izula) and love it as well.
Other than shelter building or similar needed camp, survival knives, all my knives are small under 3" as well.
Easier to work with, quicker to sharpen, safer to handle, easier to carry, cost less money, etc!
Well don't get me wrong I like a big knife too. I use the big bellied butcher for choping up thick steaks and hams. The filet knife for deboning and butterflying, and the caper to remove fat layers. For field dressing though you are right I like a smaller knife better. Usually it is my 110. I have always used the filet knife for removing fat and connective tissue but, found it lacking so tried the little caper and it worked great.
Caping style knifes are almost all I use.
Believe it or not my go to deer field dressing knife is and has been for many years a double muskrat bladed Eye brand Pocket Knife. I usually skin with a 110 style and use a Fillet Knife for boning and table work. I have used a Leatherman serrated blade for everything on Elk for years It is perfect other than the mess when you are done. Try it you wont believe it.
I use my Havalon replaceable blade knife for just about all my skinning and quartering these days. It is a wonderful tool for a guy who can't sharpen knives worth a flip.
Bisch
What Bisch said
I got turned into the esee izula listening to Jason's podcast. The hands down best all around knife I've ever had!!! I have done 3 deer and a good bit of small game since and I have stopped carrying my other knives. I cannot recommend it enough and it's very affordable. Thanks Jason!!
Jake
My dad field dressed abig Doe with a soup can lid.
Caping knife, Uli, and Outback are the three knifes I carry, between these three there is nothing I can not do.
QuoteOriginally posted by monterey:
My dad field dressed abig Doe with a soup can lid.
That is awesome....
Small knive are all you need. But a bigger heavier knife sure makes it easier to split the brisket if you don't have a saw handy. I always have both, and keep them razor sharp.
QuoteOriginally posted by LB_hntr:
Yep I have so many knives yet my 2.5 inch esee izula does 99% of everything, everyday and on every animal. I use a 4-6" fillet knife or 6" flexable boning knife whne processing in my garage. But in the field the izula does it all.
Ditto. I have an Izula that is mounted in my day pack as a back-up and an Izula II I wear as a neck knife.
Best field dressing knife I have used for the 47 deer I have dressed out over the years. I did add the micarta scales for a little better grip that cleans up well.
I have a CKRT Surf & Turf that makes a great boning knife and also a perch filet knife.
I got the Titan knife that Shocky advertises in his shows. Its the best of both worlds. Replaceable avalon knife and a strong fixed blade which is sharp as s$(.
I used a beaver skinner for years. I lost it in my garage for awhile. I took a putty knife to the grinder and slowly, to keep hest down, ground out another. It works really well, resharpens easily and cheap
Roadkill, what does a beaver Skinner look like. I've heard stories of how difficult it is to skin a beaver but did not know there is a specific knife for the job.
Me and a friend both left our knives at home when I killed a hog about 150 pounds in Cohutta so I just used a broadhead off of one of the arrows in my quiver.....I dulled one side on a rock in the creek as to not cut my thumb and went at it.
I have a big camp knife that's serves a lot of purposes....but I to like smaller knives for skinning.
i have an ulu knife for skinning and it doe's it real good :thumbsup:
Have one TK Custom 5" blade that i have yet to bloody, but am confident it will perform exceptionally. Have a Kershaw Knockout that has undresses four hogs, with great results. Have to agree that 5" is about as big as I'll go for general game processing.
:campfire: :campfire: :coffee: :archer2:
I skinned and quartered 2 hogs this year with a 3" Russell from Arkansas.
Little neck knife that a hunter friend gave me.
Still sharp.
Up till this year I always used a 4" filet knife.
Hog hide is tough.
This thread was more about processing quartered game than field dressing.....there is a lot of info out there on field dressing but very little about how to process it after that.
I use a white river backpacker. I think this has a caper style. They also make one now that is a caper and looks like a real winner. I field quarter my deer in the field. This knife stays sharp for an entire deer, but I also have a small hone I use to touch up and keep it super sharp.
I skinned and quartered (gutless method) 12 deer with two blades on a Havalon this year. The second is not what it used to be (I will change it this weekend) and I should have changed it about 3 deer ago, but it is still as sharp as most knives.
Can't beat them IMHO.
I like a larger knife 5 to 5 1/2" blades . Less strokes with a longer blade in sliceing steaks .If you are saving the cape for taxidermy a longer blade is easier to cut the wind pipe and remove the heart and lungs .I used a smaller knife for about 6 years and recently went back to a larger one and couldn't believe how much faster I could gut and skin a deer . I found on **** a couple of old Marbels knives that were built in the 1930s it looked like they had never been sharpened and that's what I'm carrying now. I like a fillet knife for taking sinew off and cutting up steaks and chops. I typically cut up about 5 deer a year this year I included and elk , much more work! ..Tim
Esee Izula with micarta scales is the finest little skinning knife I've ever owned.
Alright, you guys are really selling this Isula off well... Hate to ask, has anyone tried out the suppose D2 Chinese copy?
I have really been itching for a D2 version of something, looked at the D'Eskabar, but too much belly.
That White river backpacker in S30V , looks like a pretty strong contender though, thanks for sharing that option.
QuoteOriginally posted by mbugland:
Alright, you guys are really selling this Isula off well... Hate to ask, has anyone tried out the suppose D2 Chinese copy?
I have really been itching for a D2 version of something, looked at the D'Eskabar, but too much belly.
That White river backpacker in S30V , looks like a pretty strong contender though, thanks for sharing that option.
I have both the izula and the white river capper (same as the backpacker but with g10 handles). I like both alot. they are very close in feel and style. The white river being s30v holds an edge a little longer but takes longer to sharpen. cant say one bad thing about either of them. after using them both for a while my thought is this. the white river is a great gutting, caping, "animal work" knife and that is what im gonna use it for. it will stay in my pack and only come out to break down critters. The izula seems stronger, i trust 1095 steel more, the rowen heat treat makes it hold an edge way better than any other 1095 steel knife i have. So the izula will continue to be my main knife everyday and in the field. and quite honestly, like happens every year, when i get an animal on the ground i usually just grab my izula out of my pocket and get er done. I will probably find myself doing this a few times in the future as well. So for me the izula is still the best knife around. But if the white river fits your hand or taste better it is a great knife and one that im happy to own and use.
Jason, greatly appreciate the insight. Might have to get my hands on one of the white river knives just to see. I have an Eskabar with the combo blade that bounces around the truck, it has the same handle as the Izula, feels really comfortable. I have been I search of the perfect walk around everything knife, that is still a a solid skinner. Might just have to commit to the Izula and try it out for a while.
Thanks again!