Butchering a kill, what are good knives

I know this is an old thread but imo its an important one. A good knife is like a good friend. Its something you can pass on to your children also, and it will have a history and special place due to such for them.

I am only going to throw in my own opinion, but one based on carrying a knife with me almost every day. Having a knife with me in tonnes of places from the car, my jacket and more.

I use them a lot on the farm, and i have slaughtered a lot of animals. My family lives off the meat which i either hunt, grow myself or find a farmer, pay and harvest.

On the subject of knives i have learnt a tad.

Firstly, this is one of the most frustrating aspects of harvesting an animal if you dont get it right.
I would literally quit if i have to work with a blunt knife. The effort needed to successfully and in a timely manner clean up and animal is imperative to continue in the trade. It all starts with a sharp knife, that you can keep a good edge on throughout the harvesting process.

Inside of the coat of many animals is fine grit which will blunt your knife from the get go. Then, connecting with bone will also do the same. So i carry a steel with me when i go hunting a field. I also spend a tonne of time steeling my blade regularly throughout the harvesting process.

Yes, you can pay a lot for knives and get quality, but imo you can also buy cheap and get the same, as this can ride on your experience of blade degree, edge shaping, tools at hand to take the human error of blade degree out of it, and of course the finer point of pushing the finest edge up with the right steel.

I have had great success for many years with Gerber blades. And yes, even Bear Grills Gerber blades. My most successful knife in that range was the Gerber Myth. A small light weight knife that looks no more intimidating than a small screwdriver, but it suited me, and the 'suiting' is also another major aspect of animal processing. I cant tell you what will suit you, as your hand might be smaller or larger, your circumstances might also be different, your grip might be different and so on and on.

For me, i can clean up most animals into quarters either hanging in a tree or on the ground with a small knife. I can remove the head, hocks, tail, ribs and so on, with just a small knife, its knowing where to cut and getting your hands on the animals enough to never forget it.

I like the smaller knife for when i am field dressing (gutting) the animal firstly. Those sinews of flesh which hold things in place that need cutting. When im up to my elbows in separating guts, lungs and heart from internal cavity and or esophagus, lower colon etc, i find the myth great for not cutting my fingers off in the process, but thats just me, not you, so my advice cannot and will never be on this subject a one stop shop for all, just some food for thought. I can bone out pretty much anything with the Myth as well as the blade flexes well also.

I have also purchased very cheap ($8-$40) folding knifes from ebay and have had no issues and served me as a best friend like the Gerber range as well.

Many folk think that you need a big knife, or a fixed blade like the Myth, but such is not true as well. I once timed myself in a race on a big goat to see how quick i could take it from just killed to skinned and quartered. I was moving, and with a small sharp knife, and it took me 15minutes. These days, i hang around for a chat with folk whilst we enjoy the process and take some time, but in a out there hunting situation, with the sun coming down and 20kms to the car and a big animal on the deck, you need to know how to move quickly so you can get home safely. This imo, begins with your personal, well suited and faithful friend, the knife and its ability to hold an edge well.

I would say, dont write off cheaper and smaller knives, rather, study and practice on how to cut an edge and keep it sharp first.

For cooking I've always sworn by Global knives. But cooking is very different to butchering.

Today at the SHOT expo I bought an EKA knife, made in Sweden. I bought a butcher's knife ($65), but they have quite an extensive range. The knife I bought was very light, extremely sharp, and most comfortable in the hand (which I consider the most important factor).

1 of the knives I use for dressing game is a Muela! Not sure what model it is but it's been a decent little knife that holds an edge so they are worth a look.

I am a huge fan of Muela knives and have quite a few, however i only buy the ones with the synthetic handles as i find the wooden ones do not fit my hand well.

An update on my previous post about knives.

While in town this morning I visited the local farm supply shop and had a look at the knives they have in stock. The brand they have is 'Victory' and they are made in New Zealand.

The skinning knife is $36.30 and the boning knife is $27.80.

I had a good look at the knives and if ever I had to replace any of my Dexter Russell knives that I have now had for in excess of 17 years and longer I would go for the Victory knives as I believe that the quality is there and the pricing would be competitive.

At $145.54 I would not even contemplate a Moroka30 Riley Skinning Knife as it is not the best of design for skinning a beast and as I said in my previous post the professionals use what they do because they are designed for the task. I notice that on their web site they do not have a boning knife listed.

Just a point on sharpening knives. I have for many years used a carborundum stone and in that time I have been amazed at the people who use oil or liquid soap on their stones while they sharpen their knives. Kerosene is what should be used as it keeps the stone clean whereas the oil fills in the pores and it takes longer to get an edge.

Lol fail on the quote 😂