Butchering knives

[thelefthand]

A few years ago I finally decided to break down and get some actual butcher knives. I asked around and wound up getting DEXTER knives. I got 2 boning knives, a butcher knife, and a 10" Cemiter (SP?) knife for cutting stakes. I've used them on 7 or 8 deer now, and they've done pretty well. I keep them sharp on a Spyderco Sharp Maker. Somewhere along the way I picked up my el chepo RAPALA Fillet knife from Wally World, and I'll have to admit that it's the absolute BEST boning knife that I've ever used. I told dad about it, and after 20+ years of butchering countless deer, he finally found his favorite deer knife.

[ET]

Nov 14, 2011 20:52:56 GMT -5 thelefthand said:

A few years ago I finally decided to break down and get some actual butcher knives. I asked around and wound up getting DEXTER knives. I got 2 boning knives, a butcher knife, and a 10" Cemiter (SP?) knife for cutting stakes. I've used them on 7 or 8 deer now, and they've done pretty well. I keep them sharp on a Spyderco Sharp Maker. Somewhere along the way I picked up my el chepo RAPALA Fillet knife from Wally World, and I'll have to admit that it's the absolute BEST boning knife that I've ever used. I told dad about it, and after 20+ years of butchering countless deer, he finally found his favorite deer knife.

X2 as I like the way they flex a little cutting around bone.
Also use them when removing that silver skin like filleting a fish.

Ed

[rossman40]

I have bought $80 boning knives but the $20 Rapala beats those hands down for being so flexible. Just make sure you get the wooden handled ones made in Finland or Sweden, the new rubber handled ones are Chinese. The one I have is at least 40yrs old.

[smokepoler]

I have two dexter russel serrated fillet knives I bought on a fishing trip in Wachapreague, VA. Made short work of a boatload of tuna. I would put them up against any name knife. I haven't fished in a while but they are on my kitchen counter & use 'em every day. I love 'em. Made in USA, too! rossman, have a few of different size of the old wooden handle Rapalas, another Quality knife, great for filleting those little fish like trout & walleye.
SP

[thelefthand]

Nov 15, 2011 11:21:10 GMT -5 rossman40 said:

Just make sure you get the wooden handled ones made in Finland or Sweden, the new rubber handled ones are Chinese. The one I have is at least 40yrs old.

Thanks for the info. I didn't know that. Mine are the wooden handled ones. Maybe I should pick up a few more so that if they all go to China, I've got a couple of spares. The kids are just getting old enough to go fishing, and I hope to be using them a lot more in the years to come.

Only other thing to mention is that I've taken mine and put a 30 degree bevel on it to match the back bevel on my Spyderco sharp maker. I then use the normal 40 degree Edge setting to keep the knife sharp. I used my belt grinder to do the 30 degree bevel, and I do it to every knife I own/make. I have my belt grinder set up so that it's easy to put into that position. That Spyderco does a great job of keeping a good knife sharp. I normally run in across a leather strop also, and in a few seconds it goes from very sharp to extremely scary sharp

[ricksalisbury01]

Nov 15, 2011 11:21:10 GMT -5 rossman40 said:

I have bought $80 boning knives but the $20 Rapala beats those hands down for being so flexible. Just make sure you get the wooden handled ones made in Finland or Sweden, the new rubber handled ones are Chinese. The one I have is at least 40yrs old.

I digress........
I had to laugh when I read this. My two sons broke the blade on my wooden handled Rapala (using the knife to stab through a catfish head...WHAT where they thinking). I had owned and used that one knife since the age of 15. They where mature enough to bring me the broken knife and explained what they had done. I was clearly frustrated, and saddened (my father had given the knife to me). That said, the same year under the Christmas tree was a new wooden handled Rapala that was bought and paid for by my 13 and 14 year old. The funny part was that I had as well bought each of them the same knife.
I am unsure as which knife has more value to me, the one given to me by my father, or the one given to me by my boys.
To stay on topic....I use that knife every time butcher a deer/hog.

[rrb55]

My son & I each took a doe yesterday and based on the tip in the post we used my old wooden handled rapala for the boning.
What a difference...
Thanks for the tip.

[gill]

After reading this, I went to WalMart and bought one for $15. I just finished using it to bone out a deer this week. Before this I used a Forschner a friend gave me years ago to bone out deer. The Rapala seemed to work just as well.

Thanks for the tip!

Greg

[youp50]

These are not really butcher knives,but they are made by the same folks making the wood handled Rapalas. The skinners and the hunting knives hold a better edge than anything I have ever used.


www.knifeworks.com/marttiiniknives.aspx?page=2

[rossman40]

You have to touch up the Rapala every now and then to keep it razor sharp with a extra fine stone.

I do like the looks of the small Marttiini skinner. I like more length then a lot of the short fat skinners they sell nowadays.

My large skinner I use a Old Hickory Buffalo Skinner that has been in the family since the 30s (maybe even earlier). I do not think OKC makes it anymore and mine has been sharpened so many times it is just about wore out,

.

My grandfather butchered everything on the farm. I wish I would have got all his butchering knives, he had a 12" or 14" cimeter that was scary to me as a kid but it would slice out beef roasts in a hurry.

[Gramps]

Back in 1971 a friend gave me a Kabar filet knife at Christmas. I've used it 100's of times in the last 40 years for EVERYTHING in the kitchen, and I really men EVERYTHING, and it still looks like it's brand new. At about the same time I got the knife my wife got an antique sharpening steel from her grandmother and it's the only thing I've ever used to sharpen it. It's the only knife I've ever used for boning. Until I read this thread I didn't realize that everyone else did not use a filet knife for boning. I can't imagine using anything else.

[DHinMN]

That OLD HICKORY stamped on the Handle looked familiar. Went down in the basement to look for it. Got an Old Hickory butcher knife, has a 9 inch blade. Stamped on the blade "Tru Edge Ontario Knife CO Made in USA". Those Old carbon steel knives can really carry an edge. I usually pull out these old Kitchen knives when I have a deer to cut up.

[rossman40]

Ontario Knife Company (OKC) made their fortune making bayonets and machetes for the US military. The Old Hickory line came in after WWI as a quality knife for home use. Going around to estate sales I've seen butcher knives sharpened so much they look like a boning knife.

After WWII CUTCO came on the scene which started out as a joint venture between Alcoa Aluminum and Case Cutlery. It seemed like every home in America had ether Old Hickory or CUTCO knives in the 50s and 60s. My mom and dad got a CUTCO set as a wedding present in 1954, I still have and use the butcher knife and carving fork.

[jeremylong]

Rossman you mentioned two of my 3 favorites. Shorten the blade on the rapela and its great. Love it. And how can you beat the older old hickory knives? The newer ones don't have the rolled stamping in the steel and the blades are a touch thinner. I like the older ones as you have in the pic. My third favorite is a cub bear Skinner by knives of Alaska I got as a present a few years back. It holds its edge and isn't to bad bringing it back to life.

[DHinMN]

For what it is worth ebay has a bunch of the Old Hickory Knives listed. Some old, some new.