For a Christmas gift. I'm thinking fixed blade. Price range , a couple hundred bucks or so

TIA!!

I think a Benchmade is a good place to start looking.
Hidden Canyon or Saddle Mountain look great. I even like the Steep Country

knives of alaska alpha wolf

Excellent knife, holds an edge, easy to handle and keep a solid grip on.

My favorite skinner is a fixed blade Bark River.

Look Tex-S Knives up. He makes any knife to order.

All good suggestions, thanks guys. I couldn't find Tex-S knives anywhere

Go to 24hourcampfire.com and look around. Plenty available there for that price range.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/13279929/wayne-hendrix-model-11#Post13279929

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/13296156/larry-rosi-drop-point#Post13296156

A skinning knife is a special piece. IMO it is nice to have have a skinning knife with some style. Its not a field knife. Any old production knife works in the field.

Your on track with a fixed blade and the cost. Just make sure the blade comes to a fine point. I say go custom.

Yes.. but which one ? That's the question

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Just make sure the blade comes to a fine point.

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I'm looking for a new knife as well. Why is a fine point important?

Maybe not a universal rec. but i find it useful to do more precise work like skinning. Maybe not important to just pull the skin off a deer. But makes a difference for the work in smaller places like the head or skinning predators.
A good comprimise is the bowie style blades. Not a huge bowie knife. Just the bowie shape. The blade has a nice belly for working the skin off the backnof a deer but comes to a nice point for finer work, or removing the straps.

Ok a more specific example is the muela cazorla. Had forgotten the model name. Baught this knife a few years back. Has become my go to skinner for deer. Have to downsize to my anton wingen trapper for predators tho.
Regarding the muela i dis find a 3mm soft spot in the steel right on the edge about a year into using it. But it sharpened out nicely after a a couple more runs on the stone

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My grandad made this one for me when I was a kid

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Just curious...
You ever think about "retiring" that knife, or relegating it to occasional use? You aren't gonna get another one like that.

I have a few special knives & I don't carry them much anymore because I'd like to pass them down. Kind of a conundrum because I believe knives (like guns) should be used.

Custom made? Be nice to have a custom, handmade knife to order.

Carl schlieper eye brand knives are nice

Apache said:

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My grandad made this one for me when I was a kid

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Just curious...
You ever think about "retiring" that knife, or relegating it to occasional use? You aren't gonna get another one like that.

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Man I face that conundrum all the time.

I always think about how much it would suck to lose it or break it, but there is such a powerful connection I have to it, and I really don't know how I'd feel not having it on me.

As I grew I came to really appreciate the unique fit and feel of that antler handle in my palm. The curve and drop down to the base of the antler just feels right.
The blade has an indestructible patina on it from the years of being bloodied.
I'm not a fan of hollow grind's on blades, but I have never had an issue keeping this one shaving sharp with nothing but a honing stone.

My grandad is the one who taught me how to hunt (and drive, smoke, drink a beer, pee outside, etc), and my best memories in the woods were made with him by my side. I can't help but be reminded of those times every time I hold the knife, and use it how he intended me to. He passed away when I was 13, so I missed out on his guidance through the later part of my formative years, but as long as I carry the knife I feel like hes still with me.

Sorry for the derail OP. If the gift is for someone you care about and they appreciate heartfelt gifts, get a custom made one. and start attaching memories to it. Then the knife is more than just a tool, it's a symbol of y'alls connection.

Arkansas dozier d2

I use a combination of knives.

I have a havalon for the lower half and then a combination of three bark rivers (highland special, Fox River Lt II, wolf river) and a muella gazapo which is a great little knife for caping.

I almost pulled the trigger on a bark river kephart also which is honestly just a matter of time.

My dream knife.........
[img][/img]

https://www.crazycrow.com/green-river-knives/green-river-buffalo-skinner-knife-8.75-overall

If strictly a skinning knife, it's hard to beat the Buck 103 Skinner or the Buck 113 Ranger Skinner. If more all purpose, then I agree with an earlier post - Bark River. They are hands down some of the best fixed blades you can buy. Great company, great knives. Too many models to list, but a few I can think of would be the Cub, Fox River, Gunny Hunter, Classic Drop Point Hunter. There are many more. Check 'em out at either of these two websites:

https://www.knivesshipfree.com/bark-river-knives/

https://www.dlttrading.com/bark-river-knives

I don't have one, but I really like the Silver Stag products.

Here's one I would look at:

https://silverstag.com/Deer_Meat_For_Dinner/DMFD_Crown_Skinner

PorkEatingCrusader said:

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My dream knife.........
[img][/img]

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I have two half face knives. My only complaint is that they aren't properly sharpened when you get them... angle was too shallow, more like a camp or field knife.

Not ideal for skinning. So I use a havalon. Beautiful fixed blade knives though, and use mine often.

jfc77 said:

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Any havalon.

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+1

Last time i went to a big deer camp everybody had a havalon. Great option

https://instagr.am/p/BoF1-20g0yq

Once I learned how to really sharpen my fixed blades on my Lansky the havalon got put up for back up duty. A fixed blade is just so much more versatile.

Been looking and wanted a knife with a premium knife steel: stainless, extreme durability, superb edge. S30V was developed specifically for this purpose. There are some slightly better steels available, but the price goes up considerably.

extensive knife reviews and faqs: Zknives

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per Dunn Knives:

"One of the questions we are asked most frequently is about the kind of steel we use. We are currently using S30V on all of our blades. This powdered-metal tool steel has a high-carbon, high-vanadium content, yet also contains enough chromium to easily be classified as stainless. We feel this steel offers "the best of both worlds" - a carbon-based stainless blades. Niagra Specialty Metals (an American-made steel) rolls the steel for us. We buy it by the sheet, Steve does the heat-treating of our blades himself and the final hardness of the steel is 59-60 on the Rockwell C scale. We are confident you'll find this steel holds an edge longer than almost anything else available, yet allows most people the ability to sharpen/resharpen blades themselves."

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I choose Dunn Knives due to them using CPM S30V, their quality and options. Ordered the Small Skinner for my daughter for Christmas. I like the curved blade for caping use.