What grit for skinning knife.

[Dietman]

I'm wondering what you find the best for carcass prep and skinning. Mirror polish (5000 grit plus) or a toothy edge (1000ish). My knife R2 steel thatch reference. I'm not sure. My last use was sharpened to 3000 grit. It worked well but your experience would be great.

 

[trucraft]

It’s personal thing really.
Anything that v sharps good.
I hardly ever sharpen my skinning knife. It doesn’t ever hit bone so I just use a homemade leather strop once or twice every deer.

 

[muddy42]

How are you sharpening and what profile? If any freehand method, I struggle to see how you can maintain the consistency of angle needed for the finer grits. I stop sharpening my scandi grinds at 600.

 

[75]

I don't think it matters for skinning. I use a tripe knife for a quick run up the inside of each front leg and anything I've got to hand to free off a bit of stubborn skin/membrane here and there, but the majority is done by hand not knife. Where you are freeing the skin from the meat I think there is a disadvantage in overly sharp - you want to be able to rub the blade over the skin so it frees off the attached membrane rather than cutting through the skin.

 

[Rafter]

This guy shoots ducks with my friends - he seems to do ok with just a steel and a cheapish set of made in NZ Victory knives.

 

[malmick]

This guy shoots ducks with my friends - he seems to do ok with just a steel and a cheapish set of Victorinox knives.

Artist at work there. I've watched this guy before and it's great to see the whole process executed so efficiently.

 

[Dietman]

Yes. I'm over thinking it. Anything sharp will do.
Muddy 42: I've been sharpening for years freehand as a result of my chef work. No probs there.

I'm a relative greenhorn at skinning so hence the questions. Clearly the release of the hide with a few well placed cuts is key.

Thanks for your replies.

 

[muddy42]

@Dietman Yes I agree with that. Your mostly pulling the skin off with your hands. You only need a knife occasionally to release bits. Watch out there is a muscle half way down the haunch where the meat always tries to tear off with the skin.

I have given up trying to sharpen freehand, I simply cannot do it. I either use a lanksy for flat grinds or this for scandi grinds:

 

[Dietman]

To become consistent when I sharpen or strop I become robotic in my movements. Practice helps and I find the process relaxing and really satisfying. There nothing like a scary sharp knife for use in the kitchen. They feel like they fall through food.