Welcome to the forumI've got 2 benchmades, a fixed blade BushCrafter I found on clearance for $110 and a Grizzly Ridge I got on special at KnifeWorks for $80. Both of them are s30v steel and stay sharp all season, including a trip for elk in Colorado. I got tired of having to switch knives when I was skinning and quartering because of dull blades.
I am not a pro-skinner nor can I say I have skinned thousands of animals, but in my experience, any small 4 to 6" blade sharpened to a razor's edge will do the job. The few deer and Javelina that I have taken were easily skinned with my 119 Special Buck knife.
I think the cheapest knife I ever used hunting was a Winchester Gutting Knife from Wallyworld. I used it on a few fish and a medium-size Javelina and it did fine. I think it was $14 or something like that in 2004 and I did have to sharpen it.
Get yourself a good set of sharpening stones (at least a Lansky kit), and get the knife you are going to use razor/mirror sharp (stropped). I guarantee it will work just fine.
Best skinning knife for the back country?
Buck for me. Solid as a rock and you can't beat their warranty. Some of their more expensive hunting models are quite nice as well.
I just read their warranty. It’s pretty lame if you ask me. The two options they give you are paying for repair or 50% off a new one, at their discretion
I own a buck knife myself and use it quite often. Razor sharp and good metal
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You evidently do not read very well. Their warranty goes way beyond what you claimed; what you mentioned was what they will do for a knife that the user has essentially ruined by misuse. Their warranty for defects and such is free repair or replacement at their option for life. It can be seen on this page in full: https://www.buckknives.com/about-knives/bucks-forever-warranty/I just read their warranty. It’s pretty lame if you ask me. The two options they give you are paying for repair or 50% off a new one, at their discretion
I own a buck knife myself and use it quite often. Razor sharp and good metal
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Dozier makes nice stuff, good steel with outstanding edge retention. Hard to get immediately from them, but AG Russell keeps a variety in stock.
https://agrussell.com/knives/brand/Dozier-Arkansas-Made