If you are an inveterate hunter, then you just can’t imagine your life without the hobby, trying to have equipment for all cases, and a skinning knife is not exclusion.

Best Deer Skinning Knife - Editor's Choice

It’s better to enjoy hunting trophies than to have troubles and additional unnecessary fuss because of them, isn’t it?

Why do we need a deer skinning knife?

Having got a booty, it’s necessary to separate hide and meat, without damaging fur; only a good knife can help to do this quickly and neatly. The skinning or gutting knives have wide, short blades with strong, not flexible edges. These professional tools are used for a skinner mostly during hunting.

Best Pick – Outdoor Edge RazorLite Folding Hunting Knife (Editor’s Choice)

Outdoor Edge RazorLite Folding Hunting Knife

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According to the highest rate on the Amazon, Outdoor Edge Hunting Knife can be a good choice. As the knife is foldable, the blade is firmly supported by the holder, although there is no gut hook on the blade.

Budget Pick – GVDV Hunting Knife Kit (Editor’s Choice)

GVDV Hunting Knife Kit

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You’ll receive all the necessary cutting accessories for skinning and gutting for an affordable price. Field dressing cutting tools kit will come in handy for butcher game processing, deer, buck or hog hunting, fishing, or camping.

TOP-15 Deer Skinning Knife | Best Deer Gutting Knife

ImageProductBrandLink
OUTDOOR EDGE 3.5" RazorLite EDC Replaceable Blade Folding Pocket Knife for Everyday Carry or Hunting Knife for Skinning & Field Dressing Deer & Elk (Orange, 6 Blades)OUTDOOR EDGEBuy on Amazon
OUTDOOR EDGE RazorLite Replaceable Blade Folding Hunting Knife - Rubberized Nonslip Handle & Camo Nylon Holster- Great for Skinning & Field Dressing Deer & Elk (Orange, 6 Blades)OUTDOOR EDGEBuy on Amazon
MOSSY OAK Hunting Field Dressing Kit - Portable Butcher Game Processor Set (8-piece)Mossy OakBuy on Amazon
Elk Ridge - Outdoors 2-PC Fixed Blade Hunting Knife Set - Black Stainless Steel Skinner and Gut Hook Blades, Camo Coated Nylon Fiber Handles, Nylon Sheath - Hunting, Camping, Survival - ER-300CA, 7-Inch/6.5-Inch OverallElk RidgeBuy on Amazon
Uncle Henry 153UH Golden Spike Fixed Blade Knife with 5in High Carbon S.S. Blade, Staglon Handle, Sharpening Stone, Full Tang, and Leather Sheath for Hunting, Skinning, Camping, and OutdoorsUncle HenryBuy on Amazon
OUTDOOR EDGE WildPak, 8-Piece Hunting Knife Set, Field Dressing & Game Processing Kit - Gut Hook Skinning Knife, Boning & Caping Knives, Sharpener, Saw, Spreader, Light-Weight Field Case - Deer & ElkOUTDOOR EDGEBuy on Amazon
Mossberg Fixed Blade Knife, All in One Skinning Knife with Gut-Hook, for Hunters and Outdoors EnthusiastsMossbergBuy on Amazon
Havalon Piranta-Edge - Outdoor Knife + 12 Replacement Blades, Sharp Skinning Knives for Hunting, Fishing, Deer & Survival, OrangeHavalonBuy on Amazon
OUTDOOR EDGE 3.0" RazorLite EDC Replaceable Blade Folding Pocket Knife for Everyday Carry or Hunting Knife for Skinning & Field Dressing Deer & Elk (Orange, 4 Blades)OUTDOOR EDGEBuy on Amazon
OUTDOOR EDGE WildLite, 6-Piece Hunting Knife Set, Field Dressing & Game Processing Kit - Gut Hook Skinning Knife, Boning Knife, Caping Knife, Knife Sharpener in a Light-Weight Field Case - Deer & ElkOUTDOOR EDGEBuy on Amazon
Outdoor Edge RazorPro - Double Blade Folding Hunting Knife with 3.5" Replaceable Razor Blade, Gutting Blade, Folding Wood/Bone Saw and Nylon SheathOUTDOOR EDGEBuy on Amazon
Mossy Oak Fixed Blade Hunting Knife Set - 3 Piece, Full Tang Wood Handle Straight Edge and Gut Hook Blades Game Processing Knife Set, Sheath IncludedMossy OakBuy on Amazon
Gerber Moment Field Dress Kit I [31-002218]Gerber GearBuy on Amazon
GVDV Hunting Knife Set - Deer Hunting Gear Butcher Game Processor Set, Field Dressing Kit with Gut Hook Skinner Knife, Axe, Bone Saw, Spreader, Gloves, Hunting Gifts for Men, 6 PiecesGVDVBuy on Amazon
Mossy Oak Fixed Blade Gut Hook Knife, 9.5-inch Full Tang Field Processing Knife - Wooden Handle, Leather Sheath Included, for Skinning, Hunting, OutdoorsMossy OakBuy on Amazon

#1 Outdoor Edge 3.5″ RazorLite EDC Folding Knife

Outdoor Edge 3.5" RazorLite EDC Folding Knife

Stylish knife for everyday carrying (EDC) consists of black oxide coated blade holder, six replacement blades (easily changed by button pushing), Grivory polymer handle, and orange rubberized non-slip inserted grip. Additional replaceable blade sets can be bought aside. Razor-Lite EDC is designed in three colors for choice (orange, blue, gray) and two sizes (3.0 and 3.5 Inch).

Video review

Pros:
  • One-hand easily open due to the double-sided thumb stud;
  • Heat-treated Japanese 420J2 stainless blades with hand-finished shaving-sharp edges;
  • Pocket clip is a replaceable integral part of the grip;
  • Made in the USA: designed in Denver, tested in Colorado, 30-year experience.
Cons:
  • Known cases when blades have been not sharp enough even for fish gutting;
  • Time-consuming to clean the knife under the blade from flesh and hair after gutting the deer;
  • Blades are getting completely dull after skinning of one deer;
  • Blade changing becomes difficult if the blade slot is bent.

#2 Outdoor Edge RazorLite

Outdoor Edge RazorLite Folding Hunting Knife

Outdoor Edge company positions RazorLite Folding Knife more for hunting than for EDC (everyday carry). According to the legal disclaimer, only people over 18 can buy these knives. There is no pocket clip on the grip and gut hook on the blade. Replaceable blades can be reused after sharpening. Be careful to avoid injuries, because the folding knife lock is not substantial enough.

Video review

Pros:
  • Good sturdiness due to the 420J2 stainless steel frame;
  • Casing is solid and together with rubber grip are well-made;
  • Easy to open the knife and to change the blades;
  • Fits perfectly on the hunting belt;
  • Reasonable price.
Cons:
  • The blades are not always released after pushing the button;
  • Rubber grip is sometimes hard to get out of the sheath.

#3 MOSSY OAK Hunting Field Dressing

MOSSY OAK Hunting Field Dressing

Chinese Portable Butcher Game Processor kit includes eight 3CR13 stainless steel items: 2 knives (7.5″ for smaller game caping & 10″ for boning), 3/4″ saw for wood or bone with T-handle, non-replaceable blade, and blunt hooked tip (which prevents breaking the intestines or bladder, allowing to save meat good taste), 9.5″ gut hook skinner, foldable steel brisket spreader, V-Sharpener from tungsten carbide, the gloves for red game cleaning. The set is packed in a suitable black organizer box.

Pros:
  • The kit will be a great gift for hunters;
  • Value for money;
  • Compact and sturdy suitcase;
Cons:
  • No independent knife sheath, and they aren’t sold separately;
  • Difficult to reach support team for replacement;
  • Blade’s steel is a bit soft and gets blunt fast.

#4 Elk Ridge – Outdoors 2-PC Fixed Blade Hunting Knife Set

Elk Ridge - Outdoors 2-PC Fixed Blade Hunting Knife Set

Elk Ridge produces the ER-300CA black stainless-steel skinner (caper knife) and gut hook knife with finger hole; both cutting tools have camo-coated nylon fiber handles and sheath. The 2-knives kit is suitable for camping, hunting, survival, or any outdoor activity. Having 7 inches overall length, knives are still good for skinning big games due to their blade’s sharpness.

Video review

Pros:
  • Very sharp;
  • Ensures corrosion resistance and hardness;
  • Non-slip surface of ABS handles;
  • Solid full tang knife means the metal from the blade goes through the handle;
  • The small skinning knife is especially efficient around the deer neck area.
Cons:
  • Needs frequent resharpening;
  • Sheath is cut by the knives easily: it becomes the reason for knife’s loses;
  • According to the legal disclaimer, this article contains chemicals (known to the State of California), which can cause birth defects or other reproductive harm, or cancer.

#5 Uncle Henry 153UH Golden Spike Rat Tail Tang 9.25in

Uncle Henry 153UH Golden Spike Rat Tail Tang 9.25in

Since 2004 the Uncle Henry knives have been manufactured in China according to the bought patent from the U. S. Schrade Company. Uncle Henry knives are retro models with elegantly crafted handles and traditional staglon folders. A 9.25-inches stainless steel knife with a 5-inches fixed blade and staglon handle comes in handy during hunting, camping, or outdoor survival. The knives’ durability is assured due to the rat tail tang blade shape.

Pros:
  • Very sharp and sturdy;
  • Safe: fingers are protected by the nickel silver guard, which prevents the blade from slipping;
  • Convenient: the stylish leather sheath is provided with sharpening knife stone inside it;
  • Limited Lifetime Warranty.
Cons:
  • Warning of California’s Proposition 65;
  • As the knife is not a full tang, the blade gets wobbly after not long usage;
  • The blade is rather thick;
  • In reality, the handle looks like it’s made of cheap plastic.

#6 Outdoor Edge Wild Pak

Outdoor Edge Wild Pak

Full Tang Razor-Sharp stainless blades are appropriate for field dressing games. The hard-side case is compact and can be easily carried in the backpack. The case is packed with the tungsten carbide sharpener, rib spreader, T-handle bone saw, gloves for cleaning, the full-tang 420J2 stainless steel skinning, caping, and boning knives; their blades are thin, heat-treated, and hand-finished, with a razor-sharp edge. Outdoor Edge 8-Piece Hunting Knife Kit is identical to the MOSSY OAK set completeness.

Video review

Pros:
  • An affordable price;
  • Lightweight Case: the total weight of the hunting set is 1.1 kg;
  • Non-slip rubberized TPR handles: due to their blaze-orange color cutting tools can be quickly found in the dark or the grass.
Cons:
  • Blades rust quickly;
  • There are some cases of missing parts in the kit;
  • Knives quality is expected to be higher than it’s indeed.

#7 Mossberg Fixed Blade Skinning Knife (with Gut-Hook)

Mossberg Fixed Blade Skinning Knife (with Gut-Hook)

Mossberg skinning knife with a gut hook has a non-glare stainless steel blade (3 ½-inch) and camo handle; it is set with black ballistic cloth sheath. The sheath is convenient to carry to hunting or other outdoor activities, as it fits any regular belts. The manufacturer emphasizes the knife’s lightweight and short size (6 ¾-inches overall), its suitability for deer, or another big game skinning. But the knife is not as handy for field dressing, as for skinning.

Video review

Pros:
  • Value for money;
  • Finger hole ensures firm grip;
  • Stubby curved blade makes bone and joint cutting fast and efficiently;
  • Blade is razor sharp out of the box;
  • Riveted back is good for traction.
Cons:
  • Rather small;
  • The handle can get loose after a while;
  • Easy to lose because of the dark color;
  • The knife can cut through the sheath.

#8 Havalon Piranta Z Folding Blade Skinning Knife with 2.75″ blade

Havalon Piranta Z Folding Blade Skinning Knife with 2.75" blade

The knife is provided with the case of 12 spare stainless steel 60A blades (2.75 inches), interchangeable with all Piranta blades. It’s possible to resharpen the blades. The 60A blades are thicker and less flexible, so firmer than the 60XT ones. The handle is made of stain-resistant ABS rugged plastic of orange and black colors.

Video review

Pros:
  • Razor-sharp;
  • Nylon holster is included;
  • Ensures quick deer skinning, even in inconvenient areas;
  • The design of the open knife back allows you to clean it up easily.
Cons:
  • There are no locks to keep the blade from falling out or coming off while the knife is in use;
  • Dangerous to replace the blades and hold extra ones because of extreme sharpness;
  • The paint on the handle can flake off;
  • Inconvenient: needs two hands to open.

#9 Outdoor Edge 3.0″ RazorLite EDC

Outdoor Edge 3.0" RazorLite EDC

Outdoor Edge Folding Knife is convenient to use by “One Hand Opening” due to the double-sided thumb stud and can be easily carried, having the Pocket Clip, integrated on the grip. Color combination of black and orange on the handle makes the knife well-visible. To replace the blade, it’s necessary to press the blade release button on the handle, then insert the new backup into the black oxide coated blade holder.

Pros:
  • Lightweight;
  • No need to sharpen the blade, just change it, as there are three extra backups included;
  • Even wet handle isn’t slipping, because of rubberized TPR inserts on the Grivory double molded surface;
  • Appropriate for field dressing;
Cons:
  • No gut hook;
  • Gets blunt quickly; one blade is not enough to skin one deer;
  • Sometimes when the knife is folded, the blade can be recessed not enough, someone can be cut himself;
  • A bit small to grip reliably.

#10 Outdoor Edge WildLite, 6-Piece Knife Set

Outdoor Edge WildLite, 6-Piece Knife Set

Field-to-freezer hunting game processing knives kit consists of such types: caping, skinning with gut hook, boning, or fillet, including two-stage carbide/ceramic sharpener and game cleaning gloves. The knives are packed in the hard side carry case, which can be good for the gift. Blades are manufactured in China. It’s recommended to wash the cutting tools with hands and not in the dishwasher.

Pros:
  • All knives have full-tang 420J2 stainless steel blades;
  • Ergonomic shape of handle casing makes the gripping comfortable without hand tiredness;
  • Well-equipped hard side case easy to carry;
  • The knives are well-balanced and razor-sharp.
Cons:
  • After dishwasher the knives rust;
  • Needs frequent sharpening;
  • The sharpener doesn’t work properly.

#11 Outdoor Edge RazorPro Double Blade Hunting Knife

Outdoor Edge RazorPro Double Blade Hunting Knife

Both double-blade hunting knife, with 3.5-inch replaceable gutting Razorblade, and 4.4″ wood-&-bone saw are folding. The knife is provided with six 3.5″ drop-point backups. Camouflage nylon sheath is divided inside into separate sections for keeping a knife and spare blades for it.

Video review

Pros:
  • Great combo for skinning and gutting needs;
  • Very sharp blades;
  • Reliable Lockback design on the handle;
  • If you don’t want to sharpen the blades, just replace with the extra backups;
Cons:
  • Gutting knife is not comfortable to use;
  • Bone saw is a bit flimsy, it’s more for small bones;
  • Saw blade rusts quickly.

#12 Mossy Oak Fixed Blade Hunting Knives

Mossy Oak Fixed Blade Hunting Knives

Game Processing Full Tang Knives kit includes a knife with a gut hook; a large drop-point blade knife and a small drop-point blade knife. Three straight-edge knives have wood handles; and they are packed in the black cloth sheath with the belt loops. Finger protective grooves on the handle prevent slipping during usage.

Pros:
  • Thick sturdy well-balanced blades;
  • Fixed blades are made of 3CR13 stainless steel, which is high-strength and abrasion resistance;
  • Six anti-skid grooves on the backside of the blade.
Cons:
  • The handles are not so reliable as blades, in some cases, they have been split;
  • Some chips on the blades;
  • Hardly sharpen;
  • Cumbersome sheath, inconvenient for putting and taking knives out of it.

#13 Gerber Gear Moment Field Dress

Gerber Gear Moment Field Dress

Concerning the manufacturer’s description, the small knife can be good for caping and cutting along the leg bones; the large knife with Gut Hook is appropriate for larger cuts. Black nylon sheath with metal snaps is included in the set. Black textured rubber handles are comfortable for hand-holding.

Video review

Pros:
  • Fine edge blades;
  • Solid blades, but aren’t felt heavy;
  • Value for money;
  • The smaller knife is extremely sharp, fitting well right between the rib cage and backbone;
  • Full-tang construction: both knives are made in one steel piece from the blade tip to the grip end.
Cons:
  • The sheath hardly retains the knives, it’s possible to store the knives during the transportation, but unlikely to carry on the belt;
  • The knife shape and the logo placement are different from the advertised photos on: no the finger slot at the blade base on the gut hook knife – inconvenient to use;
  • Not durable: the large knife can crack and pieces can split off from it.

#14 GVDV Hunting Knife Kit

GVDV Hunting Knife Kit

An 8.1″ fixed caping smaller knife with a 3.1” drop-point blade is more appropriate for smaller games. An 8.7″ gut-hook skinner knife with a 3.7” curved blade is suitable for quick game processing. A 9.6″ boning and fillet knife, with a 4.7” fine edge blade (its thickness of 1.6mm), is designed to slice any fish or meat. A ribcage spreader, gloves for game cleaning, and a hard-side box are included in the knives set as well.

Pros:
  • Useful gift for hunters;
  • Lightweight (23oz), compact sturdy black box;
  • Affordable price;
  • Grooved non-slip polypropylene handles with camouflage print ensure a reliable grip.
Cons:
  • Steel is light and thin.

#15 Mossy Oak Fixed Blade Gut Hook Knife

Mossy Oak Fixed Blade Gut Hook Knife

Gut-hook skinning knife with razor-sharp 3CR13 blade provides strong edge retention. Walnut wooden non-slip handle, with finger grooves, makes the knife comfortable to hold. The belt hinge and two snap loops on the durable sheath make access to the knife easy and protect the blade during the carrying.

Pros:
  • Reliable full tang construction;
  • Safety brass pommel guard on the handle protects the fingers;
  • Stylish portable high-quality genuine leather sheath;
  • High carbon corrosion-resistant stainless steel.
Cons:
  • Needs sharpening out of the box;
  • Bolts and blade guard can rust.

Conclusion

If you look for a quality gutting or skinning knife, you need to choose a lightweight, portable and nimble tool with a sharp and a thin blade, and a non-slide coverage handle, ensuring a secure grip. The skinning knife is curved to prevent the tip from piercing the hide or the meat. The skinning will be easy and efficient with a good cutting tool.

Tatiana Kursakova
Tatiana Kursakova
Professional shooter, traveller, survivalist
My love of guns is in my blood, since childhood I have spent hours enjoying the beauty of guns and adored going through their parts.

Tactical accessories are another passion of mine that I could write about endlessly - my house and garage are full of tactical gadgets, luckily my family shares my interests.

I'm infatuated with traveling that's why work at one place with a daily routine and standard schedule is not for me. I prefer copywriting and English tutoring as a freelancer. I live in a male family among constant talks about cars, guns, hunting, fishing, and, of course, dinosaurs 😊.

My husband is an obsessed hunter, and my two sons are fans of «Demolition Ranch» of YouTube blogger Matt Carriker. They are my best consultants about weapon and all-around ammunition topics. All together we share a love for adventures. Every camping or mounting hiking trip is a "small survival", giving irreplaceable experiences. Nothing can be better than the satisfaction of observing wild nature.

Motto: «Born in Ukraine, made is the USA».

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