Just finished my skinner. 5160 from an old leaf spring I had laying around. Yes I did quenching and tempering tests with some smaller pieces. 

Paper micarta scales and brass pins. This was my first time with scales and I’m pretty happy. It looks a little spindly but is actually very comfortable. 

Now I just need to find something to skin. I’m eating tag soup this year.

Looks good to me, how does the handle do when slimed up? May want to checquer it in a few places if it gets slick.

I think the handle looks good. The way it fits in the hand is the most important part.

I agree with your decision to go with a trailing point rather than a drop point, ive always found them to be far better for skinning. Keep the tip back, and you wont poke holes in the hide. 

The only recommendation i would have would be to work on your bevels. Nice clean ricassos and plunge lines can make blades look 1000x better and function better as well. 

Good work overall. What are the dimensions?

I must disagree on plunge lines and recasted making knives work better. I see many a chefs knife with beautiful plunge lines and recasos that function poorly because the edge can’t reach the cutting board. When sharpening the edge recedes and the recaso stands proud, even on a utility knife a few min with a round diamond file to cut a notch will lend to better sharpening, and on a chef you have to grind down the recaso when sharpening. Some blades benefit from recasos and plunge lines others do not. Form fallows function, if you try to force function to fallow form you get problems. The form his blade has now allows him to not only skin a criter but allows him to process other food stuffs in the feild

I would have moved the handle forward or the edge back but otherwise the handle is very nice and the blade shape functinal

Thomas, that’s a good point with the checkering on the scales. It is a little slick.

Will, 7” overall1”1/2 on the widest part of the blade. Blade length 4”. It is beveled it’s just hard to see in the pictures because of the polish. Kind of an ax grind more than a hollow. 

Charles, you are right on the money for what I was going for on this blade. I use the same knife for skinning as I do for cutting meat and cooking. I kept the handle back more on the blade so I could pinch the blade and let the handle push on my palm as I’m working a hide down. 

Thank you all for the kind words and some great critiques. I will keep them in mind for the next.

Well designed for skinning. I agree with the handle set back. The way you are holding it in the next to the last picture is the same way I like to be able to grip a knife for skinning. I like it. Very nice work.

Well done!

 

I hold my chef knives that way and the blade cut back meets the blade. Personal preference I guess.