Having recently participated in skinning a couple critters I realize I do not have a good skinning knife, though I got by.

Also I think the "gut hook" for pulling through hide without puncturing deeper is a feature I want.

Suggestions?

I would suggest BRKT, but I don't think they have a gut hook. Stu you there???

If not BRKT then Knives of Alaska.

Good post I`m interested too... that time is gonna come soon for me!

This is a pretty darned good skinner with a gut hook, and for a pretty darned good price.

http://www.kniferus.com/servlet/the-408/158OT/Detail

I've used this on deer, elk, rabbit, pheasant, and salmon.

You can spend a lot more money if you want. I would start here and keep it sharp and you should do just fine.

Looks pretty good, thanks.

How do you keep the gut hook sharp - or is this an issue?

Or you can get something like this, another quality knife for the money, but much more expensive.

http://www.knifeart.com/chreskinfibl.html

I don't think the term "guthook" is really appropriate either. It gets used a lot to describe the curved detent on the back of skinning blades that is sharpened along the inside radius, allowing the knife to cut through the hide without risk of puncturing/cutting into the paunch of an animal. I call that a "zipper" feature. A guthook is more descriptive of the unsharpened hooked probe commonly found as a second tool on folding knives used for dressing birds. The hook is used to reach into the body cavity and extract the innards of the bird whereby they are more easily separated and removed. Without a guthook, dressing a bird can be tedius and often messy.

A zipper edge on a skinning knife is pretty handy, but a skilled hunter can readily use the tip of his hunting blade and the index and middle fingers of his off hand to do the same task. Once a slit is made in the hide, it is pretty easy to slip the two fingers underneath and ride the tip in between the fingers and at an angle so the blade edge will sever the hide as it is drug along a line with the fingers guiding it along. Done properly, the risk of overpenetration is insignificant.

My general rule is if you have the zipper edge on a knife at hand, then use it. If not, then make do with what you have and don't fret too much. It ain't rocket science. Just take your time and do a good job.

Well, I am going to be learning to dress birds soon, so maybe I need another knife?

Any combo skinning-bird cleaning knifes?

I Agree with benjammin, I have one of those knifes and it has went thru a lot of hide, thankfully not mine.

Which one?