Favorite knives for killing/butchering

[katbriar]

I worked my way through college working at UCD Veterinary Pathology.  We necropsied every type of large and small domestic, and many types of wild animals that you could think of ( from a mouse and bat to a leapard and a  killer whale).  We mostly used the Farberware Special Stainless boning knife ( from putting an animal down to skinning , gutting, etc), slicers, cleavers, etc.  I ordered a set including a hand held round sharpening stone and finishing steel  for myself and have used the same ones every day for the last 39 years at our ranch.  (I used to be able to butcher a 1000 lb.  steer from standing to 2 hanging halves  into a cooler in about an hour by myself in my college days[ a lamb in 1/2 hour]).  Practice makes perfect !

Wow, if you're a guy, I just swooned. If you're a gal, you're my hero!

 

[LilyD]

I use the Havalon PIranta Edge. It is made for skinning and dressing. The blade is a razor so it is very sharp. Once done 50+ birds it will get dull and you snap of the blade and put on a new one. It comes with 12 in packages for replacement and a 13th in the knife itself. It is small and well balanced so easy to use. I use it for the killing and eviscerating afterwards.

 

[Bossroo]

Wow, if you're a guy, I just swooned. If you're a gal, you're my hero!

Yup, I am a guy all the way. About half of the Vet School classes were females, and I have yet to see one of them come even close to processing a steer to hanging in cooler camp in anywhere near the time frame. Since you just swooned, I will bring you a glass of cool water to revive you ...

 

[katbriar]

Yup,  I am a guy all the way.   About half of the Vet School classes were females, and I have yet to see one of them come even close to processing a steer to hanging in cooler camp in anywhere near  the time frame.  Since you just swooned, I will bring you a glass of cool water to revive you ...       

And now you have me laughing, perfect.

The butcher we used to use was a family business that had been started by a father and then carried on by his daughter. I don't think she could beat your time, but I was still amazed.

I can handle a white-tail but when I moved west and took my first elk, off to the processor she went.