boning knife

[JDinPA]

I've always used my skinners for boning as well but my wife asked me if I ever used a boning knife when I was quartering and deboning. I had to answer no I
haven't.
Does anyone used deboning knives when butchering? Do you like a flexible or stiff blade?

I'm thinking a 5" flexible blade.

Do you guys have any pictures of any boning knives you've created?

I may have a Christmas present request for her to fulfill.

Thanks,
JD

[skullworks]

Here are a couple I did for some guys. 6" blades and they are stiff.

 

 
This one has been used to skin and clean 80 deer and has only been touched up with a steel twice.

[Bobby Urban]

I had this one built for me by Ray Rogers and it has cleaned up a ton of deer and hogs.  I bone most of the deer I shoot in the woods where they lay and this knife makes short work of them.  When I ordered it I sent a knife I had been using for years that I wanted copied with great steel and a bomb proof, low slip handle. Ray did a perfect job.  This knife is total utilitarian and works flawlessly for me.  
 

[Lin Rhea]

Those both have a similar shape and would be the essential boning knife.

One thing I would mention about steel choices. The damascus steel in medium layer count such yours skullworks will cut and cut not only due to the heat treat but also the way the layers meet at the cutting edege. I call it micro serrations. This is where the choice between damascus and mono steel might make a difference to some folks. It has a different cutting quality that some prefer.

Both are fine knives and would stay with you when the going gets tough.

[Scott Roush]

Lin it's interesting you bring that up about the damascus... I'm learning to make wootz... 'true' damascus that derives it's patterning from combinations of hard steel and soft iron.  That micro-serration characteristic is one of the things that made damascus steel legendary.  But it never occured to me that the same thing would happen with modern damascus since it is all made from steel. But I guess for 1084/15n20 damascus in a ferric chloride etch the 1084 would etch just a hair more than the 15n20 doing as you suggest.  interesting.

Sorry for getting off subject. Those are real nice Skull...

[gables]

I have a 6" boning knife that I have used to clean hundreds of critters from squirrels and rabbits to ducks, flatheads and deer. The blade is somewhat flexible. I recently worked with knifemaker Tommy Gann who makes a set of deer knives. One is a skinner and the other is a 6-7" boning knife. I do 100% of my butchering and I consitently use my 6" boning knife or a small fillet knife for deboning, cutting and cleaning small pieces for grinding.

[JDinPA]

Most of my boning out is deer. Skinning is usually quick as I usually do more pulling than cutting.
It's getting the meat off the hip bone that gives me issues. I feel with my stiff blade I'm leaving too much meat on bone.
They are both nice looking knives. Thanks for sharing.