If you had to buy a new knife for under $50.
 

Over the past couple years I have started processing my own deer from start to finish. I own two "hunting knives" that I had always used for field dressing. The last two years I have also used them for skinning and boning as well but I want to get a couple more knives so I can keep my field knives and butchering knives separate. A friend of mine has a couple of Old Hickory knives that I have used and they hold an edge longer then my Buck and Old Timer (Schrade). I was surprised when he told me he paid less then $10 a piece for them. With work and the holiday season my budget is a bit limited right now. If you had to buy a couple of knives and stay under $50.00 what would you get. I don't see any need to spend a bunch if I can get a couple of $10.00 knives that will keep up with the more expensive ones. Also I usually kill two deer a year so they won't be seeing tons and tons of use.

I teach at a vocational school. We have a meat processing lab that takes beef, pork, sheep, goats, etc. from live to packaged. They use only one knife style from start to finish. They use a Forschner boning knife for the whole process. I noticed this about 15 years ago and have been using them ever since. They are around $15. I attached a link below.

I like the curved 6" boning knife. They're easy to sharpen and hold an edge for a long time. They're Swiss made...and the handles are great. Their skinning knife does a great job, too...but just for skinning.

Here's one link I found.

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/victor...g-knife-p14699

im not sure i understand the question, are you looking for a knife in the field, or one to use on the deer once you get it home, or both. Ive got a browning triple blade folder with the regular blade, bone saw, and guthook on it i really like for my woods time and to field dress on the spot (that bone saw will go right thru a breastplate on a whitetail like its nothing). I dont do my own deer processing, but when if i did or when cutting the meat to prepare, id want something like pro-line is suggesting.....cheaper blade thats easily sharpened and lasts forever

That is exactly what I use plus the slicing carving knife and those prices are cheap for these knives. I wish I had this link back when I bought mine..

The "6 boning curved from dexter cutlery is awesome. Use for skinning to boning and cutting up all the meat.

That is the same knives we use at the taxidermy shop that i work at. They work great! They are easy to sharpen, hold a good edge, and are very reasonibly priced.

Looks kinda like my Fillet knife. I have found that works very well for boning and butchering work.

I made my own from a hickory handled steak knife..Cost of hickory handled steak knife.
.25 from a yard sale..

now while in the field I use my BUCK 110 folding knife.

I got my boning and skinning knives in a box of junk knives at a auction for like $3 years ago. The boning knife is 6" and has been sharpen so much that it has a curve to the blade, don't know the make, its not on the knife. It could be hand made, as there was a well known knife maker in this town. It holds a good edge and takes just a few strokes on a steel to sharpen. Zeak

On the Forschners do yall prefer the flexible or the stiff knives?

Another vote for Forschner here. I use the flexible blades.

for the field the best budget knife I have bought forever is the Swingblade, for home butchering I agree; a curved boning knife can't be beat. Those Forschner's are nice.

Whether or not you get flexible is up to you.

I use the flexible....it makes cutting silver skin and trimming around bones easier.

Forschner or Dexter Russell 6" Boner (yes it really is called that!)

Allot of people use regular hunting knives for skinning or gutting. When i killed my elk this year, my buddy laughed at me when i pulled my knife out. He grabbed a new knife he started using this year, havalon knives, and started hacking away at my elk. It was unbelievable how sharp the blade stayed and that if it got dull, he carried replacement blades in his pack. They worked like razor blades (havalon are basically surgical scalpels that are a little thicker than razors), and one blade did (skinned and deboned) my whole elk and skinned the skull.

This is why we started carrying them, it might not be something you are interested in but they are fair priced, blades are cheap for as long as they can be used and it is really nice not to be able to not have to spend a whole night sharpening it. Needless to say, i replaced my heavy knife with one of the new lightweight havalon.

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http://www.bugsnbullets.com/Havalon_...g_mid_102.html

I use a flexible boning knife and a stiff slicing carving knife..

I am probably going to get a Forschner to try out. I just bought a vintage Old Hickory on Ebay for $9.00. It had a inch blade and was in good shape. I am also trying to find a Olsen 4800 knife. A friend of mine and his brother got one each from their dad years ago and the seem to be awesome knives. They are well made but they are pretty rare and pretty pricey.