Those are very nice skinning knives, I have a couple of them and they always go in my hunting bag.

Esse 3. Used it last season with a Havalon. They both worked great. I used the Esse to split the rib cage, I went up along the side of the sternum. The esse knife worked for tasks that the Havalon wouldn't be able to handle.

I don't need more than Havalon most of the time unless its going to be mounted.  Then the Havalon and hacksaw is all I need.

http://www.amazon.com/Havalon-Bolt-Knife-60A-Blades/dp/B00M1SWJB2

Yup!

After using mine I am buying one for my dad and my son.

I like mine for caping but they wont take much pressure before the blade breaks

I use a cheap Mora, my son uses the Buck 119.  Both are great options.

I make knives but will admit the Cold Steel Master Hunter is one of the best blades in the field. Its very simple and does a lot of things real well.

I got my first deer a couple of days ago.  I used a Kershaw Alaskan Blade Trader to gut and skin. It worked just fine. I'm sure there are probably better choices out there, but for the money I'm not complaing.

I prefer a Buck Vanguard Cabela's edition.  S30V blade instead of the normal 420HC.  I've gone through 3-4 deer with it without sharpening.  Field dressing, skinning and quartering.

I tried a Havalon a year or two ago.  Didn't really like it, didn't feel good in my hand, seemed too small.  It's also a bit difficult to clean and the blade popped out when I was trying to cut up a squirrel.

I just used a Mora to field dress, skin and quarter a deer last week.  Very sharp out of the box, but by the time I was halfway through quartering, it wasn't as sharp as I'd like.  Aside from that, I really like it.  The blade is a very good shape for coring the pelvis (if you don't split the bone), the sheath is very easy to clean since it's all plastic, and it's blaze orange so it's hard to lose it or the sheath in the leaves.

If I could get the Mora in S30V, that would be real nice.

Been using a Buck 105 for 30+ years now, only difference with it now is it is way sharper than new.

Lot's of good suggestions here. Take it from someone who's processed many, many deer. 4" blade borderline too large. 3" much easier to use. The best hunting knife I've ever used, and I still use was a custom knife that I bought at the BLADE show from an apprentace knife maker who was working for a very well known custom knife maker. I bought it for $80.00. It's pretty plain, no frills, but damn it's perfect for me. 3 3/4" blade O1 tool steel and easy as hell to sharpen, stays sharp through a whole processing. I'm talking A to Z.

I've used a ton of production knives over the years, and many of them costs more than that little custom. The guy BTW is pretty well known now and his knives go for three or four times that. My point is I'd try and find a new, lesser known knife maker and buy a decent little custom for about what you could get a production knife for. You won't be disappointed. Hell, call around to custom shops and ask them if they have any apprentices selling reasonably priced knives and you'll find one.

Just get a Mora Companion for $13 and thank me later.

Nothing to laugh at, hands down the best value in fixed blade knives going.

+1.  I use a hatchet or my Buck for unzipping the breast bone, but the Mora works really well for most everything else.  Easy to sharpen, too.  Order 3!

ETA: I do not use the stainless version.  I don't know how easy it is to sharpen the linked stainless knife.

The cold steel hunter series as already mentioned is great.

Although discontinued, you can still find Browning Independence fixed blades for $60-$75. Made in the USA, all materials are from the USA, Russ Kommer design. 154CM Steel. I love this knife.  Models 744,745,746.

Lone Wolf Mountainside Drop Point.  USA made, Benchmade now owns them.

Beretta Loveless, or any loveless style drop point hunter.

Buck Open Season series, and Vanguard

Also as has already been said, 4" blade is getting on the large side for a deer, 3-4" is plenty. Personally I do not like Gut Hook combo blades, with a 4" and under blade they are not needed.

I know it's offensive to the "why pay less" crowd but a 3.75" bladed Mora (Classic #1) is about all you need whitetail deer hunting.  $12 - $15 shipped most anywhere.



I've used one like it for decades. I simply attach the sheath to one of my bib buttons and carry it that way. No muss, no fuss.

Late to this discussion, I finally settled on the Helle Temegami as my woods knife for deer and elk. Had a Buck, liked it OK, also other knives, many, that I tried and set aside for various reasons. I can keep a very good edge on the Helle more easily. Also keep a couple of cheap Moras around, amazed a couple of old time elk hunters when it was time to skin with those handy little sharp moras. Mora is not the perfect shape for skinning, but sharpness helps a lot.