For skinning at home I usee my Victorinox butchers knives and K-dick steel. Usually are in my Landcruiser for any hunt as well.

As a hunter-butcher mate said, "A knife for show and the belt, and a knife for butchering."

My knife in that day was blunt. Stupid yes. Actually I think a kudu is much easier to skin than a sambar. Some of us pick up things when meeting and hunting with people as well but use discretion and fore-thought when commenting on line. Me for example.

Actually taking a sheath knife to Africa is mostly a waste of baggage weight. Many guys want one though. The skinners and trackers do the job very quickly and efficiently and are paid to do the job. Some outfitters have lesser skinners. One of the outfitters had, had his skinners spend some time with a taxidermist to learn how to cape and full mount skin animals. So they were very good at it.

On an African safari hunt where I am a client I usually carry just a Leatherman. Next one I might carry a sheath knife again. Just because it feels right.

I think it is disappointing to see a thread created by a guy to show how he is going about creating some knives for a theme, ie his project, is yet again destroyed and derailed. I was looking forward to it.

If von Gruff can be convinced to change his mind and return, perhaps a new thread. Naysayers can stay right out of it.

As I said, just start your own threads. I didn't see anything in this thread which is not suitable for these forums and is often good information. Different opinions. Just perhaps not good manners to argue with the guy on this thread, on the topic of a very specific project. JMO. Wouldn't it be interesting to see the project finished to the end?