What knife for whole hog break down?

[changy915]

I'm going boar hunting for the first time with a bunch of guys this fall. The plan is to get 5 or so and break them down at the camp into primals. I was going to bring a Becker 7 (I know I know, but it's my robust knife that I don't sorry about chipping), but I'm wondering if there are better tools for the task. Hankotsu? Honesuki? Western boning knife? I don't want to be the newbie that shows up with a bunch of knives, so what would be the most versatile?

 

[Bodine]

A sharp pocket knife will do

 

[daveb]

I've only done a couple hogs and don't know that I would shoot another (they're just nasty) - back in those days Gerber was my friend. Deer on the other hand..........I put one or two in the freezer every year.

A hankotsu is useful in getting the hide off, removing loins and some de-boning. And the Gerber has been replaced by a Yoshikane and a Harner , but a good, stiff, fixed blade of your preference will be essential.

 

[Noodle Soup]

I've skinned 8 of my own and helped on maybe 20 more. Any of the the normal deer hunting knives will get the hide off. After that I like the standard boning, butcher and breaking blades for reducing the animal to primal cuts.

 

[BloodrootLS]

A thin straight blade of 5.5-7” is helpful for separating the bung and removing loins and trimming if you do it that way. Given the size of most wild hogs, bone-in chops are not worth it in my opinion and I tend to remove them whole with the slightly flexible straight blade. A 3.5” drop point style blade does most of the skinning work well. A stout blade for cutting the sternum can be helpful as well. We use a 5” heavy blade for some of the skinning around the neck/shoulder “shield” found on many boars and this knife also serves for the sternum cut. This is what we’ve come up with and we do about 30 animals a year and have tried a wide variety of blade designs and combinations. After all it’s field testing [emoji16]

 

[chinacats]

I think this video explains the process petty well...

 

[Mucho Bocho]

Jim nice share. That about sums it up. Very enjoyable I’m going to rewatch it w my kids. Learn them something about non-electronic life.

 

[changy915]

Thanks for the tips and the very educational video. Strange as it may sound, I'm looking forward more to the butchering than the hunting.

 

[Noodle Soup]

I think this video explains the process petty well...

The vid sure makes it look easy!

 

[boomchakabowwow]

Most of my hogs came apart with a Mora Carbon Companion. $14.

Upgraded a bit with a new Knife recently.

 

[boomchakabowwow]

Neat video.

But that animal was hair removed. Not skinned. And it’s neat and tidy. No bullet channel and meat jelly.

 

[Noodle Soup]

A domestic rather than a wild hog. Scalding and scrapping a wild one would be really nasty job.

 

[Ruso]

I would assume almost any decent “hunting” knife will do the trick. There is no shortage of this type of knives from NA, European or Asian makers.
Check KnifeCenter for example for a decent selection - from cheap to expensive.

 

[daveb]

I would assume almost any decent “hunting” knife will do the trick. There is no shortage of this type of knives from NA, European or Asian makers.
Check KnifeCenter for example for a decent selection - from cheap to expensive.

Same could be said for "decent" chef knives and various kitchen tasks. But who wants decent?

I liked moving up to a fixed blade Yoshikane for my primary hunting knife - all the while being baffled by edc and neckers.

 

[Bodine]

This is a deer video, but the same method will work with a hog, with a wild hog, wear gloves.

 

[Chef Doom]

A short samurai blade.

 

[quantumcloud509]

A Takeda deba. Peels the face off a hog head in one piece. Cuts through joints with ease, etc.
The only knife I regret selling on the BST.