Thread: Reverse handle curved skinner

I had two of them, found in a second hand shop.Gave one away the other lives in the tractor tool box.

thinking about ergonomics reckon you'd get more power to the cut on hanging beast that way utilizing your bicep more efficiently with your shoulder and a straighter wrist.....
maybe someones personal preference

Ex freezing worker tells me it's a "leggings knife".... When I catch up with him in person I shall ask for demonstration as to how it would be used.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Ex freezing worker tells me it's a "leggings knife".... When I catch up with him in person I shall ask for demonstration as to how it would be used.

Yes. Victory make a knife for the same purpose but its not a reverse handle, just a different shaped blade.
Think about opening a sheep up to skin. You reverse your knife for the opening cuts quite a bit - from the hock to the brisket to create the Y, and from the hock to the arse. And opening the punched belly skin from the brisket to the leg junction or visa versa.

I sanded off the finger grips from the top side and ground new finger notches on the underside for normal use, good steel.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Yes. Victory make a knife for the same purpose but its not a reverse handle, just a different shaped blade.
Think about opening a sheep up to skin. You reverse your knife for the opening cuts quite a bit - from the hock to the brisket to create the Y, and from the hock to the arse. And opening the punched belly skin from the brisket to the leg junction or visa versa.

By hoki batman you are right...blade is cutting up and out. Now I REALLY want to try it out lol.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Got given an old wooden handled knife today.THINK they were a works knife back in the day, beautiful steel to sharpen,blade hasn't been abused....same curve as a skinner but handle is backwards to normal....were they for gutting stroke on cattle??? Or something else??? For sure I can use it as normal with funky handle but why?? Were they built like this?

They're a sticking knife Mick but NOT as in a "pig sticker".
Years back at the freezing works there was a place called the "sticking pen". The sheep would come up the race and onto the "trip". A big steel cradle that when released would roll the sheep onto its side onto a platform about waist high. Three men would stand side by side. One man would hold the sheep, the second would grab a back leg and put a shackel on it to hang it up on the rail. The man on the far left would bend its neck round a wooden post and literally cut its throat through the neck joint, all in one motion. Slicing down with the blade then pulling back through. Hence why the handle grip looks backwards, but its not. I watched my old man many a time,. Was even allowed to try a couple of times. After smoko, the three men would rotate, so as to have a spell from that one job.
Ive still got a couple of those knives somewhere and have often been asked over the years why the handle is on backwards. Mystery solved.

They were designed to use on enormous wallaby. Best you stick to your mercator. LOL. Dont think they would allow them in the freezing works.

My mother hand a knife like the white handled one for cutting up pumpkins........

Originally Posted by m101a1

makes sense for cut up legs or belly of beast on hook / think about it .

Makes sense. Handle looks original to me.