This goes out to all you experts in steel, construction, etc.

i am looking for the best possible skinning (caping) knife i can get for my money. I know nothing about the various steel offerings (D2, damascus, etc.) but i want a knife that comes razor sharp, holds an edge exceedingly well, and can be sharpened without sending it to a professional

I like the looks of damascus, but if it's inferior for my purposes, i'll live with something less pretty.

someone please educate me

bump for another try

The heat treating and following RC hardness dictates how hard the steel is. The harder the steel, the more brittle it is.
In my opinion a good hunting knife should be between 58 to 60 RC, ideally it will be cryogenically treated as well. I have made several for a guy and he reported back that he had dressed and skinned 18 deer with it and only used a steel on it so far.
Hope that helps some.

I'm anxious to try out my new Havalon Piranta - the skinning knife that uses replaceable surgical blades. Not nearly as pretty as a damascus blade, but I won't ever have to sharpen it (replacement blades are about .50 each) and it's sharper than anything I've ever seen.

It's so sharp I'm afraid to touch it.

Like Diver Texas wrote. 58 to 60 RC is very good

Id like to hear about this too. Give me a sec Im gonna try and go round up some knife experts !!

Well you picked a topic “which steel is best” that causes tempers to flair and arguments amongst knife makers.

I use paper wheels, diamond stones and a leather strop to keep things sharp depending on what touch up is needed and where I am at the time. Fine grit sandpaper on a piece of glass works well in a pinch. If you use a knife until it is as dull as a butter knife it is no fun to sharpen with a fine Arkansas stone.

Which steel to pick is up to you. I don’t know of any steel that will hold an edge indefinitely. I use 154-CM, ATS-34, CPM-154, D2, CPM-D2 and S30V. I also use 1095 for carbon steel and I like 1095/15N20 or 1084/15N20 for carbon steel Damascus. Treat your knife like a gun, keep them clean, oiled and sharp and they will last several lifetimes.

If you are having a knife made, talk to the knife maker and explain what you want to do with the knife, see what is recommended and research the steels. If you are buying a knife at the store check the edge and area just behind it. For a slicer it should be thin, and a chopper thicker. Skinning a deer with a sharp ax is just as much of a pain as chopping wood with a straight razor.

X2 These guys are pretty amazing. I've heard of being able to skin 6-8 deer with a single blade without it becoming too dull to be effective. Then, when it finally does dull to much, pop it off and pop a new one on, and you're back in business. I really, really like mine. I want the fillet knife too. Stupid sharp!

Where do I find the .50 cent replacement blades online?(for the Havalon)

just get a case trapper.