Review: Bark River Yukon Skinner can double as survival knife

A good skinning knife can make processing a large game animal less of a chore. But it also needs to be able to double as a survival tool. The Yukon Skinner should be able to do both

by Leon Pantenburg

 Disclaimer: Bark River Knives supplied the product for this review. I don’t work for Bark River, and I was not paid to field test and review the Yukon Skinner. This is my opinion and nobody had any input in what I wrote. All we ever promise is a fair and impartial testing and review.

Being one of those experienced, seasoned hunters, or a cranky old man, (depending on if you go with my definition or my wife’s) I have developed deer hunting equipment prejudices that work for me. In knives, this is really evident.

The right knife for a particular situation makes the job easier. Skinning knives, in particular, are niche tools, and this Bark River Yukon Skinner may end up being one of your favorite user knives. I like it already, even though it will be several months before I can try it out on a deer.

Let’s start with the design.

Specs (Courtesy of DLT Trading):

1. Overall Length: 8.250″
2. Blade Length: 3.875″
3. Blade Thickness: .125″
4. Handle Thickness: .763″
5. Tang: Full
6. Blade Steel: Magna-Cut
7. Weight: 4.87oz
8. Sheath: Ambi 6
9. Country of Origin: USA

Here’s what I look for in a skinning knife:

• • Thin blade: The knife is probably not going to be used for bushcraft, and woodworking is not in the plan. A thin blade is more effective for virtually everything.
  • Pronounced belly: The belly of a blade is that part from the tip to where the edge straightens out. The belly does most of the work, and a skinning knife will have a large belly with a curve.
  • Comfortable handle: A skinner will be used a lot, for extended periods of time. The handle that fits your hand allows you to work comfortably. (Here is how to measure your hand to fit a handle.)
  • Quality steel: This goes without saying. A knife that must frequently be re-sharpened will take more time to use. Also, it will dull quicker, making it an unsafe tool. Best steel
  • Point: A piercing or drop point will work OK for skinning, but the best is an upswept or trailing point. These help extend the belly of the blade.
  • Size: This is a personal choice. I usually take two different-sized skinners in my daypack, because I can. I want a five-to-six inch blade on the larger knife, and a smaller knife with a two-to-three inch blade. These will be used in different parts of carcass.
  • No replaceable blades: Your best chance for getting in a survival situation is when you’re big game hunting. The replaceable blade knives are not sturdy enough to be survival knives, and finding replacement blades could be impossible. Invest in a quality knife with good steel, and you won’t need to be resharpening or switching blades while processing a carcass.

And are you going to pack out the dull blades?  I hope so. I’ve found some in the back country. Another time, I also found a regular knife that apparently was dropped and lost.

Here is how the Yukon Skinner worked out for me.

It is a few months before I’ll be able to hunt big game, so I’ve had to make do with bushcrafting and hiking. Here are some first impressions:

1. Thin Blade: Given a choice I’ll take a thin blade over a thick one every time. The thinner blades just work better.
2. Belly: The belly is the part of the knife from the tip to where the blade straightens out. The belly does most of the work when skinning a large game animal. The Yukon’s belly is very similar to other skinners I have used extensively. It’s gonna be a skinning machine!
3. Blade length: The Yukon has a 3.8-inch blade, and that is about perfect for a designated skinning knife. My go-to Ambush Tundra has a five-inch blade and it works great. Likewise, my other Bark River UP Gunny is about perfect. My Casstrum Safari has a 2.36-inch blade and it works well for skinning around the front shoulders or caping out a head mount.
4. Steel: Magna-Cut is a super steel that can do virtually any job. I haven’t used Magna-Cut enough yet to pronounce it the best at anything. But I’m really liking it so far.
5. Point:  An upswept point is probably the most effective tip for a skinner. But I generally carry a drop point knife because it is more versatile. For the initial under-the-tail work of field dressing a whitetail, I like a point that will pierce easily.

My pet deer rifle, a Remington 700 BDL 7mm-08 and my custom Ambush Tundra.

So is the Yukon Skinner the best skinning knife for you?

Here’s the nit-picky personal part of this review (that shows I’m not writing ad copy!)

I frequently hunt alone because I am damned picky about who goes into the wilderness or woods with me.  I will do a lot of walking during the day and there is only so much gear that can be taken along.

This also means my equipment had to be pared down. I will have to take care of the downed animal all by myself.

In 2018, I shot a nice seven-point Mississippi buck right on the edge of a brushy ravine loaded with thorn bushes. Naturally, the buck did its death run downhill, right into the thickest part of the thicket. I had to stomp and chop a path down to it, then field dress the buck on the spot and cut off its lower legs and head before I could drag it back up to the field. All this work was done with an Ambush Tundra, and I couldn’t have asked for a better hunting knife.

But we all have personal preferences, and my (for right now) favorite UP Bravo might not be your favorite. In fact, you may not like it at all. I’m betting this Yukon is going to go over really well, and I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t work well for most people. I’ll let you know!

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