It’s probably not the done thing to say you like a knife these days. It seems that due to the actions of a stupid minority, every legal knife owner is criminalised by default. Well, I’ve owned knives since I was a young lad and it may surprise readers of tabloid newspapers to know that I’ve never felt an overwhelming urge to harm a fellow human being with one yet. Nor have I ever caught a fish that would gut itself.
The Crazy River Mini Skinner is probably the smallest ‘proper’ knife I’ve ever owned. With a blade just over 2-inches long and an overall length of just over 5.5-inches, it suits so much of my fishing.
Firstly, because of its compact size and stocky build, it’s great for trimming off knots, etc., as you can apply strong downward pressure. It’s quite weighty for its size, too, which helps. Sharp knives are good, but give them a piece of 60lb mono and they still need some strength behind them to back up that sharp edge. The finger groove and thumb ridges make it a snug fit in the hand.
The Mini Skinner also very handy as a gutting knife, especially on a boat, where its short blade makes it a lot safer than a full-bladed knife. I recently went aboard a commercial fishing boat and one of the first things I noticed was that the knives were all ground down to make them smaller. The skipper told me that this was because long blades are dangerous when a boat is being tossed about (just ask my mate Dave Barham at Boat Fishing Monthly, who nearly took his finger off a few months back!). I’d never really given it much thought before, but it does make sense. I wouldn’t want to fillet a fish with the Mini Skinner, to be honest, but I rarely do that at sea, anyway. Most of the fish I fillet are done in the comfort of my kitchen.
The blade of the Crazy River Mini Skinner is INOX 440 Stainless Steel. It’s pretty sharp when you get it and a quick going over with a sharpener will have it seriously sharp in no time at all.
It does come in a little pouch, complete with a belt loop on the back, although this is only suitable for quite narrow belts. My knife stays in my flotation suit pocket when sea fishing, or in my tackle bag when freshwater fishing. If you do keep yours in your pocket, be sure to remove it before setting off for home. My understanding of UK law is that we’re quite entitled to carry a knife when fishing (in most circumstances), but it may well be harder to justify carrying one when in public. Better to be safe than sorry.
I like this knife. It’s handy, gets plenty of use and doesn’t take up room. I just hope I don’t lose it! I’ve had a few Crazy River knives over the years and they’ve all given me good service.
The RRP of the Crazy River Mini Skinner is £24.95.
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