There are thousands of knives out there to choose from. Out of the dozens of knives I personally own, this one knife clearly stands out as a hunter’s top-tier tool.
Find a hunter and you will find a person that appreciates a good knife. Find a hunter that regularly harvests game and butchers their own meat for the family, and you will find a very discerning knife owner that knows exactly what they look for in a good knife.
I will admit, I have a bunch of “junk” knives to choose from when I am doing yard work; you know, the kind of knives you might cut the deck belt free of a pulley on the mower, or a junk knife you don’t mind prying on something.
On the flip side, there are those knives that have a very special purpose and they get a lot of special care and are used when the job really counts such as when skinning a big-game animal or in my recent case, breasting out some geese and trying to get every last bit of meat off those big honkers I could.
Enter the Montana Knife Company Speedgoat 2.0. I had been eyeballing the knife for more than a few months and was very excited when it arrived for me to test. Prior to getting the Speedgoat 2.0, I was torn between finding a knife with a sharp point for nicking loose the meat around wing bones and leg joints on geese and ducks, and doing double duty skinning the multiple deer we put in the freezer each year to supply our meat, or just simply going with a rounded skinner blade and seeing what would work. I went with the Speedgoat 2.0 and I am very glad I did. This is the newest addition to the Montana Knife Company’s lineup.
The tip of this knife is incredibly sharp (as is the rest of the blade), but it is pointed enough to work in those joints to nick apart those ligaments and tendons to free up meat quickly and without hacking and damaging the edge of your blade. I made quick work of a goose an hour before I typed this and it is superb for caping out or skinning down a whitetail deer as well. Trimming fat? Yep, it does that very fast and the ergonomics of the knife tell me that the designer and company took the time to do this knife up correctly. I have zero suggestions or complaints about how this knife handles. I don’t say that very often; in fact, I cannot remember the last time I could say that. I loved how I was able to skin the goose legs down faster than I could actually just rip the skin off. The same goes for working down a deer to get the hide off.
The paracord covered handle is perfect for my average size hands and I think even someone with larger hands will find the handle of ample size to get busy getting it done. There is reportedly 7 feet of paracord wrapped around the skeletonized handle for those field emergencies. I have not taken mine off and hope I never have to, but it is nice to know in a pinch it is there. The great thing is that it can be replaced and the knife still fits in the sheath, which is in itself a great feature.
The sheath can be quickly clipped to a belt horizontally or a pack strap vertically, and the knife is very secure. I love the sheath and how accessible it keeps the knife for those moments you need easy access in the field. It comes out with a quick tug and snaps securely in place, and won’t jar loose.
Specifications:
- The blade is made from 52100 ball bearing steel and the knife has a full tang.
- Weight is 1.7 ounces
- Overall length is 7 7/8 inches
- Blade length is 3 ¾ inches
- Blade thickness is .095 inches and is coated with PVD
- Handle is skeletonized with 550 paracord wrapping
Perhaps the thing I like most is that it is made in the USA and finished in Montana. You have to feel good about buying a USA made product and supporting our own workers. The quality and pride is evident from the card inside each box stating who sharpened it, who boxed it and who did the quality control on the knife. Montana Knife Company supports veterans, communities and conservation. Their box looks awesome and it says that their knives are made well enough to pass down for generations. I believe with basic care that is a true statement. I will be hard pressed to find a better skinning knife and honestly, as well made and functional as this Speedgoat 2.0 is, I don’t see the point in really trying.
