by Dr. Jim and Mary Clary
Joker CC75 Skinning Knife ~ Test & Review
United States -(AmmoLand.com)- When we saw our first JOKER knives at an international trade show in 2014, we were impressed with both the quality and price.
As such, when we reviewed a couple of models in 2015, we were not disappointed, which is why our review was titled: “JOKER Knives are No Joke“. In this day and age of mass production and machine fabrication, it was a pleasure to test and review handcrafted knives which were made the “old fashioned” way…. one blade at a time by the hands of skilled craftsmen. The JOKER CC75 is no exception.
JOKER CC75 Skinner Hunting Knife
The CC75 is billed as a skinner; however, it is much more. This medium sized belt knife is ideal for the hunter and backpacker that doesn’t want to carry a large sheath knife. It is unobtrusive on the belt, but up to just about any task that you give it, from cutting the kindling for a campfire to skinning out a bull elk. However, we want to warn you, it is really sharp when it comes out of the box, so be careful.
The molybdenum-vanadium steel blade is designated as Krupp 4116, roughly equivalent to US 420HC which is used exclusively by Buck Knives. It has a Rockwell hardness of 57, one notch below Buck’s HRC 58, but higher than most other 4116 steels, which makes it very tough. This steel is used extensively by Krupp and Grohmann in their knives.
While it does not retain its edge as well as 440C steel, it is very easy to re-sharpen. Due to its keen edge, it is an ideal skinning knife. There are a lot of other “skinners” that retain a good edge, but most are not quite as sharp as the JOKER CC75 Skinner Hunting Knife. You will notice the difference in the field. The grooves on the spine enables positive and precise control of the blade, either with your thumb or index finger. If you are a hunter, this may just be the knife you have been looking for to skin out that bull elk.
The sheath for this blade is one of the toughest we have ever encountered. It is listed as bull hide leather and we believe it. It is essentially the same thickness and type that our saddles are made from. The stitching thread is thick and tight. It insure that the sheath will never come apart, there are two rivets, one at the bottom and one at the top… that is typical of the extra effort put into this hand crafted knife.
The same can be said for the stag scales on the handle. They are precisely mated to the full tang of the blade and held in place by two polished double-sided rivets. These scales will never come loose or come off…. they will last as long as the knife.
JOKER CC75 Skinner Hunting Knife Features and Specifications:
- Type: Skinner
- Blade type: Fixed drop point, high hollow ground
- Overall length: 6.43 inches
- Blade length: 2.92 inches
- Blade width: 1.25 inches at hilt
- Blade thickness: 0.148 inches
- Blade material: Vanadium-Molybdenum (Krupp 4116 stainless steel)
- Edge: Plain
- Sheath: Bull hide leather – top & bottom rivets
- Handle: Genuine stag scales fixed with rivets
- Weight: 4.94 ounces
- Country of origin: Spain
- MSRP: $114.95 (about half that price on Amazon)
It should be pretty obvious by now that we really liked the JOKER CC75 Skinner Hunting Knife. It is now Jim’s “regular” backpack and hunting knife. He now states that: “He won’t leave home without it.”
About Jim and Mary Clary:
Jim and Mary Clary have co-authored over three hundred and fifty articles, (and counting) on shooting and hunting. You can read many of them on AmmoLand News.