I second what Mike said. I see that Byrdguy has a nice 28 on the forum for sale

No doubt a 5-6 is a great all around knife. For pure sportsmans use like classic hunting a knife for use on animals like the OP suggests its main use is for I would get the sharpest grind and most special purpose skinner I could. The 22 in reality is probably the best choice as it's the thinnest, the Ward Gay looks really good too but it's a 1/4" thick knife but its 01 and has that super nice handle profile.

Not sure of the purchase limit on the stock sale but for a sportsmans pair I would get a 5-6 for all around heavy use and a Ward Gay for after the kill.

I have no problem with the 28, it's a great hunting knife and certainly could be an all around as well.

Pap

If you will be hunting mostly upland and the occasional deer, I’d recommend the model 7-4.5 inch (mine has a walnut handle) in or a model 26 ( mine is an LL Bean stag handled version). I used them last year to clean a bit over a 140 ducks, geese, and grouse. They are excellent knives.

A couple of other models to consider are the 28 and the 8. I’ve had two model 28s, that my #2 son and a neighbor now own. The model 8 is a nice knife for the purpose too. My two model 8 are now with #1 daughter, as she likes Randall’s with stag handles.

Alan

Alan,

Nice to see you posting again. Life in the north country must be great with that bounty. Yes , good knife choices.

And what about the 23 .
I agree with all what have been said above. 5-6, 28, 7. They're perfect.
I will also say that 2 blades are better. One for all-around and one for precise job (as skinning, meat working).
If only one knife, I find the 27 very appropriated (but it is personnal).
One thing I will also look at is the handle. Although I love the leather handle, in the field I prefer stag with finger grips. Less slippery and more resistant in wet conditions.
I've never used micarta so I can't talk about it.

Micarta gets grippy when wet. Doesn't freeze your hand off in the winter either. It's also impervious to just about everything. Give it a try! Stag definitely can look the best though, and stag could be the most long lasting material as micarta in theory can destabilize and leather... bottom line get what you like the most because all Randall handles are great.

Something else...

While I, like many others, like the appearance of nice stag, those really bumpy pieces can get pretty rough on the hand if you are doing any heavy duty or prolonged cutting. They add texture to the grip, but they can lead to blisters.

Another consideration involves the clean-up of bumpy stag after a field dressing or butchering is finished. The more bumpy the stag, the more work is involved in cleaning the handle thoroughly, and generally requiring something like a toothbrush and warm or hot soapy water to clean out all the nooks and crannies. And...this cleaning process can remove the surface coloration on some pieces that were so dark and contrasting that made the stag so attractive in the beginning.

So...for what it is worth...for a working knife I do like stag, but prefer the smooth and naturally colored pieces as handles.

Holding any RMK that has smooth stag or any other handle material, handle shape and size helps to register the grip on the knife for whatever chore, so the added texture of a really bumpy piece of stag doesn't really add much to the ergonomics--IMHO.

Stag nuts are (often unknowingly) grateful for the sambar stag that is used on RMKs. We would be at a loss if we had to depend on North American deer and elk for antler materials.

Larry

Very good insight Larry.