I have all and the same problems with encoding text files that everyone has. I work with linux terminal (gnome-terminal) and with and ssh connection to a linux server, my clients have OSX and MS Windows 7 and 10, and they are server for a webservice that i didn't know, but they alway sent me text files that can't be processed by my scripts (bash scripts) because encoding problems. The solution is so simple: i make:
cat textfile
Then i select the text in the terminal and with vim just paste the output.
So, my question is:
cat is not affected by encoding? Or is vim? or is gnome-terminal the one who cares a sh$%6 about the encoding?