Havalon knives

[the scudd]

Hi just wondering if anyone is using one of these knives. Are they any good or just another gimmick designed to catch knife junkies

 

[Rory]

I'm in the definite 'mark and avoid'camp with regards to this type of 'knife'. Just too much faff and I would expect it to go wrong at the most inconvenient moment.
Not for me. I will stick with a dedicated stainless fixed blade with a synthetic handle.

 

[nun_hunter]

I've got one and it is brilliant for a lot of finer and delicate work. Blades are never dull, literally razor sharp (funnily enough) with no issues around sharpening if that's not your forté.

I have the Piranta and although I have used it for a full gralloch it's not suited to removing legs and heads. You can do it if you have surgeon like cuts and an understanding of anatomy but if you want to hack, chop and pry then it's not for that. For the soft tissue it's unbeatable I think but I'd carry something more substantial for the heavier jobs. The bonus is it's so small and light that you can carry it as an extra without noticing it.

Gerber do a cheaper version or look on AliExpress or other selling sites for other non brand scaple folding knives as there are loads and they're considerably cheaper.

 

[JH83]

Just seen this

I use a Piranta. It mainly lives in my AGC chest rig as a spare. I mainly use it for breasting birds and fine work-good for cleaning heads, trimming the tissue away from bone. When the blades are fresh they are breathtakingly sharp so will do a gralloch and flat joints reasonably well without worrying about chipping or dulling your good knife…but be warned those wee blades can snap. I had one ping into a body cavity. I found it, but I’m sure I don’t need to explain how badly that could of gone.

 

[Overlay]

My friend slid one into his pocket a bit later shoved his hand into said pocket and slit his finger from the nail to the hand and down to the bone
Bloody thing either hadn’t closed properly or come open. It was a real bad serious cut

So its a no from me

 

[Firefly]

Got several, wouldn’t use anything else. Horses for courses but just be careful I speak having severed a nerve. I do two complete fallow grallochs per blade including heads and legs and can stretch this to three for younger beasts.

 

[crossy 666]

I have 3 or 4 of these and love mine. If you’re out in the field and your blade dulls off your just flick it out and put a new one in. The blades are surgical sharp and sterile.

 

[Rural Management Services]

They are ridiculous sharp and I use one for larder work especially on muntjac and roe where the anal work can be a little bit more dinky. I did once use it inside a cavity, but I managed to put it straight through my hand so I decided to stick to using it closer to the first aid box.

 

[bbell]

I’ve done a couple animals with only one blade. They work extremely well and hold an edge well. Have even just resharpened a couple just because. I only get nervous when removing the blades.

Something that helps for putting them on is to leave them in the wrapper except for the end to attach. Gives a little more protection rather than grabbing an open blade.

 

[25 Sharps]

My friend slid one into his pocket a bit later shoved his hand into said pocket and slit his finger from the nail to the hand and down to the bone
Bloody thing either hadn’t closed properly or come open. It was a real bad serious cut

So its a no from me

Reading that made me wince!

 

[Overlay]

Reading that made me wince!

Gotta say it wouldn’t stop bleeding, those knives are seriously sharp, got me thinking what if you slipped and cut yourself in the field, you could be in serious trouble in no time

 

[the scudd]

Thanks for your input I think I’ll give them a miss

 

[MacPherson]

I ordered a “Kestrel” from USA, this takes the Havalon blades.
I then got Emberleaf to fit it in a nice handle.

You can also get a little plastic holder for inserting and taking off blades, you get 3 in a pack. Much safer.

 

[25 Sharps]

Are these types of knives primarily for people that cannot get a decent edge on a knife?

I have a small knife from Guy Stainthorp, i think its the Splinter model, similar size and can be sharpened razor sharp that does a similar job, I can't really see the benefit of a replaceable blade other than there being no need to sharpen it.

 

[25 Sharps]

Gotta say it wouldn’t stop bleeding, those knives are seriously sharp, got me thinking what if you slipped and cut yourself in the field, you could be in serious trouble in no time

Reading about or seeing people cut themselves always makes me wince, ever since I cut down to the bone with a kukri I was sharpening as a teenager

 

[Overlay]

Are these types of knives primarily for people that cannot get a decent edge on a knife?

I have a small knife from Guy Stainthorp, i think its the Splinter model, similar size and can be sharpened razor sharp that does a similar job, I can't really see the benefit of a replaceable blade other than there being no need to sharpen it.

I think these are just scalpels no other way of looking at it, the guy above has the kestrel type and made a good job of keeping the storage of it safe top job
If you were caping a lot of deer they would be ideal back at the chiller- but in the wet and cold I wouldn’t think in those circumstances I doubt if you feel it going through an artery to be honest, knife handling is about being safe as you can, getting a bite off a flat grind is bad enough
Good luck to those that use em, hopefully you won’t have to ask for some good luck

 

[nun_hunter]

Are these types of knives primarily for people that cannot get a decent edge on a knife?

I have a small knife from Guy Stainthorp, i think its the Splinter model, similar size and can be sharpened razor sharp that does a similar job, I can't really see the benefit of a replaceable blade other than there being no need to sharpen it.

For me it is the size and sharpness that is useful, basically a locking folding knife but you can put the handle in the dishwasher to be sure it is clean after use. The blades are cheap, cheaper than sharpening equipment and you can carry multiple blades easily and taking up next to no room knowing you have a scaple sharp blade always ready to go no matter what you may do to the blade.

 

[25 Sharps]

For me it is the size and sharpness that is useful, basically a locking folding knife but you can put the handle in the dishwasher to be sure it is clean after use. The blades are cheap, cheaper than sharpening equipment and you can carry multiple blades easily and taking up next to no room knowing you have a scaple sharp blade always ready to go no matter what you may do to the blade.

I always carry 2/3 knives, so I guess it achieves the same thing just in less space.

 

[Pagans]

Yes got one , but blade has broken off a couple off times so you need a back up ,so stopped carrying it (keeping weight down) just use at home when dealing with what I've brought home.My carry knife is a Argali razor sharp and keeps its edge.

 

[Bowland blades]

Our grandparents and those before them had a solution to the problem . They learned how to sharpen or gave it to the tinker that came around .
A good knife, with a good steel and heat treatment and a regular backed leather strop perhaps a bit of compound wont really need to go to a skilled sharpener for a long time and the carrige will easy offset the cost of purchase and carriage off those spare blades .