Havalon knives?

[Hammerhead]

Got a bolt from Vantage point a couple of months ago. As said fast on the delivery. Tried out the 60A blades, the thicker ones and they are better but still broke 3 on my elk. Maybe got to ease up a little...
HH

[shaydog65]

I have one, and agree that the blade snaps easily if not used properly. I would recommend keeping a leatherman on you for blade changes, as once your knife and hands get bloody and wet, it's a recipe for disaster trying to change out blades.

Also I found that the #22XT blades are great for gutting and skinning because they have a blunt tip that helps prevent accidental punctures and poke throughs. It's also 50% thicker then standard.

[2forty]

My son gutted and skinned a big bull moose used 4 blades great knife .Highly recommend .

[hare_assassin]

OK, I know I'm going to need my flame suit for this, but... I don't get the point of this type of knife.

I've gutted and skinned 4 deer (assisted on 2 of them, actually) and a bunch of hare this year with my knife and all it ever needs is a couple of strokes through my little ceramic sharpener.

Also, I'm not really sure why everyone seems to think skinning is so difficult and that you need a scalpel to do it. I find it to be very easy. Hell, usually it is just a matter of pulling the skin and lightly running the knife along the seam. It comes right off, even when my knife is only half-assed sharp.

So, what's the obsession with these knives? The ongoing cost of replacement blades, the fragility of the blades, etc. seem to far outweigh the benefits.

[Moe.JKU]

OK, I know I'm going to need my flame suit for this, but... I don't get the point of this type of knife.

I've gutted and skinned 4 deer (assisted on 2 of them, actually) and a bunch of hare this year with my knife and all it ever needs is a couple of strokes through my little ceramic sharpener.

Also, I'm not really sure why everyone seems to think skinning is so difficult and that you need a scalpel to do it. I find it to be very easy. Hell, usually it is just a matter of pulling the skin and lightly running the knife along the seam. It comes right off, even when my knife is only half-assed sharp.

So, what's the obsession with these knives? The ongoing cost of replacement blades, the fragility of the blades, etc. seem to far outweigh the benefits.

i completely agree with you for me i did a whole moose with a cheap $50 knife and a $15 dollar pocket sharpener. Skinning it was not difficult at all only ran the blade through the sharpener twice. No replacing the blades when my hands were all bloody. I can only imagine cutting myself replacing a blade when its bloody as well as my hands. then you have to dispose of the blades after. Fixed blade knives for me as well.

[HappyJack]

The Havalon is good, and so is the Outdoor Edge Razor Lite....I only broke a blade on the Havalon once and have done a dozen animals since with no issues. For tougher cutting I use the outdoor edge, my fixed blade knives are on my belt and get a lot of use around camp.

[twoSevenO]

OK, I know I'm going to need my flame suit for this, but... I don't get the point of this type of knife.

I've gutted and skinned 4 deer (assisted on 2 of them, actually) and a bunch of hare this year with my knife and all it ever needs is a couple of strokes through my little ceramic sharpener.

Also, I'm not really sure why everyone seems to think skinning is so difficult and that you need a scalpel to do it. I find it to be very easy. Hell, usually it is just a matter of pulling the skin and lightly running the knife along the seam. It comes right off, even when my knife is only half-assed sharp.

So, what's the obsession with these knives? The ongoing cost of replacement blades, the fragility of the blades, etc. seem to far outweigh the benefits.

Valid points. I never really saw the benefit, but eventually also bought one.

One of the reasons is that it's a fad. It's a cool new thing to have.
Also, Price. It's under $60 with a whole bunch of blades you never have to worry about sharpening. it's a pretty attractive combination.

My reason was that I wanted to prolong the edge on my main knife. As such, i bought the Havalon to use When i have to cut a lot of hair, or work against the bone. For example, skinning the head and working up around the base of the antlers. No matter how hard i try i always dull my knife against the bone there trying to get every bit of flesh/skin off. With a Havalon i don't have to worry at all. Just throw that blade out and i'm good to go.

[winchester284]

Purchased a havalon this fall and gutted, quartered and skinned a moose using the same blade. The only limitation is the length of the blade. Works real well on cutting through the thick skin on a moose.

i also helped a friend butcher 7 pigs. One blade was all I needed.

[firebird]

OK, I know I'm going to need my flame suit for this, but... I don't get the point of this type of knife.

I've gutted and skinned 4 deer (assisted on 2 of them, actually) and a bunch of hare this year with my knife and all it ever needs is a couple of strokes through my little ceramic sharpener.

Also, I'm not really sure why everyone seems to think skinning is so difficult and that you need a scalpel to do it. I find it to be very easy. Hell, usually it is just a matter of pulling the skin and lightly running the knife along the seam. It comes right off, even when my knife is only half-assed sharp.

So, what's the obsession with these knives? The ongoing cost of replacement blades, the fragility of the blades, etc. seem to far outweigh the benefits.

I do not own one and never seen one used in person. I have looked at them in the store. When hunting I have 1 knife on me and 1 in my pack, and a small sharpener.

-I dont like the idea of relying on replacement blades.
-I don't like the idea of breaking one off inside (can this happen) as mentioned earlier they look very light duty
-I don't like the idea of now having to carry a few dull blades out of the bush after a job (do you carry them in another container-- how many guys pitch them in the bush??!!)
-I do not like fixed blades (bad experiences with cheap ones not locking)
-some models look very bulky
- for camp work etc you still need to carry a heavier knife anyways

I could be totally off the mark with my opinion but I didn't want to waist money on the knife and a pack of blades to find out. I'll stick with my plane old fixed blades for now

[Wentrot]

I do not own one and never seen one used in person. I have looked at them in the store. When hunting I have 1 knife on me and 1 in my pack, and a small sharpener.

-I dont like the idea of relying on replacement blades.
-I don't like the idea of breaking one off inside (can this happen) as mentioned earlier they look very light duty
-I don't like the idea of now having to carry a few dull blades out of the bush after a job (do you carry them in another container-- how many guys pitch them in the bush??!!)
-I do not like fixed blades (bad experiences with cheap ones not locking)
-some models look very bulky
- for camp work etc you still need to carry a heavier knife anyways

I could be totally off the mark with my opinion but I didn't want to waist money on the knife and a pack of blades to find out. I'll stick with my plane old fixed blades for now

one blade lasts a heck of a long time, if you are bringing a few dull ones out after one or even two animals you did it wrong. We use the Havalon from start to finish, does s great job breaking quarters down.