Havalon Skinning Knives?

[osprey]

I own and have used the havalon piranta model and it has its place. I like to keep one in my pack as well but would never use it as my main blade as they are more of special purpose knife. They are great for skinning and precision work such as turning ears and splitting lips and nose in prep for taxidermy. However for field dressing and boning a regular drop point of good quality is my preference. If you try to get too cute around bone with the havalon you will slip a blade off the thing, but they are not meant for this type of work. When used properly they are a very useful tool.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I own and have used the havalon piranta model and it has its place. I like to keep one in my pack as well but would never use it as my main blade as they are more of special purpose knife. They are great for skinning and precision work such as turning ears and splitting lips and nose in prep for taxidermy. However for field dressing and boning a regular drop point of good quality is my preference. If you try to get too cute around bone with the havalon you will slip a blade off the thing, but they are not meant for this type of work. When used properly they are a very useful tool.

That's just how Andrew of Thewildnorth uses them..

TheWildNorth

 

[joken]

My wife bought ne a Cutco hunting knife with the serrated blade. I don't like the idea of not being able to sharpen it, but I understand if it dulls they will sharpen or replace it. It's so sharp that I'm nearly afraid to use it.

 

[Camelfilter]

What he meant to say was get off his lawn!!!

Damned kids...

 

[Silver Hand]

That's just how Andrew of Thewildnorth uses them..

TheWildNorth

Oh my gosh he is killing all those animals,WE have to stop him before he kills them all.

Silver Hand

 

[mjbskwim]

I own and have used the havalon piranta model and it has its place. I like to keep one in my pack as well but would never use it as my main blade as they are more of special purpose knife. They are great for skinning and precision work such as turning ears and splitting lips and nose in prep for taxidermy. However for field dressing and boning a regular drop point of good quality is my preference. If you try to get too cute around bone with the havalon you will slip a blade off the thing, but they are not meant for this type of work. When used properly they are a very useful tool.

I don't know why you would say they're not made for this.
I've used mine with great success from field to freezer,every phase of the process . It's exactly what it was made for.
Thing is everyone has their favorite knife. These are not close to my favorites,but they do work excellent. My favorite is a decent white handled filet knife that you get at the tackle shops. Not the real cheapos but the $10-12 ones. The big white handles fit my hand great. The filet knives work as good on butchering big animals as they do on fish.
Here's what in the truck all the time

 

[osprey]

Well that is my experience with the Piranta model you may have a more deft touch than me mjbskwim! Looks like a nice roadkill recovery kit there.

 

[Joe13]

My wife bought ne a Cutco hunting knife with the serrated blade. I don't like the idea of not being able to sharpen it, but I understand if it dulls they will sharpen or replace it. It's so sharp that I'm nearly afraid to use it.

When I bought the full set of knives in my early 20's I got both versions of their hunting knife - both serrated.

The rubberish handled one fits the hand real nice and the one made with their handles material is thinner and would make a great blade but I also have never used it away from home because of the special serrations.

I did call them once and asked if I could send it in and get a straight blade as a replacement.

They said only if it was broken in such a way that wasn't labeled abuse and they couldn't refurbish it. Still trying to figure that one out lol.

I did have my long serrated carving knife in the sink, in a Pyrex pan that was just shy of long enough for it to fit, and had a pot with water sat on it and snapped the very tip off - send it in and they replaced it for free.

I'm a big cutco fan, just hate that I don't really need any other knives so I can't shop for kitchen knives so it is only pocket and hunting knives when I'm window shopping - I may need a very nice Japanese sushi knife one day when I have more money and less time

 

[mjbskwim]

Well that is my experience with the Piranta model you may have a more deft touch than me mjbskwim! Looks like a nice roadkill recovery kit there.

Hey it's all legal now in Idaho! Just last year they changed it so you can take your RK.
Heck one guy in a little corolla sized car got run off the road by a huge bull moose. Killed the moose and the car. I would have made sure the moose was on the tow truck before the car,lol
BTW,I always have a filet glove with my kit. Don't always wear it but it's with me. It's not a bad idea so you don't stab yourself out in the middle of nowhere.

 

[osprey]

Yep legal in WA now as well. I should keep a kit in the rig too.

 

[mjbskwim]

Yep legal in WA now as well. I should keep a kit in the rig too.

The hiways around here are littered with dead deer with soft ball sized magpies sitting on top of them.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Yep legal in WA now as well. I should keep a kit in the rig too.

Ya know you can let them, kinda, ripen in the summer sun and just wring them out into a bucket. No muss no, fuss, no tools!

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Jeeze, my old brain!!! I just remembered when my little Havalon saved me hours of painful labor. I was trimming old caulking from the bottom edge of my bathtub and due to the poor fit, tub to floor, I needed a cutting tool that flexed a good bit. Grabbed the Piranta and used it to cut out the bottom edge of the old caulk, bending the blade about 70 degrees. Snapped a couple but did the job in about 45min. I have a lot of pain in my hands and wrists and was really pleased to find a faster way to do the job!
When I mentioned, above, that I had only changed the blade once I meant regular dullness change! Fair advertising, I should mention that I honed (stropped) the first blade a few times before changing it!

 

[Silver Hand]

My wife bought ne a Cutco hunting knife with the serrated blade. I don't like the idea of not being able to sharpen it, but I understand if it dulls they will sharpen or replace it. It's so sharp that I'm nearly afraid to use it.

Cutco doesn't want any one sharpening there knives. It is part of there warranty but the fact is anyone with a little practice and a good stone or full sized diamond cards can sharpen any knife.
Where most go wrong is taking to much steel off the blade or pressing to hard on the knifes edge when it is not required.
There are times that it is needed, only after long periods of use or neglect.

You can use a good steel on your serrated Cutco knife, Just take light passes and finish on the serrated side.

If it should get dull you can sharpen it with a stone!
Just touch up the side with the serrations and when you are done only one or two light swipes almost flat, to the non serrated side and maybe one more very light touch to the serrated side.
Give it a try use a light hand at first you can always go heaver later on, there is nothing to lose.

If you sharpen out all the serrations over time you will have a wavy bladed sharp knife, it took me about forty seven years just to come close on one of our best kitchen knives.
Silver Hand

 

[thorborg]

I'm not much on disposable things.
I was in the process of making my hunter nearly forty years ago when deer and Elk hunting season was coming up fast. Having broken two in the heat treat process this one came out sound after annealing the backstrap for ductility so I threw a fir handle in it and called it good until after the hunts and I could finesse it later. With a sharpened drop point and two fingers it gutted well and pried well also. In addition, it will also skin the Elk all without a resharpen.
I've had a nice piece of Ironwood since its inception which I was going to rehandle it with but hey, Why mess with what works! It has gutted, field dressed and butchered everything from ducks to elk.

As an aside; My Grandfather, My dad & I have been using Case Knives in aggregate, for at least 100 years now.
All of us have sharpened several out of usefulness along with broken and lost a few. They hold an edge as long as my fine Swedish chisels and crosscuts.
Some where in the 80"s, maybe later(I'm not real sure) they sold out and the new owners made them with crap steel that would not hold an edge. I bought and returned three peanut pocket whittlers before I met an employee from Gerber that spoke to me of the new owners trashing of the Case brand for profit. I switched to Buck and later Kersaw for my small, multi blade pocket whittlers.
It wasn't until they had flooded the market with their crap and had driven the Case creds out of existence till the effort to reclaim the brand and image reversed. (nearly 10 years)
Being informed of the Case quality reversal and sorely missing them, I warily and reluctantly bought another peanut five years ago and can verify the steel is of good quality and holds an edge (at least mine)
Not looking to detour anyone but: Those wanting Case; look for old or new and be careful at gun shows and the like as I have seen some "New" but suspect may be of the period I spoke of.
When you find a good one it will be a pleasure to use and own. Many of the old ones have antler scales either extinct, or no longer legally accessible for new manufactured products.

 

[Joe13]

Cutco doesn't want any one sharpening there knives. It is part of there warranty but the fact is anyone with a little practice and a good stone or full sized diamond cards can sharpen any knife.
Where most go wrong is taking to much steel off the blade or pressing to hard on the knifes edge when it is not required.
There are times that it is needed, only after long periods of use or neglect.

You can use a good steel on your serrated Cutco knife, Just take light passes and finish on the serrated side.

If it should get dull you can sharpen it with a stone!
Just touch up the side with the serrations and when you are done only one or two light swipes almost flat, to the non serrated side and maybe one more very light touch to the serrated side.
Give it a try use a light hand at first you can always go heaver later on, there is nothing to lose.

If you sharpen out all the serrations over time you will have a wavy bladed sharp knife, it took me about forty seven years just to come close on one of our best kitchen knives.
Silver Hand

Cutco uses I think proprietary serrations, they are not normal.

They have 3 sides like a trapezoid with the bottom long side missing.

It would be incredibly hard to replicate the design and using anything round will ruin the knife

 

[Silver Hand]

Cutco uses I think proprietary serrations, they are not normal.

They have 3 sides like a trapezoid with the bottom long side missing.

It would be incredibly hard to replicate the design and using anything round will ruin the knife

They have a way of doing business that improves over time.

 

[kenboy]

I only carry both the hav and the outdoor with extra blades anymore in the field. Hav works great for working on European head mount.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

Old metal files make good knife steal. I saw on forged in steal that leaf springs make good ones also. Be fun to learn how to make knives so I could repurpose stuff.

 

[Joe13]

Old metal files make good knife steal. I saw on forged in steal that leaf springs make good ones also. Be fun to learn how to make knives so I could repurpose stuff.

Kukuris in Napal are made from leaf springs