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Havalon

W

woods89

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2014
Messages
76
Just picked up a Havalon Piranta with some Bass Pro rewards today. Hoping it will make using the gutless method even easier this year. Amazing just how light and scary sharp they are. Some care will be merited when its a long ways back to the truck. I plan on carrying it and a Buck Paklite skinner for anything heavier. Anyone else use one?
 
I do and have so for the past two years. Awesome knife! I've never felt the need to muscle a knife around with field dressing or skinning and last year I used one blade for dressing and skinning a couple deer and a turkey and still sharper than most knives. I have broken blades but that was when I was really horsing it against bone. Mostly using it when cleaning skulls for Euro Mounts. Its something that has saved alot of wieght and hassle for me as far as keeping things light and they have great customer service and warranty. Definately a great tool for the price. I highly recommend picking one up.
 
Gonna follow up for anyone wanting one of these, they are awesome! I shot a doe ( out of my Evolution, of course!) last night and broke her down with it. Makes for seriously efficient skinning and boning. One blade easily did the deer and never broke on me. I thot about getting the outdoor edge with the replaceable blades but after using a havalon and seeing the outdoor edge I'm glad I got a havalon. If you use the gutless method you need one of these! Just be careful, they can seriously hurt ya if you don't pay attention!
 
I've had the same experience. I love my Havalon. This year I went on a guided elk hunt in Montana. My guide has been hunting and guiding for over 15 years. I was a little surprised when he broke out his Havalon and said it was the best tool for skinning and breaking down an elk. I'm a Havalon fan.
 
Just a follow up on this knife. I've broken three deer down with it and it is completely worth the money. I thought I would need to carry a fixed blade with it for heavier work but found that isn't necessary. This little knife can do it all if your careful!

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So I googled this and it looks like it holds a long scalpel replaceable blade? Looks interesting.
 
Awesome knife. I only field dress my deer and take it to the butcher, but it made easy work of one deer so far. I own the havalon piranta


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Re: RE: Re: Havalon

kenn1320 said:
So I googled this and it looks like it holds a long scalpel replaceable blade? Looks interesting.
Click to expand...
That's right. And it is sharper than anything most of us have handled. The last deer I skinned it kept cutting thru the hide.

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Great knife and weighs nothing. Great for keeping in a pack. Scary sharp.
 
i like mine for what I have used it for. But I forget about it when I shot my only doe of the year so far. So I still haven't used it on a deer. But my trapping buddy who does all the skinning, fleshing and selling of our hides uses his religiously.

Not sure I want to use it to de-bone the hind quarters. But for field dressing and skinning it seems like a nice, light weight, super sharp, easy to care for option. Just hope I remember to test it out this week when the next deer goes down.
 
I love mine, and it works awesome for caping skulls to. You can Change blades but doing it without a pair of pliers takes practice. Especially when bloody or covered with fat

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Its definitely long enough for the way I debone quarters. I do usually bring a mini multitool to change blades. That said, on Saturday when I killed a doe I found out I didn't have it along and was still able to change the blade. One needs to be careful doing it without a pliers tho.

Havalon also makes a larger version called the barracuta if you want something longer.

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redsquirrel said:
Can you (safely) replace the blade without a tool?
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You can do it, but it's scary. Honestly, it's not that dangerous, but pulling on that thin blade that you know is ridiculously sharp is a little unsettling. I've done it several times without a tool. it's kind of like screwing broadheads on and off with your hands...you're 99% safe, but it still ups the pucker factor a little bit and makes you focus.
 
The trick I use is too lift the back with the back of my thumb nail sand pull with the other hand. This way you are clear of the blade in case you slip. I can try to make a video, but not until after Christmas since I am traveling.

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Love my Havalon Piranta! I can normally gut/skin/debone two deer with a blade before changing it out. I only use pliers while changing the blades on it. One slip and there goes a finger! :lol: I love how light it is and changing the blades to a new one is a big plus IMO.
 
You could always just get a scalpel handle and carry blades with you (Havalan knives use scalpel blades) for a fraction of the cost. Just look in some taxidermy supply catalogs for replacement blades :)
 
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