Havalon knife

I have a few of them for skinning bears. They are about as good as it gets for that, pretty darn decent for caping and skinning heads, and if you need to notch tags they are perfect for that. Beyond that I dont really like them as a hunting knife.
 
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Dogleg said:
I have a few of them for skinning bears. They are about as good as it gets for that, pretty darn decent for caping and skinning heads, and if you need to notch tags they are perfect for that. Beyond that I dont really like them as a hunting knife.
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I would pretty much agree to this. I have one and it does a really good job skinning. I also carry a Mora craftsman for rough work - disjointing and such.

Another thing I like the Havalon for is ducks.
 
retiredsaf said:
Work great clean skinning beaver and other fur bearers. You can get 100 spare blades off Amazon real cheap too.
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How cheap? The cheapest I can find is just shy of $50 for a 100 pack. I can find them for much cheaper online elsewhere, but they're all shipping out of the states and are websites I'm not familiar with/not sure I entirely trust...

I just grabbed a 14 pack of blades that say they're for the Kershaw LoneRock but I'm pretty sure they're the same thing. Was $12, which isn't cheap per blade, but 14 blades should last me a few years if I don't break too many.
 
I carry a havalon for skinning smaller deer-sized critters, and a mora fixed blade for popping joints and cutting tendons near bone. I'll echo Suther on the birds, they are great for ducks and grouse.
If you are careful not to hit any bone, one blade should take care of a deer or average size (150lb) black bear.
 
I have no experience with the knife and nothing but an unrelated comment to make about Havalon. I've bought the Wasp HV Havalon broadheads and they have the "dullest" blades I've ever purchased...
 
I was given a Havlon and a handful of spare new blades.

Awfully glad I never put any money on the barrelhead for it, or I'd have been pretty PO'd.

It amounts to one(or more, since several extra blades seems to be a requirement) extra thing to carry along with the actual knife that could be carrying the workload, as that goes.

Honestly, I WOULD cross a street to pick up a free one. But I wouldn't cry about it if someone beat me to it.
 
I like having mine with me for field dressing. It is nice to cut through stuff so quickly. I picked up a little blade holder that comes with a quick remover for it so I can easily change blades. Makes quick work, and it's small and light. I do have a more general purpose knife for anything other than clean slicing.
 
Havalons seem to be user dependent on how much people like or dislike them.

Depending on how good you are at blade control and not touching bones with them or trying to flex or pry with them they can be fantastic. If you are a person who can’t keep your knife edge off of bone they may not be for you.
 
KodiakHntr said:
Havalons seem to be user dependent on how much people like or dislike them.

Depending on how good you are at blade control and not touching bones with them or trying to flex or pry with them they can be fantastic. If you are a person who can’t keep your knife edge off of bone they may not be for you.
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I used one for skinning only, a couple times. Wasn't impressed. No bone.
Surgical sharp was nice, but going from that to right useless wasn't. Since, as you say, you have to pack other tools to deal with joints and going near bones, etc, I figure it's as easy to skip the step of dicking around with the scalpel blade and just using the knife that has worked pretty well all along.
 
Like I said, user dependent. And I definitely didn’t say that other tools were required.

Last week I started with the blade that was already on my havalon and managed to pop all 4 leg joints, skin, quarter (while leaving the rib roll and boned out neck meat attached to the fronts), pop tenderloins, peel back straps, and cut the head skin on the bull moose I shot so that I could gnaw his antlers off with a little folding saw since I had to backpack him out to the truck. I could have just as easily cut his head off at the first spine joint and packed it out for a euro, but he was a little bull and still in velvet.

And that blade when I washed up my stuff That evening was still hair shaving sharp, so I’m going to see if I can’t get through a bull
elk with it this month.


Admittedly I was being extra careful to not touch bone with it when I was working, but regardless, I was still impressed that it held an edge.
 
They are excellent for trapping,make great detaili skinners,but other than that they are no good as. Hunying knife,you also want to be super carefull changing blades need a pair of pliers or something,don't just use your hands ,one slip and you'll be in a mess.
 
I paid $22.00 for the last 100 pack I bought a year ago. Still have more than half left. I have done 2 beaver with one blade. Like everyone else try not to hit bone and your okay. Tricky around the head on beaver though
 
I've used mine on a variety of animals. They're excellent for skinning, reasonable for deboning, and terrible for prying. I can easily gut, skin, and quarter most animals with it. You just need to know what you're doing.
 
I always have a couple knives with me. The havalon is nice as long as you don’t pry with it. I’ve sharpened a couple of the blades after they’ve gotten dull also, seems to work fine.
 
yeh handy for fine stuff, on the sambars coarse hair they arnt much chop until youget into the face area.

my piranta actually lives in the truck.... its light an what not but i carry a decent field knife to do all i need. then back at truck /camp can skin out my big trophy :D
 
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