Almost Slit my Wrist with Havalon

[5MilesBack]

The first time I used my S30V knife on a bull, it stayed sharp the whole time. When I got home it would still slice paper easily. I was sold.

 

[Geewhiz]

I always carry 3 different knives in my pack and I always end up using the havalon. I don't need a heavy thick blade to pry, knives are made to cut, not pry. Usually 2-3 or more elk a year plus several deer and bears and although I keep other knives for backups, I always use the havalon. Throw a new blade on and you're good to go.

Also I have never had issues with the blades falling off, but I may start bringing a hemostat to remove them.

 

[Jellymon1]

I carry a piranta for finesse work and my benchmade for the heavy work. The havalons are not made for breaking apart joints and “heavy work”, and shouldn’t be relied on as a primary knife. Use the right tool for the right job. I have never had a piranta blade break or even come loose in over ten years of using them and many animals completely broken down.

 

[Gutshotem]

I carry a piranta and also one of these gloves to protect my off hand. They're cheap and weigh almost nothing so its a no brainer for me.

 

[Alaskanopolis]

You might be taking not drawing any tags a little too seriously. There's always next year.

 

[Decker9]

I feel your pain.

I was guiding a fly in goat/moose hunt a bunch of years back, long story short, caping a goat up on the mountain on day 4 of 10 days, I put my small havalon through my shin meat, in and out. I thought it was just a poke, until my foot started to get wet.


Unfortunately we didn’t have much besides bandaids in camp. By day 10 when we flew out, my calf was swollen twice the size. Straight to emergency, followed by 4 days of intervenes antibiotics. I won’t add photos of that.

Havalon’s have their place, but I switched things up.
I figured if I paid good bucks for a custom set, I’d be more incline to pack them rather then the scalpel. I couldn’t be happier, and definitely has way more control.

I’m a bunch of animals in on these and have yet to have to sharpen them. I’m quite impressed

 

[ethan]

I was only about 2 miles in and while breaking down a deer I ran my havolin into the top of my knuckle and out the bottom. Had a heck of a time stopping the bleeding. The doctor couldn’t believe I didn’t have nerve damage and said I was pretty lucky. I felt pretty dumb though! I can’t honestly say I even felt it, I just noticed a lot of extra blood on my left hand. I don’t use it in backcountry type situations anymore.

 

[sahunter06]

The first time I used my S30V knife on a bull, it stayed sharp the whole time. When I got home it would still slice paper easily. I was sold.

Sounds like your knife had good edge geometry and hardness.

 

[ericacymcdonald]

Buy a few Mora's of your choice, I like the clipper and companion. Always have at least 10 in my house at any given time. I have boned out 2 deer in a trip without a touch up a few times and if you don't want to deal with sharpening they are cheap enough you can throw a new one in your pack and sharpen the other when you get a minute. They are Scandinavian grind so super easy to sharpen yourself even if you're not good at it

Edit: here's a link to the one I like, it's carbon so it will rust if not taken care of but they also sell this one and a lot of other styles in stainless https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAL17PC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_H8NTCYC8H6ZDQ5068F8B

 

[Bighorner]

I did hit myself in the wrist with a box knife cleaning up an elk skull and it was no joke. If I was seven miles in the woods a tourniquet would have certainly been in order.

I use a Havalon and pretty much treat it like a loaded gun.

To remove the blade I place the blade on a big log, step on it covering the blade, and use something hard to "unhook" the blade, pull the handle away and the blade stays under my boot. To put a blade in, I clean the groove, get the blade started then gently push it into the same log until it locks. I wouldn't hunt with out it.

 

[CoStick]

I feel your pain.

I was guiding a fly in goat/moose hunt a bunch of years back, long story short, caping a goat up on the mountain on day 4 of 10 days, I put my small havalon through my shin meat, in and out. I thought it was just a poke, until my foot started to get wet.
View attachment 296233

Unfortunately we didn’t have much besides bandaids in camp. By day 10 when we flew out, my calf was swollen twice the size. Straight to emergency, followed by 4 days of intervenes antibiotics. I won’t add photos of that.

Havalon’s have their place, but I switched things up.
I figured if I paid good bucks for a custom set, I’d be more incline to pack them rather then the scalpel. I couldn’t be happier, and definitely has way more control.

I’m a bunch of animals in on these and have yet to have to sharpen them. I’m quite impressed
View attachment 296234View attachment 296235

Those are nice, who made them ?

 

[Decker9]

Those are nice, who made them ?

Gary Bolduc built them. He will build what a guy wants. Iv ordered a few (couple for friends) and they’ve all been top notch.

 

[sahunter06]

There are many makers that understand specific tool use and many that don’t. Make sure to provide information about the use of the tool and ask them plenty of questions.
These went to an outfitter in Colorado. Worked over plenty of animals the before needing a touch up so they ordered more for their guides.

 

[Rob5589]

There are many makers that understand specific tool use and many that don’t. Make sure to provide information about the use of the tool and ask them plenty of questions.
These went to an outfitter in Colorado. Worked over plenty of animals the before needing a touch up so they ordered more for their guides.
View attachment 296494View attachment 296495View attachment 296497

You made those?

 

[sahunter06]

You made those?

I did.

 

[Rob5589]

Very nice. Love the wood on the middle knife.

 

[sahunter06]

Very nice. Love the wood on the middle knife.

Thank you. Desert ironwood.

The bottom pic with the ss bolsters has sea cow rib bone on the handle.

 

[24on48hunting]

Sorry for your misfortune.
I have always used fixed blade knives and have been reluctant to switch to the replaceable blade setups. I keep a small Diamond file in my pack or bag. A few strokes down each side of the blade and it is back in business.

 

[sndmn11]

I throw handles on knives and nerd out over steel. I have used a few different manufacturers "havalon" knives and never had a problem with any. I like them so much I take a steel and touch up the blades regularly. I now have a cork handled #8 blade fixed, and a cork handled PMA11 Spyderco Mule as my processing blades. Best of both worlds, and with the #8 I can swap between piranta sized blades, gut hooks, and the bone saw.
I can't really picture how proper use results in anything more dangerous than any other knife.

 

[Ralphie]

I’ve read and heard about all these knives that are razor sharp after multiple animals. Have never seen it, would love to be wrong. Lots of the above knife injury stories don’t really seem like they have anything to do with what kind of knife it was. If you stabbed yourself with a havalon you probably would have with a fine custom. I could see how a blade breaking could lead to something happening too. I use the havalons and ain’t changing anytime soon. Cheap blades easy to change super sharp. I cut my thumb pretty deep once with one while caping but again it had nothing to do with it being a havalon.