# Difference between Havalon knives?



## Rectifier (Jun 12, 2011)

Been looking at these because I plan to skin a bunch of coyote this year. Yes I can and do regularly sharpen my knives, but it looks really nice just to pop a dull blade off and get back to work, then sharpen the lot back indoors (or for 30c, just chuck the blade I guess)

There are quite a few different "Piranta" model knives. They look pretty similar, but the price is quite variable. Isn't this just like buying a different brand of box cutter, since they have the same blade?

Or are there actual functional differences between the models, I noticed some say they can take a different variety of blades. This doesn't really make sense as they all have the same mounts?


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## Rectifier (Jun 12, 2011)

So I guess nobody knew anything about these knives so on a trip to the city I had a good long look at them. Of course they were in stupid bubble packages with no demo available so I just had to look at them and hold my hand up next to them...

- the Torch has a metal frame and is quite a bit more expensive. Skinning in the cold I prefer plastic by far.
- the Edge has a skinny little kitchen knife style handle which I didn't like
- the Bolt is the one I chose, it looked good to grip and it is. But now that I have used it and feel how it requires zero force to cut, the Edge's handle might have been fine and more nimble.
- they all take the same blades, and the stock ones are too easy to put through the skin. I want some of the blunt tipped ones, since I rarely use the point anyways.

These things are lethally sharp and that's no lie. When I started skinning at the hind legs (100% frozen dog btw :yuck just touching the blade to the dog sunk it straight to the bone. Shock and awe.

These knives might be too sharp for frozen dog. Cut the skin by mistake more than a few times. But on a fresh dog it might shine as it sure goes through the meat like a laser scalpel. Now just need the weather to break so I can get me some more coyotes. Too cold to hunt with the non-windchill temps around -30 today :facepalm:


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## Snowfan (Nov 6, 2011)

Rectifier, how do you think these blades would hold up in a survival situation where the blade may have to remain rigid to do it's job?


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

glad you found them and tried them , My skinning knive is just a fixed blade 4 inch skinner and I keep a diamond steel handy , I am not much of a fan of skinning frozen either as my shed is not heated so I try and get to it as quick as I can 

there are several trap supply catalogs that stock the blades 


for more trapping info you may want to check out trapperman forums as there are only a few of us trapping here on HT


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## Rectifier (Jun 12, 2011)

Snowfan, they absolutely would not. They are extremely slim and flexible scalpel style blades, meant for caping and skinning only. Just looking at them you know they are for slicing and not for any other task.

I haven't broken one yet but the packaging is covered in warnings about not twisting the blade, whittling or prying. Combined with the razor sharpness I can imagine cutting yourself badly in the event of a blade break under force, which is the last thing you want in a survival situation of course.

That in mind I wouldn't mind having one with me as a specialty knife in a long term survival situation. The spare blades are all individually sealed against rust and the sheath holds 10 spares, and the whole thing is very compact. The edge holds pretty well and you would get a lot of use out of them before you have to think about sharpening anything. 

Thanks Pete I am just getting into the fur thing myself so I will check out trapperman!


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