Havalon vs KOA Jager

[LostArra]

Nice video Boswell.

Since this is the Lightweight Forum I should mention the Little Vickie (3.25" serrated paring knife by Victorinox) as a lightweight knife for a kill kit. I skinned and quartered an elk (gutless) with one a few weeks ago and it worked great.
I had an Outdoor Edge ready as a backup but really didn't need it.

 

[16Bore]

Vic's are hard to beat. Steel touches up really easy too. 5" flexible boning knife is the best thing I've found for making meat once the grunt work is done.

 

[Beendare]

Drawbacks are that the Havalon sucks for daily and camp duty, requiring you to carry at least a decent folder as well. They also won't match a real boning knife on larger animals and occasionally lose blades when they get hooked on connective tissue. That can be scary till you find the blade again. I have mixed feelings about them.

Plus side is that they are awesome for caping, great for bears, and ok for quartering and boning smaller big game.

Basically I think they are great for deer, sheep, bear, and mt goat. Ok for caribou/elk, and mostly suck on Alaska moose.
Not a chance I'm giving away my fixed blade though. I keep this one around mostly for doing caping work and turning lips, ears etc.

Good post that mirrors my thoughts. Great for small stuff....but I am sticking with a good processing knife. If you get one with excellent steel there is very little touch up needed while doing an animal. I've done 2 elk back to back with an S30V blade- good steel holds an edge.

 

[5MilesBack]

Good post that mirrors my thoughts. Great for small stuff....but I am sticking with a good processing knife. If you get one with excellent steel there is very little touch up needed while doing an animal. I've done 2 elk back to back with an S30V blade- good steel holds an edge.

I use my S30V steel knife but also used the Havalon this year (first time). That thing skinned out an entire side of my bull from tail to antler bases and down to the knees and belly in about five minutes, and it was CLEAN. My knife works well, but that Havalon worked even better and cleaner. First time I've never cut through the hide skinning one out. But I'll stick with my knife deboning the meat. That's where I broke the Havalon blades.

 

[Beendare]

I use my S30V steel knife but also used the Havalon this year (first time). That thing skinned out an entire side of my bull from tail to antler bases and down to the knees and belly in about five minutes, and it was CLEAN. My knife works well, but that Havalon worked even better and cleaner. First time I've never cut through the hide skinning one out. But I'll stick with my knife deboning the meat. That's where I broke the Havalon blades.

Yeah, the Havalon style knives are great for the intricate stuff...like caping a skull. They have a lot of fans as a processing knife, different strokes.... you just can't use then like a good solid fixed blade knife or you will break some blades.

 

[mtwarden]

agreed- great for skinning and other delicate work; but don't leave your real knife at home

 

[Tag_Soup]

I have gone to a kestrel fixed blade skinner and a havalon. I may even drop the havalon for a non-folding replaceable blade from Tyto. The kestrel is less than 1.5 oz and is a solid blade. I don't bring a sharpener, but I do carry a sheet of 400 grit wet/dry silicone carbide sandpaper. Stretch it over a limb or a pack stay and it works as an excelent strop/sharpener. When I switch to a tyto my whole setup with both knives, Velcro (sheeth), sand paper, and 5 extra blades will be right at 3.5 oz.

 

[Mk7mmSTW]

I wouldn't own a Havelon if it was the last knife on earth, removing and changing blades is just far to dangerous when your hands are frozen on a hunt. I wanted a friend remove a large section of his pointer finger with one years ago and the image is stuck in my brain and kept me from ever wanting a exchange a blade style knife. Then about 4 years ago I got one of the outdoor edge deals from eastmans when I signed up and I think their design is great. You can swap blades blindfolded with no worries of getting cut. Just my thoughts..

 

[Jon Boy]

I like my Havalon but I think I like my Outdoor Edge better. One thing with the Havalon is that the blades do break. I can easily get through an animal with my Outdoor Edge and don't even worry about breaking a blade, and they change easy. I know the Havalon blades break and I still break one on every animal I have done even trying not to.

This. I have both and still carry both. I like to break down the animal with the outdoor edge and then cape with the havalon. I get one animal per blade on both.

 

[Shrek]

I carry a Barracuta with the 115xt boning blade and the piranta 60xt. The Barrucuta makes short work of breaking down the animal and the piranta is great for more delicate tasks. I tried the piranta for everything and broke a bunch of hard to change in the field blades. I haven't broken the first barracuta blade. If I didn't already own the Piranta I wouldn't bother with it.

 

[camping1601]

Since getting the Razor-lite last season and 3 deer and 2 elk later my Havalon collects dust. Everything about it is better except the weight.

 

[Tastybearmeat]

LostArra has it right the little Vickie is a good knife. Cheap sharp and pretty durable. I have a Jager boning knife, don't use it much. A good fillet knife makes an excellent boning knife. Havalon with out a doubt is the best caping knife I have used.

 

[mtwarden]

I've used the Havalon for several years; for quite awhile it was the only game in town- evidently not anymore

some of the criticism directed at the Havalon is founded- difficult changing blades (the weight savings of the Havalon becomes much less if you need to carry a multi-tool), weak blades- I've broke a few blades, but in fairness I was probably being a little rough

on the plus side- it is very light and I can't imagine there being a sharper blade

I'm going to grab a Outdoor Edge today and give it a try (well I hope I can give it a try! )

 

[PantherCity]

Nice video Boswell.

Since this is the Lightweight Forum I should mention the Little Vickie (3.25" serrated paring knife by Victorinox) as a lightweight knife for a kill kit. I skinned and quartered an elk (gutless) with one a few weeks ago and it worked great.
I had an Outdoor Edge ready as a backup but really didn't need it.

I thought I was the only one who used the Victornox paring knives. I made a thin kydex sheath for mine and carry a very small honing steel. I've used the outdoor edge and the havalon and don't like either one. Yes they are sharp but they are terrible knives in every other respect.

 

[16Bore]

About 5 minutes with a soldering iron and Vic's are non-slip slicing and dicing mo fo's.



Ok, so I was bored. Works on Tikka stocks too

 

[jmsdad]

I have used the havalon with the thicker 60A blades and haven't broken a blade yet. Very sharp, but I hate all the open nooks and crannies on the handle and blade attachment. Seems I have to clean it out thoroughly with a toothpick after every kill.

 

[JeremiahH]

If deer hunting I carry a havalon and buck pack lite Skinner. Anything bigger I add the razor blaze. Not very much weight even when taking all three. Havalon are great for caping heads.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[doverpack12]

Since getting the Razor-lite last season and 3 deer and 2 elk later my Havalon collects dust. Everything about it is better except the weight.

I like the Razor lite but it has a somewhat sharp blade with an edge that burrs and bends easily. The Havalon is a scalpel and i've never bent an edge.

 

[Mike7]

1) I have no trouble changing Havalon blades with the tiny leatherman that is in my survival/medical kit and also has the tweezers and scissors, etc. The 60A blades are fairly durable also.
2) I don't like all of the crap that gets stuck all over the Havalon though. Will those Tyto Knives take the thicker 60A blades?

 

[camping1601]

I like the Razor lite but it has a somewhat sharp blade with an edge that burrs and bends easily. The Havalon is a scalpel and i've never bent an edge.

This is very true about the edge "rolling over''. I save the used blades and resharpen them with my electric sharpener to a better angle. I do think the edge gets rolled because you can treat it cheap with out breaking blades like the the Havalon. The blades that came with mine are razor sharp.