Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire replaceable blade knives

Save them for Halloween?

I swapped to Havalon quite a few years ago and no longer bother with fixed blade knives. At various times I have compared the Ouotdoor Edge and Gerbers to the Havalon and there is no comparison. The Havalon blades start far sharper and maintain the edge far longer than the Outdoor Edge. And the Gerber is a joke compared to the Outdoor Edge in both departments.

Havalon blade changing is simple and very safe using their clamshell-style blade changer. Clamped by the clamshell the blade is sprung up away from the knife and the handle is simply pulled back out, leaving the used blade safely inside. The new blade is set in the same way and pops right on. If I was stuck using Outdoor edge I would go back to solid knives...

I thought the blades were 60XT but could be A.

For 9/10 of folks these replacable blade knives are the way to work an animal because few people can actually sharpen a blade. Just a fact. But as noted before theres a bit of time savings too. Sharpening a blade requires you get it and the stone surface clean and lubricated for best results and it take a little time to do this. Advantage to the replacable blade knife.

Personally, i prefer a pocket knife and a fixed blade combo because ive no issue sharpening and own that skill. But this is a skillset and it also requires more tools, more weight, and i dont need to consume or buy blades and its a long term solution. But for the masses the replacable blade is a better solution.

I have two AG Russell knives that are very easy to keep at wicked-sharp. What more is needed eh?

How did we shoot deer before the flintlock replaced the matchlock, or before cartridges replaced flinters? Tech changes.

Dear God......

All I have to say is I helped my buddy gut and skin his last bull elk. He good naturedly whipped out his Havelon knife to piss me off (He owns about 20 of my knives). The joke was on him but I didn't say a thing. He replaced his Havelon blade SIX times during the task...we counted!

After the skinning was over I ran my knife down my forearm and popped hair off, smiled and punched him in the shoulder. CPM154 Stainless doesn't mess around.

From what I've seen lately, most guys leave them on the ground at the kill site.

Knife sharpening, another outdoor skill fading into the twilight...

I’ve only used the havalon. I carry a regular blade for general chores in my pocket


I hate sharpening and I really hate sharpening when I should be cutting up elk. I’ve heard all the lines from my hunters about how their knife can do six muddy moose hides and a jack rabbit without needing to be sharpened. I guess their definition of needing to be sharpened and mine are a little different.

Used blades are easy to stick back in the wrapper and pack out.

I’ve carried fixed blades to do the lower legs and the neck hide up the back. And I’ve also easily done entire bull elk with the havalon. Changing blades isn’t tough and the cost isn’t worth considering.

If cleaning multiple animals at the skinning rack, I'll do the gutting and initial cuts through fur with a havalon/tyto and then switch to a fixed blade for the remaining skinning/quartering. They work great for skinning hogs. I'll chunk the havalon blade at the end of the skinning session no matter how sharp it still is. I usually put them in a water bottle or coke can. I don't like the idea of a scalpel blade floating around a garbage bag. I'm not crazy about them but they have their place. I know a few guides that use a replaceable blade exclusively. They aren't easy on them and get allot more use out of them then I do.

This is exactly what I found on my last deer last December. My sons had given me a Havalon a couple years ago but I hadnt used it until now and after my third blade I went back to my 50 yr old fixed blade Kabar folding hunter and finished without having to sharpen even after I was finished.

I also use a fixed blade Puma Hunters Pal that I got in 1967 and it holds and edge for skinning out an entire elk without having to sharpen.

This is what concerns me about these type of knives. I will stick to my fixed blades. Thanks for the info fellas.

I have the Havalon and the outdoor edge . I usually use the Havalon for caping and the outdoor edge for everything else. I like both and think they both have their place. I've found that sometimes when I've ordered bulk havalon blades they don't stay sharp long.

Outdoor edge. Not nearly as flimsy as a havalon. And you can re-sharpen the blades if you want.

My experience too. The havalon are better for caping, delicate work.

Outdoor edge seem to get dull fairly quickly with a stick. The handles aren't that great though at least for me.

Even the better steel knives, which I prefer, can get through about one large animal. I always carry a small sharpening steel with me.
I still like the victoronix paring knives too, but steel is pretty soft but like the flexible blade. They do sharpened quickly.

For years I've carried a sharpener like this in my pack. It's light wt, inexpensive, and works great.
There are lots of choices in sharpeners these days. Some have gimmicks like whistles and fire starters but they still will sharpen a blade. Many have preset angles to keep things consistant.

I agree, I vastly prefer the Outdoor Edge. Blades and be changed easier. You can cut your finger off with the Havalon.

I carry a knife or two every day and have never tried a knife with a replaceable blades. I don't care for knives with folding or retractable blades either. Personally I can't see a replaceable bladed knife being a very good self-defense tool.

the aluminum havalon with the thicker blades, 1 in every vehicle with a few blades. 1 blade per gutting qnd skinning a single animal usually, probably did 60 deer and elk with them, i hqve all 3 brands. and 2 dozen fixed blades factory and custom,
hate the gerber the lock is a joke blades pop off, , its terrible no matter what people on another site say, i actually hqve 6 pendelton lite hunter fixed blades and bought twice that many as gifts, my pack has q havalon qnd a pendelton always,,
the custom knives stay in the gun safe any more

The havalon has put the hunting knife out of business. The havalon blades are thinner compared to a hunting knife. They go through flesh like a vicious laser beam. If I had to use a hunting knife again I would get pissed off. I can do an elk with 2 blades, the second blade is normally pretty fresh and I could get by without it if I had to. Those not using havalon probably haven’t tried one. I have very nice hunting knives with high end steel. They gather dust and never get used.