Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Havalon Piranta

Who sells these, any of the big box stores? Any negatives for using one to cape an animal?

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Neat concept, and would love to have one. But I've yet to see one with a "Made in USA" label.

I have two and seldom use them since I don't normally cape my animals. Scalpels are great for caping but make sure you carry extra blades, they are thin and prone to breakage.

Midway:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/85...-stainless-steel-blade-abs-handle-orange

Haven't had a chance to use mine to do that but I'm sure it'll work great. Master Guide Joe Want used to teach a "Brown Bear & Sheep Hunting" class at TVCC in Fairbanks. He reccomended an exacto knife and a BUNCH of blades to skin the paws and skull out on a bear. I watched a friend skin his brownie with one and it worked like a charm. If you can befriend a taxidermist in your area he might coach you a bit. I've see them use a slender paring knife to cape with. They say the trick is to stay close to the bone. Be super careful around the eyes of course.

Work great for caping and about any other chore needed on a critter. Pard and I skinned/deboned 14 pigs, 1 deer, and a turkey over 2.5 days. I think he went through 2 or 3 blades in that time. After trying his out I got one. I'm thinking it'll do just fine. Blades may break, but they are cheap and light.

BTW- He didn't break one...FWIW.

I used a piranta last year on a spike elk it worked great really great I slipped while cutting and punched it right through the backside of my thumb just under the first knuckle never felt it, pretty far from anything so I cut a ring off the top of a game bag and had some surveyors tape and got er done. 12 hours later a tetnis shot and 16 stitches I was good.

These are very good knives for fine delicate work. You can't put much sideways pressure on the blade but other than that they work just fine. I especially like mine around the butcher block to trim the edges of meat before packaging. My young guide was using one last summer in Idaho.

Bought one last summer. Did not get a chance to use it to skin game yet. However, like it for anything around the house / farm where I want a really sharp, easy to manipulate blade.

Two observations: First VERY sharp. Ended up with blood all over a new shirt last week when I nicked my thumb opening the blade and did not realize it for several minutes. Second, I have had to change one blade. "For me" will ensure I always use a leatherman tool. The blades are sharp. Easy to slip in the hand. I do not want to gouge myself, changing blades, in the middle of nowhere...

I just got my Piranta Bolt in the mail last night. I hope to use it on an elk (or two) in the next few weeks.

Pretty good summary here. Scary sharp, and extremely effective at cutting any flesh. If you know what you are doing taking joints apart with one, you will be fine. If you cut and hope, and pry and wiggle the blade, you will break blades.

I prefer the victorinox paring knife, but the havalons certainly work. Pretty sure I saw them at Sportsman's Warehouse last time I was in there.

Used scalpels for years to cape with. Piranta is bascially just that. I have 3 on the counter and have given numerous away over the years. Got ours as soon as they came out years ago.

I've basically taken a young bull moose apart with almost the piranta alone. Did a bit of skinning with a bigger knife in some areas and de jointed the ribs with a stronger blade but other than that its amazing what you can take apart with one.

Not to mention how EASY it is to "sharpen"

Downsides, blades don't like lateral pressure. No scalpel does.

Deboned and caped half a bull elk with one last year. Worked great. I don't think I had to change the blade. Very sharp, easy to use. They are not good for any kind of twisting or prying, just cutting. I used a Cabela's Alaskan Guide� Series PBS Crosslock Knife by Buck Knives� on the other half. The Havalon can't be beat for sharpness. I will have with me again this year. Do practice changes blades at home. It's not hard, but you need to get the right pressure to remove it.

I like mine. Been using one for a few years now and just used my havalon on a caribou last weekend.

Oh yeah, introduced my buddy from Wasilla to one for his guiding.

IIRC all guides with him then ended up with one. From Sheep/Caribou/Wolf up to Moose and brown bears spring and fall.

I used my buddies to skin out the paws on wolverine. It worked awesome. He used it to cape out a couple of deer and he said he liked it a lot more than his other knives.

For work, I was using a lot of scalpel blades on animals and loved how sharp they were and how they could literally slice through heavy elk neck hide like it was nothing. So I started using both the Piranta, but was concerned about the thin little blades. Then I found the Baracuta. It was much thicker blades and a much larger cutting surface. I prefer the Baracuta, but the Piranta also has a place in my packs. I still carry a "real" knife or two, but have been using the heck out of these replaceable blade knives.

I also have used one of these a bunch at work, so I got one for myself. I will be packing it along with a regular knife this fall. Pay attention to the tip about using a leatherman to change the blades . . .

Sounds like some have boned out animals with it, but most just use it for skinning.

I'd like to hear from those who have boned out animals with it, positives/negatives. I'm trying to cut the weight of my gear, so if I need to carry another blade to bone the animal, or another tool to change the blade the Piranta doesn't do me any good. Thanks.

I used them last year on a cow elk. Worked wonders. Extremely sharp and will punch a hole in the hide faster than any knife I've used. Once I got used to it made pretty quick work of the cow.

They make a tougher blade to address the breakage problem many noted, I don't remember the name, and I used that one. Made it through the cow without breaking one. I bought mine on ebay.

My pard did his share of boning the critters I mentioned in TX. Worked just fine. IIRC he prefered the size 60 blades to the 22, as they are a bit longer.