Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Gerber vs Havalon

Anybody that's used both care to share thoughts on how the Vital shown below compares to the Havalon? Or if you've only used the Vital, how do you like it? They both use the same blades, so how long would a blade on either last while boning critters before having to change? Thanks.

I've only used the Havalon. Though I've not put it through super tough tests, I've never needed more than one blade per critter (javelina, whitetail, mule deer). Though it can be done without, I prefer to use my multitool or hemostats to change the blades. They are scary sharp right out of the package.

I wonder how they would be on really thick hides...like moose?

Those things are scary sharp and you can mess up if you aren't very careful. To me it's easier to cut thru the hide, and/or cut yourself. And, I do use a hemostat or needle nose pliers to change those blades.

Skinning a big hog with their thick, blade dulling hide, you may finish up with just one blade, maybe not. With WT's, not a problem. You may be able to skin a couple with one blade.

DF

They are super sharp but flimsy. I snapped off a blade while gutting out an antelope a week ago without even realizing it. Still not sure how it happened as I wasn't cutting any thing tough. Never did find the rest of the blade, just glad I didn't grab it with my fingers.

After seeing the Outdoor Edge Razor Lite in action last week, there's no way I'd mess with the skinnier Havalon or Gerber - particularly on larger stuff.

Outdoor Edge wins.

I'm with the two guys above, the outdoor edge is a superior design.

I've used the havalon on a ton of critters the last 4-5 years, and while incredibly sharp, they just break way too often. Nothing funner then trying to dig a half broke scalpel blade out of the inside of a carcass.

I've used the outdoor edge on a couple animals this fall, and have been very happy with it's sharpness and durability. There are times I wish for the havalon's shorter profile, but overall I much prefer the outdoor edge.

I don't have much experience with the Havalon--two elk and a small handful of deer and elk. I really like it--I am much faster with it than with any of my regular knives. It is easily resharpened in the field, which is quicker than replacing the blade.

And at the risk of insulting the posters above, maybe if you are breaking the blades, your technique is a bit hamhanded.

Thanks all. The blade change process of the Havalon is what piqued my interest in the Gerber as it has a push-button blade release. Does the Outdoor Edge have any wobble or does the black blade support hold the replaceable blades tightly?

Honestly, often wet, frozen (numb) hands / fingers when field dressing in the northern climes; folks really want to mess with changing blades on the flimsy looking plastic contraption?

I considered getting one of these, and I still might but not for skinning or boning. They look like they would be good for caping, might get one for that. For skinning, I've found nothing superior to a simple hook knife with replaceable blades. Cuts through thick hides easily, and you have both ends of the blade to use before replacing it. Works good to avoid cutting into the guts too. Blades are cheap and easy to find, and I've never broke one. If you haven't tried one, you really should. Its a $5 tool that just works.

It's stable, not much if any flex to it. That was another thing I hated about the havalon, was changing the blades. No way I'd try it without a multi tool.

I've been using the havalon for a few years and have processed 1/2 dozen elk and roughly the same amount of muleys.

Awesome tool when care is taken not to twist or bend the blade, which is how they break. Much, much faster than stopping to resharpen knives.

I use my ever present Leatherman to switch blades.

I will continue to carry the havalon.

I've been using the havalon for several years. Between guiding and my own hunting I usually end up with 3-5 elk and a deer or antelope or sheep thrown in.

I like them for everything besides the knees, taking the skull off the spine, and the skin on the back of a bulls neck. You can still get the job done in those places, but that is where I break blades.

They are great for skinning, caping, quartering, and cutting the steaks out.

I haven't used any other tool for changing blades.

I did cut the heck out of my thumb once but that was trying to hurry a caping job on a bull at over 10000 feet with a storm moving in on us. I was going around the base of the horns and went to pinch the hide between my thumb and forefinger and pinched the havalon instead.

Anyone that breaks a blade on them just doesn't understand how to use them. You do have to be careful.

How do they last on moose, can't say about gerber because I have no complaints about the 3 havalon we own.

I can say that one bull moose down, all by myself totally this fall, estimated 1200 pounds live weight. Skin, gut, quarter, debone, cape head off, cape skin off head, and much of the later deboning of quarters and such... 3 total blades.

But then again I consider myself to have a bit of know how on how to protect edges.

For our 150 ish pound give or take deer around here, live weight, I can get usually 2-3 deer out of a blade if I"m not in a hurry and don't have to dejoint everything and can use a saw on a lot of the quartering etc...

BTW, years of taxidermy under my belt, while I cape in the field on my own stuff, as I don't do taxidermy anymore for anyone but myself...., when it comes to specifically taking the hide off the antlers and skull, I"ll use a fat handled scalpe handle and a few #21 blades all day long if I remember to bring one... before I'd use the Piranta.

Same here. I usually only use the Havalon for skinning and caping, and use a Puma for the heavier duty stuff.

Havalon works great on elk. I completely skined and deboned a bull. I did change the blade halfway through. Not sure I really needed to though. Wonderful knife for what they are designed to do.

I just caped a mule deer with the havalon and it worked great for that. This is what I bought it for.

The blades on the havalon are a bit flimsy. Something with a heavier blade and easy change out would be worth a try