Dusty44 Posted October 27, 2011 Report Share Posted October 27, 2011 A new knife arrived today. I was reading in "Predator Xtreme" and the author of an article about hunting bears said that he could skin a bear carcass in half the time with his Havalon Grizzly that it would take with any other knife. OK. I called up "Havalon Knife" on the Internet, looked over their web site, decided the price was not out of reach, and ordered one on-line. About that quick. I bought the basic black-handled knife (the "Grizzly" seems to be shiny silver metal with an engraved picture of a bear); comes with a dozen "#60XT" blades; also bought a dozen "#22XT" blades and the standard sheath.I ordered the knife on 10/21 somewhere a little after Midnight ("AM" of the 21st) according to my notes; UPS Ground left it on my doorstep midday today (10/27).This thing is rather like a folding Exacto tool with 'supersized' blades. It would be easy for a qualified person to do surgery with this knife. When a blade gets dull the user will use his Multi-tool pliers to slip the old blade off the handle and put a new ("crazy") sharp blade into place. Emphasis on using the pliers/"forceps" and remembering at all times that this blade is ridiculously sharp and dangerous. The sheath has a second pocket for extra blades. Mine accepted 6 blades easily with the sterile foil envelopes in place. The advertising says 12 blades, if I remember correctly. I do some leather work for my own use and think it would be nice to create a leather sheath modeled after the nylon one Havalon offers. Maybe someday. Cost of my full order, delivered, was three 'Jacksons' less a few coins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edgecrusher Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 nice looking handle, seems to be a good concept. i think updates are needed after usage. good find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imschur Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 was there a picture in the post? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 No, Silly Man, that's what Google is for... <dontknow> <lmao>............... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imschur Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 <lmao> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaDuce Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 That's kinda interesting. Never seen that sort of thing before. I'll stick with my wootz folder though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fr3db3ar Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 I've seen those before and liked them. The problem I have with proprietary blades is it seems sooner or later somebody always goes out of business and you can't get them anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty44 Posted October 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 Because of my health problems this knife is just for a collection. For a hunter, the blades only cost $15 plus or minus a dollar or two for a hundred. It would be easy to buy two or three boxes of blades and never run out. Apparently one of the prime users of this knife is taxidermists. The manufacturer also seems to have many other product lines which would indicate being able to stay in business indefinitely. My own take is that this knife handle will last as long or longer with or without a lot of extra blades as any other knife I have bought that is in its price range. My own record for a 'working' knife is nearly 8 years. That one came in a bubble pak from Wal-Mart, about $7; a folder with a 3 1/4" blade that I used at work for scraping/slicing/peeling sticky stuff off of machine surfaces and for stripping electrical wire (yes, I know. I learned to do it without damaging the wire. It worked a lot better and faster than the pathetic quality strippers we were supposed to use.) along with a lot of other minor tasks that needed either a sharp edge or a thin pry blade or a hard point to do what was needed. I sharpened that edge on 400 (Emery) and 1500(Crocus Cloth) emery paper every few days and it was a prime tool. It just vanished one day. I think it got left in the pocket of an old pair of jeans and the jeans were put into the trash. "Academy" sells a similar knife with the same name (Winchester) but the new ones need a file to round a sharp corner on the back of the blade and some breaking-in to get the thing to open and close properly. $14 in a bubble pak with sheath and $12 if there happens to be a version without the sheath. I bought two on each of two occasions. The first of these was taken away from me when I was suddenly incarcerated for extended hospital stay last year. That one was always difficult to open and close. The second one, second purchase because I forgot where I had stored the spare, has functioned better after the little bit with the file. It is still a long way from the blade being reshaped for easy sharpening, however. Of course it does not get much use, unlike that very first one. That said, I think that the Havalon Knife is just entirely too sharp to casually carry in a pocket. The Havalon is a specialty item for where clean precision cuts are needed. Like skinning game or preparing skins in a taxidermy procedure or perhaps as an emergency kit item for field or medical use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 a folder with a 3 1/4" blade that I used at work for scraping/slicing/peeling sticky stuff off of machine surfaces and for stripping electrical wire (yes, I know. I learned to do it without damaging the wire. It worked a lot better and faster than the pathetic quality strippers we were supposed to use.) I hear ya, brother, loud and clear! <thumbsup> That's almost a lost artform, right there, and always beats the hell out of strippers, especially in some tight spaces. I reach for my knife first, every time. ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planeflyer21 Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 I've seen those before and liked them. The problem I have with proprietary blades is it seems sooner or later somebody always goes out of business and you can't get them anymore.If we've learned anything from the great Powder and Ammo Shortage of 2007-8, it is that we buy when it's on the shelves.Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unforgiven Posted December 6, 2011 Report Share Posted December 6, 2011 Still got my buck folder 30 yrs. and K bar wife got me when we met,saw Havalon pic almost cut myself[looks very sharp] read an article on making a knife from circular saw blade with angle grinder for cut out[using face shield!] then honeing edge, finishing with anything on hand, one had part of deer antler using hardware from kinfeworks.com finished product looked nice.Shoot on bro,strike that cut on bro. ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planeflyer21 Posted December 6, 2011 Report Share Posted December 6, 2011 My go-to folder is a Mauser, two-blades, cork screw, awl, and multi-function tool.Carry two fixed blades in rotation. One is a cheapy Winchester branded with a 3 3/4" blade. The other is a Cold Steel with a tanto style blade, about 6" long.Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbesgunner Posted December 7, 2011 Report Share Posted December 7, 2011 Kershaw Blackout folder..Ken Onion design...incredible Sandvik steel blade...bought a few to replace it over the years, thinner, lighter models but this one keeps going back in my pocket... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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