Knife? Fixed, folder or replaceable blad
Elk
Contributors to this thread:
What do you use for elk? Fixed blade or replaceable blade? I've used both. But last year I used the Outdoor edge Razorlite but I felt like the blades went dull pretty quick. I like the havalon but those blades seem really flimsy.
RaptoRazor for me. Tough, sharp replaceable blades. Not for someone who counts oz though.
I use a couple of havalon knives. The piranta for skimming and the baracuta for deboning. The baracuta saw blade is just as scary sharp as there knife blades.
I use a fixed blade Cabela’s Alaskan Guide (made by Buck) for the heavy duty stuff, and a Havalon Piranta for skinning.
I’ve done 5 elk in 3 years. Just finished my 12th Havalon blade and ordered some more during Black Friday. I don’t really see the need for anything else.
Havalon and a Outdoors Edge and carry extra blades . Just broke down my daughters cow elk with those two knives yesterday and was thinking how good and easy they make it.
Havalon is what I prefer.
Fixed blade on gutting and breaking down....then I use a scalpel handle with a Havalon blade for turning the faces and ears.
I love the Havalon Barracuda for the big stuff, Outdoor Edge for the small stuff. The saw on the Barracuda is amazing. Careful with the Havalon though, I ran a Barracuda blade to the bone in my thumb tonight breaking down a whitetail.
Elk hunting I also use a havalon with the 60a blades. But.... I also carry a 7” filet blade (if de boning). and a quality fixed blade knife with a quality steel that is razor sharp. D2 steel or S30v steel blades have held up best to elk hair and hide for me. Just me but when it comes to an elk and breaking them down good knives is a must. Knives of Alaska and Benchmade have served me well. Everything else I use just a havalon.
I like the Outdoor edge lots more than the Havalon they have a much better backbone. I have busted the tips off of two different havalon blades and one of them went spinning past my face-eye...
Havalon and the little SOG that comes with the qad arrow rest.
Havalon with the 60A blades
Love my Havalon Piranta, really no need for anything else. I also carry a traditional folding buck knife with a razor sharp blade just in case but hardly ever use it. Was my Dads.
A Havalon with the 60a blades is hard to beat
https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5044-542/Companion-Camping-Knife-with-Sheath?colour=ORG00&gclid=CjwKCAiA0O7fBRASEiwAYI9QAiUY0i9RsyoGUBa4VYKz1q6JaYfpwVcg37VVF796RhCLeeYODlM_WBoCEtAQAvD_BwE My favorite, I have a few expensive knives that I never use, probably used it on 15-20 elk and moose, and 30 plus deer and bear, I will never need another knife, the mora knife is absolutely superior to all other fixed blade knifes!lol
I'm a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to knives. I have several custom made sheath knives that I'll never part with or replace and have skinned/gutted/boned everything I've killed for many years with just 2 or 3 of these. I like a sturdy sheath knife. Drop point, 3+" blade, substantial handle for my XL hand.
Carcus, I have a Mora and occasionally use it to split kindling in camp and practice throwing...lol. Saying it is superior to all other fixed blade knives is like saying Rage broadheads are superior to all other mechanicals! ; ^ )
Cutco and Havalon. Both have their uses
It's a toss up. I've used a Havalon, fixed, and folding knives. Now I have a fixed knife that has replaced all of the folding knives.
The Havalon will get the job done. Typically I only use two blades to break down an elk and haven't broken a blade yet. But I always get nervous when breaking down an animal while solo in the backcountry because handling those little blades with some tendons or tallow caught in the hinge seems dangerous to me.
When I got a CRKT Hunt 'n Fisch knife a few years ago I actually gave away all the rest of my fixed and folding knives (except for the Havalon). It is that good of a knife. The CRKT Hunt 'n Fisch simply feels perfect in the hand and is incredibly sharp. I don't understand how it can be so sharp still after breaking down numerous elk and deer, but it is. It is the most durable and dependable knife a person could ask for.
Not Outdoor Edge!!!!! I was a huge fan at first, my first one was great. I used it for several years and field dressed several elk and deer. Last year I miss placed it so I purchased a new one. Quartering my elk this year (first animal with new knife) and the blade release broke and I could not change the blade. Contacted Outdoor Edge support, and they were great, they sent me a new knife right away; got the replacement in a couple of days. During rifle season I scored on a deer and (first animal with replacement knife) the the release broke again! Have not contacted support yet, and I'm not sure I'm going to.
Browning Folding knife with guthook, the guthook makes short work of skinning out the quarters.
I also have a Cutco Drop Point hunting knife with a guthook on the end, which hangs on my pack belt.
I usually carry more knives than a guy would need. I carry an outdoor edge onyx lite, knives of Alaska Cub Bear caper. Sometimes I’ll throw in a box cutter or a scalpel with #22 blades. The scalpel is the only knife I want for caping a head out.
Custom fixed by Wayne Depperschmidt. Useful works of art.
Bark River drop points for me. I’ve used the Havalon quite a bit, but I still prefer a good fixed blade.
Havalon Piranta EDGE w/ 60A blades. Can do a whole animal (even elk) gutless with 1 or 2 blades. Have literally butchered dozens and dozens of animals and Havalon works for me.
I'm kinda a knife nut like to collect them. In my pack I carry a Buck folding 112, an Outdoor Edge with replaceable blades plus one of the Randall Knives that I have.
Mix it up to keep edges sharp. Also carry a small stone.
I have a Havalon and I use it for skinning and caping, BUT, I absolutely love using a 3-4" fixed blade knife for most everything else. For production knifes I like Knives of Alaska, Mora, Benchmade, or any other fixed blade with good steel.
For premium knives, Bark River.
Havalon and Outdoor Edge, I prefer the Outdoor Edge though. We've taken down 4 elk and 4 muleys this year so far. Havalon blades keep breaking, my son bought me an early Christmas present which was the outdoor edge. Easy blade removal, orange handle so easy to see when sat down and also has a gut hook blade. I found a little hand held blade sharpener will re sharpen an outdoor edge with a couple swipes.
Havalon Titan that has both the fixed heavy blade and the 60A blades. I also have a 5 inch folding Rapala folding fillet knife in my kill kit. With these two I can do it all from gutless bone out to caping out head.
Ditto ohio: with the 60a blades I virtually never break them. Gotta cut like a surgeon not like a serial killer though ;o)
Serrated cutco is amazing. Broke down a whole moose, joints too with it. I used it to skin a whitetail the other day. No sharpening yet.
Havalon piranta, Bark River and Buck K of A. All 3 will do the job on whitetails but I prefer the Havalon as it is always scary sharp and lightweight.
I really like the outdoor edge ez lite. Much better than my Havalon
Outdoor Edge replaceable Razor Edge
Love the Buck Folding 110!!!
Hard to beat a straight up boning knife once the skin is off. Simple, light and nearly unbreakable. There is a reason its being used in industry for the task. We also use a cut proof glove on the off hand and a pack-able folding meat hook. Glove with a piece of slotted plastic used as a sheath for the knife when packing. Knife comes out, glove goes on. Knife goes back, glove comes off. That rule and a meat hook will save allot of boo boo's as a boning knife can be a little unforgiving with the length. Works well for us.
I love the outdoor edge razor blaze. Never an issue and have quartered a full elk on one blade with no sharpening.
Benchmade Grizzly Ridge and the Browning folding with gut hook. My wife is very big into recycling and I don't think I could sneak the replaceable blade knives into my kit...
I hunted with 2 guys who had them this fall. Seem to be plenty sharp (one hole in boot, goretex liner, sock and skin proved that). But, they seemed to be dangerous as there were new and used blades laying around during the process.
thanks ohio hunter and smarba, went and got some 60A last night. Bad thing is that my son kept telling me to get some. Guess I should've listened.
Havalon Baracuta for deboning and just a cheap outdoor edge with a gut-hook for skinning. Seems to work just fine for my purposes.
I've got quite a few knives. In the end my Havalon Piranta gets the bulk of the workload and my baracuda gets some as well. At home I'll wipe the baracuda blades over some steel if I feel like it and they're good to go again. Think blades sharpen instantly. In the field, no chance I have patience for that. Losing the reason I brought that knife out.
If you ever need a knife to "finish" an animal, don't use a Havalon. I've been in that situation, and if you think you're one up on an animal because you have a Havalon Piranta, let me tell you, it quickly resorts to pure hand to hand combat.
I've been forging my own and making my own sheaths. So I guess I'm a fixed blade kind of guy!
Well Strung - those are beautiful!
Yeah, Well Strung, beautiful work! ...And APauls, please post video of the hand-to-hand combat, I'd like to see that!
Well Strung I'd be a fixed blade guy if I had those skills as well!! WOW pure works of art!!
Surbow, lol thankfully no video exists. Drowning a wounded caribou not as easy as it looks in the movies. Even when you have the rack to control it.
Scrappy's Link
I've only broke down and deboned one elk. My little tyto handle with 60a blades done it all. I learned a very important lesson breaking my bull down with it though. I now have a length of florescent orange 550 cord tied to the handle. Yes I lost it for about ten minutes.
I like a quality fixed blade or a folder like a Buck 110. I have tried a Havalon a few times and was very disappointed.
Last two season's I've used the Havalon Titan which has a fixed blade on one end and a 60a/70a replaceable blade on the other... I really like it a lot - nice to have some versatility in one knife...
Havalon is a pretty sweet knife. I was skeptical at first, but after a number of years and critters later I'm a believer!