Thread: SCALPEL FOR HUNTING ?

I saw in the 'how big is your knife' thread some have used/do use a scalpel bladed knife for a hunting knife .
I am curious as to how well they work for animal processing in the field . I would have thought , although obviously very sharp and replaceable blades (save sharpening) , that they would have been a bit flimsy or not robust enough for the job , rabbits/possum maybe but particularly a goat/deer sized animal .
Am I wrong ?
Please enlighten me as to just how useful a scalpel bladed knife can be for hunting .....

I have found this particular wee knife for sale and wondered whether it's worth giving it a go .... worse come to worse I can use it for opening boxes at work .
Flipper blade with open locking so safe enough to carry and I am a fan of carbon ...


https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...04673722_1&s=p


Any thoughts....

I've just got a knife with replaceable blades. It's not pretty or traditional, but think it's going to be very useful in some circumstances. I've used it on a couple of animals and function is as good as any other knife. It's an Outdoor Edge Razor Lite EDC. The advantage of this particular model is that the replaceable blade is well supported, so shouldn't snap or come off with normal use.

Originally Posted by Ftx325

I saw in the 'how big is your knife' thread some have used/do use a scalpel bladed knife for a hunting knife .
I am curious as to how well they work for animal processing in the field . I would have thought , although obviously very sharp and replaceable blades (save sharpening) , that they would have been a bit flimsy or not robust enough for the job , rabbits/possum maybe but particularly a goat/deer sized animal .
Am I wrong ?
Please enlighten me as to just how useful a scalpel bladed knife can be for hunting .....

I have found this particular wee knife for sale and wondered whether it's worth giving it a go .... worse come to worse I can use it for opening boxes at work .
Flipper blade with open locking so safe enough to carry and I am a fan of carbon ...


https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...04673722_1&s=p


Any thoughts....

They are pretty decent man. You have to be a little more careful with them around popping joints etc and they won't cut a brisket but those are really the only 2 jobs that require force in processing a deer. I use mine as a spare and to make hocking and skinning cuts, then the main knife does all the Boning. A significant part of the blunting is made cutting hair etc.

For 25 bucks that unit should be sweet, especially if islt uses the same havalon blades which are decent quality

I used my knife.. you know...like a knife.
But have a couple of scalpel for doing head skinning etc.

Originally Posted by Nick-D

They are pretty decent man. You have to be a little more careful with them around popping joints etc and they won't cut a brisket but those are really the only 2 jobs that require force in processing a deer. I use mine as a spare and to make hocking and skinning cuts, then the main knife does all the Boning. A significant part of the blunting is made cutting hair etc.

For 25 bucks that unit should be sweet, especially if islt uses the same havalon blades which are decent quality

That what I was thinking re cutting skin . I don't imagine the edge would last long scraping against bone either .
That knife takes any blade that fits a #4 apparently including the smaller 'standard' type blades of various shapes , but I kinda like the idea of a longer blade as well for deeper faster cuts . Thought could be handy for cutting out the poo tube too being small bladed and long and thinner than a 'normal' knife blade .

I have never used a replaceable blade knife myself,always seemed like a bit of a gimmick for guys who can't sharpen a knife.I would also be worried about durability. I just carry one knife and a steel,if knife gets blunt only takes couple seconds to sharpen it. If you do get one would love to hear how it works out though as I can see advantages to it.

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Originally Posted by hunter Al.7mm08

I have never used a replaceable blade knife myself,always seemed like a bit of a gimmick for guys who can't sharpen a knife.I would also be worried about durability. I just carry one knife and a steel,if knife gets blunt only takes couple seconds to sharpen it. If you do get one would love to hear how it works out though as I can see advantages to it.

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No neither have I but it seems more common than I would have thought so there might be something to it but can't see it replacing my fixed blade knives entirely .
Maybe I'm just looking for an excuse to make another sheath - turn my double into a triple !

The Havalon knives are great, carry a few spare blades and you're good to go. When I was using one a blade would easily last for more than 2 animals. But then I broke the bloody thing and haven't replaced it. Be careful when changing blades, follow the instructions for a few, leave the packet on the blade as you fit it. And its much easier if you wash the knife down as you're changing the blades.

I’ve got a Havalon Piranta replaceable scalpel blade knife that I picked up off here a few months back. My thoughts- amazing for gutting & skinning. Good for butchering so long as you avoid use on or around bone & the blades will last for ages. Because they’re not designed to be sharpened they make em out of pretty tough steel so I was pleasantly surprised how long they’ll stay sharp for, but they will dull on bone & can snap if you try flex em around joints

In the field I tend to use it primarily for gutting & skinning & I’ll use my Mercator for everything else. With the back legs I’ll butterfly them in the field to remove the bone & keep meat in one piece. At home I’ll then use the Havalon to seam out the individual cuts.

Originally Posted by Pixie Z

I’ve got a Havalon Piranta replaceable scalpel blade knife that I picked up off here a few months back. My thoughts- amazing for gutting & skinning. Good for butchering so long as you avoid use on or around bone & the blades will last for ages. Because they’re not designed to be sharpened they make em out of pretty tough steel so I was pleasantly surprised how long they’ll stay sharp for, but they will dull on bone & can snap if you try flex em around joints

In the field I tend to use it primarily for gutting & skinning & I’ll use my Mercator for everything else. With the back legs I’ll butterfly them in the field to remove the bone & keep meat in one piece. At home I’ll then use the Havalon to seam out the individual cuts.

Awesome thanks . That's pretty much how I figured it would work .
I think I'm gunna order one and give it a try ....
And if it means less time sharpening my knives then thats a bonus .

Hunted with a guy who had a duel blade Folding knife. Standard 5" blade for the normal work and a little replaceable scalpel blade which he used for the fine work. ie clearing around the ass etc Much easier with a small fine blade, particularly on a fellow hind etc.
Enough to make me think about getting one but have not seen them commonly available.
Z

This sort of thing @ZQLewis ?
Doesn't look like 5" blade but is a double folder with scalpel blade one end

What the scalpel offers is a very thin and slightly flexible blade.

Hate the 'disposable' aspect of it...

By the time you have bought the knife itself and X amount of blades you could have bought a cheap Opinel and Mora, both of which complement each other and can be made crazy sharp if you know what you are doing.

Literally all you need is a leather belt for stropping and a Fällkniven stone (don't like thier knives but the stones are great!) which will get the edge you need. Don't buy the 'V' type sharpeners... they are for people who have yet to learn, or very lazy. Edge does not last long and they ruin the knife, making it last half as long.

Sharpen the Mora until shaving sharp, then strop. The Scandi grind Mora (ideally, Carbon steel not stainless) will do most of the 'heavy lifting'.

Sharpen the Opinel until shaving sharp, but keep going. It will feel like you have started to blunt the edge but in truth you have not, what you have done is make the edge very thin (and to a degree, fragile). Then strop a very small amount. Use this for the fine stuff.

So for less than $20 USD you have two knives that will do anything imaginable until you need a saw/machete.

Here's my scalpel. Always sharp and always in my pocket.
Great Eastern Cutlery #15.

Skinned a few goats out with it when caught without my usual knives. Amazing what a little knife will do.

I detest the throw away culture that we live in. What do those that use the replicable blade scalpels do with the blunt blades? I hope they don't get discarded in the bush??

Originally Posted by caberslash

Hate the 'disposable' aspect of it...

You can sharpen the blades, so they don't have to be disposable.