New knife... need opinions please

[AvidIndoorsman]

Another havalon user here... I started with a havalon then went to a fixed, then folder, and I’m kinda back to the havalon, although I have a folder I really like. It’s just impossible to get a knife as sharpe, they weigh nothing, there just kinda the perfect tool for skinning and cutting. I mean there is a reason doctors use scalpels right...

I wouldn’t hesitate to do an entire moose with just a havalon.

 

[RockinU]

I don't know...I can get a knife pretty sharp. I just hate the disposable part of the disposable blades...seems like we make enough trash, when just a little time with your sharpener of choice could eliminate it. wllm, I could see you being a good sharpener with your um..."focus" on detail.

 

[TM0218]

Those handmade knives are really cool. The pins on that first one really make it special looking.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I don't know...I can get a knife pretty sharp. I just hate the disposable part of the disposable blades...seems like we make enough trash, when just a little time with your sharpener of choice could eliminate it. wllm, I could see you being a good sharpener with your um..."focus" on detail.

The trash is a very valid argument. One the one hand I'm very much a fan of the first R in Reduce, Reuse, Recycle... on the other hand my wife me about the realities of medical waste and I'm like well I guess havalon users aren't even the tip of the iceberg.

I will fully admit that I suck at sharpening and would love to hone my skills. If I could find a good class or if I could get a custom knife maker to let me spend a weekend sharpening with them I would happily jump at the opportunity.

OP sorry for this digression, but what do you all think is the best sharpening method? I would imagine that there are a lot of old school file and stone sharpeners here, but I've been wondering about the work sharp sharpeners.

 

[RockinU]

I have a work sharp, and they’re pretty good if you don’t have a belt grinder. Of course a mouse pad and emery cloth works too. I’m a fan of the convex edge so those methods work well for me. There are countless YouTube instructionals out there, some very good.

 

[TM0218]

The trash is a very valid argument. One the one hand I'm very much a fan of the first R in Reduce, Reuse, Recycle... on the other hand my wife me about the realities of medical waste and I'm like well I guess havalon users aren't even the tip of the iceberg.

I will fully admit that I suck at sharpening and would love to hone my skills. If I could find a good class or if I could get a custom knife maker to let me spend a weekend sharpening with them I would happily jump at the opportunity.

OP sorry for this digression, but what do you all think is the best sharpening method? I would imagine that there are a lot of old school file and stone sharpeners here, but I've been wondering about the work sharp sharpeners.

No need for apologies this is all great information. Discussion like this leads to things being brought up that I haven’t considered yet

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I have a work sharp, and they’re pretty good if you don’t have a belt grinder. Of course a mouse pad and emery cloth works too. I’m a fan of the convex edge so those methods work well for me. There are countless YouTube instructionals out there, some very good.

10-4... I've had my eye on one for a while especially kitchen knifes.

I think the biggest argument for a havalon, for me personally, is being able to quickly get a perfect edge in the field. If you're solo butchering an elk time is a luxury. It's especially hard to sharpen any knife after you have cut through some fat and the blade gets all smeared with it.

I used a nice folder to do my bear in AK, but I was at camp and could take a couple min here and there to keep my edge sharp.

 

[RockinU]

10-4... I've had my eye on one for a while especially kitchen knifes.

I think the biggest argument for a havalon, for me personally, is being able to quickly get a perfect edge in the field. If you're solo butchering an elk time is a luxury. It's especially hard to sharpen any knife after you have cut through some fat and the blade gets all smeared with it.

I used a nice folder to do my bear in AK, but I was at camp and could take a couple min here and there to keep my edge sharp.

If you get a good convex edge on a quality steel blade, and avoid bone as you can, you can finish an elk without a touch up. I have a Bark River that’s just simple A2 tool steel, and I can get 4-5 deer/exotics out of a sharpening before I switch to a fresh knife, and I’m usually in a bit of a hurry and have no time for dull knives.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

10-4... I've had my eye on one for a while especially kitchen knifes.

I think the biggest argument for a havalon, for me personally, is being able to quickly get a perfect edge in the field. If you're solo butchering an elk time is a luxury. It's especially hard to sharpen any knife after you have cut through some fat and the blade gets all smeared with it.

I used a nice folder to do my bear in AK, but I was at camp and could take a couple min here and there to keep my edge sharp.

I have a worksharp sharpener, and for me personally I feel like I start with a nice sharp blade, but it dulls to nothing way faster than when I just sharpened on a diamond stone. No idea if I'm doing it wrong, just seems like it doesn't last...


Also, I am a major fan of the disposable blades, just because they are so dang sharp and easy to swap out, no more needing to sharpen your knife midway through an animal. To me not having to sharpen is the biggest advantage.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

If you get a good convex edge on a quality steel blade, and avoid bone as you can, you can finish an elk without a touch up. I have a Bark River that’s just simple A2 tool steel, and I can get 4-5 deer/exotics out of a sharpening before I switch to a fresh knife, and I’m usually in a bit of a hurry and have no time for dull knives.

I would imagine a harder steel is the way to go if you don't want to jack around sharpening in the field? With A2 being hard?

 

[RockinU]

I got to my 3rd knife this day, to be fair, there are some thin skinned animals in there, but a properly sharpened quality blade should finish an elk.

 

[RockinU]

I would imagine a harder steel is the way to go if you don't want to jack around sharpening in the field? With A2 being hard?

A2 isn’t soft, but there’s much harder out there. I like it because it’s relatively cheap, and while hard, not to the point of being ridiculous to sharpen.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I got to my 3rd knife this day, to be fair, there are some thin skinned animals in there, but a properly sharpened quality blade should finish an elk.

It's a shame you don't have a lot of skinning experience...

 

[RockinU]

It's a shame you don't have a lot of skinning experience...

I’ve done a few. Years ago we took on a ranch that had been supplementally feeding their deer and the numbers were ridiculous. The rancher wanted the population brought back in line with what the habitat could organically support. That year I cut up 161 whitetail. Well, another guy helped out a few trips, but I did most of them. It was the 4th year before our harvest number got below 100.

People don’t believe me when I say that even shooting deer can get old, but it can.

 

[BrentD]

I have a work sharp, and they’re pretty good if you don’t have a belt grinder. Of course a mouse pad and emery cloth works too. I’m a fan of the convex edge so those methods work well for me. There are countless YouTube instructionals out there, some very good.

Ouch!

In my world, Emery cloth is far too coarse and does not work with lubricants. I also never ever want a surface that has any give to it. Plate glass is often used as a backer for abrasive papers (usually numbered in the mid to high triple digits and beyond) with water as a lube.

I avoid motorized sharpeners for knives as they can take off a lot of material and each knife tends to need something special that is not easily met with them - I do use work sharps work station for chisels and planes and so forth.

wllm1313, if you were around, I'd suggest you drop by some evening for a beer and a sharpening session with various tools and stones. But being that's not going to happen, I would, instead, suggest looking to youtube. I can also recommend a Gatco or Lansky sharpening system to be all but foolproof. They take some time the first time you use them, but once you have established your bevel, they are very straight forward and easy.

There are a few tricks here and there, and a few knife morphologies to watch for, but all in all, it is not hard, and it can be very satisfying.

 

[RockinU]

Ouch!

In my world, Emery cloth is far too coarse and does not work with lubricants. I also never ever want a surface that has any give to it. Plate glass is often used as a backer for abrasive papers (usually numbered in the mid to high triple digits and beyond) with water as a lube.

I avoid motorized sharpeners for knives as they can take off a lot of material and each knife tends to need something special that is not easily met with them - I do use work sharps work station for chisels and planes and so forth.

wllm1313, if you were around, I'd suggest you drop by some evening for a beer and a sharpening session with various tools and stones. But being that's not going to happen, I would, instead, suggest looking to youtube. I can also recommend a Gatco or Lansky sharpening system to be all but foolproof. They take some time the first time you use them, but once you have established your bevel, they are very straight forward and easy.

There are a few tricks here and there, and a few knife morphologies to watch for, but all in all, it is not hard, and it can be very satisfying.

I say emery paper, but it’s actually sand paper I get from empire abrasives that’s from 400 to 2000 grit. The mouse pad (or other backing that gives) is the method for sharpening a convex edge, as you draw the knife across the surface spine first as most knife makers who produce a convex edge recommend. The give in a belt grinder produces the same result.

 

[RockinU]

This kind of starts in the middle, but here is some explanation:

 

[BrentD]

There are, indeed, more than one way to skin a cat (or a deer).

 

[TM0218]

What does everyone use to store their used Havalon blades while packing out? I was thinking like the plastic bar soap holder or something

 

[VAspeedgoat]

This kind of starts in the middle, but here is some explanation:

Why a convex edge?