Replacement blade knives in the field.

[V I Archer]

I was checking out the Gerber offering recently, looks like your don't need pliers to change the blade on their model.

I don't have any replaceable blade knives outside my tool belt, but would like one for caping and such.  Will still stick to my trusted 3 inch fixed blade Buck for general dressing chores and quite often my cheap Mora for quartering and boning.

[Lonehowl]

I love my custom knives, always have...I even enjoy sharpening them believe it or not..but...I have used the Outdoor Edge knives for a couple years now, and I do like them. Super razor sharp for sure, but imo, razor sharp just dulls quicker. However, the Outdoor Edge bladed have sort of a large defined bevel that is easy to lay flat on my small folding diamond sharpener, and in 2 or 3 strokes that thing is sharp as heck again, so instead of changing blades all the time, I have found that this is a good deal.

On changing blades, on the Outdoor Edge, you push a button on the knife and it releases the blade, so it is locked in pretty good, preventing blade from coming loose. The con to this is that if you dont clean it, it can get gummed up and a little hard to push but no biggie.

Yes you can break a blade, they are super thin scapel like but there is always a tradeoff for performance.

What I am always concerned about is discarding the used blades. I hope people pack them out and not just throw them on the ground.
jmo
Mark

[CRM_95]

I've got a Havalon Piranta and use it some. I always break blades, but that's my fault for being too rough with it. I normally just use my Case pocketknife. Just how I was raised I guess. All the older folks I hunted with when I was a kid just used their pocketknife for everything.

[Bowguy67]

So you need pliers to change them, gotta be really careful cause they break and they will, need extra blades and somewhere to put the used ones unless you just litter them to the ground.

 Just don't get the attraction unless like someone said its about ability to sharpen which I would understand if it wasn't this forum. Please don't think I'm judging cause I'm not.

Used scalpels a long time, I understand they're sharp but so many disadvantages in the woods.
To each his own though.

[mnbwhtr]

I wasn't sure about them until I watched my hunting partners bear guide skin and butcher his bear without even changing blades.

[Doug_K]

As a side note, lack of "edge holding" in a hunting knife is usually a result of cutting/rubbing into bone when field dressing, skinning, butchering, ect.

I make my own blades from 1095 & O1, with my own heat treat in a charcoal forge and tempered in my oven (Not the best "edge retention" steels or controlled process). Last year testing out a "new" design, I gutted one buck the night before, skinned and butchered 2 deer the following day using the same knife with no sharpening in between.

Not tooting my own horn, just pointing out to no one in particular that care when cutting up your animals will greatly extend your edge life if you're having issues. The profile of your edge matters as well. The hollow grinds you see on a lot of off the shelf hunting knives will be very sharp with a fresh edge, but will dull quickly if abused.

[LongbowArchitect]

I used the Havalon Piranta on my cow elk last year and it worked really well as long as I didn't torque the blade. I didn't like having to use the plyers on my Leatherman tool to safely replace the blade.

This year I'll be using an Outdoor Edge Razor Blaze replaceable blade knife. It's got a heavier duty surgical steel blade and a button on the handle to release the blade for safe replacement.

[dresnor]

Well, I guess I will find out for myself. I ordered a Havalon Piranta last night on the bay for $29 shipped.

Still going to bring at least one nice fixed blade to be safe.

Thanks for the replies everyone!

Jeremy