QUESTION - Which Knife do you carry to back up your Scalpel-blade knife?

I have the 105 Pathfinder.. and I do like it... but Buck unfortunately has this thing they do of making their holsters such that all their knives ride too high and want to get pushed all kindsa sideways by the packs hipbelt. It's soo foolish too... because it'd be soo easy to fix. And they could offer it as another holster option and make even more money. Just don't get people sometimes. I guess that's what happens when you've lived your whole life back east or on the plains or something.
 
I have the 105 Pathfinder.. and I do like it... but Buck unfortunately has this thing they do of making their holsters such that all their knives ride too high and want to get pushed all kindsa sideways by the packs hipbelt. It's soo foolish too... because it'd be soo easy to fix. And they could offer it as another holster option and make even more money. Just don't get people sometimes. I guess that's what happens when you've lived your whole life back east or on the plains or something.

Buck knives for the 1st 40 years were made in the "16".....(El Cajon)…..lol

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Well Ok... and with the Havalon you're able to separate from the vertebrae? Hmph.

Does it involve forcibly twisting the head from the spine? Or are you able to get it done cleanly with the blade?

I'm asking about all this because when I did that coyote a lil bit ago, the way the inter-locking nubs of the vertebrae extended... I was finding it dang near impossible to get the blade down in between two of 'em.

First time... I used my lil 11oz field hatchet. Second time, I cracked the blade on my Buck folder while prying between them. 3rd time I think I was able to get it with the scalpel and fixed blade, but I seem to remember it took a dang long time. Typically I just always use the fixed blade for things I know will dull the scalpel, like when you're running the blade along the ribs as a guide when removing the back straps. Figure that way I don't waste scalpel blades. Doing it that way I usually only use like 1 or sometimes 2. Depends on how tough it is and how precise I want to be with the cuts on the hide.

Any good videos you can think of that show the technique for going thru the vertebrae with just the scalpel?


Before and after pick of an Elk. All work was done with a Havalon Piranta. Most elk I have done takes 2-3 blades.
Yes a little twisting to take the head off
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Buck knives for the 1st 40 years were made in the "16".....(El Cajon)…..lol
Well heck... why the heck do they not make a drop-leg version of their holster that gets the butt of the tang just down far enough so the HipBelt on the pack doesn't tug all kindsa sideways on it?

Anyhoo... nowadays I run HAvalon Piranta... and fold on hip is Leatherman Skeletool CX.
 
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I don't know but the are tough knife sheaths. But do need better design.
But I don't care mine has worked fine for forty years. And still going.
 
I've got a 105, and I like it's size and shape, and it works well for boning out the deer, especially sliding along the ribs when removing the backstraps, and for getting into the vertebrae but as I said, the dang sheath makes the pommel end stick up too high so your packs hip-belt wants to push it all kindsa crooked on your hip. And all they'd have to do is lower it about 1.25-1.50 inches and it wouldn't be a problem anymore. I saw a drop-down extension once that somebody else made, looked like the hot ticket to fix that, but they wanted too much for what it was.

Like I said, I mostly use the Havalon, but I'll use a regular knife for tasks that I think will prematurely dull the Havalon. So that way I don't have to slow down as much for those tasks as I would with strictly using only the Havalon.
 

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