You need to skin your game properly if you want to preserve and mount your trophy. To do that, practice and skill are not the only things that you require. Having a razor-sharp knife that is specially designed for skinning and caping your game will help you do a better job. In this Havalon Piranta Z review, we will take a look at an awesome skinning knife that is very handy and effective for the purpose.
Size and Weight
For a hunter, trophy care is extremely important, especially when you are still several days away from your taxidermist. To conduct a proper trophy care, you need the right tools, including an effective and reliable knife that you can use to skin and cape your game. However, the knife should also be portable enough so that you can bring it along easily.
Havalon Piranta Z is definitely a practical and portable knife. This is a folding knife that is very compact and lightweight. When folded, the length is only about 4.5 inches long. You can easily pocket it or slip it into a spare space in your backpack. When opened, the total length only becomes 7.25 inches, so it is very manageable.
Design
The design of Havalon Piranta Z is very slim and sleek. This “Z” version comes with a black zytel handle. If you prefer another color, there are actually other variants with different colors, such as green, lime, orange, and camo. This knife is quite good-looking.
The handle is ergonomically curved to allow a solid and comfortable grip. It is also textured on both sides to prevent it from slipping during usage. On the rear end, there is a lanyard hole which may be handy for some people. This knife also comes with a nylon holster and a removable holster clip for easy carrying.
The next great thing about Havalon Piranta Z is the open-back design. This enables you to clean the knife easily, inside and outside. Since skinning and caping can be quite messy sometimes, this is a very nice feature. The blade and handle scales are screwed together, and the blade is replaceable. You can replace the blade when the current one is no longer usable. The knife fits all #60A and #60XT blades, so there are plenty of options for a replacement blade.
The knife is equipped with an assisted opening system. The mechanism is solid and swift.It has ambidextrous thumb studs, so it is suitable for both left-handed and right-handed users. The ergonomic design is suitable for both hands.
Build Quality
The handle of Havalon Piranta Z is constructed from a solid military-grade zytel polymer. It feels lightweight yet very sturdy. For light-duty tasks such as skinning and caping, it is definitely well-built. Well, of course, the zytel handle can’t compare with premium custom wood/bone handles, but its lightweight nature makes a distinctive advantage.
Anyhow, don’t forget that Havalon Piranta Z is designed specifically for skinning and caping, which are light-duty tasks. It is not made for heavy-duty tasks, and it is not meant to withstand abuse. In other words, you should not use it for extreme jobs such as cutting wooden sticks and batoning. It will not survive such abuse.
The screws and liner lock construction are quite durable. They secure the blade very well. It is unlikely that an accidental drop will break the knife, but, just in case, you should put some good care and avoid dropping the knife from a considerable height.
Blades
Remember that Havalon Piranta Z has a replaceable blade? The manufacturer does have several blades with different sizes that fit the knife. The #60XT and #22R blades are very sharp, but the #60XT blade is the larger one of the two. It is the one that will do most skinning, gutting, and caping works. Meanwhile, the #22-20 blades are somewhat smaller, suitable for finer works such as cutting around the eyes, paws, and lips.
The manufacturer does not state what kind of stainless steel that is used for making these blades. They are generally very easy to sharpen, but their edge retention is relatively low. They may become dull quite quickly if you use them to cut through the tougher parts, such as cartilages and joints. You need at least three blades to completely skin and cape a deer. Fortunately, the blade replacements are quite cheap. Make sure that you bring enough blade replacements in your hunting trip.
In Use
Thanks to the compact design and very sharp knives, Havalon Piranta Z becomes very easy to use. It glides effortlessly through the flesh. The fine curved tip of the blade allows you to separate layers of hide, fat, and muscle easily for a much cleaner job. A well-sharpened blade requires less power on cutting strokes and fine works, so you can have a lot more control.
After some time, you may notice that the blade gradually loses its cutting performance. This is not a big problem. You can just re-sharpen the blade or replace it with another one to continue the job.
| Price | Features |
|---|---|
| - Made in USA or Imported - Black zytel military plastic handle - 2 3/4" blades - 7 1/4" open length |
Conclusion
Havalon Piranta Z is not exactly a versatile all-purpose knife. It is specially designed for skinning and caping. For such works, the performance is truly impressive. You can separate layers of hide, fat, and muscle very easily with this knife, allowing for a much cleaner and quicker job. It is very handy and practical. It is also easy to maintain. However, it is not suitable for heavy tasks, so make sure that you don’t over-abuse it.
Havalon Piranta Z Review: Specifications
• Overall length 7-1/4″
• Zytel Black Finish
• Fits #60A and #60XT blades
• 12 additional #60A blades, stainless steel, 2-3/4″
• Super-strong military-grade polymer handle
• Ambidextrous thumb studs
• Liner-lock construction
• Open-back design for easy cleaning
• Nylon holster included
• Removable holster clip
• Lanyard hole
Havalon Piranta Z Review: Pros and Cons
Pros
• Very compact, lightweight, and portable
• The design allows easy handling and maintenance
• The blade is easy to sharpen
• Replaceable blade
• Effective and efficient for skinning
Cons
• The blade is not very tough and durable, should not be abused
Havalon Piranta Z Review: Price
Check the best price for Havalon Piranta Z here!