REVIEW: Havalon Piranta Original

This is the most dangerous pocket knife we know. Doesn't look like it, do you think? We have to agree with you. The Piranta Original from Havalon has a body made of steel and black G10 inlays, a fiberglass-reinforced plastic. This turns the knife, which is available at BLACK SHADOW, into a discreet beauty, which is also not particularly large...

... as you can see in comparison with an iPhone in a Magpul case. When extended, it measures just 17.2 centimeters, with the blade being seven centimeters long. Seven damn sharp centimeters! Because the blade of the Piranata is a scalpel.

And it is also attached like a scalpel. This means that if the blade ever gets dull, it can be replaced immediately. To remove it, simply lift the blade at the back, grip the blade with pliers from the multitool and pull it out, better safe than sorry, and then slide a new one on. The knife is always as sharp as a scalpel, which it actually is, but in the form of a normal pocket knife. The Piranta is securely locked with a Liner Lock.

The knife comes with a black belt pouch that holds the Piranta on the back and the spare blades on the front. On the back, the pouch has a loop for regular belts up to seven centimeters wide, unfortunately not for MOLLE, but cable ties can provide a solution if the knife needs to be attached to a plate carrier. Replacement blades are available in #60 and #60A. The latter are 20 percent stronger than the former.

Looks like a box of medicine, and as a scalpel, it kind of is. If you want to have a healthy relationship with this knife, handle its blades extremely respectfully. Testing the sharpness with your thumb is not recommended, you will cut yourself immediately. And ALWAYS store the Piranata out of the reach of children. We were not joking when we initially called this knife the most dangerous one we know.

CONCLUSION: Having a scalpel with you can have clear advantages. The Havalon Piranta is ideal for a paramedic. Civilians can also benefit from it, for example as a tool for hunters and fishermen to efficiently and quickly dress game. If the blade shows any signs of dullness, it is already replaced. The advantage also lies in the caution with which you must handle this excellent knife. It cuts brutally efficiently, but the blade is not made for prying or drilling, to put it bluntly.

The Havalon Piranta Original is available for €59.95 at BLACK SHADOW. They also have the Piranta Z (larger handle made of Zytel, overall 1.2 centimeters longer than the Original) for €44.95 and the #60A Replacement Blades for €9.95, the #60 Replacement Blades for €6.95 (each 12 pieces).