Is it just my imagination, or are Havel's scapel blades sharper and hold an edge longer than others?
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There are several American manufacturers who make scalpels just as sharp or sharper than Havel's but the "discount" blades just don't have the same quality steel nor the sharpening techniques that those made for surgery do. I use about 4 Havels when I'm fleshing a deer, but it never takes less than 6 of the others. You get what you pay for.
Available through Becton Dickinson Acutecare.
By far the sharpest scalpels I have ever cut myself with. 1 #10 or #22 is all you need to peel a cape off a skull and split and flesh it.
I can split lips, noses, and turn ears on three deer before I lose the edge on the Havel #11. Only drawback is they are carbon steel and if you use one and lay it down, chances are it will be too rusty the next day to use agin. I pray mine with WD-40 if I only have one deer on it. Seems to help a little.