Saturday With My New Hawkbill

[jaxonunit]

Starting my 30-day trial of the Byrd Hawkbill today. When I get a new folder, I like to commit to EDC it for 30 days before making any judgements. Since I'm a ****-on-wheels kind of guy, that's usually enough to turn up any design flaws or defects in workmanship.

It's a sleepy Saturday with not much going on except smoking some ribs and chicken Legs, opening a few boxes and a few pieces of mail. Was tempted to use my Manbug on the latter but I ran into the Hawkbill on the way into my pocket and thought "what the ****." I feel like I discovered the most efficent envelope opening device ever made! Just put the inside edge of the Hawkbill on the end of the envelope and whip it back fast. Looks like it was cut with scissors. I'd say I have a new office knife, except it might be a little scary lookin'.

I used the Hawk to divide two racks of pork ribs so they would fit in my smoker. Since it's my first serrated knife, it took me a second to get the jist, but when I stopped thinking "saw," and just treated it like a normal blade I found that it works as well or better than my Resilience on the same task. I also used it to cut some paracord, open the chicken-leg and rib packaging, and trim some of the fat and sinew off the ribs. The Hawkbill met or exceeded my expectiations on all counts. Cutting the paracord even seemed a little on the supernatural side, but I think cutting rope and cord is what this type of curved blade was designed for in the first place. Makes sense when you do it.

Another thing that might make it hard to stick with the Hawkbill for EDC is that my previous trial was a Cara Cara 2 with G10. It actually went well beyond it's 30 day trial and replaced my beloved Tenacious (Black, G10; AKA "My Precious") as the go-to EDC. At first it was because I just wasn't afraid to beat the **** out of the Cara Cara 2. Not that I was all that worried about the Tenacious either, but I found out that I'm one of those weird "finger choil" guys. It just seems like the choil on the Cara Cara gives me a lot of control when boning where you need to make delicate turns to follow a tendon and separate it at a joint. Sure, the venison would be just as good with a little bit of tendon sticking out, but that little bit of control makes the difference between expert butchery and art. :)

I've already decided that my next folder is going to be a Byrd Raven. It seems like a Tenacious with a finger choil. PLUS, it's made out of tool steal! I just wish they made it in black. I mean come on guys...Raven... black...???

[LDB]

Never happened without pictures. :)

[ThePeacent]

I feel like I discovered the most efficent envelope opening device ever made! Just put the inside edge of the Hawkbill on the end of the envelope and whip it back fast. Looks like it was cut with scissors. I'd say I have a new office knife, except it might be a little scary lookin'.

tat, my friend, is what we call the pull cut.
And it's what Spyderco hawkbills do best



it has to be experienced to be understood, and opens lots of eyes to even veteran knife folks.
Get a Tasman, or a Spyderhawk, and you'll see it elevated to its highest expression.



And then fall in love with Reverse S blades, it seems you still have to discover those!!

[ShaneInDenver]

I spent Sunday with my Byrd Hawkbill. It served me well as I was mowing and needed to cut down weeds and trim line for the weed wacker. I honestly can't believe how affordable these knives are. I have to sharpen mine around once a month and find it is fairly easy to sharpen and get's to a pretty seriously level of sharpness using the sharpmaker. Spydero really hit a home run with this one.

[The Snowman]

The SE on the byrd knives are far different than Spyderco knives. The serrations are more shallow, which honestly don't feel as though they work quite as well.