Greetings,
First time poster:
Anybody know where I can find a SS Harpy PLAIN edge? Production numbers? What they go resonable for?
I think that a FAQ on EACH knife would save time: Production numbers / Makes / Errors / Models / Versions / etc. It's always good to have info: I like to make informed choices. If you have one: where is it?
Why FRN handles? They don't seem to hold nearly as well. I have no problems paying more for quality: G-10 or SS.
What would justify a PLAIN Edge / LARGER Harpy in G-10 or SS? I've heard that sales were the demise of the G-10.
I have to thank Spyderco. I come to you for Quality and Design. You always exceed my expectations.
Brian
Harpy
Welcome to the forums! I saw a plainedge SS Harpy on eBay a few months ago. It sold for US$270. That is the only one I have ever seen in about a year and a half of collecting, but I was not exactly looking hard (posting in wanted forums and such).
I have no idea about production numbers, sorry.
The list is a really good idea, I keep meaning to start compiling a list and putting it on a web site, but something always comes up...
Ben
I have no idea about production numbers, sorry.
The list is a really good idea, I keep meaning to start compiling a list and putting it on a web site, but something always comes up...
Ben
Welcome to the forum, brian12856@aol.com.
I guess because hawkbills aren't particularly wonderful in my mind, I haven't paid much attention at all to them. For instance, I don't know the difference between the Merlin and the Harpy. Knife Center sells a plain-edged Merlin for $52, with an FRN handle.
Am sure not much use trying to persuade someone with a bias against FRN, but I'm not sure what you mean when you say it "won't hold." If it is hold up that you meant, I have a Gerber LUS in Zytel, that I carried around 15 years. It can be cleaned up to look virtually new. I have my doubts that G-10 or CF will last/hold up as well. Be years before we know.
Zytel/FRN is virtually indestructible, unless one goes to smashing it with a hammer. I have yet to read of a Zytel/FRN handle breaking, or fallling apart.
I'm very pleased that Spyderco -- in 2 of my favorite knives -- puts the best steel with teh FRN handle. These are the Native FRN and the Calypso Jr Ltwt. It is really great for a company to take such good care of it's lower economic customers. One of the many reasons Spyderco is my favorite manufacturer.
If you read the forum here or the forum at Blade Forums.com, you'll read about people talking about their 10 yr old, or so, Delicas and Enduras. Some are having problems from wear -- but nobody is talking handles.
Stare
I guess because hawkbills aren't particularly wonderful in my mind, I haven't paid much attention at all to them. For instance, I don't know the difference between the Merlin and the Harpy. Knife Center sells a plain-edged Merlin for $52, with an FRN handle.
Am sure not much use trying to persuade someone with a bias against FRN, but I'm not sure what you mean when you say it "won't hold." If it is hold up that you meant, I have a Gerber LUS in Zytel, that I carried around 15 years. It can be cleaned up to look virtually new. I have my doubts that G-10 or CF will last/hold up as well. Be years before we know.
Zytel/FRN is virtually indestructible, unless one goes to smashing it with a hammer. I have yet to read of a Zytel/FRN handle breaking, or fallling apart.
I'm very pleased that Spyderco -- in 2 of my favorite knives -- puts the best steel with teh FRN handle. These are the Native FRN and the Calypso Jr Ltwt. It is really great for a company to take such good care of it's lower economic customers. One of the many reasons Spyderco is my favorite manufacturer.
If you read the forum here or the forum at Blade Forums.com, you'll read about people talking about their 10 yr old, or so, Delicas and Enduras. Some are having problems from wear -- but nobody is talking handles.
Stare
Hi Brian. Welcome to the Spyderco forum.
Plain edge Harpy's are a "rare bird" (pardon the pun). We made them in a left and right version as well back in the mid '80's. They didn't sell well in the plain edge so they were discontinued. The original design was for efficient cutting of difficult rope. I guess the plain edge versions didn't cut rope as well. ("gumming" your way through rope without teeth can be tough).
I don't know how many we made. sorry. We were a very small company in the mid '80's and there were no real records of volume being kept. I would guess only a few thousand were made in plain edge.
FRN is pretty tough stuff. Unless you are under 40 degres below 0. Then it starts to get a little brittle. It's light and permits details to be put into a knife hndle that would be otherwise quite difficult. It is also quite free of hand finishing so a quality cutting tool can be made at a more economical price.
Thanx for the kind words as well.
Thanx Ben, Stare for the info.
There is a lot of historical information in the "Spyderco Story" by Ken Delavigne, but quantities are usually not recorded unless we had a good idea.
sal
Plain edge Harpy's are a "rare bird" (pardon the pun). We made them in a left and right version as well back in the mid '80's. They didn't sell well in the plain edge so they were discontinued. The original design was for efficient cutting of difficult rope. I guess the plain edge versions didn't cut rope as well. ("gumming" your way through rope without teeth can be tough).
I don't know how many we made. sorry. We were a very small company in the mid '80's and there were no real records of volume being kept. I would guess only a few thousand were made in plain edge.
FRN is pretty tough stuff. Unless you are under 40 degres below 0. Then it starts to get a little brittle. It's light and permits details to be put into a knife hndle that would be otherwise quite difficult. It is also quite free of hand finishing so a quality cutting tool can be made at a more economical price.
Thanx for the kind words as well.
Thanx Ben, Stare for the info.
There is a lot of historical information in the "Spyderco Story" by Ken Delavigne, but quantities are usually not recorded unless we had a good idea.
sal