Who uses Hawkbills and Reverse S blades for EDC? And Why?

[Knifewing]

I have a SE Cricket Tuffram in my EDC rotation and I like it a lot. It disappears in my pocket and excels at opening clamshell packaging and cartons. As much as I'd like to carry a hawkbill like a Tasman or a Byrd G-10 Crossbill (if I actually could find one), I also live in LA county and am a bit uncomfortable carrying such wicked looking blades. But the cricket is awesome as a user. I have a Meerrkat SE, too, but have never put it into the rotation.

[BAL]

Not hard at all to change it. You could take that much off and still keep it factory looking.

A dremel would make quick work of that mod. Take your time and like Evil said, no would
ever know, unles they compared to an original. I liev in 4" country, but if it was 3", I would
have already made this change.

[JD Spydo]

Always a debate over hawkbills vs. standard curved blades. Why not just meet in the middle with the best of both worlds? :D

For a second there I had a vision of a SE Yojimbo 2...then I blacked out.

No Evil you got me wrong>> The thrust of my thread is not a Hawkbill versus standard blade debate at all. I've just in the past 2 years have talked to and encountered more people who are indeed using either Hawkbill or Reverse S blades as their main EDC. And it's like I said the only knife in that category that I personally found to have all the attributes necessary to be an effective EDC was Spyderco's DODO model. I did EDC one for a short time period and I was truly impressed at it's versatility and cutting ability for such a short blade and a blade of that particular design.

To me Eric Glesser hit one out of the park with the bases loaded when he designed the Dodo. But as far as any other Hawkbill or Reverse S blade having what it takes to be an effective "every day carry" knife I just don't get it. YES SIR!!! I am a huge fan of Hawkbills and to a large degree I'm also a big admirer of "Reverse S" designed blades as well. But for the most part I view them as ideal companion blades for an ideal standard design blade. I also find that Hawkbill blades in particular really make the Spyderedge something really special.

I truly do want to know why a lot of knife users are going for these designs as their main EDC. Because to me an EDC has to be ideal for the vast majority of cutting jobs you encounter during the day. I think the Harpy is truly the most ideal companion/helper blade there is IMO. I also think that the Spyderhawk H-1 model is without a doubt the very best outdoor Hawkbill on the market but for my primary EDC I want something like my beloved Ayoob C-60 model or my ever cherished XHP Military model or even the memories of my ZDP-189 Burgundy Caly Jr. But I always have a Hawkbill blade with my main EDC at all times and have done so since around 2005.

Oh and by the way I do agree with you that the Yojimbo 2 is a great blade and in some ways has some of the versatility of a good Hawkbill. And not a bad choice at all for a main EDC either.

[Stuart Ackerman]

I think a Dodo in ful hawkbill profile would be great...
I almost bought a first Gen Dodo to make a hawk blade, but did not...
Maybe sometime in the future...

[Invective]

A dremel would make quick work of that mod. Take your time and like Evil said, no would
ever know, unles they compared to an original. I liev in 4" country, but if it was 3", I would
have already made this change.

Ehh I just picked up an original Yojimbo which is under 3 so I'm good on that account. I also like to use my Yo2 in the kitchen where every little bit makes a difference. Maybe I just need to get another one hmm :D

[BAL]

Ehh I just picked up an original Yojimbo which is under 3 so I'm good on that account. I also like to use my Yo2 in the kitchen where every little bit makes a difference. Maybe I just need to get another one hmm :D

lol, yeah, "another one" is always the best answer.

[Donut]

I think a Dodo in ful hawkbill profile would be great...
I almost bought a first Gen Dodo to make a hawk blade, but did not...
Maybe sometime in the future...

That sounds pretty nice. Maybe Hawk and Wharn varieties.

[elena86]

You started this thread just before me.In the last few weeks I carried my Harpy as the the only EDC.It is a fantastic tool.It performes well in more then 80%
of my daily tasks(except food prep).It is easy to conceal.And it can be an excellent SD weapon.When I pull out my little Harpy I can "hear the silence" around me.
I simply love my Harpy.I decided to be my permanent carry and from time to time to have a FFG Delica in ZDP189 for food prep.
And today I decided to order a Civilian as a supreme intimidating last ditch.I pray I will never be forced to use a knife for SD but it can be usefull to have on you
something as intimidating as Civilian can be.But this is another story.

[mrphotoman]

I bought a hawkbill just because it was cool looking. I switch back and forth each day between it and my delica. They both cut equally well and both are nice, light, thin and very sharp.

[JD Spydo]

You started this thread just before me.In the last few weeks I carried my Harpy as the the only EDC.It is a fantastic tool.It performes well in more then 80%
of my daily tasks(except food prep).It is easy to conceal.And it can be an excellent SD weapon.When I pull out my little Harpy I can "hear the silence" around me.
I simply love my Harpy.I decided to be my permanent carry and from time to time to have a FFG Delica in ZDP189 for food prep.
And today I decided to order a Civilian as a supreme intimidating last ditch.I pray I will never be forced to use a knife for SD but it can be usefull to have on you
something as intimidating as Civilian can be.But this is another story.

Great post "elena86" :) The Harpy has been my favorite Hawkbill of the Spyderco hawkbill line up for quite some time now. And don't let the size and scope of the folders that look a lot like the Harpy fool you either. Because the Harpy has a ruggedness and rigidity about it that I've found in no other Spyderco Hawkbill to date. Oh yes!! I love my Spyderhawks and Matriarchs but the Harpy has a lot more practical aspects to it.

On the other hand if they ever do a Sprint Run of the Superhawk with a fully serrated VG-10 blade or better I will maintain that up till now the Harpy is king of the hard use Hawkbills. Another thing about the fully serrated Harpy is that there is enough plain edged tip on them to do many jobs you could do on a top notch standard EDC blade.

The G-10 Harpy simply must come back and much consideration needs to be done about a serrated version of the Superhawk>> I still scratch my head over that one :confused:

[Michael Cook]

I recently I got a matriarch2 for me and a lil' matriarch for my girlfriend (her S.D. boot knife, it replaces her harpy) it joins the Endura hawk I bought from JD spydohawk years ago as one of my main sd knives. Hawkbills and reverse s blades have a regular rotation in my dedicated S.D. knives along with my smurf killer yojis, swick, street beat, perrin PPT, p'kall and chinookII.

[JD Spydo]

I recently I got a matriarch2 for me and a lil' matriarch for my girlfriend (her S.D. boot knife, it replaces her harpy) it joins the Endura hawk I bought from JD spydohawk years ago as one of my main sd knives. Hawkbills and reverse s blades have a regular rotation in my dedicated S.D. knives along with my smurf killer yojis, swick, street beat, perrin PPT, p'kall and chinookII.

Michael it's great to see you back in action again :) Oh yeah!! I do indeed remember the EnduraHawk and a set of 701 Profiles that changed hands at about the same time. Brother I hope everything is going great in your "steel gallery" and do hope to see you post more often.

Nothing like another Brother from "Hawkbill Nation" :cool: >> My current best friend got one of my Streetbeats and he loves it intensely>> can't say enough about that one. I was so glad when Spyderco caved in to Clovisc's suggestion of the H-1 version of the Spyderhawk. It sure made a lot of new believers in the field of Hawkbill blades.

Keep your Spyderedges sharp my friend Especially the ones on the VG-10 Endurahawk :cool:

[Donut]

JD, I cut open a cardboard box this weekend with a Dodo and tried to use the belly. It was difficult enough for me to give up and just use the small hawkbill end to finish the job.

[JD Spydo]

JD, I cut open a cardboard box this weekend with a Dodo and tried to use the belly. It was difficult enough for me to give up and just use the small hawkbill end to finish the job.

Hey I'm curious Donut did you by chance have one of the older fully serrated models? Or was it one of the newer Sprint models?

Like I've said on 2 other current threads I like the Dodo so much that I actually EDCed it for a short time. It was a bit too small for me to make it my main EDC but I was impressed none the less.

Those fully serrated Dodo models are truly beasts in every sense of the word :cool: The Dodo design is truly one of the most innovative designs to ever come forth from the Great Spyder Factory.

Hawkbills can do certain jobs so much more efficient than standard design blades can.

[Donut]

It was a newer Sprint, plain edge.

I cut the top off of a cardboard box yesterday trying a different angle with the belly. Apparently the angle of attack makes a big difference. The belly cut the cardboard fine with a larger angle. So you need to have room on the other side that the hook can be past.

I've noticed a few times cutting with my Lil Matriarch, that I will hit certain angles on the hook and the knife will have trouble cutting. I will have to do some practice to see which angles work and which do not.

At first guess, I'm thinking it is similar to the reflection of light. If the angle is not great enough, light reflects off glass.

[sbwings]

I EDC my Dodo's a lot. I love them. So far, I haven't found anything I couldn't cut with them, but most of my tasks aren't very demanding. I'm surprised how much I use the belly of the blade, it is different than a regular blade, but very effective in my opinion. Some day I'll get a Lil' Matriarch, and check out a longer blade and the Spyderedge in reverse S.

[JD Spydo]

I EDC my Dodo's a lot. I love them. So far, I haven't found anything I couldn't cut with them, but most of my tasks aren't very demanding. I'm surprised how much I use the belly of the blade, it is different than a regular blade, but very effective in my opinion. Some day I'll get a Lil' Matriarch, and check out a longer blade and the Spyderedge in reverse S.

Very interesting post "sbwings" :cool: I love the way you ended it by mentioning the fully serrated/Spyderedged Reverse S blade of the Lil Matriarch. Because I've said for many years that to get optimal results from the Spyderedge it just has to be on a knife with some type of curve to it.

Hawkbills are truly the biggest and best "case in point" because the blade design on a Hawkbill or Reverse S either for that matter are always in a cutting mode or are always at an angle of attack. That just simply puts the Spyderedge at an advantage any way you look at it.

Another example is the sheepsfoot Spyderedged blade on the older C-44 Dyad model. That blade has just enough belly to it to give the user an aggressive cutting blade that out performs the straight/Resue type of blades that don't have the angle or belly.

Even my older Ayoob model from the early 2000s that is fully serrated. It's a standard clip point blade with a bend and belly and it's a real beast in full SE. I could sight plenty of example thoughout the present and past Spyderco line up but I'm sure you all get the point.

Again Hawkbills and Reverse S blades really shine the most when they have full Spyderedged blades. They are extremely aggressive cutters and make excellent companion blades.

[doctorknife]

I've personally been using some model of Spyderco Hawkbill for a companion blade for a few years now myself. But I'm running into a few guys who either use a Hawkbill blade or one of Spyderco's "Reverse S" blades for their EDC (every day carry) blade.

Myself I find that a medium to large sized Hawkbill makes a great companion to a conventional design blade folder. I find that Hawkbill blades (especially fully serrated ones) do many jobs that a conventional blade has a hard time with. But again I'm running into and talking to more and more guys who actually prefer a Hawkbill or Reverse S blade for their primary EDC.

As close as I ever came to doing that was one brief period of time I used a Spyderco DODO for my only pocket knife and I admit I was pleasantly surprised at the good performance I got from it. But in the long run I've found that a conventional design does have a lot of advantages in many cutting jobs. But I do want to hear why some of you all do indeed depend on either a Hawkbill or Reverse S blade for their only EDC?

I've recently bought the Matriarch and I will be only using it if I want to slice some man nice. Since I'm always wearing at least 2 knives, this doesn't bother me. I wouldn't use it as an EDC, it doesn't work this way.

[gijoe945]

I enjoy my plain edge tasman for everyday carry. It seems to have a slight edge over the serrated one in everyday use in fine slicing. Animals of prey don't have serrations but they don't cut rope or cardboard either.

[GoodEyeSniper]

I am mulling over whether to buy the Civilian or the forum knife. I am very worried that the Native will be too small for me. Darn it.

IMO get the Native, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Plus you can easily recoup your money if you aren't thrilled with it.

The Military has changed me into a "big knife" kinda guy, but the Native is probably one of the better handling small knives. That choil makes it handle much more comfortably than it rightfully should. As long as you don't need a 3"+ blade in your use, it will be fine.

Is LA County 3"? I really wish they had made the Yojimbo 2.98" rather than 3.11".

JD

I'm no lawyer, but I remember last time looking this up with a few legal minded types we came to the conclusion that the 3" LA County law is strictly for OPENLY CARRIED knives. As far as a concealed folder, normal Cali laws apply. Unfortunately our "weapon" laws often need a team of lawyers to decifer. All I know is I generally have a Military on me while there. Unless they have updated the law in the past two years, I'm fairly confident that I am correct.

Not legal advice, please consult the laws yourself with the help of your lawyer