All this talk of hawkbills........

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street soldier
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#21

Post by street soldier »

Still waiting for delivery. Not supposed to show up until 7/11.
Waiting sucks. :(

While I agonizingly wait, let's hear about other uses for the hawkbill. I think it's pretty well established that rope, vines, etc. are no match for the blade shape. How about other, say, non conventional uses.
How about food prep?
For those who have done it/tried it, what works?
What doesn't?
What adjustments did you have to make to accomplish the task?

Let's hear it.

John
For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.
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Surfingringo
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#22

Post by Surfingringo »

street soldier wrote:Still waiting for delivery. Not supposed to show up until 7/11.
Waiting sucks. :(

While I agonizingly wait, let's hear about other uses for the hawkbill. I think it's pretty well established that rope, vines, etc. are no match for the blade shape. How about other, say, non conventional uses.
How about food prep?
For those who have done it/tried it, what works?
What doesn't?
What adjustments did you have to make to accomplish the task?

Let's hear it.

John
Toothpick, backscratcher, shoehorn....hehehe....ok, maybe not.

I know you want to hear that a HB is decent for food prep...sorry, I can't lie to you, that's definitely not a place where your new knife will shine. Unless you eat a lot of cereal and TV dinners, then it's great for opening boxes!
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ginsuwarrior
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#23

Post by ginsuwarrior »

If you hold your food in your hand while you cut it the hawkbill works great. Just today my Tasman whittled on a cucumber, mainly the ends cause I don't enjoy opening up my mouth that large to remove them.
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Surfingringo
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#24

Post by Surfingringo »

Actually, I used mine today to cut up an apple for a friends kid. And yes, like Ginsu said, I held the apple and sliced it. Don't get me wrong, it is a sharpened piece of metal so yes, it will cut food, but it will probably do it about as poorly and inefficiently as any knife you own. I LOVE my Tasman, just not for food prep. YMMV.
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ginsuwarrior
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#25

Post by ginsuwarrior »

While on the topic, as some of you know I farm for a living and the Tasman makes a darn good harvest knife. Used it this week to harvest over 100# squash. I usually use a pair of snips, but though shoot I'll give the Tasman a go, which lives inside my swim trunks, which I often wear to work in. The knife is so light and handy, any thing else would pull my pants off most likely.

The Tasman performs much better than other harvest knives I have (on squash that is), mainly a victornox serrated sheeps foot blade, which I also used on cutting mixed baby lettuce mix...NOW....if I had a H1 folding blade as thin as that victornox paring blade, you KNOW what I would be harvesting with EVERY DAY!!! Actually a fixed blade of that nature would be even better, and now my post is starting to sound like it needs to end up in another recent post going about now. :)
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xceptnl
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#26

Post by xceptnl »

Surfingringo wrote:Actually, I used mine today to cut up an apple for a friends kid. And yes, like Ginsu said, I held the apple and sliced it. Don't get me wrong, it is a sharpened piece of metal so yes, it will cut food, but it will probably do it about as poorly and inefficiently as any knife you own. I LOVE my Tasman, just not for food prep. YMMV.
The FFG Superhawk works better than the Tasman's HG, but that's just my .02
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sal wrote: .... even today, we design a knife from the edge out!
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ginsuwarrior
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#27

Post by ginsuwarrior »

xceptnl wrote:The FFG Superhawk works better than the Tasman's HG, but that's just my .02
You might be right, but I like the H1. And the Superhawk is twice the weight of the Tasman which could theoretically make my very light weight vintage swim trunks fall off causing a traffic incident out on the road that goes by my place.
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#28

Post by xceptnl »

ginsuwarrior wrote:Yourmight be right, but I like the H1. And the Superhawk is twice the weight of the Tasman which could theoretically make my very light weight vintage swim trunks fall off causing a traffic incident out on the road that goes by my place.
We can't have that. Perhaps swim trunks are not the best "vintage" item to embrace. :D
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sal wrote: .... even today, we design a knife from the edge out!
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street soldier
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#29

Post by street soldier »

Surfingringo wrote:Toothpick, backscratcher, shoehorn....hehehe....ok, maybe not.

I know you want to hear that a HB is decent for food prep...sorry, I can't lie to you, that's definitely not a place where your new knife will shine. Unless you eat a lot of cereal and TV dinners, then it's great for opening boxes!
Nah, I understand its probably not the best for food prep. And quite honestly, as much as I like to think about using them, 90% of the time I use kitchen knives for processing food.

I'm just looking for feedback on ways that people have used their HB in ways that may not be apparent or commonplace. Food prep is just one example. I've seen pics of you using your Tasman for processing fish. How did it work? Better than a straight blade? Worse?

Just trying to think out of the box before I get it in my hand.

Thanks.

John
For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.
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#30

Post by JD Spydo »

xceptnl wrote:The FFG Superhawk works better than the Tasman's HG, but that's just my .02
Why they didn't do the Superhawk in full Spyderedge is a mystery to me>> because the format in the past has always been to make Hawkbills in full SE first as history would have it. The design and blade geometry of the Superhawk was done very well and would be great blade for a Spyderedge. It will be one model for sure I will have serrations done on it. I've heard that "Wiley Knives" does indeed do a good job of putting serrations on plain edged blades.

The Superhawk without a doubt has the best handle scales of any Spyderco Hawkbill thus far. I would love a Harpy with those type of handle scales.
Long Live the SPYDEREDGE Spyderco Hawkbills RULE!!
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#31

Post by bakergh »

I've been meaning to get a SE H1 knife for a couple of years now. Seems there's always something fancier grabbing my money up, but this thread has helped me make up my mind. My next knife will be a tasman salt. I might make it the knife I buy from the factory store when I go visit Golden next month! I've still got to finish the bushcraft blank I bought at blade show before my wife will tolerate a new one...
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#32

Post by Surfingringo »

street soldier wrote:Nah, I understand its probably not the best for food prep. And quite honestly, as much as I like to think about using them, 90% of the time I use kitchen knives for processing food.

I'm just looking for feedback on ways that people have used their HB in ways that may not be apparent or commonplace. Food prep is just one example. I've seen pics of you using your Tasman for processing fish. How did it work? Better than a straight blade? Worse?

Just trying to think out of the box before I get it in my hand.

Thanks.

John
Gotcha. Well, I can tell you this about mine. I originally bought the tasman kind of as a novelty. I really didn't have anything in mind that I needed a HB for and didn't really see myself using it much. Once I got the thing and started carrying it though, I was surprised how often I found myself reaching for it over a regular blade. I would say on a day to day basis, I can do 80-90% of my edc tasks with a hawkbill, and what's more, I'd say that on at least half of my chores a hawkbill will actually perform BETTER than a regular blade. The problem with the HB is that 10-20% of my chores that the knife just doesn't handle at all. That's why, like JD said, I love the HB as a companion blade but not as a primary. What a HB does well, it does exceptionally well; and what it does poorly, it does exceptionally poorly.

As far as specific tasks, I use mine everyday on fish. Gutting, gill removal, scoring heavily scaled fish before removing the filets. I also use mine daily for a plethora of mundane tasks like opening boxes and blister packs, cutting string, rope and fishing line; pretty much anything that you can pull cut is easier with a HB I find. Find an extra pocket and start carrying yours and I'll wager within a week you will have the same kind of epiphany as the rest of us and your tasman will be seeing plenty of use. Enjoy! :)
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ginsuwarrior
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#33

Post by ginsuwarrior »

It's basically a pocket talon.

This deer season I'm going to see if I can use it to "unzip" the skin under the belly. I think holding it with the spine facing toward the innards and serrations out would possibly work. Also scoring around each hoof before skinning might be a good use also. Cutting through the deer fur really dulls a nice edge.
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#34

Post by rodloos »

Hawkbills also excel at cleaning out hair and threads that get wound up on the roller of the vacuum cleaner. Also yard work. Grab the weeds/vines with one hand and pull them taught, just touch the SE hawkbill to them to cut them off. I keep one with my while mowing for that reason.
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street soldier
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#35

Post by street soldier »

Thanks for the replies. Part of the reason I'm interested in hearing about other uses has to do with the karambit from the Indonesian archipelago. Not the actual 'karambit' itself, but the hawkbill blade shape. I've researched it a bit, and it seems the knife was carried as part of their EDC.
I can't find any definitive answer, but I imagine that those who carried a karambit(again, hawkbill shaped blade), did not necessarily carry another knife daily. So they had to make due with what they had. Which means splinter removal, processing game, food prep, etc.
Or maybe I'm overthinking it and they did carry a secondary blade and the karambit was purely a weapon. In some of the research I did, it is the 'last line of defense' so to speak.
I'm enjoying the 'thinking out of the box' prospects of this knife.

John
For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.
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#36

Post by Surfingringo »

street soldier wrote:Thanks for the replies. Part of the reason I'm interested in hearing about other uses has to do with the karambit from the Indonesian archipelago. Not the actual 'karambit' itself, but the hawkbill blade shape. I've researched it a bit, and it seems the knife was carried as part of their EDC.
I can't find any definitive answer, but I imagine that those who carried a karambit(again, hawkbill shaped blade), did not necessarily carry another knife daily. So they had to make due with what they had. Which means splinter removal, processing game, food prep, etc.
Or maybe I'm overthinking it and they did carry a secondary blade and the karambit was purely a weapon. In some of the research I did, it is the 'last line of defense' so to speak.
I'm enjoying the 'thinking out of the box' prospects of this knife.

John
It's also important to remember that not every culture has a Sal Glesser. ;) . I actually just got back from a month in Bali, Indonesia. I didn't see anyone with a karambit, but I did go fishing with some local fishermen. When we got in with a boat full of mackerel and wahoo I asked them if they had a filet knife. They brought me a 3/8" thick slab of steel with a hatchet edge that would barely hack through a soft mackerel. It had the most uncomfortable and dysfunctional handle and ergonomics I have ever seen. Seriously, it would be difficult to make a more uncomfortable knife if you were trying. I would have preferred using a hacksaw blade to clean the fish than their "filet" knife. My point is that just because someone uses something every single day doesn't mean that it is well thought out and functional. :) .

No slight intended in the above to the Indonesian people or culture. I'm sure they make some nice knives somewhere over there, just not the ones that I have seen and used so far.
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#37

Post by JD Spydo »

ginsuwarrior wrote:It's basically a pocket talon.

This deer season I'm going to see if I can use it to "unzip" the skin under the belly. I think holding it with the spine facing toward the innards and serrations out would possibly work. Also scoring around each hoof before skinning might be a good use also. Cutting through the deer fur really dulls a nice edge.
I would definitely think that a plain edged Hawkbill would be the tool for that job. In the past year I had a thread about what people use their plain edged Hawkbills for and got only about 5 responses or thereabout. I'm finding more jobs that would be great for using a plain edged Hawkbill. However for rough pull cutting I don't think that a Spyderedged Hawkbill can be beat at all. And I myself find that I have much more overall uses for a serrated Hawkbill over a plain edged version. But the jobs that I find where a plain edged hawkbill works better they do very well.

Getting a plain edged Hawkbill to a super razor sharp finish is truly a bit of a challenge and I consider myself at least a fair if not above average at that skill of sharpening. But for some reason I really have to concentrate a lot to get plain edged Hawkbills to the sharpness that I deem acceptable for work.

Also let's not forget about Hawkbills with different radii and angle degrees. Take the Superhawk and Crossbill for instance >> they don't have near the curve that a Harpy does but yet they are great tools. And I'm sure if we ever get Spyderco to make a fixed blade Hawkbill it will not have much angle/curve at all.

Or a more radical curve like that of most Karambits also has limited uses for the most part. But again that blade design is really good at certain jobs. So determine what you think you'll use a Hawkbill for the most and then decide.
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street soldier
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#38

Post by street soldier »

My order came in today. Very pleased.
The Tasman is a very manageable size, not too big. The PE is shaving sharp out of the box. Going to put it in the pocket and see what it can do.
The HB Ladybug H1 is tiny! I was a little surprised at the size, having never seen a Ladybug in person. I read the specs, but didn't visualize it being this small. Regardless, the SE makes this thing a little talon. I've only cut up the packaging it came in, but it sliced through without problem. It's small size will disappear into my pocket and be unnoticed until needed.
Final knife was the PE Dragonfly H1. Very nice knife. One of my first spyderco's was a SE Dragonfly in Gin1. Great little cutter. Also have the G10 version. Very utilitarian size. A lot of cutting edge in a small package.
All three knives are H1 steel, my first foray into the world of 'rustproof' steels. I'm excited to see how well it holds up.

John
For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.
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#39

Post by CrazyKorean13 »

street soldier wrote:My order came in today. Very pleased.
The Tasman is a very manageable size, not too big. The PE is shaving sharp out of the box. Going to put it in the pocket and see what it can do.
The HB Ladybug H1 is tiny! I was a little surprised at the size, having never seen a Ladybug in person. I read the specs, but didn't visualize it being this small. Regardless, the SE makes this thing a little talon. I've only cut up the packaging it came in, but it sliced through without problem. It's small size will disappear into my pocket and be unnoticed until needed.
Final knife was the PE Dragonfly H1. Very nice knife. One of my first spyderco's was a SE Dragonfly in Gin1. Great little cutter. Also have the G10 version. Very utilitarian size. A lot of cutting edge in a small package.
All three knives are H1 steel, my first foray into the world of 'rustproof' steels. I'm excited to see how well it holds up.

John
Those two blades are great. Had my Tasman for about 4 years and still a great slicer. That lil hb ladybug H-1 is one of my favorites. I have stated before she always in my edc wallet. She might be small but can do a lot of damage. I would invest in a sharpmaker...does a great job sharpening all your spydies.

Cheers,

Tony T. :spyder:
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street soldier
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#40

Post by street soldier »

CrazyKorean13 wrote:Those two blades are great. Had my Tasman for about 4 years and still a great slicer. That lil hb ladybug H-1 is one of my favorites. I have stated before she always in my edc wallet. She might be small but can do a lot of damage. I would invest in a sharpmaker...does a great job sharpening all your spydies.

Cheers,

Tony T. :spyder:
Thanks. I think a sharpmaker is on the short list of next purchases.

John
For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.
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