The hawkbill learning experience

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prndltech
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The hawkbill learning experience

#1

Post by prndltech »

I just received these in the mail today.

I’m pretty new around here, but not new to Spyderco or knives in general. Some of you have learned I love SE knives, the pac salt being my favorite. I have long been curious about hawkbills, never owned one, never carried one.

I put the pac salt and military and manix 2 LW in the safe. Until 2020, I will carry a hawkbill and see how it does. I figured what better way is there to learn about them than to carry them for a while? From now on, any or all of these 3 will be my “EDC” till next year.

Image

Make that 4!!!

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Last edited by prndltech on Tue Nov 12, 2019 5:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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jpm2
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#2

Post by jpm2 »

I hope it works out for you.
I couldn't get through 1 day with just a hawkbill, but the tasman is my #1 go to when clearing vines off the fence.
James Y
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#3

Post by James Y »

I like hawkbills as well, but I also wouldn’t be able to use only a hawkbill as my sole daily carry/use knife. Hawkbills really excel at certain chores, but not so much at others.

Jim
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TkoK83Spy
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#4

Post by TkoK83Spy »

It seems a bit odd, as they are all pretty similar, even in size of the blades. I think they make a great companion knife, but not a primary. I'm interested in your findings though!
15 :bug-red 's in 10 different steels
1 - Bradford Guardian 3 / Vanadis 4E Wharnie
1 - Monterey Bay Knives Slayback Flipper / ZDP 189
1 - CRK Small Sebenza 31/Macassar Ebony Inlays
1 - CRK Large Inkosi Insingo/ Black Micarta Inlays
1 - CRK Small Sebenza 31 Insingo/Magnacut

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Evil D
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#5

Post by Evil D »

I love this sort of learning and I wish more people were this adventurous. This is how I came to love SE like I do.
All SE all the time since 2017
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Bloke
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#6

Post by Bloke »

I think you may well be pleasantly surprised with your new SE HB's.

Sharpening and carrying a SE HB Ladybug alone for a little while has given me a great appreciation for both hawkbills and serrated edges. :)
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Jazz
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#7

Post by Jazz »

Evil D wrote:
Thu Nov 07, 2019 7:15 pm
I love this sort of learning and I wish more people were this adventurous. This is how I came to love SE like I do.

What Dave said. If Sal didn’t give me a SE wharnie Delica, I wouldn’t have given serrations much more thought. Now I’m very impressed with them. Once you learn to sharpen them to a very nice edge, and learn how to use them, those things are key. I subbed my black Pacific Salt today and yesterday for my usual work wharncliffe, and it was so impressive. The Pacific is a legendary knife.

Enjoy your Hawkbills. :cool:
- best wishes, Jazz.
prndltech
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#8

Post by prndltech »

I have experience sharpening SE knives with the sharpmaker. The hawkbill shape may prove to be slightly more challenging, but I imagine I’ll pick it up quick.
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Tims
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#9

Post by Tims »

Goodluck mate, I like steak too much to do this.
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#10

Post by standy99 »

Liked the Hawksbill but found the wharncliffe SE Delica the sweet spot for EDC
Im a vegetarian as technically cows are made of grass and water.
prndltech
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#11

Post by prndltech »

Tims wrote:
Thu Nov 07, 2019 9:37 pm
Goodluck mate, I like steak too much to do this.
I’m not replacing my steak knives :p

Or any knife for that matter. It’s just what’s gonna be in my pocket for the next several weeks, ain’t never carried a hawkbill before.
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wrdwrght
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#12

Post by wrdwrght »

I think hawkbills are purpose-built.

They might well serve in self-defense, but in my life their purpose is garden-tending. Depending on the intensity of this work, you will find me wielding an SE Spyderhawk Salt, SE Tasman Salt, or SE Ladybug Hawkbill Salt.

I’m disinclined to carry a hawkbill everyday. Too limiting. Good luck in your discoveries.
-Marc (pocketing an S110V Native5 today)

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Bloke
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#13

Post by Bloke »

prndltech wrote:
Thu Nov 07, 2019 9:54 pm
Tims wrote:
Thu Nov 07, 2019 9:37 pm
Goodluck mate, I like steak too much to do this.
I’m not replacing my steak knives :p

Or any knife for that matter. It’s just what’s gonna be in my pocket for the next several weeks, ain’t never carried a hawkbill before.
They’re not that bad to eat with in a pinch. I’ve eaten octopus and cold meat caveman style using my Ladybug which also makes a perfect fork for fruit salad. :)
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prndltech
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#14

Post by prndltech »

Evil D wrote:
Thu Nov 07, 2019 7:15 pm
I love this sort of learning and I wish more people were this adventurous. This is how I came to love SE like I do.
Sometimes you just gotta go traipsing through the woods... know what I mean?
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VooDooChild
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#15

Post by VooDooChild »

I dont think I could carry only a hawkbill. They are wonderful for some things. But then you go to do something like cut a sandwich in half and you remember why they are considered a specialized blade shape.
"Rome's greatest contribution to mathematics was the killing of Archimedes."
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#16

Post by Tims »

Bloke wrote:
Thu Nov 07, 2019 10:04 pm
prndltech wrote:
Thu Nov 07, 2019 9:54 pm
Tims wrote:
Thu Nov 07, 2019 9:37 pm
Goodluck mate, I like steak too much to do this.
I’m not replacing my steak knives :p

Or any knife for that matter. It’s just what’s gonna be in my pocket for the next several weeks, ain’t never carried a hawkbill before.
They’re not that bad to eat with in a pinch. I’ve eaten octopus and cold meat caveman style using my Ladybug which also makes a perfect fork for fruit salad. :)
I don’t own a hawkbill but in the spirit of adventure I’ve come up with my own challenge. I won’t be wiping with toilet paper for a month. I’ll use Eftpos paper instead.

The Mrs says it’s terribly inefficient but as long as I take my time and I’m careful, I should be fine :D
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#17

Post by JD Spydo »

standy99 wrote:
Thu Nov 07, 2019 9:46 pm
Liked the Hawksbill but found the wharncliffe SE Delica the sweet spot for EDC
Conventional style blades do make better EDC folders. But I still love SE Hawkbills as companion blades. I'm starting to get the itch to try one of those Wharnie Delica models. That would be a great choice where blade length limits are a problem.

I've run several thread asking people what they use plain edged Hawkbills for and I get very few responses every time. Serrated Hawkbills have so many more viable uses. Also serrated Hawkbills are much more effective for pull cutting and cutting cordage and rope.

The more you use Hawkbill blades the more they grow on you. Not to mention the lawn, gardening and landscaping uses they are good at.
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#18

Post by JD Spydo »

prndltech wrote:
Thu Nov 07, 2019 10:06 pm
Evil D wrote:
Thu Nov 07, 2019 7:15 pm
I love this sort of learning and I wish more people were this adventurous. This is how I came to love SE like I do.
Sometimes you just gotta go traipsing through the woods... know what I mean?
Nothing beats a larger serrated Hawkbill for cutting vines, reeds, cattails or any other annoying woody type plant. The jobs you can use a serrated Hawkbill for in the woods are many.
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standy99
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#19

Post by standy99 »

Nothing beats a hawksbill for cutting a rope under tension on a boat.
8 meter tides in my neck of the woods and doesn’t take long to have a rope tied to a tree cause a issue whilst fishing or even worse a anchor rope.
Use a SE enuff salt nowadays as it easy to pull out of the sheath attached to the gunnel but prior it was a hawksbill
Im a vegetarian as technically cows are made of grass and water.
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Re: The hawkbill learning experience

#20

Post by yablanowitz »

prndltech wrote:
Thu Nov 07, 2019 8:09 pm
I have experience sharpening SE knives with the sharpmaker. The hawkbill shape may prove to be slightly more challenging, but I imagine I’ll pick it up quick.
A word of advice: don't try to follow the curve. Those serrations are ground on a shaped wheel, and their centerlines are parallel. Set the angle between the knife handle and the SharpMaker rods so the centerline of the scallops is aligned with the rod and hold it there throughout each stroke, just as you would if the edge was straight. I alternate tip to ricasso and ricasso to tip strokes to ensure each scallop is getting sharpened equally on both sides. You can ignore all this and have rounded serrations if you prefer them.
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