Would anyone be interested in...

[The Meat man]

...a Plain Edge, FFG Hawkbill in something like CPM M4 or K390?

There's been a lot of talk about hawkbills lately. I have been carrying my Byrd almost every day since I got it in January. It's a great knife. One thing I really like about the hawkbill shape is that it pulls the material into the edge as it's being cut, which is especially useful when cutting cardboard at work.
However, the 8Cr13MoV steel - while an excellent choice for serrations - leaves somewhat to be desired in terms of wear resistance for abrasive media such as cardboard. Also for cardboard, a FFG would cut easier than a hollow grind.

So my vision is this: A Hawkbill knife, modeled on the Byrd preferably, with a Plain Edge, FFG blade in some higher wear resistant steel such as CPM M4, K390, CPM S90V, or CPM 4V. A thinner, slicier Hawkbill. What a beast of a cutter that would be!

Perhaps the easiest way of fulfilling this would be a Sprint Run of the existing Harpy?

Would anyone else be interested in something like this?

[JMM]

4v or cruwear, I'm in 100% for a SE & PE version

[Sumdumguy]

In theory, I love them. After experiencing both, I would only have a hawkbill in SE.

PE just left a lot to be desired, to me.

That being said, I would definitely sipport a FFG hawkbill in any steel, so long as the option for SE was there.

[ZrowsN1s]

I've been asking for this for a while. Tool steel, PE, FFG hawkbill. Also Non-Light-Weight, I want g-10, CF, or Titanium. The Dragonfly would be top of my list, something like the Tasman 2 would be second, a new design would be welcome as well.

*Cough* Hawkbill Lil Native *Cough*

[Sumdumguy]

Also Non-Light-Weight, I want g-10, CF, or Titanium.

Bring back the Heavyweights!

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

Absolutely not!

[kennethsime]

I would be interested, but honestly there are so many Spydies on my list I'm not sure when I would get around to it.

[Doc Dan]

I’m not really into hawkbills. The general utility isn’t there.

[BornIn1500]

The Byrd hawkbill used to be available in plain edge too, but I think Sal said sales were poor and it was discontinued. People largely preferred serrated.

[Pancake]

Question that you need to ask yourself: How you are going to sharpen it?
If your only option is sharpmaker with diamond stones, are you willing to make your time grinding away possible chips in the blade on sharpmaker?
K390 is no joke, I spend some time grinding away one small chip in the blade, and that was with Xcoarse DMT plate with a lot of contact area.
With hawkbill you are limited to corner of a rod...

[Evil D]

Careful now....you nearly lose me with all that "PE" crazy talk

It would really come down to the model. I use my Spyderhawk (and Dragonhawk) a lot less than I expected and they're both SE, I can only imagine how much less I would use the same knives in PE.

But, with the scarcity of hawkbills these days I'm still interested, but mostly for the FFG part. If I could get a FFG/SE Caribbean hawkbill I'd be all over it.

[The Deacon]

Not really a fan of hawkbills but I'd probably buy one if it was a midlock with a PE, FFG, blade in a decently stainless steel like VG-10 or CPM-S30V, or a highly stainless one like LC200N, and either an FRN or Micarta handle with a 50/50 choil.

[standy99]

I’m good for anything in M4

[The Meat man]

Careful now....you nearly lose me with all that "PE" crazy talk

It would really come down to the model. I use my Spyderhawk (and Dragonhawk) a lot less than I expected and they're both SE, I can only imagine how much less I would use the same knives in PE.

But, with the scarcity of hawkbills these days I'm still interested, but mostly for the FFG part. If I could get a FFG/SE Caribbean hawkbill I'd be all over it.

Oh I love my SE hawkbills too. For stuff like plastic straps you can't beat them. But for cutting stuff like cardboard, SE doesn't really offer much in performance over PE in my experience; it tends to snag more when dull (and cardboard can dull a knife pretty quickly, especially if it's a low carbide, low hardness steel as all the SE Hawkbills are),the chisel grind makes it harder to make straight cuts, plus they always seem to come with a hollow grind.

I just think that we've got SE hawkbills pretty well covered with the current offerings; PE seems to be a neglected niche that I'd love to
see filled with a steel like CPM M4.

With that said, I'd also be all over a FFG/SE Caribbean hawkbill!!

[The Meat man]

Question that you need to ask yourself: How you are going to sharpen it?
If your only option is sharpmaker with diamond stones, are you willing to make your time grinding away possible chips in the blade on sharpmaker?
K390 is no joke, I spend some time grinding away one small chip in the blade, and that was with Xcoarse DMT plate with a lot of contact area.
With hawkbill you are limited to corner of a rod...

That's definitely a point to consider. Maybe something like CPM Cru-Wear or M4 would strike a nice balance of wear resistance and sharpenability? I'd also love to see CPM 4V, in either Spyderedge or Plain Edge.

[The Meat man]

I’m not really into hawkbills. The general utility isn’t there.

Hey Doc, have you ever given them a good trial? I used to think the same thing until I made myself carry the Byrd Hawkbill for awhile. I found that there isn't really anything the Hawkbill couldn't do as well or better - wood carving (mostly due to the SE) and cutting food on a cutting board being exceptions. And even these tasks are certainly possible with a HB; I've done both.

[GJMcD]

I’d have to have a FFG PE for sure.

[Doc Dan]

I’m not really into hawkbills. The general utility isn’t there.

Hey Doc, have you ever given them a good trial? I used to think the same thing until I made myself carry the Byrd Hawkbill for awhile. I found that there isn't really anything the Hawkbill couldn't do as well or better - wood carving (mostly due to the SE) and cutting food on a cutting board being exceptions. And even these tasks are certainly possible with a HB; I've done both.

I have. They are very useful for some things, but as you note, others not so much.

Also, like here, they are illegal in many places.

[PeaceInOurTime]

Whatever it takes to get more people to test-drive hawkbills. While the wharncliffe is probably my favorite shape, I'd probably take a hawkbill over a normal curved/bellied shape if I had to choose (for a pocket knife).

Hawkbills and wharncliffes are extremely underated.

[Bloke]

I have a Hawkbill Ladybug, Dragonfly and Tasman which cover all my needs, so fair to say I’m good for now.

That said, I’d definitely buy a HB Ladybug with a PE, FFG tool steel blade. :)