Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

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Takuan
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#21

Post by Takuan »

steelcity16 wrote:
Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:44 pm
Absolutely this. A Spyderhawk 2 would be awesome. Especially with the Pacific Salt 2 handle and added jimping like you said. I'd honestly like to see it with a neon GITD pink scales to make it easy to see in the grass and have it glow when it starts getting dark outside.
I'm getting excited about this, so I made a whole thread about the possibility of a Spyderhawk Salt 2: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=87350.
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steelcity16
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#22

Post by steelcity16 »

Takuan wrote:
Sat Aug 15, 2020 3:24 pm
steelcity16 wrote:
Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:44 pm
Absolutely this. A Spyderhawk 2 would be awesome. Especially with the Pacific Salt 2 handle and added jimping like you said. I'd honestly like to see it with a neon GITD pink scales to make it easy to see in the grass and have it glow when it starts getting dark outside.
I'm getting excited about this, so I made a whole thread about the possibility of a Spyderhawk Salt 2: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=87350.

You beat me to it! I was going to start a thread/poll as well!
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#23

Post by Kale »

Wow, thank you to everyone for all the welcoming and helpful replies!

I'm willing to have another go at sharpening, but a serrated hawkbill is daunting. Does the sharpmaker DVD include this style blade? As suggested, we would definitely use it on hoes, shears and other equipment as well.

The Spyderhawk is definitely the best tool. Where should I be looking for used ones?

Lots of great hawkbill options... and as some have suggested, a large-ish serrated straight blade would be useful. I was looking at the Pacific/Atlantic Salts. Can all of the Spyderco H1 models be rinsed-out with soap and water? Just knowing how dirty my tools can get, ease of maintenance is big. Victorinox actually has a tempting straight-edge and hawkbill combo (Hunter XT with locking blades), but I just know the internals will get gritty (or worse) and leave me without any way to clean it.
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Takuan
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#24

Post by Takuan »

steelcity16 wrote:
Sat Aug 15, 2020 4:07 pm
You beat me to it! I was going to start a thread/poll as well!
Great minds think alike. :)
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#25

Post by JRinFL »

Kale wrote:
Sat Aug 15, 2020 9:35 pm
Wow, thank you to everyone for all the welcoming and helpful replies!

I'm willing to have another go at sharpening, but a serrated hawkbill is daunting. Does the sharpmaker DVD include this style blade? As suggested, we would definitely use it on hoes, shears and other equipment as well.

The Spyderhawk is definitely the best tool. Where should I be looking for used ones?

Lots of great hawkbill options... and as some have suggested, a large-ish serrated straight blade would be useful. I was looking at the Pacific/Atlantic Salts. Can all of the Spyderco H1 models be rinsed-out with soap and water? Just knowing how dirty my tools can get, ease of maintenance is big. Victorinox actually has a tempting straight-edge and hawkbill combo (Hunter XT with locking blades), but I just know the internals will get gritty (or worse) and leave me without any way to clean it.
I have a few Salts in rotation as my yard/garden knives. I wash them under the faucet and sometimes in the pool with no ill effects. You will need to depress the lock while rinsing to make sure you get the grit that can find its way under the lock tab. I scrub the handles with a nylon brush, sometimes.
(edited typos)
Last edited by JRinFL on Fri Aug 21, 2020 12:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#26

Post by Cambertree »

Kale wrote:
Sat Aug 15, 2020 9:35 pm
Wow, thank you to everyone for all the welcoming and helpful replies!

I'm willing to have another go at sharpening, but a serrated hawkbill is daunting. Does the sharpmaker DVD include this style blade? As suggested, we would definitely use it on hoes, shears and other equipment as well.

The Spyderhawk is definitely the best tool. Where should I be looking for used ones?

Lots of great hawkbill options... and as some have suggested, a large-ish serrated straight blade would be useful. I was looking at the Pacific/Atlantic Salts. Can all of the Spyderco H1 models be rinsed-out with soap and water? Just knowing how dirty my tools can get, ease of maintenance is big. Victorinox actually has a tempting straight-edge and hawkbill combo (Hunter XT with locking blades), but I just know the internals will get gritty (or worse) and leave me without any way to clean it.
Hey Kale,

Yeah, sharpening hawkbills is easy wih the Sharpmaker. Comprehensive instructions come with it and are also on Youtube, and there are plenty of threads here on sharpening all the different kinds of Spyderco blade shapes and configurations.

A good trick with the Sharpmaker on garden tools is to use the rod in your hand like a file. On hoes, mattocks, shovels etc, I would use a file first, then clean up the edge and maintain with the Sharpmaker rods.

The diamond/CBN rods are very useful in this freehand ‘file’ role, if used with very light pressure.

Whether the Tasman or Spyderhawk or another hawkbill like the byrd Crossbill or Dragonfly is the best, really depends on your own intended uses.

I find smaller knives like the Tasman can be better suited to pruning and harvesting in tight quarters with a lot of plants around, without damaging the surrounding foliage and fruits.

The Spyderhawk might be more effective for bigger cutting jobs in more open spaces.

People will always have their favourite knives they like to recommend, but it’s useful to consider your own tasks you will need to use your knife for.

You may even find, like a lot of the regular crew here, that it’s useful to carry a couple of blades that augment each other.

I personally like to carry a medium and small combo in the garden, and often combine a plain edge blade and a serrated Tasman as well.

The Dragonfly Salt hawkbill seems like a very capable knife, too. I haven’t actually tried one, but I have a bunch of other Dragonflies.

Yeah, you can just wash the Salt knives in soapy water - or even seawater - and they’ll be good to go. I use an old toothbrush and dishwashing liquid on mine sometimes. A can of compressed air can be handy for blowing out the blade channel and pivot area.

But they really need very minimal maintenance, besides sharpening.

I have a Victorinox Soldier I use in the garden as well and it’s certainly also able to be cleaned with soapy water and a Q-tip, as long as you dry it diligently. But the Salts are on another level as a gardening tool. ;)

You could try the Exchange on Bladeforums, or make a Wanted post there. There are possibly Spyderhawks still around in some stores as well. The Tasman and Dragonfly Salt hawkbills are still currently available.

Good luck, and it would be cool to see some pics of your knife at work in your community garden when you get it. :)
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#27

Post by Evil D »

Image
Image

Sometimes the Dragonfly hawkbill is easier to control, I like it quite a bit for this sort of thing. Truth be told, if I wasn't a knife addict I'd probably be using a good quality pair of pruning sheers or scissors, because it's very easy to pull/push too hard and accidentally swipe off a leaf or small branch so you need to be gentle.
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Takuan
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#28

Post by Takuan »

A couple of days ago while I was mowing the lawn, I noticed that my hedges needed a bit of a trim. I didn’t have a battery charged for my hedge-trimmer, so I just used my Tasman Salt. It was great opportunity to practice snap-cuts with my left hand, and the Tasman made quick work of the hedges. Maybe I should get one of those whale rescue blades as my permanent hedge trimmer. ;)

Evil D, I use that exact same method on my peppers, though since my wife perma-borrowed my Dragonfly Salt, I’m back to using my Tasman Salt, Spyderhawk, or Ladybug Salt (the last of which is the easiest to wield in close quarters without inadvertently pruning the plants).
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#29

Post by Cambertree »

I use my Tasman in the same way, and for the same purpose - it’s my pepper picker!

Takuan, you probably need one of these ;) :

Image

Much more fun than a hedge trimmer! :D

(Not my pic or my knife - I think it belongs to Brancron over on Bladeforums.)
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Takuan
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#30

Post by Takuan »

Cambertree wrote:
Sat Aug 22, 2020 8:43 am
Takuan, you probably need one of these ;) :

Much more fun than a hedge trimmer! :D

(Not my pic or my knife - I think it belongs to Brancron over on Bladeforums.)
That’s awesome! I wonder who made the handle for it. If I had two of them, I could do sinawali on my hedges. :D
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Takuan
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#31

Post by Takuan »

I did some digging, and it looks like Brancron had Knockwood Blades make the handle after having someone else regrind the tip: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/spy ... t-18850090.
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#32

Post by Dazen »

I have both and sometimes there is a place for a PE! Edit: don’t know why it flipped all the pics

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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#33

Post by araneae »

The hawkbill dragonfly is a great garden companion. Mine is with me almost everyday.
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#34

Post by Kale »

Takuan wrote:
Sat Aug 22, 2020 7:57 am
A couple of days ago while I was mowing the lawn, I noticed that my hedges needed a bit of a trim. I didn’t have a battery charged for my hedge-trimmer, so I just used my Tasman Salt. It was great opportunity to practice snap-cuts with my left hand, and the Tasman made quick work of the hedges. Maybe I should get one of those whale rescue blades as my permanent hedge trimmer. ;)
What do you mean by snap cuts? I'm having trouble picturing this. I generally use hawkbills by holding the top of the foliage to be cut and then pull-cut below that with the blade.
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#35

Post by Kale »

Thanks Cambertree and everyone, for all the very helpful advice... So I ended up buying the Byrd FRN Hawbill.  I like it, especially the barely-noticeable weight in pocket.  It's a real pleasure to use something that is so thoughtfully designed.  Our standard harvest knife has a 3.25'' cutting edge, so this hawkbill isn't big enough to do everything I need (like harvesting greens).  But the Spyderhawk would work for all harvesting, plus would be especially good for cleaning up weeds in spots where the line trimmer would potentially cause damage.  The only Spyderhawk I've found had a starting price of $199 on ebay. I left a WTB on reddit... pointing out that everyone's Hawkbill Spyderco wants to grow old on a farm ;) Blade Forums has a WTB section, but no posts(?) 

If I can't get the Spyderhawk, I might get a Cara Cara Rescue to pair with my Byrd hawkbill. The Byrd models give me a chance to test drive before investing in Salt's... so not a bad thing. Like Evil D suggests, a little pair of snips is best for harvesting something like peppers... but I can see a hawkbill ladybug emerging from a wallet compartment. :)

The kind of small farming-gardening I do, there are many odd jobs... it sometimes feels like I spend half my time fetching tools.  So anything that I can easily carry will help make more efficient use of my time.  I may also pick up a hori-hori for the belt, if anyone has a favorite (I'm not finding any real standouts).
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Takuan
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#36

Post by Takuan »

Kale wrote:
Sat Sep 05, 2020 5:48 pm
What do you mean by snap cuts? I'm having trouble picturing this. I generally use hawkbills by holding the top of the foliage to be cut and then pull-cut below that with the blade.
I'm not where I can shoot photos or video right now, so I'll try to describe it. It's the same technique that you use when slashing with the blade in self-defense or when using a machete. Take a hammer grip on the knife where all four fingers are wrapped around the blade and the thumb is locked over your index finger. Keep your thumb and forefinger locked in a reasonably snug circle, but relax your grip on your bottom three fingers. Before you slash, your wrist will be locked as if you were throwing a punch and the blade will be sticking out of your fist in a perpendicular angle to your forearm (with a hawksbill, it won't quite be 90°, of course). As you make a forehand slash towards the branch, tighten your bottom three fingers as you snap your wrist down so that the blade extends away from you and moves into parallel alignment with your arm (like you're casting a spell with a magic wand). You can use the same technique with a backhand slash. This lets you maximize reach and cutting leverage without having to use a lot of body motion.

Holding the branch and pulling as you describe works well, too. I use that technique for precise cuts. When I need to reduce a hedge quickly, I use snap cuts.
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#37

Post by steelcity16 »

Cambertree wrote:
Sat Aug 22, 2020 8:43 am
I use my Tasman in the same way, and for the same purpose - it’s my pepper picker!

Takuan, you probably need one of these ;) :

Image

Much more fun than a hedge trimmer! :D

(Not my pic or my knife - I think it belongs to Brancron over on Bladeforums.)

I remember seeing that pic a few times over the years. I wish they would put out something like this. A big honkin fully SE H1 fixed blade. What a great knife that would be. I've always want a Mora-esque type H1 SE fixed blade as well in the 6-8" blade length range. Something long thin and stabby to stab into things like mulch bags, with enough length to go all the way through both sides, and SE to rip through the material.
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#38

Post by Cambertree »

Kale wrote:
Sat Sep 05, 2020 6:27 pm
Thanks Cambertree and everyone, for all the very helpful advice... So I ended up buying the Byrd FRN Hawbill.  I like it, especially the barely-noticeable weight in pocket.  It's a real pleasure to use something that is so thoughtfully designed.  Our standard harvest knife has a 3.25'' cutting edge, so this hawkbill isn't big enough to do everything I need (like harvesting greens).  But the Spyderhawk would work for all harvesting, plus would be especially good for cleaning up weeds in spots where the line trimmer would potentially cause damage.  The only Spyderhawk I've found had a starting price of $199 on ebay. I left a WTB on reddit... pointing out that everyone's Hawkbill Spyderco wants to grow old on a farm ;) Blade Forums has a WTB section, but no posts(?) 

If I can't get the Spyderhawk, I might get a Cara Cara Rescue to pair with my Byrd hawkbill. The Byrd models give me a chance to test drive before investing in Salt's... so not a bad thing. Like Evil D suggests, a little pair of snips is best for harvesting something like peppers... but I can see a hawkbill ladybug emerging from a wallet compartment. :)

The kind of small farming-gardening I do, there are many odd jobs... it sometimes feels like I spend half my time fetching tools.  So anything that I can easily carry will help make more efficient use of my time.  I may also pick up a hori-hori for the belt, if anyone has a favorite (I'm not finding any real standouts).
No worries Kale, I’m glad to hear you’re liking that Crossbill. It seems like a very cool hawkbill with that combo edge configuration.

I think you’ll like that upcoming LC200N Pacific Salt too.

Sorry, I can’t help you on the hori-hori as I have never used one. I will say that my Salts are the only knives I have that I don’t mind poking around in the dirt to dig up roots with.
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#39

Post by Abyss_Fish »

I've always thought spyderco needed a purpose built gardening knife.

Consider the following...

Matriarch 2 salt plain edge in lc200n.

that's all.
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Re: Considering Hawkbill for Gardening (sharpening question)

#40

Post by JD Spydo »

Kale wrote:
Sat Sep 05, 2020 6:27 pm
 

If I can't get the Spyderhawk, I might get a Cara Cara Rescue to pair with my Byrd hawkbill. The Byrd models give me a chance to test drive before investing in Salt's... so not a bad thing. Like Evil D suggests, a little pair of snips is best for harvesting something like peppers... but I can see a hawkbill ladybug emerging from a wallet compartment. :)
Just be patient. The Spyderhawk does seem to find it's way back from time to time. There's been two Sprints already that I can remember. Actually I'm kind of surprised as popular as it's getting in the past two years that they haven't brought it back again.

Be careful and don't be putting out $250 to $300 like I hear some guys paying. I'm fully confident that the Spyderhawk will be back at some point. In the meantime I highly recommend a Harpy model. I'm still lobbying for a G-10 Harpy to make it's way back to the line up. The Harpy is a very solid built Hawkbill and every one I've owned I've had great luck with.
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