Spyderco Forums

Spyderco over the years has done an excellent job of taking what some would consider a mundane or common knife design and making it special. They've done that was so many blades over the years and that's why you just don't find hardly any Spyderco knives that you could consider "common" or "boring".

However it sort of confuses me that Spyderco being the premier knife company with many specialty designs hasn't taken another step forward. Take Spyderco's Hawkbills for instance i.e. Harpy, Merlin, Superhawk, Spyderhawk, TASMAN ect. I own almost every Hawkbill Spyderco has ever made and I wouldn't sell or trade any of them. But most of their Hawkbills are strictly meant for work like those in the Salt Series for instance. Most hard core collectors don't take them seriously.

So wouldn't it be proper for them to consider a premium grade Hawkbill with either a G-10 handle or A Titanium handle or maybe even something exotic like Micarta. And add a supersteel blade too. :cool: Yes I do believe it's time to consider a High Caliber Hawkbill. This would encourage a lot of serious knife owners, users and collectors to take Spyderco's Hawkbills far more seriously.

So is now the time? Why wouldn't it be a good idea? What could we do to see it happen? Think about it>> wouldn't a Spyderhawk with a G-10 handle and a full flat grind blade be super? or how about a super grade Harpy? Or whatever. So what do all you Hawkbill fans think?

I'm more of an FRN guy myself JD. And with most of the Hawkbills coming out of Seki, G10 is probably out of the question. I wonder what Micarta Seki knives would cost in 2020 compared to their FRN and G10 counterparts???

My wish regarding Hawkbills is to bring the Spyderhawk back into permanent production. Yellow H1 SE and Green FFG LC200N SE.

I'd like to see a CF, g10, or Ti handled spyderhawk. I'm always up for more spyderco hawkbills.

Sure but I'd also be happy with another Sprint of the Superhawk in FRN. Maybe LC200N and green.

I'm interested, although ti or carbon fiber aren't my things. I'd prefer micarta, which looks really nice but also holds up really well to outdoor use.

JD Spydo wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 23, 2020 12:22 pm

Spyderco over the years has done an excellent job of taking what some would consider a mundane or common knife design and making it special. They've done that was so many blades over the years and that's why you just don't find hardly any Spyderco knives that you could consider "common" or "boring".

However it sort of confuses me that Spyderco being the premier knife company with many specialty designs hasn't taken another step forward. Take Spyderco's Hawkbills for instance i.e. Harpy, Merlin, Superhawk, Spyderhawk, TASMAN ect. I own almost every Hawkbill Spyderco has ever made and I wouldn't sell or trade any of them. But most of their Hawkbills are strictly meant for work like those in the Salt Series for instance. Most hard core collectors don't take them seriously.

So wouldn't it be proper for them to consider a premium grade Hawkbill with either a G-10 handle or A Titanium handle or maybe even something exotic like Micarta. And add a supersteel blade too. :cool: Yes I do believe it's time to consider a High Caliber Hawkbill. This would encourage a lot of serious knife owners, users and collectors to take Spyderco's Hawkbills far more seriously.

So is now the time? Why wouldn't it be a good idea? What could we do to see it happen? Think about it>> wouldn't a Spyderhawk with a G-10 handle and a full flat grind blade be super? or how about a super grade Harpy? Or whatever. So what do all you Hawkbill fans think?

You know me Joe, I've been pining for a FFG Spyderhawk for some time. G10, micarta, either would be good for me. Very underappreciated and super functional blade!

A Hawkbill PM2 or Shaman might be a lot of fun.

I just want a CF Salt! I would love a Peel-Ply CF FFG LC200N Spyderhawk!

I like the way you think JD :) given that hawkbills have historical roots in southeast asia and not only is it good for working tasks but also optimal for martial arts, the design appeals very much to me. If we're talking premium, one thing S'co could do is to release the Karahawk in premium steels (cts-xhp, m390, etc) to compete in the tactical folder market dominated by the likes of Bastinelli etc. It would surely be a hit among knife, MBC and martial arts enthusiasts alike!

nerdlock wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 2:54 am

I like the way you think JD :) given that hawkbills have historical roots in southeast asia and not only is it good for working tasks but also optimal for martial arts, the design appeals very much to me. If we're talking premium, one thing S'co could do is to release the Karahawk in premium steels (cts-xhp, m390, etc) to compete in the tactical folder market dominated by the likes of Bastinelli etc. It would surely be a hit among knife, MBC and martial arts enthusiasts alike!

Now they have taken virtually every other knife design and have made premium editions of all of those>> so why doesn't a premium grade Hawkbill make sense? >> Well it does for me and this is another time "I Won't SHUT UP"

Just think of the better grip you could get using a Spyderhawk in professional landscaping or other jobs that you could attain with a G-10 handle.

Also I'm all for a "Full Flat Grind" blade just to see how it would fare.

JuPaul wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 23, 2020 1:23 pm

I'm interested, although ti or carbon fiber aren't my things. I'd prefer micarta, which looks really nice but also holds up really well to outdoor use.

For a guy who would use a Spyderhawk or any other Spyderco Hawkbill in a professional application you would think that all of the grip/purchase that they could attain would just make their job that much easier.

I see your point on Titanium. It took me a while before I really got to liking Titanium handles. But they are great for jobs in harsh conditions.

IMO, a G-10 hawkbill with FFG, LC200N blade would be awesome. With the less-aggressive serrations, like on the Endela. As far as I’m concerned, the G-10 could even be without liners. That would make it almost a Salt knife.

Unfortunately, G-10 Seki models tend to be overly-expensive. And they would most likely have to be made by Moki; I don’t know if G. Sakai (Spyderco’s main Seki maker) even works with G-10 or not. A better option might be to have them made in either Golden or Taichung.

Jim

Personally, I'd like a redesigned Karahawk with a longer blade and premium steel. And Taichung/Golden made.

JD Spydo wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 9:47 am

JuPaul wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 23, 2020 1:23 pm

I'm interested, although ti or carbon fiber aren't my things. I'd prefer micarta, which looks really nice but also holds up really well to outdoor use.

For a guy who would use a Spyderhawk or any other Spyderco Hawkbill in a professional application you would think that all of the grip/purchase that they could attain would just make their job that much easier.

I see your point on Titanium. It took me a while before I really got to liking Titanium handles. But they are great for jobs in harsh conditions.

I can definitely understand that. And they're not a deal-breaker for me, although the ti models I really like have one g10 scale. I think I'd like textured or fluted ti scales just fine.

Ti handles would be good. Although the only Ti-handled knives I have are plain-jane (without inserts) CRK knives. As long as the handle is ergonomically-shaped, that would work very well for me.

Jim

James Y wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 10:47 am

Ti handles would be good. Although the only Ti-handled knives I have are plain-jane (without inserts) CRK knives. As long as the handle is ergonomically-shaped, that would work very well for me.

Jim

Ergonomics have become my highest priority when pursuing a great knife to work with. However without firm, confident grip the ergonomics can only go so far.

The Ti handles on the original Titanium ATR model were so superior to the later stainless handled version of the ATR. And the reason is the grip factor of Titanium is far superior to any stainless handle.

And comparing G-10 to FRN is just about as far apart as the comparison of Ti and Stainless. Not to mention how much better G-10 would perform in a wet environment as well. Irrespective of whether it's a Hawkbill, Sheepsfoot or just a conventional blade.

Handles made with the correct material can make all the difference in the world.

James Y wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 10:15 am

Unfortunately, G-10 Seki models tend to be overly-expensive. And they would most likely have to be made by Moki; I don’t know if G. Sakai (Spyderco’s main Seki maker) even works with G-10 or not. A better option might be to have them made in either Golden or Taichung.

I would assume the G10 Dragonfly and G10 Stretch were made in Seki at the same factory as their FRN counterparts, no? I just know G10 is pretty expensive there. I'd buy one if that was the only option for a new Spyderhawk, but I'd prefer FRN because I like the material, texture, and light weight better than G10, and I think most others would pass due to price.

I would love a locking and a slip joint hawk billed blade with the spidie hole towards the tip where the fingernail groove is.

steelcity16 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 10:59 am

James Y wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 10:15 am

Unfortunately, G-10 Seki models tend to be overly-expensive. And they would most likely have to be made by Moki; I don’t know if G. Sakai (Spyderco’s main Seki maker) even works with G-10 or not. A better option might be to have them made in either Golden or Taichung.

I would assume the G10 Dragonfly and G10 Stretch were made in Seki at the same factory as their FRN counterparts, no? I just know G10 is pretty expensive there. I'd buy one if that was the only option for a new Spyderhawk, but I'd prefer FRN because I like the material, texture, and light weight better than G10, and I think most others would pass due to price.

I guess you’re right. I don’t have those models. I do own a G-10 Tim Wegner hunter as well as an old Calypso Jr. (which was actually Micarta), and those were made by Moki. The way to tell the difference is the Moki models only say “Japan” on the back of the blade, whereas G. Sakai models say “Seki-City Japan”.

Jim

A Marcin Slysz design in fluted Ti?