Favorite Work/EDC Hawkbill

[JD Spydo]

It's just like the title says; I want to know what is your favorite Spyderco Hawkbill for using at work or Every Day Carry and/or vocational usage. I personally have a rotation of the yellow handled, PE Tasman Salt>> also a G-10 handled, ATS-55, SE Harpy and a blue PE Spyderhawk. I don't use the latter one very often but when I do want it I really appreciate it's larger blade.

One of the reasons I want all of us Hawkbill users and Afi-s to sound off on this is to let Spyderco know that there will be a profitable user market for Brother Clovisc's idea of an H-1 Spyderhawk. And I also would like to prevent the deletion of the Tasman from the main line up as well. But I do have other valid reasons for this survey as well.

OK Hawkbill brothers/sisters give us a list of your EDC Hawkbills. Also you might give us a brief description of what you typically use them for. That means you too Agent Starling :D

I feel this idea of the H-1 Spyderhawk should not go away. I won't have peace till I at least see a prototype :cool:

[JLS]

My favorite all-time outdoor work knife is my old G-10 Harpy. It has been used quite heavily without regard to how dirty it would get and has never disappointed. It worked with me for about 4 years in agriculture/landscaping work and since has helped to sod 5 different, very large yards of friends.

I recently bought a PE and SE Crossbill to help out with some of the chores, but the Harpy has a special place to me.

I also have a Cricket that is my tie-clip knife. It has done quite well in that arena. It does look a bit nasty, but it's small enough that even most ladies think it's rather "cute".

I would like something a bit bigger for some of my outdoors chores, so I'm all for a H1 Spyderhawk. I'd also like to make another push for a Byrd fixed blade hawkbill. That could really shine.

[kbuzbee]

Well, you guys will think I'm crazy, I mean, I know it's supposed to be an SD blade and all but my favorite EDC hawk is the P'Kal! That knife ROCKS!

Now I also have Tasmans and Harpys but the P'Kal is the one I most carry and use. The FFG blade slices like nobody's business and the opening system is a joy to use. I always seem to find myself one handing my knives so easy open/close is something I value. By the time I'm reaching for my knife, I already need it :D Not soon... NOW.

The only adjustment I've needed to make (to me, not the knife) is to remember to put it back in the front of my pocket. Every other knife I carry against the rear RFP but the P'Kal has to ride in the front. A couple times, early on, I put it back in the wrong place and wound up using a regular "hole" open. That's fine but auto opening is better.

AND it's a ball lock! Okay, not a REAL ball lock like the Phoenix or the Dodo but kinda similar.

And I don't consider recurves to be hawks. The Dodo is amazing but it's not a hawk (and neither is the Cricket).

As to the H1, I don't really care to own another H1 hawk. I get why you'd want one but I'll stick with VG10 or a tool steel.

Ken

[Sherpa]

I'm an electrician so I loooovvveeee hawkbills. Nothing beats them for skinning wires, popping zip ties off of something you don't want to cut in the process, or opening boxes. I EDC'd a crossbill g 10 at work until my fathers good friend (a union electrician) wanted it really bad so I gave it to him.

I carry a tasman salt se now. It works fantastic and that H1 also holds up well. Also at times I get caught working in the rain, snow. Or drop knife in the rain, snow, or mud. So H1 would be great. Plus I like to hold the knife in front of people and say "It will NEVER rust, ever, no really even at the bottom of the ocean, NEVER rust!"

P.S. Sal and Co, if you do decide to make it please call it "Electricians Must Buy" Knife or the Emb. That way my wife will lemme have it! hehehe poor gal has heard the ole "this is the last knife I will ever want/need, EVER! Just let me get it?" Many times :D

[Billy]

My favorite is my yellow SE Tasman. Rides with all me day every day, even when my other EDC blades rotate. I always have the Tasman on me (occasionally gets replaced with a SS SE Harpy). I also often carry a CLB Subclaw as my small PE blade. The curved ones get called on to do things like break down boxes, open packages of all kinds, pruning/trimming in the yard, letter opening (Subclaw only), some food prep, etc.

[DMgangl]

I carry my Tasman Salt every day. I used to have a crossbil CE didn't like it and got rid of it. Then I bought a new SE G10 crossbill, again it just didn't feel comfortable with me. I sold it to a coworker, and bought my Tasman Salt black SE. It is my constant companion. I carry a couple other knives along side it but this one is always in my pocket. I am a machinist and I constantly have coolant or some kind of oil on my hands so I haven't bought a Harpy since I can't find one in G10.
I constantly cut heavy zip ties, thick plastic wrap, and other types of material that my parts come packaged it. I would love the extra leverage a Spyderhawk would give me and lay in bed at night dreaming of the day a new Spyderhawk will be in the lineup again.
I also plan on getting a new Tasman in PE to complement my SE hawk.

On a side note I wouldn't mind seeing the complete opposite of the Spyderhawk. I carry a Ladybug with me everyday and would love a hawkbill in that size. I think it would be a great knife to squeeze out the most cutting power in a knife that size.

DM

[vivi]

Pikal.

Probably strikes most people as an odd choice. *shrug* It's got some of my favorite materials like G10, wire clip and S30V blade steel. I like the lock and the subtle hawkbill blade shape.

I EDC this knife sometimes and I try to cut usual things using a pikal grip. I find you can get surprising power and control behind a draw cut this way, just have to be careful not to stab yourself :)

Just opened some mail with it actually. Works well for this. Eventually I'm going to put together a video of me using the Pikal for EDC chores.

It works in regular grip too, but it's been fun seeing what things using a Pikal grip works well for.

[spyker]

I EDC a Byrd crossbill ce,I use it a few times a day,I find the hawkbill alot more usefull vs. a non hawkbill.

Whenever I'm doing things outdoors,I will switch over to my Tasman salt,this knife comes in so handy due to the cutting power from the shape of the blade,however,I do wish it was bigger(it would make the jobs alot easier),I guess this is where the H1 Spyderhawk needs to step in.

If the H1 Spyderhawk does become a reality,it will most likely replace the Tasman for my outdoor jobs.

[JD Spydo]

Hey great feedback thus far guys/gals :) I'm really encouraged to see a couple of avid P'Kal fans. I've yet to get me a P'Kal but it is very high on my "want list" and it is certainly on my "gotta have list".

I'm also elated that there is another G-10 Harpy user amongst us . G-10 handle material really makes that Harpy model a superb working blade.

I am really blown away by our electrician who chimed in. I think it should be mandatory for every electrician to have a Hawkbill.

I want to hear more about how you all think that H-1 steel has helped the Hawkbill campaign.

I hope to hear from the lady's corner on Hawkbill usage as well.

If this doesn't convince someone that the Hawkbill blade is a viable user blade then I don't know what it would take to convince them.

Well we want to hear from all of the remainder of the Hawkbill crowd here in Spyderville.

[Shenmue728]

My SS Harpy was my first Spyderco and is in my pocket more than not. Its become such an increasingly functional blade. I used it to fix a radiator hose on my moms car one time. Used the butt of the handle to loosen and tighten the clamps even :cool: . I also have a PE one but haven't used it yet and G10 Harpy is too rare and pricey for me now.

I also love my P'kal but its not my utility knife at all. it has opened letters and cut paper and that is all. I do love the way it open though... Extremely fast and effective for its purpose.

I have an SE Spyderhawk that i had bought awhile back to replace what i though my harpy was lacking. First thing i said when i got it was "Wow this thing is huge." Just too big for what i need. An H1 version however would be an excellent gardening tool. My girlfriend would have fresh cut flowers everyday :D

I think my next :spyder: will have to be a Tasman for sure but i dont know what varient to get yet. I'm leaning more towards a yellow Se and it will get down and dirty. I work in a kitchen and it would be great for cutting open bags of raw meats. then through the 190 degree washers and in my pocket!

[wescobts]

Hey jd or the other hawkbill users, how do you sharpen the blade ? is there a different technique ? Can you use a regular flat stone ? I have been looking hard at getting one but upkeep does concern me.

[JD Spydo]

Hey jd or the other hawkbill users, how do you sharpen the blade ? is there a different technique ? Can you use a regular flat stone ? I have been looking hard at getting one but upkeep does concern me.

Hey Wescobts we will do a thread on Hawkbill sharpening this weekend, I promise. I want to contact Doctor Lecter to consult with him about it because he is really good at sharpening hawkbills. I will tell you this however that if you have a 204 Sharpmaker and have the video/DVD that comes with it then you got a big head start. The method Sal shows on the 204 Sharpmaker DVD will truly get you going in the right direction. But do listen to what he says very carefully and also watch very closely at the angle in which he goes down the stone. It's not as complicated as you might think.

But again I will get a separate thread going on Hawkbill Sharpening. I'll probably put it here on General Discussion section of the Forum. With all due respect I want to keep this thread on topic.

Actually Hawkbill sharpening deserves a separate thread. I might try to launch it tomorrow night.

[JLS]

Yes JD, I love the G-10 Harpy. It gives just enough grip and I'm not afraid to use mine since it already has it's share of scratches. I'm pretty sure I got mine for about $35 from Smokey Mountain in the mid to late 90's. Then again, it's been long enough that I could be wrong.

I do have to admit that I'm impressed by the Crossbill Byrds. They're hefty enough and they still have a G-10 model for some good grip.

I've had a Merlin before and the lightweight handle was just too light for me. I like the way the G-10 scaled knives sit in the handle, but aren't too heavy and offer much better grip over the SS handles of others. It's just a sweet spot for handle construction.

I am tempted by the Tasmans, just to try the H1 steel. Sooner or later, I'll succumb.

[JD Spydo]

With the Merlin model being one of Spyderco's first Hawkbill blades with an FRN handle I'm sort of surprised that we haven't had someone chime in with a testimony about how nice of a blade it is. With the Tasman being Merlin's H-1 cousin I'm kind of wondering why we haven't heard mention of the Merlin model.

I know that my good pal ManixGuy2 is certainly a Merlin man and a fervent user of the blade as well.

Also with all of the older Harpys that were made I'm also surprised that we haven't heard folks talk about the GIN-1 or ATS-55 Harpy models. I know that there must be a lot of them in use as well.

Also a report on PE versus SE for hard use should be forthcoming.

[Mike Sastre]

I've been using hawkbills since Spyderco first came out with the SS Harpy. That was my everyday, every chore knife when I was working in the construction and home improvement business. Went to the G-10 Harpy when it came out - best of the breed by the way. When I needed a good rescue knife for whitewater, obvious choice was the Merlin. It was replaced by the SpyderHawk when it was introduced (I'm an overkill kinda guy), though my recommendation for the general public is the Tasman/Merlin. I use a plain edge Merlin everyday in my shop. SD quick deployment neck sheath has been for Merlin, linerless G-10 Harpy, linerless G-10 Civilian, and finally settling on the Matriarch (Grey) as best balance of blade length vs. weight. If you can get the "way back machine" to work, you'll see that another gentleman named "Hawkbill" and myself used to champion the virtues of using hawkbills long, long, long before the current group of aficionados. JD will remember, because we talked hawkbills when he and I first met at the Spirit of Steel long ago.

[Manix Guy 2]

Mr. Merlin or Tasman go with me almost every day . Use them opening boxes to inspect parts , and yard work . Great working knives , thanks for pointing the way . MG2

[JD Spydo]

I've been using hawkbills since Spyderco first came out with the SS Harpy. That was my everyday, every chore knife when I was working in the construction and home improvement business. Went to the G-10 Harpy when it came out - best of the breed by the way. When I needed a good rescue knife for whitewater, obvious choice was the Merlin. It was replaced by the SpyderHawk when it was introduced (I'm an overkill kinda guy), though my recommendation for the general public is the Tasman/Merlin. I use a plain edge Merlin everyday in my shop. SD quick deployment neck sheath has been for Merlin, linerless G-10 Harpy, linerless G-10 Civilian, and finally settling on the Matriarch (Grey) as best balance of blade length vs. weight. If you can get the "way back machine" to work, you'll see that another gentleman named "Hawkbill" and myself used to champion the virtues of using hawkbills long, long, long before the current group of aficionados. JD will remember, because we talked hawkbills when he and I first met at the Spirit of Steel long ago.

Mike I remember that weekend at Spirit of Steel very well. I still remember that incredible Bowie you were carrying :eek: . When I was buying one of my Dodo models from you we started talking about Hawkbills and it really opened my eyes as to how great of USER blades they were. I still have my Civi, Spyderhawk, Dodo & Harpy neck sheaths I bought from you there as well.

The Bottom Line: What I learned about Hawkbills at that time is that "USING IS BELIEVING". Also Spyder Brethren if you need sheaths for any Spyder I strong urge you to contact Mr. Sastre ASAP

[McBain]

I just got a Superhawk, and I'm really liking it. I actually like how the curve radius is a bit smaller (or would that be larger??.. not as much curve), it seems to be the best of both worlds. It almost is like a wharncliffe tha curves down very slightly. I do have a SE Tasman that has been a wonderful work knife, and I can keep that one in the watch pocket of my jeans (it sticks out a bit, but still comfortable).

[Jazz]

Tasman Salt SE - it's always in and out of my pocket at work in the kitchen - lots to open - lots of box flaps to cut off - etc., etc.

- best wishes, Jazz.

[Agent Starling]

I must admit I've used my Crossbill the hardest. It has definitely taken the most abuse...I call it guilt-free hawkbill usage, since I can destroy the thing and it's feasible to replace it. I've also used my Merlin, Harpy, Tasman and Subclaw knives a fair amount...but I know how much you are in awe of that Byrd, JD...not! :p :D

Agent Starling