Uses for the Spyderhawk H1?

[Dagon]

So I bought the Spyderhawk because of its beastly looks (while I usually crave gentlemen-style designs more), and to try out that famous H1 steel.
Now that I received it today, it's indeed quite awesome, the kind of knife that gives knife nuts a big stupid grin. But I also wondered: except for cutting ropes on a sailing ship, and perhaps some tasks in the garden, what is its peculiar blade shape good for? Probably not for food prep or general cutting tasks. Ideas eagerly awaited !

[stonyman]

Hello Dagon, not sure if I welcomed you here or not. There is a huge thread about everyday uses of the hawkbill blade. Just use the search feature. It will not matter though because the hawkbillers will pipe up shortly! :D

[Blerv]

Opening boxes, freeing sandwiches from plastic wrap (or any food from any wrapper), self-defense, inducing stupid childish giggles from your gruff friends and scaring your other timid friends.

Anything you normally pull-cut to open it shines at. Scraping labels and some work it's impossible. Plain Edge hawks are great with opening envelopes while SE ones suck at that. With the super fine tip a Hawkbill is nice for most civilian tasks but is definitely noticed in the mail room :) .

[VashHash]

You can also use it to cut zip ties that are really close to something where the hawkbill will slip under the zip tie and then you just rock the blade and SNAP. Did this today at work a few times. Pretty much anything thats hard for you to reach or hold while you cut. A hawkbill will excel at something that usually slips away from a leaf or drop point or upswept blade. I carry both SE and PE the SE is the work horse for the most part and the PE is more for SD and finer task like opening envelopes which it does very very well. Just ask my credit card bill MUHAHAHAHA

[bohica1998]

I too carry both EDC and I have yet to find anything that needed cutting that the hawkbill blades couldn't cut as well or better than any other type of blade.

That being said, I DO find it better to use a different blade style for food prep. They just don't make very good cheese slicers!

[RIOT]

back to the salt H-1 roots im positive this knife is awesome for chumming fish for shark fishing, i usually use the Tasman Salt which is smaller which is just fine, but this knife has a much bigger handle for gripping the tuff stuff that may need a stronger grip, plus the extra blade length wont hurt

[Tank]

One of the tasks I think a hawkbill is great at is plastic clam shells that alot of products come it.

[clovisc]

i don't know what you guys are talking about... my SE H1 spyderhawk is sharp enough that paper gets caught inside a single serration, and envelopes get sliced right open, no problem. :D :eek: :p

thus far, mine has excelled at slicing up salmon for the smoker, opening boxes and mail, cutting bait and line, and some other fishing-related tasks. i couldn't imagine a much better SD knife, and emergency/work knife for on a boat. :D would be great for mushroom hunting, too.

[defenestrate]

They're great in the woods - get caught in some briars and the hawkbill allows you to reach out and nip those suckers without having to really handle the briars themselves. Saves a lot of time.

[Dagon]

Thanks for all the feedback. I have zero interest in a knife's SD capabilities, but otherwise I got a good number of interesting ideas.

[yowzer]

Like everyone else has said, hawkbills are great for pulling cuts, especially ones where you have to reach out to do it.

My SE Spyderhawk has replaced a SE Tasman as my go-to knife for clearing away blackberries, vine maple and other viney fast-growing plants from trails. The Tasman worked fine, but the greater cutting surface on the Spyder is an order of magnitude better -- thicker brambles that would take two or even three passes with the Tasman fall at the first swipe. Just sink the serrations into the vine near the handle of the knife, and let 'er rip. Most of the time I don't even have to hold onto what I'm cutting to brace it, thanks to the steep curve of the blade.

I wish that it came in Hulk Green instead of yellow. (Lou Ferrigno voice) "Spyderhawk tear!" :D

[JD Spydo]

This is a repeat of a Hawkbill testimony I gave my brethren here at Spyderville back about 4 years ago. I was working at my old job at some north Missouri wetlands. I had been using a fully serrated Endura for most of what I had been doing that week. When I left to go down to the wetlands that day from the ranchhouse/lodge where I was staying I grabbed what I thought was my SE Endura but I had grabbed my VG-10, original Spyderhawk instead. When I got myself severely entangled with some trumpet vines along with a few other vegetation monsters I had 2 cutting tools to rescue myself with. One was my Cold STeel HTC Gurkha Kukri and the other was my Spyderhawk. And let me tell you that Spyderhawk blew through those trumpet vines like pretzels.

For those of you who are not aware of our "vines out of ****", here in Missouri; but those trumpet vines are truly a miserably stringy and leather tough vine that don't cut easily. And that Spyderhawk on that day is truly what converted me into a Hawkbill Fanatic. From that point on I had a terrible time understanding why the original VG-10 Spyderhawk wasn't a big seller. Well with this new H-1 Spyderhawk I got a feeling that all of that is about to change>> and for the better I might add.

[VashHash]

well many circles say the original was marketed more as an SD knife. But h-1 and the marine applications of such a blade i think will definitely change the publics view on it and the popularity thanks to the likes of the tasman

[Jazz]

Nice to see you're back, JD. :)

- best wishes, Jazz.

[bohica1998]

From that point on I had a terrible time understanding why the original VG-10 Spyderhawk wasn't a big seller.

I think it was ahead of it's time! I get the feeling it as well as many other past models would do better these days than at the time they were originally released. Mostly due to more exposure, more people on the interweb, etc. Although, there are still a lot of folks who have never even heard of Spyderco. I try to change that every time I run into another knife nut.

[JD Spydo]

Nice to see you're back, JD. :)

- best wishes, Jazz.

Well It's nice to be back. Got another computer up and running finally. I am just elated that the new H-1 Spyderhawk is being as well received as it is.

I do think it's wise however to start out with either a Harpy or Tasman to get the feel of a Hawkbill blade before using the Spyderhawk. The main thing is to have a high quality Hawkbill because that will make a huge difference.

For an ideal everyday carry everyone should have one standard blade and one Hawkbill. You'll be amazed at how often you will use both of them. JD

[O,just,O]

G'day JD, Your comment of, one standard blade & one hawkbill, sounds like a great recipe for a new DYAD :D
O.