Spyderco Hawkbills: Which one and what uses?

[skatenut]

I believe hawkbills have been used for a long time, possibly centuries, by gardeners and vintners in Europe, they seem to lend themselves for cutting grapes off a vine:

http://cgi.ebay.ch/Hippe-Gartenhippe-Me ... 0408914371

it's in German, but the pic needs no words, Hippe is the German word for them, Gartenhippe = garden hawkbill

I remember my Grandpa having one, carbon steel with a very dark patina, scary sharp, primitive wooden handle, scared the living daylights out of me as a little boy. can't remember how he sharpenend it. and Grandma's kitchen knives were very dark with a patina, and scary sharp, too.

[ChrisM]

Tasman Salt SE. Everything.
As an edc knife it has never let me down. Edc being my work knife I carry at least 10 hours a day. I haven't once been on the job needing a knife and said to myself "Man, I should've brought the Millie". The #1 cutting task this knife performs at over any knife I own is banding straps. I don't care what anyone says about a sharp plain edge. A serrated hawkbill is tops. Also. like Jazz said, box flaps. Try it.
I also use the Smith's sharpener that bohica1998 mentioned to keep my Tasman on point. This has been my edc for nearly a year and the Smith's sharpener I all that it takes to get her back to work.
I really want to buy a Spyderhawk and Harpy next for the collection but as a user my Tasman hasn't given me any reason to replace it. I'm not gonna list every single thing I cut or use the Tasman for on a daily basis but I will say if I could only choose one knife, the Tasman Salt SE would be it.

[JD Spydo]

Tasman Salt SE. Everything.
As an edc knife it has never let me down. Edc being my work knife I carry at least 10 hours a day. I haven't once been on the job needing a knife and said to myself "Man, I should've brought the Millie". The #1 cutting task this knife performs at over any knife I own is banding straps. I don't care what anyone says about a sharp plain edge. A serrated hawkbill is tops. Also. like Jazz said, box flaps. Try it.
I also use the Smith's sharpener that bohica1998 mentioned to keep my Tasman on point. This has been my edc for nearly a year and the Smith's sharpener I all that it takes to get her back to work.
I really want to buy a Spyderhawk and Harpy next for the collection but as a user my Tasman hasn't given me any reason to replace it. I'm not gonna list every single thing I cut or use the Tasman for on a daily basis but I will say if I could only choose one knife, the Tasman Salt SE would be it.

If you get yourself a Spyderhawk I certainly recommend getting one in Spyderedge. If you're actually going to work with it you'll find it an indespensible tool for sure. I even take mine fishing, hunting and backpacking. Again I'm not knocking plain edged Hawkbills it's just that I find far more uses for a serrated one. The H-1 Spyderhawk in my opinion is the best hard use blade Spyderco has come out with in quite some time. It's truly geared for very hard work.

[butterknife]

Go back further, Skatenut. Check it out. And really, the shape is a modified sickle, meant for more heavy duty cutting. And the sickle is as old as civilization.

[Wardo]

http://cgi.ebay.ch/Hippe-Gartenhippe-Me ... 0408914371


As Crocodile Dundee would say, "THIS is a hawkbill." :D

I've never seen a hawkbill with a 90 degree curve. Even with a Sharpmaker, I'll bet it's a bear to sharpen.

[jenko]

By "trade" i'm a viticulturist/vineyard manager, the Tasman SE is my #1 knife at work for at least 6 months of the year - namely for picking grapes, utility for bird netting and alike, it's awesome.

Combine that with winery work where you deal with caustic and citric acid mixes, H1 blade properties shines.

[ghostrider]

I started carrying a Crossbill CE in July of 2005. I replaced it with a G10 Crossbill SE last March. I use it for anything that needs it. Sometimes that means a lot, sometimes it means little. I also carry a Subcom F as my knife to use around those who may be more sensitive. I've got other knives that are more expensive, and probably considered better, but I just like the Crossbill for some reason. I prefer it over my Merlin AUS8, my Cricket, my Tasman PE, my Microtec Vector, and a bunch of other Spydies and non-Spydies. For some reason I just keep coming back to the Crossbill. I like the size, feel, weight (now with G10), and the blade shape.

Occasionally, the Crossbill will be substituted with a Yojimbo, at which time the Subcom F gets substituted with a Subclaw (feel nekid without a hawkbill).

[RJNC]

My Ladybug Hawkbill is my EDC now. Extremely handy, and wicked looking.

[Franciscomv]

I started carrying a Tasman and a Spyderhawk (both serrated) in the summer as SD folders mostly, but I've used them quite a bit for messy jobs than involve a lot of pull cutting.

Yesterday I used my Spyderhawk to tear appart a couch that the NGO I work with wanted to get rid of. It was really tough work for a folder (loads of metal staples and the whole thing was held together by kilometers of very tough webbing), but the Spyderhawk got it done. It wasn't neat or pretty, but it was effective.

I still preffer a plain edge knife (either a wharncliffe or drop point) for EDC, but I'm finding more and more tasks hawkbills are great for.

[Hector Castro]

Hawkbill use- what about the knife blades for utility knives that roofers use to cut asphalt shingles? Those are hawkbill shaped. They also have these blades that attach to the back of roofing hammers. They serve the same purpose.
Reading through the thread, I was thinking about the uses, and someone already spoke about the carpet and linoleum knives that are shaped for that cutting purpose.
I know this is a little different, but thing about large wire cutters. They are two opposing hawk bills coming together to make a cut. They just use a fixed pivot point.

I have to agree about the SE on a hawkbill. I EDC'ed my G-10 harpy for 3 years straight. That was the only knife I used. The only issue was they are not people friendly. (sheeple) Many people see it, and gasp!

I also have to agree on the ATS-55. I have many Spydies with that blade steel, and it is great. I could easily get it razor sharp, and it holds and edge well. ATS-34 and Vg-10 were a bit trickier to get razor sharp. It takes a fair amount of time longer to sharpen those steels.

[ColtCobra]

Hawkbill use- what about the knife blades for utility knives that roofers use to cut asphalt shingles? Those are hawkbill shaped. They also have these blades that attach to the back of roofing hammers. They serve the same purpose.
Reading through the thread, I was thinking about the uses, and someone already spoke about the carpet and linoleum knives that are shaped for that cutting purpose.
I know this is a little different, but thing about large wire cutters. They are two opposing hawk bills coming together to make a cut. They just use a fixed pivot point.

I have to agree about the SE on a hawkbill. I EDC'ed my G-10 harpy for 3 years straight. That was the only knife I used. The only issue was they are not people friendly. (sheeple) Many people see it, and gasp!

I also have to agree on the ATS-55. I have many Spydies with that blade steel, and it is great. I could easily get it razor sharp, and it holds and edge well. ATS-34 and Vg-10 were a bit trickier to get razor sharp. It takes a fair amount of time longer to sharpen those steels.

They maybe gasping out of admiration.

[rkh]

I read J D SPYDO's post/thread a while back on the Hawkbill and now have a Spyderhawk,Harpy, Tasman Salt and a Ladybug Hawkbill. I carry the Harpy most of the time and the other is the PE Tasman Salt. The H1 edge on the Tasman has held up very well. Both are so light and flat and carry so well. I prefer waistband carry. I am convinced since carrying and using the Harpy that the Hawkbill performs best with a serrated edge. Thanks J D for helping me see that the Hawkbill is such a geart design.

RKH

[BDNX]

I've carried my PE Tasman every day now for 4 or 5 years straight..I forget exactly when I got it. Anywho, I carry it everywhere, but it definitely comes in handy at work. I cut plastic shrink wrap, cardboard boxes, the previously mentioned bands, etc...among many other things here and there.

[LostOutThere]

I keep a SE Tasman Salt with my high angle and approach kit, and I occasionally edc a PE.

The usual EDC is a P'kal and a Delica 4

[EricV]

Just got my Tasman SE at the start of the week. Its knocked my delica out of my pocket. Most of my cutting is boxes, tape, and food packages. In a few weeks when my other job starts up it'll see a lot more rope, tape, webbing, and use in water. I've never had a knife that cut slippery things so well!

[Tank]

I ladybug hawkbill is now a staple on my keys. I carried my tasman all the time but it has been replaced with my spyderhawk. I will probably still carry my tasman when wearing swim shorts.

Short wish list would be a ladybug hawkbill salt and the vg-10 with all the new frn handle colors of the E4 and D4.