Can you exchange blades on Tasman Salt and Harpy?

Spyj · #1

Would it be possible to take the blade of an Tasman Salt and put it in a Harpy handle? And vice versa?
I would like to have a harpy with a plain edge, something I don't think exist??

I don't want to buy them and take them apart without knowing it could be done, it's a real hassle taking such knives apart and not ending up with bent washers, at least to my experiences...

SpyderEdgeForever · #2

That is a cool question. Would you do it because you wanted the Harpy Handle with the Tasman Salt H1 steel blade or vice versa?

The Deacon · #3

No. The Harpy blade is 3mm thick and the Tasman and the Merlin have 2.5mm thick blades. The Taman blade "might" work in a Harpy handle if you used thick washers but, IMHO, it would look like crap. Also might not, since there's no guarantee that either all stainless or G-10 knives use the same pivot diameter as FRN ones and even less chance that the lock cuts would be identical. The Harpy blade would definitely not fit in the Tasman handle.

Spyj · #4

SpyderEdgeForever wrote:That is a cool question. Would you do it because you wanted the Harpy Handle with the Tasman Salt H1 steel blade or vice versa?

I want a plain edge harpy! :) Unfortunately they doesn't seem to be available to buy, don't know if Spyderco have ever made it in plain edge or not. I like the Stainless handle along with a plain edge.
I have no experience with the H1 steel, so steel wise it wouldn't really matter as long as I get the plain edge.

Spyj · #5

The Deacon wrote:No. The Harpy blade is 3mm thick and the Tasman and the Merlin have 2.5mm thick blades. The Taman blade "might" work in a Harpy handle if you used thick washers but, IMHO, it would look like crap. Also might not, since there's no guarantee that either all stainless or G-10 knives use the same pivot diameter as FRN ones and even less chance that the lock cuts would be identical. The Harpy blade would definitely not fit in the Tasman handle.

How could I miss that? Thought I checked that...
That's unfortunate, would have been a n easy solution! :)

The Deacon · #6

PE versions of the all stainless Harpy do exist...

...top one was the original version sold by Spyderco in the US and the bottom one is a VG-10 version made for the Japanese market. There was a Sprint Run in carbon fiber as well:

The most practical solutions would be to purchase the Japanese Market PE VG-10 version directly from the Harpy's maker, G Sakai in Japan. Helps if you have someone fluent in Japanese who can help you but, from what I understand, they will answer email inquiries in English. The other alternative would be to keep an eye on eBay and hope one of them show up there. This outfit use to self import the Japanese market version and sell them on eBay, but they don't seem to be doing so anymore. However, these and the CF ones do show up on eBay once in a blue moon. I would suggest that unless you're a diehard collector and do not plan on actually using the knife, you avoid the older US market version if you see one for sale. Some of them have no steel markings, others are marked G-2, but both have a one piece combination backspacer and lock spring that has pretty well reached the end of its useful life. Several folks who purchased them as users wound up with expensive paperweights.

SpyderEdgeForever · #7

Deacon: This is unrelated to the original post but I want to thank you for posting the G-Sakai Link. Look at all those other H-1 Steel knives. Very nice.

Spyj · #8

Thanks for the info!
I will continue to look on ebay for it, and check out those two pages, perhaps I might get lucky and find one!

Holland · #9

SpyderEdgeForever wrote:Deacon: This is unrelated to the original post but I want to thank you for posting the G-Sakai Link. Look at all those other H-1 Steel knives. Very nice.

Agreed! I had no idea that site existed