Ladybug Salts - Thoughts & Comments? Also a few questions

[Jason Paul]

Hi All,

So I think I'm in the market for a Ladybug and have been reading up a bit. I'm almost certain I'm going to get a Salt, but I'm not sure which one.

Despite the love for the hawkbill, it seems the standard blade shape would be more versatile; and I've seen several comments to that effect as well. So, thoughts on that?

Secondly, assuming the standard blade shape, the next question is plain or serrated? It seems SE is more recommended than PE, but I have a few questions about that.

I have a few SE Spydercos, and think I like the idea of a coarse edge PE better. Is a coarse edge practical on a PE Ladybug?

I also have a question about the SE version; will a Sharpmaker still work? It almost seems the teeth on the SE Ladybug might be too small and/or close together for the Sharpmaker to be effective. Thoughts on this?

Thanks!

[VooDooChild]

Part of the love for the hawkbill ladybug is because the ladybug is almost always a backup/secondary knife. So if there is a situation where a hawkbill is not a great choice you still have your other knife.

Why not get 2 or 3? Serrared hawkbill and pe regular, and a manbug also.

The se is usually recommended over the pe in h1 steel because the edge holding in h1 steel can leave some wanting for better performance.

The sharpmaker should still work.

[z1r]

Me, I prefer the Hawkbill version of the Salt. I have every Key Chain in the house equipped with one.

Like VooDooChild said, I like one of each, lol.

[metaphoricalsimile]

If you're only going to have one knife on you, I do not think the Hawkbill LB Salt is a good choice. It does fine for tasks like popping zip ties, but it does not slice through heavier materials (such as cardboard) well. If you want to have it as a second blade to do things like popping zip ties or other tasks that the HB blade shape is particularly good for, I think it's a decent choice. I actually wish it were available in VG10 because I think it's a better all-around steel than H1 is, but I bought it because the blade shape was something I wanted on my keychain.

[ladybug93]

i will never not suggest the hawkbill ladybug salt. i almost always carry a larger folder as well, so i don't need my little ladybug to have a standard blade, and the different blade shape gives me even more versatility. the most important part of a hawkbill is the tip, so even a tiny hawkbill is an effective hawkbill, and i don't have to have a larger one for the times it's useful. also, at that size, i think the hawkbill with serrations gives you the absolute most cutting power and capability you can get in such a small package. there are probably jobs that the regular salt can handle that the hawkbill can't do as well, but i think the hawkbill is the more capable of the two blades.

if you really want the standard blade instead of the hawkbill, i would still go with serrations. vivi has shown us a coarse edge on pe h1 is good to go, but it's such a short blade that i'd still stick with serrations. all of those serrations effectively give you more cutting edge than the measured edge length.

sharpmaker has fine corners, so it still works on the ladyhawk. just take it a little slower to make sure you're getting everything.


eta: also, it's like an awesome little claw. it's such a cool little knife.

[TkoK83Spy]

Looks like in this video, from one of our very own forum members...that the Hawkbill can handle just about anything thrown its way, including cardboard!

https://youtu.be/jJV3k1pp28U

[bjz]

^ I kinda like that fella’s homemade clip (pocket clip that is)!

The lb is such a great knife! Even with a small lanyard to extend the functional grip, my SE weight in at 0.71oz! That’s what, a little more than half the weight of a dragonfly for essentially the same edge length?

[Evil D]

I've had both, definitely pros and cons of both.

Hawkbills are (for me) almost entirely geared towards pull cuts, and aren't as controllable for penetration uses. They're not really usable for cutting board style cuts either. This one in particular is a bit on the thick side grind wise and I wasn't really thrilled with how well it sliced cardboard.

The standard blade shape is, well it's standard. It'll do everything a typical knife does, just in a much smaller package. It won't pull cut as well but it'll be more versatile at everything else. If you're at all concerned about folded package size, the standard blade is a smaller footprint.


For me I go with the standard. It has a more usable tip and overall the versatility is critical for a knife like this because my only real use for one is the off chance I may need to limit myself down to such a tiny knife, so it needs to be as versatile as possible.

So, it may depend more on your intended use. The hawkbill is probably a better companion blade to pair with a full size knife since it gives you a different cutting experience and options. I carry my Ladybugs on my keys though, mostly for the rare non knife person situation.

[ladybug93]

yes! pull cuts vs push cuts is a pretty good way to differentiate. i typically do pull cuts when i open packages and other edc tasks, so that's another reason i love the hawkbill. i probably wouldn't make it my only blade though, even if it were a bigger hawkbill.

[vivi]

I've never liked the handle on these (SURPRISE SURPRISE), feels a bit too tiny. But I may give one a shot this year. I'm planning to pick up some sort of yellow LB and dye it as a gift, might grab myself one while I'm at it.

[Jason Paul]

Thanks for the replies so far.

To clarify a few things...

Most of the time the Ladybug would be a second blade. Right now, a Dragonfly 2 Salt SE fills that role, but I'm just looking for something smaller, as an option. My main knife is usually a Pacific Salt 2 right now.

I might sometimes carry the Ladybug as a main/only knife; but it would be something quick & small to carry in shorts or something.

As for getting more than one - it's a possibility down the road; but I think I'll probably just get one for now. It will be for my birthday, and I'm already planning to get another Pacific Salt 2, and possibly a PE Dragonfly Salt.

Appreciate the thoughts & comments so far - thanks!

Jason

[metaphoricalsimile]

If you already carry a Pac Salt 2, I think the Hawkbill is probably the best choice, as it will actually provide you with different utility that can be hard to replicate with a more standard blade shape.

[z1r]

Generally, my go to knife for when I only carry one "small" knife is a Chaparral. Barely bigger than a DF2 but with a larger blade.

Since I carry a Hawkbill Ladybug on a keychain, my 5th pocket LB is usually a K390 or ZDP due to their FFG blades. I feel they slice things I'd use a SMALL knife on better.

I carry three knives daily; a ZDP DF2, K390 Endela, and a Key Chain LB. Some days I toss another LB in my 5th pocket.

If I did not have my Hawkbill LB on a chain, I'd probably opt for any other with an FFG blade for pocket carry.

One reason I like to pocket carry a LB is for when I'm in a group of people I may not be very familiar with and the need for a knife arises. When in doubt as to how they'll react, I bust out the LB. Due to its diminutive size, I've never had anyone react adversely. Usually I hear someone say, "ew, that's so cute." lol.

[MFlovejp]

Can’t go wrong with the SE hawksbill in my opinion, but reprofiling the factory edge is a must so if you don’t already have the CBN or diamond rods for a Sharpmaker you might consider the plain blade and edge profile.

[ZrowsN1s]

I've never liked the handle on these (SURPRISE SURPRISE), feels a bit too tiny. But I may give one a shot this year. I'm planning to pick up some sort of yellow LB and dye it as a gift, might grab myself one while I'm at it.

A thick lanyard might help you out a little.

[Evil D]

I've never liked the handle on these (SURPRISE SURPRISE), feels a bit too tiny. But I may give one a shot this year. I'm planning to pick up some sort of yellow LB and dye it as a gift, might grab myself one while I'm at it.

A thick lanyard might help you out a little.

That's all I've ever used, but I'm a key carrier so it's partly for the extra grip and partly because it helps to keep my keys from clumping up.




You can make them whatever size you need to fit your hand perfectly and the way I make them really goes a long way to help give you more grip.

I also use one on my ARK, which helps with grip but even more so with drawing.



Those are about the only knives I ever insist on using fobs with.

[Danke]

Middle one rode on my keys for years till the Jester cam back.

[ladybug93]

i have to ask... why the zip tie on the ark?

[PeaceInOurTime]

I don't carry my LB enough anymore, but it's a super useful tiny knife. It definitely needs a good fob of some sort -- the pocket clip/hangar in the video worked really well for me. (Glad some have found that video useful.)

I still think the HB makes the most sense in the LB Salts. Quite the little pocket monster. Could pair well with a FFG K390 LB... that's the little Dyad combo the world deserves.

[Igi964]

What about Manbug wharncliffe ? It is very usefull blade shape, more handle to grip, DLC version for better corosion resistence, FFG and VG-10. I use as my second blade and love it.