Spyderco's Hawkbill Blades: What Do You All Use Them For?

[Knifeoholic]

Well I've now added a Reverse S to my list, haha, thanks guys! As for the hawkbills, I picked up my first one (SE Tasman Salt) about two months back. Love it! I carry it on the waistband of my jeans at around the 4:00 position, and a PE folder in my right front pocket (Usually a Stretch of some sort, but I rotate a lot of different plain edges). At work I encounter alot of cardboard, envelopes, tape and such that I prefer the PE for. However, I also cut ALOT of straps of varying thickness and materials, rope, and other different types of cordage. That's where the ol' hawkbill really flexes it's muscles! It looks at that stuff, shrugs, and then absolutely demolishes it! Outside of work, I have also been enjoying having both a PE and SE blade on me. Combined, the cutting possibilities are endless! As mentioned above, the hawkbill is great for around the yard and garden. It will be with me for the foreseeable future!

Great thread! :thumbup:

Obligatory picture..... I posted this in another thread, but It really shows how well the Stretch and the Tasman "fit" together!

 

[JD Spydo]

Well I've now added a Reverse S to my list, haha, thanks guys! As for the hawkbills, I picked up my first one (SE Tasman Salt) about two months back. Love it! I carry it on the waistband of my jeans at around the 4:00 position, and a PE folder in my right front pocket (Usually a Stretch of some sort, but I rotate a lot of different plain edges). At work I encounter alot of cardboard, envelopes, tape and such that I prefer the PE for. However, I also cut ALOT of straps of varying thickness and materials, rope, and other different types of cordage. That's where the ol' hawkbill really flexes it's muscles! It looks at that stuff, shrugs, and then absolutely demolishes it! Outside of work, I have also been enjoying having both a PE and SE blade on me. Combined, the cutting possibilities are endless! As mentioned above, the hawkbill is great for around the yard and garden. It will be with me for the foreseeable future!

Yeah you've obviously stumbled on to the same conclusion I have concerning Hawkbill blades. They do indeed make an excellent companion folder to complement a top notch plain edged folder. Those two you just showed us would most certainly make for a "dynamic duo" ( no pun intended ).

The STRETCH PE model along with a TASMAN SE are two models that go together like bacon and eggs . There are so many cutting jobs that a Spyderedged Hawkbill will do easily like cutting those nylon and polymer straps you made mention of along with rope, cordage and extremely tough materials as well. Pull cutting that is provided by a good quality Hawkbill folder has many advantages for a wide range of cutting chores that you would encounter by doing a demanding job.

I'm to a point right now to where I'm wondering if a Hawkbill in a size range between a Harpy and a Spyderhawk I believe would be near perfect for most pull cutting jobs?

 

[Knifeoholic]

Yeah you've obviously stumbled on to the same conclusion I have concerning Hawkbill blades. They do indeed make an excellent companion folder to complement a top notch plain edged folder. Those two you just showed us would most certainly make for a "dynamic duo" ( no pun intended ).

The STRETCH PE model along with a TASMAN SE are two models that go together like bacon and eggs . There are so many cutting jobs that a Spyderedged Hawkbill will do easily like cutting those nylon and polymer straps you made mention of along with rope, cordage and extremely tough materials as well. Pull cutting that is provided by a good quality Hawkbill folder has many advantages for a wide range of cutting chores that you would encounter by doing a demanding job.

I'm to a point right now to where I'm wondering if a Hawkbill in a size range between a Harpy and a Spyderhawk I believe would be near perfect for most pull cutting jobs?

Lol, a dynamic duo indeed! As I reply to this with a growl coming from my stomach, bacon end eggs sounds amazing! Your absolutely right, the hawkbills are pull-cutting machines! And the combination of those two blades is great!

It's funny you mention another hawkbill between th Harpy and the Spyderhawk. Just the other day, I said to a friend of mine (who is also into knives) that I would love a hawkbill blade attached to the handle of the Stretch! (Which I'm a huge fan of!) I don't own the Harpy or Spyderhawk to compare sizes, but from what I gather, a Stretch sized handle just might "fit the bill"! . Again though, I may be wrong on the sizes.

 

[JD Spydo]

Lol, a dynamic duo indeed! As I reply to this with a growl coming from my stomach, bacon end eggs sounds amazing! Your absolutely right, the hawkbills are pull-cutting machines! And the combination of those two blades is great!

It's funny you mention another hawkbill between th Harpy and the Spyderhawk. Just the other day, I said to a friend of mine (who is also into knives) that I would love a hawkbill blade attached to the handle of the Stretch! (Which I'm a huge fan of!) I don't own the Harpy or Spyderhawk to compare sizes, but from what I gather, a Stretch sized handle just might "fit the bill"! . Again though, I may be wrong on the sizes.

A Hawkbill folder based on the frame/handle of the STRETCH model That's probably just about what I was thinking. I'm thinking that the STRETCH handle/frame I believe would be an excellent folder to design a new-sized Spyderco Hawkbill. It would be in a size range that I believe would be very popular. Well just look at how well most everyone likes the STRETCH model. What the heck the Spyderhawk was based on the handle/frame of the ENDURA model and look at all the fanfare it still enjoys

A new Hawkbill folder based on the STRETCH model That should be a thread all it's own. But one that Spyderco should seriously consider especially with all the new found interest in Hawkbills and Reverse S style blades.

 

[Knifeoholic]

Well, sounds like your on board! :thumbup: I've used the Stretch for a lot of pull cuts as well, and I find when holding the knife in that position, it still offers a really comfortable grip! Very well thought out design IMO, ergonomic and very comfortable to use pretty much any way you hold it! (Mr. Glesser, if your reading this, please pat yourself on the back for a job well done!!!) :thumbup:
I'd really like to try out a plain edge hawkbill as well. I could see it having some advantages too. It would be cool to try a little side by side comparison between the two on some different cutting tasks. Just because.............cutting stuff is fun! . I'm really diggin the SE though. I was just reading through some of the posts again, and BluesBender brought up a really good advantage to the SE. Being that, if cutting super abrasive materials and the edges dull on you, the serrations will still continue to make aggressive cuts. This could make a big difference in some situations. Especially ones where time is money! . Speaking of money.....all this talk of different blades has got my wallet running for cover!

 

[JD Spydo]

Well, sounds like your on board! :thumbup: I've used the Stretch for a lot of pull cuts as well, and I find when holding the knife in that position, it still offers a really comfortable grip! Very well thought out design IMO, ergonomic and very comfortable to use pretty much any way you hold it! (Mr. Glesser, if your reading this, please pat yourself on the back for a job well done!!!) :thumbup:
I'd really like to try out a plain edge hawkbill as well. I could see it having some advantages too. It would be cool to try a little side by side comparison between the two on some different cutting tasks. Just because.............cutting stuff is fun! . I'm really diggin the SE though. I was just reading through some of the posts again, and BluesBender brought up a really good advantage to the SE. Being that, if cutting super abrasive materials and the edges dull on you, the serrations will still continue to make aggressive cuts. This could make a big difference in some situations. Especially ones where time is money! . Speaking of money.....all this talk of different blades has got my wallet running for cover!

Yeah the more I think about using a STRETCH model handle set up to create a new Hawkbill blade in a new size range the more I'm convinced that would be about the perfect size for most people that might just want one Hawkbill blade for specialized cutting jobs. And trust me I do own many of Spyderco's Hawkbill blades and I'm here to tell you all from raw experience that Spyderedged Hawkbill blades far outperform their PE Hawkbills by a huge margin IMO. Oh I do use PE Hawkbills on some jobs but not nearly as much as I do the Spyderedged models.

This is making perfect sense because I've heard a lot of the Brethren say that the Spyderhawk was just a bit too big for they needed a Hawkbill for. Something between the Harpy and the Spyderhawk might just be way overdue. I do hope that Sal & Company are reading this thread because I believe that they could really cash in on a model like that.

I'm also given more thought to the possible advantages that a fixed blade Hawkbill might have to offer. AS much as I dearly love Spyderco's folders I have to face the facts that fixed blades are just better for really hard jobs. And I'm wondering if a STRETCH Hawkbill might even make a better fixed blade than a Spyderhawk sized blade would.

 

[Knifeoholic]

^^^ Fixed blade hawkbill???............YES! We are definitely on the same page! I've been hoping for a fixed blade version of the Stretch for a while..... and with a hawkbill blade.....:thumbup:. Great idea dude! Like you said, their folders are great! But in some situations, using a fixed blade is just the way to go.

I've been diggin' the H1 steel, but would love to try something different. I know in previous posts there was mention of LC200N as well as VG-10, any other steels y'all would like to try for a hawkbill?

 

[JD Spydo]

^^^ Fixed blade hawkbill???............YES! We are definitely on the same page! I've been hoping for a fixed blade version of the Stretch for a while..... and with a hawkbill blade.....:thumbup:. Great idea dude! Like you said, their folders are great! But in some situations, using a fixed blade is just the way to go.

I've been diggin' the H1 steel, but would love to try something different. I know in previous posts there was mention of LC200N as well as VG-10, any other steels y'all would like to try for a hawkbill?

Well being that it's my Birthday today I think when I get home I'll cut my Birthday Cake with my H-1 Spyderhawk >> now if that isn't a great use for a hawkbill then I don't know what it would take to entice you all to get one of your very own. But I wouldn't start out with a Spyderhawk I would probably start out with a Harpy, Merlin and/or TASMAN.

We had a pallet full of supplies come to our house this morning and it was strapped down with heavy nylon straps and I mean to tell you those straps were really heavy duty. But my SE, H-1 Spyderhawk walked right through them like bow-ribbons. There is nothing as nice as having the right tools for the job. And in this case it was really nice to have all the "overkill power" I needed.

 

[Knifeoholic]

Happy Birthday dude! Cutting the cake with the Spyderhawk should be.....a piece of cake!

 

[JD Spydo]

Happy Birthday dude! Cutting the cake with the Spyderhawk should be.....a piece of cake!

I love that pun "A Piece Of Cake" On a day where I'm entitled to a "Piece Of Cake" Even the plain edged Spyderhawk would walk through that like a laser

But when it comes to "OverKill" I Would Rather Have It and Not Need It> Rather Than To Need It and Not Have It I get at least 2 to 3 comments a day among my Brethren I work with concerning my Spyderco C-36 M390 Military model which I'll admit is a rather hefty/big EDC by most people's standards. It actually borderlines on legal blade lengths here in Missouri>> but it does freak out a lot of the women I work around when I whip it out to cut something. But on the other side of the coin they are all wanting me to cut something for them or they are wanting to use it themselves>> so go figure

But there are very few cutting jobs I can't do with my M390 Military model With my companion Hawkbill blade that I carry a lot with the Millie>>here most of the time here lately I've been EDCing my SE, H-1 Spyderhawk and boy does that get some raised eyebrows. But when these "sheeple" people want something done who do you think they come to almost everytime??? Yeah I get the tap on the shoulder quite a bit of the time. I just can't for the life of me understand why everyone doesn't carry a Spyder or a Benchmade or a Boker or even a BUCK for crying out loud. I even carried one of my BUCK models when I was back in high scool ( during the dinosaur era ). Have the men in this country become emasculated !!! Well it would seem so

Every man and woman should carry one PE Spyderco Folder and one fully serrated companion folder (preferably a Hawkbill ) and no one should think a thing of it. Because when I was growing up even my teachers at school would often ask if they could use my BUCK folder that I always carried. I got an idea and it's something you can use a Hawkbill for Let's be men and women again and let America be what it's supposed to be :thumbup:

Oh!! By the Way!! you can always use your Hawkbill ( PE or SE) to open your mail with And open your groceries with too. CASE CLOSED!!!

 

[Knifeoholic]

Totally agree JD, better to have and not need, than to need and not have! Also, I've had similar experiences with the Millie at work....it seems to be an eye widener for sure!

Just this week, I had to kindly ask 3 different people at work to buy their own knives. One fella asked me to use it to cut a rubber hose. For some reason, I actually debated it for a moment, before I asked him what the part number was on it. After he told me, I replied "absolutely not"! There is a nice piece of think steel wire that runs through the center of it so that it can be shaped........accident avoided! . So yes, I definitely think everyone should carry their OWN knife (or knives)!

Enjoy the cake! :thumbup:

 

[JD Spydo]

Totally agree JD, better to have and not need, than to need and not have! Also, I've had similar experiences with the Millie at work....it seems to be an eye widener for sure!

Instead of a G-10 version of the Spyderhawk; I think you've already hit on it without even realizing it>> let's just go for the "gusto" as the old beer commercial used to say Why not just think in completely different terms all together. Why not a C-36 Military HAWKBILL :thumbup:!!?? The more I think about it the more it just makes perfect sense.

Because if you want a Hawkbill blade that's able to take on just about any cutting chore short of a hefty fixed blade Hawkbill I personally couldn't think of a better rendition of a Spyderco Classic//Turned Hawkbill >> Especially in Spyderedge that would just be outright colossal :thumbup: Yeah a C-36 Military; Hawkbill Edition :thumbup:

 

[dtoad]

Also I would not only like to know what cutting jobs you use Hawkbills for but I would also like to know which edge type and which size range of Hawkbill folder you use. Do you all use the micro small units like the Ladybug Hawkbill or the mid-sized models like the Harpy & Tasman models? Or do you all prefer the mammoth sized Hawkbill folder like the Spyderhawk? I want to learn new uses for these great blade designs and their advantages in each edge type.

JD, I as well. Huge hawk blade fan. I use and own many different versions as well as carry one with me 24/7 for self defense. To date, the Brous Elite Enforcer or SS Hawk is my favorite for EDC.

Im a avid Fisherman as well, fish year around and use H1 a ton. The Spyderhawk, is prob my favorite for this purpose. I bleed every fish I boat and especially for Salmon as we use the eggs in which need to be blood free for bait. The catcherman and aqua are also a couple favs i use frequently as well

Here are a couple Spyderhawk user pics!

Great thread, love the hawk blade, and pray that newer versions are in our future. Hope to locate and add a Blue Handled Spyderhawk to my collection some day as well!

Cheers,
Toad

 

[ThePeacent]

not one but two today, they are that great!

 

[dtoad]

bleeders

 

[JD Spydo]

bleeders

Using a plain edged Hawkbill to clean and field dress fish with Now I have used a Spyderedge Hawkbill before field dressing wild game but I have not yet used a Hawkbill for fish cleaning and prep. That is why I launched this thread to begin with. Some information is simply hidden in plain view and I'm willing to bet that there are dozens of uses for PE & SE Hawkbills that haven't even been mentioned yet.

I think that the knife using community has overlooked the advantages of pull cutting for some time now>> people are just resistant to anything new or even things that they never were accustomed to in the past.

You just have to simply carry one as a companion folder and it won't be long that most anyone will find viable uses for both PE & SE Hawkbills.

 

[blueblur]

I gave my dad a Tasmin serrated edge for Christmas last year and he uses it every day at the hardware store he works. Usually opening boxes and says it works great cutting those plastic bands sometimes used on boxes since he can get the tip under the band easily. The se still doesn't need to be sharpened, which I was pretty surprised since he can get S110V to dull pretty bad with about a months use. SE H1 sure is a work horse.

 

[ThePeacent]

I gave my dad a Tasmin serrated edge for Christmas last year and he uses it every day at the hardware store he works. Usually opening boxes and says it works great cutting those plastic bands sometimes used on boxes since he can get the tip under the band easily. The se still doesn't need to be sharpened, which I was pretty surprised since he can get S110V to dull pretty bad with about a months use. SE H1 sure is a work horse.

Gotta have care with those tips. I think these hawksbills have been responsible for 80% of the cuts I've suffered the last years...

half the times I didn't even notice until blood started to flow

still love them!

 

[JD Spydo]

Gotta have care with those tips. I think these hawksbills have been responsible for 80% of the cuts I've suffered the last years...

half the times I didn't even notice until blood started to flow

Holy Cow!!! Peacent I think that you are getting cut up and dinged up even worse than I have over the years . It is incredible how you can get cut really deep with a super sharp blade and not even know it until you see the blood flowing

That's one of the reasons I've been lobbying for a fixed blade Hawkbill because it seems like I cut myself a lot less with a fixed blade than I do with a folder.

 

[5-by-5]

Just scored a Super hawk!