Hannibal's knives from the book

I

IanUndertall

Joined
Nov 1, 2001
Messages
33
It seems that people have been debating what knife was used in the movie “Hannibal”. I haven’t seen the movie, but here is what I have found in the book so far.

Chapter 35
Paragraph 9
Dr. Lecter takes up the bright tabloid from a pile of parchment and looks at the picture of Clarice Starling on the cover, touches her face with his finger. The bright blade appears in his hand as thought he had sprouted it to replace hi sixth finger. The knife is called a Harpy and it has a serrated blade shaped like a talon. It slices as easily through the National Tattler as it sliced through the Gypsy’s femoral artery—the blade was in the Gypsy and gone so quickly Dr. Lecter did not even need to wipe it.

Chapter 36
Flash of the Harpy up Pazzi’s front, another swipe severed his attachment to the dolly and he was tilting, tipped over the railing trailing the orange cord, ground coming up in a rush, mouth free to scream, and inside the salon, the floor polisher rushed across the floor and slammed to a stop against the railing, Pazzi jerked head-up, his neck broke and his bowels fell out.

Chapter 55
Dr. Lector “Yes. I’ll have that Harpy, please, and a straight, serrated Spyderco with a four-inch blade, and that drop-point skinner at the back.”

Also:

Dr. Lector “Yes. I’d like a Spyderco Civilian, I don’t see it.”
Buck “Not a whole lot of folks know about that. I never stock but one.”
Dr. Lector “I only require one.”

So now we have to wonder, was the Harpy SS or G-10? Was the Civilian a G-10 or a CF?

Well, I’m not going to lie awake thinking about it.
Ian
 
This is at the Spyderco Forum on the official Spyderco website but since you see the need to post it twice I will also: :D


The debatings of this brought forth trouble to this forum the last time it occurred, but maybe that was just the user. Just do a forum search on Hannibal and read the Hannibal topic it got rather strange/cruel at times.

But the Harpy was SS in the movie and no other Spyderco knives were shown in the movie to my recollection.


That first little section is talking about the Spyderco General Information forum not the one here. :)
 
I'm 2/3s through the book and never saw the movie given its reviews. What I fail to understand is how the Harpy could be "so sharp that no blood remained on the knife" after Lecter cut the Gypsy that Pazzi set up to get Lecter's fingerprints.

Harris has often shown he knows something about weapons although his choices are sometimes...goofy. Witness Graham's selection of a Charter Arms Bulldog .44 SPL in "Red Dragon." The Bulldog has to be the flimsiest revolver ever made.
 
eda-koppo,

I don't know what would happen when a major artery was struck but I've cut myself pretty bad before. When the blade was sharp enough it passed through me so fast that no blood got on it. The bleeding didn't start until after the blade left the flesh. I think that's what the author meant but who knows.
 
TOTC, I see your point although I think (hell, HOPE!) you're talking about minor cuts. The gypsy who ran afoul of Lecter got his femoral artery opened by a Harpy. Given the effects of arterial spray and gravity, I'm just hard-pressed to believe nothing got on the knife, or Lecter.

My worst cut was a finger that required 3 stitches--was also a serrated edge but I don't recall if blood was on the blade (not a Spydie. It was certainly all over the floor, though!
 
Right, I see your point. While my cuts have been nasty at times, in the grand scheme of things they would all be called "minor."

Yea, gravity... artery... Harpy... sounds like a nasty combination.....

But I sure 'nuf aint stupid enough to try out myself to see if I could keep my blade clean :eek:

Maybe Hannibal just kept that Harpy well oiled with a nice thick coat of Tuf-Cloth :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top