Harpy??

N

newknifeguy

Joined
Mar 18, 2001
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815
I found a store that has a New Harpy for 48 dollars. This appears to be a great price. Is it a great price, and what do you guys think of this knife. It is alittle scarey looking. Thanks.
 
Just picked mine up today at around 11:00 this morning eastern time. Excellent knife so far. And I payed $83 for it so I think you should get it for $48...excellent deal....this is the last knife I am buying for a looooooong time, the next time I buy will be for a Plain Edge Harpy due out in 2002.
:)

Can't go wrong with a serrated Harpy and a plain edge Merlin....when I get my plain edge stainless Harpy I am gonna retire my plain edge Merlin and will have two Harpies on me :cool:
 
harpy is ok, but my fav in that style is the matriarch, bigger than the harpy, and still fairly cheap - but that is a good deal on the harpy, get it if ya like it imho.....


sifu
 
I think he would prefer a Harpy because it can also be used for self defense and just regular work. The Matriarch is made for self defense only and if broken or damaged when doing everyday work like cutting boxes with it is not covered by the warranty.They are two different knives with different purposes. :)
 
I may look into getting a Merlin...I love my SS Harpy but find in some ways it's ground a bit too thickly to cut smoothly for some cutting jobs, and the Merlin looks a bit thinner.
Jim
 
I have a Merlin and a Harpy. I carry the Merlin a lot and my wife likes the Harpy in her purse. If memory serves me correctly, I gave around 48 dollars for my Harpy nearly 15 yrs ago so $48.00 would be an excellent price for one today.
 
I carry both a Merlin and a Harpy as EDCs. The plain edge Merlin on my left front and the SS Harpy on the right front, BTW I am right handed, so that shows I prefer the Harpy .....:cool:
 
Hi Folks,

I have recently been contemplating the purchase of a Harpy in G-10, thinking that a local store still had some for a great price. It turns out that they were wrong on the price, and out of stock. So, I return in my fascination to the s/s Harpy, which I have thought for a long time might be great for me. I love other s/s Spydies, such as my two police models and my Rookie. So, it seems like one of these would make a great companion to my other knives.

They really are good for general purpose use, are they? I always thought the Harpy to be quite specialized.

Jeff/1911.
 
Originally posted by Jeff/1911
They really are good for general purpose use, are they? I always thought the Harpy to be quite specialized.
Click to expand...
Until you've carried a hawkbill you don't know how versatile and useful they are. Pick one up, you won't regret it.
 
Jason said it all. After carrying and using the Harpy you will definitely get an appreciation of how good an EDC the hawkbills are. Great for utility and it can get nasty if need be. I've been carrying a Spyderco Harpy/Merlin in one form or another since they first came out in the 80s. Also makes an ideal whitewater rescue knife.
 
The G-10 Harpy is IMHO the greatest hawkbill on earth. It's easier to hang onto than a stainless Harpy.

While the Merlins are nice, they are thinner blades and the composite handles are "cheaper" looking than a G-10 Harpy. Don't take that as a criticism of the Merlin. It's just that the Harpy is a higher quality more professional knife.

I carry one as one of my two every day carry knives.

Didn't know a plain edge Harpy was on the way in 2002. If it's offered with G-10 scales I'll be buying one.
 
Fellows,

Thank you for the feedback. I am interested particularly in the Harpy, as opposed to the Merlin and it's just a matter of which one to get. I sure like the idea of G-10, but I'm having trouble finding one. I can buy the s/s version locally, which I much prefer doing so as to support my local knifeshop and also so I can handle the knife before I buy it. Perhaps I'll get the stainless model to start with, and then once I am incurably bitten by the hawkbill bug, I'll likely be motivated to do what it takes to acquire the G-10 version.

Cheers, Jeff/1911.
 
I have come to like the frn plain-edged Merlin after continued use in the last few months. It's a great edc for opening snack bags, cutting out articles, opening letters, removing the pesky wrapping that CD's come in, and cutting open those heavy clear plastic packaging that batteries and toys always seem to come in. I like the Harpy as well but the pe Merlin blade (for edc) looks less menacing than the serrated hawkbill. I want a pe ss Harpy when it becomes available.
 
Toothed,

I appreciate your comments about the Merlin, as I have no experience with this knife. I am also interested in the plain edged Harpy, when it becomes available. Aside from the "menacing" aspect, do you think that the plain edge of the Merlin does a significantly better job on those things you mentioned than the serrated blade of the Harpy would?

Jeff/1911.
 
Jeff,

I use the plain edge Merlin in my shop, but use the serrated version (usually G-10 Harpy) for EDC. Serrated will stay usefull longer and sharpens easier (Sharpmaker 204) plus has the "ugly factor" if needed. G-10 is more robust and has the best gripping surface.
 
Mike,

I appreciate your input. I will continue to search for a G-10 Harpy as I certainly understand the value of G-10 as handle matl'. I also value the "ugly factor" in an EDC knife.

Cheers, Jeff/1911.
 
Jeff, for raw cutting power the SpyderEdge (serrated) can't be beat. However, I like the Merlin because it is slightly lighter for edc than the Harpy, it is tip-up, and it can be configured for weakside carry. (I carry a hawkbill as a secondary knife). The main reasons I prefer the plain edge are it seems less menacing and appears easier to sharpen. The Merlin's blade is only slightly shorter than the Matriarch's but its (Merlin's) thicker point makes it more versatile for utility purposes. Since I only anticipate light to moderate cutting chores, I do not need the extra gripping advantage of G-10. I also have an ss Harpy and G-10 Harpy which I like very much and carry on occasion. I also have two Civilians (G-10 & CF), a Matriarch, and a MT Kestrel but the Merlin is my favorite edc hawkbill. I've been thinking of getting one of Mike's neck sheaths for the Merlin someday.
 
Toothed,

I appreciate the benefit of your experience. I will take a close look at the Merlin as well.

Jeff.
 
Well,

I went out and bought the stainess Harpy today. It's a sweet little thing, with a not-so-sweet attitude. I really like it. I would prefer it without the drying vent in the side of the scale, as it's a bit rough on the fingertips and I don't really think I'll ever submerge it. Besides, the G-10 version doesn't have this vent, so how do they dry out their innards? This seems like a bit of an inconsistency to me.

Anyhow, I'm already making inquiries about the G-10 Harpy as I have now decided that I most certainly do need one of those. Grin.

Jeff/1911.
 
yes the drying vents felt funny and a little rough on my finger tips at first also... but after 20 minutes of playing with it.. I am used to it :cool:
 
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