(longpost)¿SS hawkbill ladybug / dragonfly?

6

6Trstn

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Dec 30, 2020
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first post here, i basically made an account to bring this up. recently im sort of back into knives. i'm old enough now and have the money to choose the few that i want and ill need. i'm not very into knife collecting, im more the type to have only a few devoted possessions with a specific function, that aren't too flashy and to my preference. for knives, these are the old smaller sized spyderco folders, typically with ss handles. im absolutely and enthusiast over how they look. these designs feel so sleek, and they look very unusual but simplistic, not to mention also highly functional. the shape of them just come together so nicely opened and closed. so i've pretty much narrowed it down to 3 that i really would like to own. but the third one sadly doesn't exist. the two i have currently are a serrated vg10 cricket and a kiwi 3. which im sure most of you know are small unusual little knives with very sleek profiles. i'm having trouble picking a knife that is a mix up of characteristics, a stainless steel ladybug or dragonfly, in a hawkbill blade. i love the look and function of hawkbill blades so i have to own at least one, and spyderco seem to make amazing looking ones of course. i enjoy the harpy and the other hawkbill folders by spyderco, but they are too big for my preference, also the handles don't wow me in terms of design. what do though, are the dragonfly or the ladybug, also being especially smaller. spyderco do a run of these particular knives only under the salt series, which only come in yellow frn handles... it looks fine, it doesnt ruin any aspect of the quality, but in my preference these handle shapes look 10x more gorgeous in polished steel. spyderco made stainless steel models of the dragonfly and ladybug, just not with a hawkbill blade essentially. so the question im raising is, can you take apart say a hawkbill salt ladybug and transfer the blade onto an ss ladybug handle? i believe these knives can be taken apart and cleaned correct? im really curious if anyone has ever done this. heres couple pics off google just to imagine how it would look, anyone else think this would be cool?
FIT4LB3-Hawkbill+Salt-1-wm%20(2).jpg
71vnU56NWXL.jpg
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SPYDERCOC28PDRAGONFLYSSPLAINEDGE5_1024x1024.jpg
 
Welcome to the forum! Can't see your pics, sadly.

The Salt series knives are not exactly "disassembly friendly". You might be able to blade swap, though because you just need to pop out the pivot pin then slide the blade out. The real trick is going to be getting the blade and washers back in after. If you manage both, I'll be super impressed. Just careful you don't lose the washers when you take the blade out, they have a habit of disappearing. Hehehe.

Oh and SS handles: I know nothing about them from a modder/tinkerer perspective. Sorry.
 
You would quickly find out the FRN versions use a different diameter pivot than the stainless models use. You would only find this out *after* you destroyed your SS model knife. As I've often said, if you have to ask, you aren't ready to try it.
 
yablanowitz said:
You would quickly find out the FRN versions use a different diameter pivot than the stainless models use. You would only find this out *after* you destroyed your SS model knife. As I've often said, if you have to ask, you aren't ready to try it.
Click to expand...
that is what the intention of asking first is for. depending on the answer i would be ready to try it. your response laid out the scenario on how bad it would fail if i didn't know what i was doing first. i'm already taking the steps to avoid that by making this thread. thanks anyway.
 
i realize this probably can't be done without knife modifying experience and the right equipment. and being especially difficult with spydercos ss back lock handle. most people will just tell me its not worth it. maybe not. but jeez i really wish they would make a variant like this. would look absolutely wicked.
 
So basically a stainless steel handled hawkbill ladybug. Hmmm.... It wouldn't be on my radar, but if you like enough I am sure there is a way to make it happen.

By the way don't listen to the first guy who responded. Salt knives don't have washers. ;)
 
Sal Glesser said:
Hi 6Trstn,

Welcome to our forum.

sal
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hey Sal, appreciate the welcome. I hear you're the owner of Spyderco, perhaps you could help me out by manufacturing your h1 hawkbill dragonfly or ladybug in steel handles version. might be a silly request, but hey worth a shot :)
 
Hi 6Trstn,

We have no plans to do so at this time. I think you are one of the only people asking for this model in a stainless handle.

sal
 
The best compromise I see based on your unique desires is to die the yellow scales if you don't care for yellow. Getting metal handles on those will be challenging.

Based on what I see on my byrd crossbill and stock images of the ladybig, the stainless scales aren't screwed on so they cannot be easy removed.
 
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The closest stock knife I can find to the size of the ladybug is a klein tools hawkbill available from some hardware stores. It's not a spyderco but might work.

Personally, I would go with RIT dyed dragonfly or ladybug (I prefer the dragonfly) and keep the FRN. It's going to stay really lightweight and have much better grip as the stainless covers can get slick and on a small knife, that's a no-no for me. That's my preference anyway and not necessarily yours.

Here's what my native salt looks like after some RIT dye. These were from 2 different batches. The nice thing about yellow FRN is that you can die it nearly any color because it starts out so light.
T1OGKLsl.jpg
 
6 6Trstn

bikerector said:
I would go with RIT dyed dragonfly or ladybug (I prefer the dragonfly) and keep the FRN. It's going to stay really lightweight and have much better grip
Click to expand...

Seconded, on all counts.
 
bikerector said:
The closest stock knife I can find to the size of the ladybug is a klein tools hawkbill available from some hardware stores. It's not a spyderco but might work.

Personally, I would go with RIT dyed dragonfly or ladybug (I prefer the dragonfly) and keep the FRN. It's going to stay really lightweight and have much better grip as the stainless covers can get slick and on a small knife, that's a no-no for me. That's my preference anyway and not necessarily yours.

Here's what my native salt looks like after some RIT dye. These were from 2 different batches. The nice thing about yellow FRN is that you can die it nearly any color because it starts out so light.
T1OGKLsl.jpg
Click to expand...
i don't mind the frn being yellow. if it has to be their frn handle, i would probably choose it to be yellow personally. the feature of highly brushed metal is an entirely different material to look at, its best feature being reflective to light and color. it makes a distinctively different feeling of what it is for me. it also has a lot to do with how these small spyderco models are designed, that give me like a surgical folding knife vibe, but for tactical purposes.
anyway, sounds like it aint gonna happen. i'll most likely just stick with the 2 i have, but if i decide to add a ladybug or dragonfly to my collection the frn in yellow is fine
 
The last optuon, and most expensive, would be to have some custom metal scales made that you could put onto the FRN model. I've never heard of stainless being used but aluminum, copper, and brass are more common, just not with those models, to my understanding. If you're into tinkering, may be worth a try. Aluminum can polish up really nice, I've seen a lot of it in the bicycle world.
 
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