Rarity of G-10 Harpy

[mrknife]

Hey, everyone, occasionally pop into see if theres a sprint run of PE harpies, but Im facing a dilemma. How likely is one to bump into a "new" G-10 Harpy SE? Or NOS? (the hannibal lector knife? not sure if his was G-10 or CF) Thanks!

 

[The Deacon]

The G-10 Harpy only appears on the '97 and '98 price lists, so it's safe to say that it wasn't produced for long. Minimum production run for Japanese model is around 1200 pieces, so it's reasonable to assume that at least that many, or some multiple of that many were made. It does seem to be one of those models where most who bought them never resold them. Even back in 2003, when I first got interested in Spydercos, they rarely showed up on eBay or the Exchange here. Value in "as new" condition, with appropriate box, is hard to peg. I'd go so far as to speculate that it's probably somewhere north of double their original MSRP of $114, but I have no idea how far. Lack of box would lower value, knife being in anything but dead mint condition would lower it significantly.

As for Hannibal Lecter's Harpy, I'm pretty sure it was all stainless in the book. Could possibly have been G-10 in the movie, could also have been stainless, dulled down with matte spray or wrapped with gaffer's tape to kill glare. Couldn't have been the CF Sprint Run version as it didn't come until 4 years after the movie.

EDITED TO ADD: Just realized that, given when the movie was made, it could also have been an FRN Merlin.

 

[mrknife]

The G-10 Harpy only appears on the '97 and '98 price lists, so it's safe to say that it wasn't produced for long. ...MSRP of $114, but I have no idea how far. Lack of box would lower value, knife being in anything but dead mint condition would lower it significantly.

As for Hannibal Lecter's Harpy, I'm pretty sure it was all stainless in the book. Could possibly have been G-10 in the movie, could also have been stainless, dulled down with matte spray or wrapped with gaffer's tape to kill glare. Couldn't have been the CF Sprint Run version as it didn't come until 4 years after the movie.

EDITED TO ADD: Just realized that, given when the movie was made, it could also have been an FRN Merlin.

Much obliged for the info! theres one currently floating in the bay atm, but im hesitant. many watchers too. thanks again!

 

[JD Spydo]

I've owned two of them and both units were made with ATS-55 blade steel and from what I've been told that was the only steel they ever used on the original G-10 Harpy. I carried/ EDCed one for almost 8 years and then it got stolen from me

I want so bad for Spyderco to at least do a Sprint Run of G-10 Harpy models. With the success they had bringing back the POLICE model with G-10 handles you just have to believe that a G-10 handled Harpy would do much better now that it's a well known and well established Spyderco model.

Beware of counterfeits and find out which blade steel that the one on Ebay has. Also I don't believe that they ever made the G-10 Harpy in plain edge either from what I was told.

 

[mrknife]

I've owned two of them and both units were made with ATS-55 blade steel and from what I've been told that was the only steel they ever used on the original G-10 Harpy. I carried/ EDCed one for almost 8 years and then it got stolen from me

I want so bad for Spyderco to at least do a Sprint Run of G-10 Harpy models. With the success they had bringing back the POLICE model with G-10 handles you just have to believe that a G-10 handled Harpy would do much better now that it's a well known and well established Spyderco model.

Beware of counterfeits and find out which blade steel that the one on Ebay has. Also I don't believe that they ever made the G-10 Harpy in plain edge either from what I was told.

thanks for the info! and sorry about the loss theres one floating around, and it looks alright, but im not too experienced with spyderco, I favor the one model at best, and the merlin just cause its hawkbill. Guess Ill keep watching for PE. The one in Hannibal, looked especially polished which Im sure is movie magic to make sure it picks up better.

 

[The Deacon]

Just to clarify. The G-10 Harpy was never made in PE. However, according to Sal there is one out there, somewhere, that was a gift to someone who was a very active Spyderco collector back when they were made. Even that one left Japan serrated, it was reground in Golden to PE. Realistically, if you want a PE Harpy, your choices are as follows:

The original GIN-1 all stainless version - however, like the serrated Harpy of this era, it has a one piece combination lock spring and backspacer which has proven prone to failure over the years.
The VG-10 CF Sprint Run version - there should be roughly 600 of these out there, but they're hard to find and expensive when you do.
The VG-10 all stainless "Japanese market" version - never officially imported by Spyderco but, over the years, a fair number of these have found their way to the USA.
The ATS-55 FRN Merlin - slightly thinner blade, somewhat different handle, another model that's not very easy to find.
The H-1 Tasman Salt - same basic specs as the Merlin above, aside from the steel, but it's still in production which makes it the easiest and least expensive way to acquire a PE hawkbill Spyderco.

 

[JD Spydo]

Now in all honesty the original, ATS-55 G-10 Harpy I carried and used for close to 8 years before it got stolen had a G-10 handle that was quite different from the G-10 used on many Spyderco knives in this present time>> the G-10 they are using now is considerably more grippy than the older stuff IMO. Which is much more reason for wanting a return to the main line up or at least a Sprint Run of the G-10 Harpy. Because undoubtedly they would use the newer/better G-10 and would more than likely use VG-10 blade steel which Is a slightly better blade steel than ATS-55 according to testing that Spyderco did at one time.

Don't get me wrong because ATS-55 is not a bad blade steel at all. There are 4 Spyders in my EDC rotation that I still use that have ATS-55 but I do believe with personal experience that VG-10 is a step up for sure. It would do my soul well if Spyderco would indeed at least do a Sprint Run of the G-10 Harpy.

 

[mrknife]

Just to clarify. The G-10 Harpy was never made in PE. However, according to Sal there is one out there, somewhere, that was a gift to someone who was a very active Spyderco collector back when they were made. Even that one left Japan serrated, it was reground in Golden to PE. Realistically, if you want a PE Harpy, your choices are as follows:

The original GIN-1 all stainless version - however, like the serrated Harpy of this era, it has a one piece combination lock spring and backspacer which has proven prone to failure over the years.
The VG-10 CF Sprint Run version - there should be roughly 600 of these out there, but they're hard to find and expensive when you do.
The VG-10 all stainless "Japanese market" version - never officially imported by Spyderco but, over the years, a fair number of these have found their way to the USA.
The ATS-55 FRN Merlin - slightly thinner blade, somewhat different handle, another model that's not very easy to find.
The H-1 Tasman Salt - same basic specs as the Merlin above, aside from the steel, but it's still in production which makes it the easiest and least expensive way to acquire a PE hawkbill Spyderco.

ooo i managed to get one from a member, and another member offered to gift it to me. i do have it in stainless steel, but it would be cool to get the others in PE+other handles. I occasionally check in to see if Sal finally agrees to do a sprint room. I do think about grinding down the SE harpy just so id have another but im just leaving it as it. I do have some Merlins in yellow and in black but wish I can get my hands on steel covers for it. I guess its a very niche knife. Thanks for all the info! itll help gauge the price range for these things

 

[brownshoe]

The G-10 Harpy did not sell well. Spyderco dumped them on SMKW who sold them out in the catalog for $50. That's how I got mine. They showed up for sale at gun show dealers for the following ~5 years, going up in price to MSRP, then disappeared. The next sprint run was in Carbon fiber and it had a plain edge version.

 

[JD Spydo]

The G-10 Harpy did not sell well. Spyderco dumped them on SMKW who sold them out in the catalog for $50. That's how I got mine. They showed up for sale at gun show dealers for the following ~5 years, going up in price to MSRP, then disappeared. The next sprint run was in Carbon fiber and it had a plain edge version.

And BROWNSHOE I can certainly appreciate that. But the market has changed dramatically for Spyders with G-10 handles. When Spyderco's first G-10 Harpy was in the main line up they were not all that easy to find. I don't even think that the Harpy model had gained a lot of fanfare at that point either. I distinctly remember that time and it was weird in a lot of ways. Take the original C-54 big Calypso model. It only appeared in one of Spyderco's catalogs and it was one of those little catalogs that they put in the knife boxes themselves. I don't remember it or the G-10 Harpy in any of the dealer's catalogs at all.

But since that growing time in Spyderco's history a lot has changed. People are learning how good of a tool that Hawkbill knives are when used as companion blades. The Spyderhawk was a failure of sorts in the first go-around>> it was only listed in one catalog and that was the 2003 catalog and it was only available for one year. But when it came back in the H-1 Salt series it enjoyed considerably more commercial success the second time around. I believe a G-10 Harpy and G-10 Spyderhawk models both would do well in today's market.

 

[The Deacon]

And BROWNSHOE I can certainly appreciate that. But the market has changed dramatically for Spyders with G-10 handles. When Spyderco's first G-10 Harpy was in the main line up they were not all that easy to find. I don't even think that the Harpy model had gained a lot of fanfare at that point either. I distinctly remember that time and it was weird in a lot of ways. Take the original C-54 big Calypso model. It only appeared in one of Spyderco's catalogs and it was one of those little catalogs that they put in the knife boxes themselves. I don't remember it or the G-10 Harpy in any of the dealer's catalogs at all.

But since that growing time in Spyderco's history a lot has changed. People are learning how good of a tool that Hawkbill knives are when used as companion blades. The Spyderhawk was a failure of sorts in the first go-around>> it was only listed in one catalog and that was the 2003 catalog and it was only available for one year. But when it came back in the H-1 Salt series it enjoyed considerably more commercial success the second time around. I believe a G-10 Harpy and G-10 Spyderhawk models both would do well in today's market.

That's one way of looking at it, JD. The other is the question of what it would cost and how many people would be willing to pay that much for one. Lot's of folks will jump on a bandwagon claiming interest, but quite a few of them will bail once they hear what a knife is actually going to cost. The G-10 Worker Sprint had a $280 MSRP, a $168 MAP, and is still languishing on dealer shelves roughly 2 years after its release. Given that a G-10 Harpy would share everything with that Worker except the blade shape and (possibly) the G-10 color, there's no rational reason to believe it would cost less. If anything, like almost everything in the Spyderco catalog, it would cost a bit more today than it would have 2 years ago.

As for the Spyderhawk, not sure if the H-1 version actually sold all that much better than the VG-10 ones. IIRC, it only stayed in the catalog for a couple years.

 

[brownshoe]

I don't believe there is any new love for hawkbills in the buying public. The local bike/camping shop used to carry the stainless steel harpy for years and discontinued it two years ago. Not many people I know have a use for a hawkbill outside of gardening nor do many people carry "companion blades"

At about $80 delivered for a stainless or FRN Tasman who needs a G10 at a higher price? What's the advantage?

 

[JD Spydo]

I don't believe there is any new love for hawkbills in the buying public. The local bike/camping shop used to carry the stainless steel harpy for years and discontinued it two years ago. Not many people I know have a use for a hawkbill outside of gardening nor do many people carry "companion blades"

At about $80 delivered for a stainless or FRN Tasman who needs a G10 at a higher price? What's the advantage?

Oh I respectfully beg to differ with you on a couple of those points you made "Brownshoe" First of all the buying public for all intents and purposes have not really been made aware of Spyderco's Hawkbill blades ( or any other Hawkbills for that matter) so as of now you really have a limited following except for those who have tried them and actually used them. They truly have to be used to be appreciated IMO.

Because almost everyone I've talked to who actually used a Spyderco Hawkbill for the first time liked the added versatility they have for pull cutting. Also keep in mind that Hawkbill blades are a specialty item and they most certainly are not for everyone. But in my daily cutting chores I find them quite handy ( especially the serrated, SE models).

I personally find G-10 to be a much more rigid and durable handle material that I personally have a lot more confidence in when using on hard jobs. FRN handles are nice on some jobs but the G-10 Harpy I carried and used for about 8 years was a dream and it wasn't even comparable to the Merlin ( FRN handled Hawkbill model) or TASMAN either one. It had much better grip factor and was significantly lighter than stainless handles. Also I find that G-10 is easier to maintain than FRN or stainless>> I find G-10 much easier to clean and maintain.

If the guys that own and use Spyderco Hawkbills now would get the chance to use a G-10 Harpy ( or any other G-10 handled Hawkbill) I have no doubt that the G-10 Harpy would sell much better if they got a chance to try them. Just the vast difference that the Ayoob Sprint Run with G-10 scales was over the original Almite version of the early part of the 2000 decade>> it truly was a "night & day" difference to the up side with the G-10 scales they used the second go-around with that model. I even like G-10 somewhat better than Micarta which used to be about my favorite handle material at one time.

 

[brownshoe]

You sure do love your Spyderco hawkbills Too bad your G10 Harpy was stolen, did you get it replaced?

My G10 Harpy has about 2mm off the tip (broke off but reground by spyderco) and a self-customized back liner (the tip would bottom out and the liner needed to be filed down so the tip wouldn't hit anymore.) The g10 is real smooth. I carry it most often when I go to areas that have blade restrictions but I feel I need something for comfort/self-defense. Maybe I should take it into the yard, but I use an old Cold Steel Voyager with the spydreco intergral clip for yard work.

 

[JD Spydo]

You sure do love your Spyderco hawkbills Too bad your G10 Harpy was stolen, did you get it replaced?

My G10 Harpy has about 2mm off the tip (broke off but reground by spyderco) and a self-customized back liner (the tip would bottom out and the liner needed to be filed down so the tip wouldn't hit anymore.) The g10 is real smooth.

Yeah I tend to agree with you on that one BROWNSHOE>> because the G-10 on my original G-10 Harpy is nothing like the G-10 of any of my Spyders that I've gotten in the past 5 years especially. The newer G-10 has a much better grip factor to be sure.

I would really love it if they would bring back the G-10 Harpy in SE & PE and have different handle colors for the different edge types just like they did with the original VG-10 Spyderhawk model.

 

[ThePeacent]

I've quite dreamt with G10 feeling (favorite handle material for me) in my Spyderhawk or Tasman

but G10 hawkbills are expensive on the secondary market, and I can't justify them just for a "different feel" on the scales
I'll wait for a G10 Spyderhawk, time is no object here, I want it perfect even if I have to wait loooong time

 

[carbonsteelfan]

Hello , gentlemen . It's been a while since l was on blade forums. But now I'm back and l saw this thread. Being an avid Harpy enthusiast , l feel l must chip in.
The G-10 handle harpy was only made in serrated edge format. It was made for only two years from 1997 to 1998. They were made in two steels. Gin 1 and ATS55. I happen to be the lucky owner of an ATS-55 one. It was a Gift from my maternal grandfather. My Grandfather recalls buying it from a store for $56 when he visited America back in 2000. So this seems to correspond with what Brownshoe said. I absolutely love this knife. It is a brilliant piece. It is my speculation that the G-10 harpy did not sell well because people maybe considered the G-10 models to be more inferior to the Stainless steel models. But from personal experience after using it during my frequent fishing trips , l actually like the G-10 model a lot. When you're hands are wet ( which happens alot in fishing trips and for people who work in the sea ) then stainless steel handles can be very slippery. However the G-10 harpy is really convenient to grip onto even with wet hands.
Regarding the knife used by Dr. Hannibal Lecter ,
In the book , it was a serrated stainless steel harpy . This is because the events of the book is set in 1993 , which is 4 years before the G-10 model came out. And it is clearly mentioned as being serrated.
In the movie , it was a Serrated G-10 Harpy. I say this because a stunt version of the screen used knife can be visible in the Hannibal props museum web site. You can clearly recognize the handle as being a G-10 one . Most probably film production decided to use it because as Brown shoe points out , it was cheaper at that time than the stainless steel model. Hope this helps

 

[JD Spydo]

I just can't understand for the life of me why Spyderco won't do at least a Sprint Run G-10 Harpy Or even another Carbon Fiber Harpy in a Sprint Run in SE & PE.

I would even love it if they would do Sprint Runs of the Merlin ( the FRN version of the Harpy) in some of the newer/better blade steels. For people that don't need the super corrosion resistance of the H-1 TASMAN the return of the MERLIN model would sure be a welcome Sprint Run.

I would love to even see a G-10 version of the Spyderhawk at some point. But overall I do hope the rest of you fellow Harpy fans keep beating the drum for a new Sprint Run of the G-10 Harpy>> or even a Merlin if nothing else