What do you use your Harpy for?

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Nyfeguy

Joined
Nov 1, 2013
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I recently picked up a Spyderco Harpy and I love it! Its very different from my other knives and I am probably just going to use it for special jobs or keep as a show piece. I am curious what people out there use theirs for?
 
I used mine mainly for cutting rope, twine, netting etc as a commercial fisherman. They excel at pull cutting and anything that demands using the point of the blade, opening boxes cuttng carpet etc.

my one complaint was that the knife had little to no grip when my hands were wet or slimy. If I got another hawkbill it would probably be a tasman salt with a FRN handle. It is a much more secure grip than the smooth stainless steel.
 
I don't have a Harpy, but I EDC a plain edge Tasman Salt. It's my "work" knife, and I use it to open boxes and break them down, open food packages, etc. For that kind of stuff, a hawkbill or sheepsfoot/wharncliffe excels. Once you start using it, you'll realize how useful it is and wonder why you went this long without it.
 
I don't have a harpy but I do carry a hawkbill- a ladybug salt HB, while its not my main EDC (its on my keys) I use it all the time and at some point will step up to a SE Tasman. I use it for everything- so much more than a standard PE ladybug! Rope/twine/paracord, plants, small sticks, food prep, pretty much all fiberous material. I don't use it for this but in an emergency I would have no problem (and it would do much better than a straight PE) at digging in the ground/other material. Also once I get a Tasman I'll probabily use it for drywall (I don't do much dry wall, just DIY type stuff around he house, but I could deff. see it usefull for a drywall saw if need-be).

I guess the thing that surprised me most about it (its my only SE) was how well it actually cut, I had seen everyone say "oh it rips threw material so well" so I expected it to tear threw stuff, well it does "tear threw stuff" but it cuts much more cleanly that I ever thought.
 
I was talking to a guy around here who sharpens knives for a living. He said he can't sharpen SE Harpys or the like and says when the edge is gone you gotta just throw it away?! Any truth here? If not, how do you sharpen your harpy?
 
Nyfeguy said:
I was talking to a guy around here who sharpens knives for a living. He said he can't sharpen SE Harpys or the like and says when the edge is gone you gotta just throw it away?! Any truth here? If not, how do you sharpen your harpy?
Click to expand...

Don't talk to him anymore. Ceramic rods (like in the Sharpmaker) will sharpen that knife just fine. A stone (or any sufficiently wide sharpening surface) will not.
 
Nyfeguy said:
I was talking to a guy around here who sharpens knives for a living. He said he can't sharpen SE Harpys or the like and says when the edge is gone you gotta just throw it away?! Any truth here? If not, how do you sharpen your harpy?
Click to expand...

the guy obviously doesn't know what he is talking about. OR the sharpening business is so good you can just throw away $70 knives like they are a disposable box cutter. the sharpmaker sharpens serrations and hawkbills and serrated hawkbills just fine. I am horrible about keeping up on sharpening so I have the diamond rods as well, plus the rope that I cut is tough on the edge after sitting on the sandy seafloor for a year. If you touch up your harpy every couple of days you'll get a LOT of life out of the knife.
 
Thanks for the input guys. I think I will be buying a sharpmaker and firing this guy before he even touches one of my knives!
 
Any knife sharpener with a triangle shaped stone can sharpen serrations. The sharpmaker is spyderco's version, other companies make them as well. Your knife guy only knows how to sharpen with machines which can't handle serrations w/o destroying them over time. In addition, it's also harder to sharpen hawkbills (plain or serrated) on machines as well.

I carry a Harpy for all of the above reasons plus one. As a purpose built tradesman's knife with a curve blade under 3" it is legal carry in most places in the US...plus a wicked self defense knife. It's kind of like a legal matriarch or civilian, which are illegal anywhere carrying a knife for self-defense is not allowed.
 
I've had one for years. I love the lockup and fit/finish of the stainless steel frame. Unfortunately I've never really found a use for the blade.
 
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