Hawkbill blade for fruit peeling/slicing?

[RTR_RTR]

This looks to be a perfect blade profile for a combo fruit peeler/slicer, but I haven't really found anything online stating its use as such. I love opinels and was originally looking at their pruner, but would rather something a little more amenable to fruit juices and the humid south, so have shifted toward looking at the plain edge spyderco tasman in H1.

Having never used a hawkbill profile before, am I wrong in seeing this as a nice profile for this purpose?

P.S. While another more standard blade profile surely would work reasonably well as well, I also just kind of want a new knife , and the hawkbill fits an unfilled category! I'm interested in some of the other more well-established uses of hawkbills as well, but just curious about this one in particular!

 

[hso]

Sorry, but yes. Peeling/fruit knives are going to straight blades instead of hawk bills.

 

[west.22]

the Spyderco Tasman Salt is the knife I carry the most. I find it works very well at everyday tasks like opening packages, letters, cleaning fingernails, etc. once I got the edge bevels to meet with a lansky it has been very easy to resharpen.

 

[rcmodel]

Hawkbills were invented as working tools.
They cut on the draw stroke, and are often used for cutting rope, floor covering, tree pruning, etc.

I wouldn't think they would work at all well for peeling or slicing fruit, although I have never tried it.

But if you want one, don't let that stop you.
Buy it!!

rc

 

[RTR_RTR]

Nothing to be sorry about, I was looking for your more experienced opinions

FWIW, the rationale I was seeing was the curved blade making better surface contact on curved objects, so you could do shallower/quicker cuts, rather than meeting up the tiny bit of straight edge on the curved object.

But this was just in my mind - thank y'all for the input!

 

[ZGunner]

Ive always found the hawkbill to be a little awkward. It takes up a lot of pocket space and its not as easy to sharpen as a convex blade. Having a wide closed dimension makes it an ok make shift bottle opener. But for every day tasks in a bone handle folder I'd go with a stockman or trapper. If you're just worried about peeling fruit get a fruit peeler.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

All I ever used a Hawk bill for was flooring, tar paper and such. That OT8 in my pocket what my lunch or snack fruit got cut or pealed with.

 

[Texan Scott]

Having compared the two (Victorinox Swiss Army Pruner vs sheepsfoot) I found the sheepsfoot (straight blade) much better for cutting/ peeling. Also easier to sharpen.

 

[RTR_RTR]

Thank you all for the input I have an ebay bid in on a tasman. If I find I don't like the hawkbill, I think I'll just try and grind it down to a wharncliffe!

 

[hso]

I think I'll just try and grind it down to a wharncliffe!

That would be a horrible mistake. You'll end up with a very little of the blade left attempting it.
You'd be much better off reselling it and looking for a Wharncliffe.

 

[kBob]

Back in th e 1960's my Mom carried a Barlow hawk bill in her purse. She liked that she had plenty of blade to grab to get it open in those days before blade studs cutt outs and what have you. I wonder if she still has it.

During that time a work aquantance had a bad run in with some one with a fixed carpet knife with a blade of simular shape. He lived and was even at work in two days but he had about gillion stitches from just under one ear almost to the other. It was technecally a superficial cut in that it only layed open the skin exposing alsorts of other wise hidden parts of the human neck. Oh and it stopped his hostile actions at once........

-kBob

 

[saltydog452]

'Hawkbill'

I have my Grand-Dad's Hawkbill. Decision making was pretty simple then, you made do with what was available, or not. 'Hard' money had more than one meaning. Choices were scarce.

Papa had a 'hawkbill' in his pocket from my grammar school days 'till the day he died. During that time, it cleaned fish, castrated hogs, skinned squirrels, 'whittled' for this grand-son, and dug out splinters.

Maybe it wasn't the best choice for the task at hand, but he made it work.

salty

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Back in th e 1960's my Mom carried a Barlow hawk bill in her purse. She liked that she had plenty of blade to grab to get it open in those days before blade studs cutt outs and what have you. I wonder if she still has it.

During that time a work aquantance had a bad run in with some one with a fixed carpet knife with a blade of simular shape. He lived and was even at work in two days but he had about gillion stitches from just under one ear almost to the other. It was technecally a superficial cut in that it only layed open the skin exposing alsorts of other wise hidden parts of the human neck. Oh and it stopped his hostile actions at once........

-kBob

I saw a CW on a building job use one when he got jumped by a vagrant on the job site early one morning. He almost too the guys right hand off at the wrist with a 1970's wood handle hawkbill. They are tough knives.

 

[RTR_RTR]

That would be a horrible mistake. You'll end up with a very little of the blade left attempting it.
You'd be much better off reselling it and looking for a Wharncliffe.

Seems like you would still have a fair amount of utility left if you did it right (granted, I probably wouldn't )

You're right though, that buying another would make more sense. I wouldn't mind a kiwi either

 

[RTR_RTR]

Outbid beyond what I was happy paying for it, so I decided to pick up a buck vantage pro instead to "console" myself. I'll probably be happier with the increased function at any rate!