newbie needs handle advice

[nuala]

hello,



I'm a total newbie who loves knives, but has never owned a Spyderco. having to make a decision on my first one, I chose a Harpy, because-- don't think this is too weird-- I'm a Thomas Harris fan and he has Hannibal Lecter carrying one in the latest book <g>. (Lecter also carries a Civilian but I can't afford one of those at the moment). anyway, I want a serrated one but am not sure which handle to get-- stainless, Zytel or G-10... it'll probably be used often, but not every day. I like the look of the stainless handle but wouldn't it slip out of my hand really easily?



thanks for helping me begin my Spyderco education --nuala

[Blades]

Welcome to the forums nuala!!
The stainless will be hard to hold in extreme use, but might be okay for everyday carry. The G-10 will have the best &quot;grip&quot; of the three. The zytel falls in between the other two. You could always put grip tape or have the stainless engraved to help with the &quot;grip&quot;. The best user of the three in my opinion would be the G-10. Spyderco uses some nice G-10. Hope this helps. <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>


Blades

[Joyce Laituri]

nuala

Welcome to the Spyderco forum.

Thomas Harris is a big Spyderco fan. He has a Military and a Sharpmaker (that we know of).

Does anybody know when Hannibal the movie, is being released? Heard Jodie Foster won't be in it but Anthony Hopkins will be... and probably using knives!

Joyce

[sks]

Get the G-10. Best user handle by far.

[nuala]

&lt;Welcome to the Spyderco forum. &gt;
thanks!
&lt;Thomas Harris is a big Spyderco fan. He has a Military and a Sharpmaker (that we know of).&gt;
I'd been *wondering* whether he was a Spyderco owner after reading &quot;Hannibal.&quot; there's so much detail in there.
&lt;Does anybody know when Hannibal the movie, is being released?&gt;
as far as I know there's not an official release date yet, although I've heard of a possible Valentine's Day opening. they may wait till later in the year if it's going to be up against other blockbusters.
&lt;Heard Jodie Foster won't be in it but Anthony Hopkins will be... and probably using knives!&gt;
I've seen the trailer on adcritic.com, and it looks suitably creepy. I don't suppose it's the type of movie that a company would want product plugs in, but Spyderco would sure get some business out of it! &gt;<img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle> Lecter is supposed to be a genius who's very particular about his methods, and Harris is known for his exhaustive research. it says a lot for Spyderco. &lt;g&gt; then again, I already knew they were good because they were the most popular knives at the army surplus store where I used to work.

thanks to the people who have replied. it's starting to look like the G-10 might be the best way to go; it's more expensive but I think I can do it.

nuala


Joyce

[rvo3vom]

I just checked out the official web page for Hannibal -- http://www.mgm.com/hannibal/index.html -- and it opens Feb. 9th.
Also check out the official teaser poster from MGM at http://hannibal.simplenet.com/lecter/html/news/050500_2.html

Nuala -- Welcome to the forum! I'd recommend the G-10 also. It's become my favorite.

~RVO3VOM

RVO3VOM
(my license plate - read it backwards)

[RLR]

Harpy is pretty specialized. Good for marine work or other &quot;fibrous&quot; cutting chores. I don't think it may be the best choice for everyday. Just my opinion. You may want to check out delicas and enduras first. Then start buying all of them.

RLR

[Glenn]

Nuala,

I too would recommend the g10 version but I am under the impression that it has been discontinued. If you have managed to locate one I would definitely get it. If this is not the case and you must choose between the zytel or stainless steel version I would recommend the stainless steel version. It sounds like you plan on purchasing the civilian in the future. Like the civilian, the stainless steel (and g10) version is tip down and the zytel version is tip up. Some people are able to switch back and forth between the two styles but I think it would best if your defensive knives were the same.

It is probably out of your price range (it is out of mine too after buying a Gunting and a Chinook) but you should be able to purchase for a limited amount of time a carbon fiber civilian. I think it is in the $250 plus price range but since it sounds like it is a one time production piece so you might want to consider it. Just do a search on this forum if you are interested.

As to the movie it my understanding that in the second book that Jodie Foster's character romantically gets involved with Hannibal. I read that Jodie Foster felt that her character had been betrayed and didn't want anything to do the movie. But I also saw the preview for the movie and it looked pretty good despite her absence.

Hope I helped,

Glenn

[rvo3vom]

Nuala~

Check out eBay for the Harpy w/ G-10 handles.
I just ran a search of &quot;Spyderco +G-10&quot; and saw 4 of them listed between $35 - 50.
They may increase a bit in price but that's the way auctions go.
Good Luck!

~RVO3VOM

RVO3VOM
(my license plate - read it backwards)

[tique]

One of the few Spydies I have managed to pick up so far has been a G-10 Harpy. G-10 is my favorite material out of the 3 offered, and I absolutely love the feel of that knife. If I had the cash I would pick up a couple more on ebay, might be one of my next purchases.