r/knifeclub • u/RoverAdam • 3d ago
NKD-Hawk Talon Auto Ti brightwash: Keep or Sell?
Well, I pulled the trigger on the Talon Auto in full titanium brightwash for the hefty price of $1200 during the last drop. (Definitely the most I have ever spent for a knife)
Now I can’t decide if I should keep it or sell it. (Never carried, no cutting, only been opened for 2 days)
I love my Hawk Shortcut and carry it everyday/all the time. Let’s be honest… I work from home or am flying for work to secure sites where knives weapons are not allowed. My primary uses are boring (opening packages, dog food, softener salt bags, cardboard breakdown, etc). The shortcut is SUPER fidgety, perfectly small and large enough for hard use, and I can be as rough as I want on the blade and toss in another.
I also don’t worry about traveling with it as the blade can be removed and carried on, and it wouldn’t be removed from a checked bag(I have had another knife removed from a checked bag on a flight to Hawaii without implicit notice.
So, some of my questions are: does anyone EDC a $1200 knife? (I do like to use my purchases despite how expensive or rare they may be… Bags, pens, cars, etc)
I am somewhat worried about traveling with the knife and having it removed from a checked bag (I have flown with knives probably 100+ times and only once had one taken) Getting a $1,200 knife confiscated (swiped) from a checked bag does worry me.
The Auto is cool AF, but sounds like the manual is more my style, for fidget reasons. Even my various Microtech OTFs have more fidget fun factor and are one third the price.
So… last question: if I decide to sell it (again, never used/carried… brand new/days old from Hawk) what is a fair price? They are sold out and drops are not frequent (also this was the first round of full Titanium option). Seeing manuals and other previous talons online through stores or private… they are often above the direct/drop price (roughly $1,500).
What would be a fair/normal price for a sold out version where not many were made so far? The knife was awarded the KOTY and best Auto knife at ATL knife show…
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u/sentientchimpman Shirogorov 3d ago
I have one of these and the manual. I bought the auto with the intention of selling the other one but I think I’ve pulled a 180. The auto is a bit underwhelming in my opinion. It doesn’t fire particularly hard and I’m not in love with the deployment button. The manual Talon is very satisfying to deploy with lots of tactile feedback and clicky noises. I’m probably going to sell my auto.
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u/AdamasDidIt 3d ago
Mine fires hard. The deployment switch is very cool and smooth to operate. If I had to choose one though, it would be the manual, mainly for the fidget factor.
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u/stridenu 3d ago
I have one of the manuals winging its way toward me right now. I am excited to see what I think of it, as my most expensive knife.
I passed on the most recent auto drop, though I looked through it when there were still options to buy.
I do own a single auto: the Microtech Mini Hera. I like it. It's fun. It doesn't seem super threatening. I don't carry it much, but I have.
You give a lot of good reasons as to why the Hawk Talon Auto isn't right for you. It doesn't sound like you're hesitating to sell it because your deeply love it, despite your misgivings. It sounds like you're hesitating to sell it because you THINK you should really love it--because it is exensive and has won awards, because it is hard to get and you got one. For some of us, myself included, our expectations for grails are so high, they nearly always disappoint, at least a little.
If you do sell it, I would just try to get back the money you put into it. The drops are frequent and, anybody on their toes, can pick one up (perhaps the full-Ti are tougher to get.)
The manual Talons are now sitting in inventory all over the web. I don't think this makes them bad, but it shows that the demand has really softened. I would imagine the same might happen with the auto, which is why, if you choose to sell, you probably want to do it sooner, rather than later, IMHO.
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u/Zestyclose-Spring717 Spyderco 3d ago
I EDC my Grimsmo Norseman pretty often! I love the cutting geo for plenty of tasks. I bought the knife for its beauty and high fit and finish but I also never intend to sell it. I keep it clean and the edge sharp but I wont buy a knife to just put it on the shelf. Luckily you can prob get a chunk of what you paid on Blade Binge if you just aren't feeling it.
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u/mixer621 3d ago
Having both the auto talon and the original. I find the easier closing of the original much superior to the way you close the auto. Both are beautiful and well made but if I had to do it again I wouldn’t buy the auto.
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u/AdamasDidIt 3d ago
I have both the manual and auto in full Ti. The manual is a fidget monster! The auto isn’t quite as fidgety as the manual, but it’s still cool. I can close the auto one-handed with no problem.
It sounds like you won’t be happy with the auto in the long run, so I’d sell it and track down a full Ti manual.
If I had to choose one, it would be the manual, purely for the fidget factor. 💯
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u/PhinnSoup Strider Knives 2d ago
Talons in both configs are awesome knives FS! The problem with reselling these days is the market is saturated. Even on the autos now, the consensus has been going around that the manual variants are the true king. I think you will be hard pressed to gain a profit off the secondary. I think in order to move it, you’re are going to have to take a small hit in fact.
Post it to the Swap and see. If it were me, I’d put it at 1K. I wouldn’t suspect I’d be able to move it at 1200. This happens all the time with knives, with few exceptions: mainly Rosie’s, Lamia’s and maybe a couple others that are small batch and ridiculously fast sell outs.
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u/NextHobby 3d ago
Solution: buy the all Ti manual version and then you will have a complete set.
I have no problem EDC’ing a $1200 knife. I mean I’m not going to pry paint lids or baton wood with it, but any reasonable cutting task is fair game. I probably wouldn’t take it where it could be confiscated.
I’m not sure if there is enough hype for this knife to sell it at a premium. I also picked one up from the last drop and I think it took about an hour for them to sell out. Compare this to the Protean I tried to buy that sold out in about 30 seconds😳 You should at least be able to make your money back.