Spyderco Bill Moran fixed blade. Anyone have any experience with this one?

Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
1,142
I'm not crazy about the handle, but for a street price of $70, it seems like a pretty nice piece of flat ground VG-10. Looks like a good slicer with enough spine to take some abuse.

Anyone have one or have any first hand experience with it? This was the only review on youtube. Anyone speak Czech :confused:

[youtube]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DzmKQZJWAQw&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DzmKQZJWAQw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]

http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=439
 
Last edited:
I have one of the older models with the upswept tip i.e. after they discontinued the leather sheath and convex edge, but before they introduced the little spyderhole.

Great knife overall, perhaps not the best for bushcrafting though. Gets very sharp with the VG-10, would probably do very well in skinning and light chores like food prep. But my biggest concern would be the tip, which I consider to be quite fragile. Then again, I don't have the drop point version.

I do like the ergonomic handle. Like, not love though. Something about it irks me, I think it might be the fact that that the blade is too far away from the handle, and choking up, while possible. is not as comfortable.

Like I said though, overall a great knife, and I like the sheath a lot. For $70, maybe you should just get it then give us a proper review.:D
 
I have both the FB01 (upswept) and FB02 (drop point). I find the handle very comfortable and have used the FB01 as my primary hunting/field dressing knife for the past three years. Last year I had the FB01 reground by Tom Krein to a Full Convex grind with a convex mirco bevel. It again worked great this past December on the white tail deer.

I tend not to abuse knives in anyway so my perspective may not match your expectations. I have carved wood, field dressed white tail deer, and used the FB01 for EDC cutting tasks for a time. It handled everything I asked it to cut. I am sure I cut paper, cardboard, wood, food, white tail deer hide, arm hair, string, tape, rope, zip-ties and diaper boxes/plastic wrapping.

I did not ask it to cut metal, brick, pavement, cinderblock, or rock/stone.

Hope this info/experience helped.
 
Got one as a gift for a friend and later had a chance to try it on a hunting trip. Excellent slicer that holds a great edge. The handle is very comfortable for my hands, which are not very large for someone 6 ft., 225 lbs. Might feel small to someone with really large hands.

The sheath offers exceptionally good retention and is easy/safe to use. I liked the sheath a lot. The whole setup is very light in weight.

This knife supplements a 6-7" heavy-duty carbon steel outdoor knife that my friend has had forever. In that role, it's perfect.

DancesWithKnives
 
Last edited:
It is a good little fixed blade for hunting and general use. The blade thickness would make it a good knife for cooking chores around the camp site. I like my drop point. I am not completely sold on the sheath. I asked Bob Dozier if he would make me a horizontal shealth for it and he declined about a a year or so ago (2008 Blade Show). It would be a great knife in his horizontal belt sheath. Mine has a solid grey/black handle.
 
I have one, but haven't used it for much. It is very lightweight and came crazy sharp. The sheath it comes with seems very well made, and comes w/ the G-clip, if I remember right. For a knife to cut with, it seems very good, and is a quality, lightweight package.
It weighs @5 oz with the sheath included, and has rubber inserts in the handle on both sides and also where your thumb would rest on top.
 
I was viewing this model to cut down on overall pack weight. My attention has now gone to the BM Nim Cub II. Removable handle scales create an overall more robust design. I also believe the BM has a slightly lower hardness and will be a little more durable. The blade is a little more thin as well so creating shavings should be a little more easier. Only thing else to add is that I'm going to grind half the p.o.s. guard off and then round the edges off all remaining grooves.
 
these are excellent light weight cutters. as long as heavy use such as batoning is'nt encountered they suffice fine . if you plan on being "out there" for a while i would go with rat3 or rat4.
 
I saw the new color version at Shot, and I couldn't stop playing with it. That usually means something in my book. From what little time I had with it, I would expect it to be a great user.
 
Though I agree the handle isn't a piece of art in terms of looks, I'm fairly sure it must be very comfortable. What really bothers me is that silly Sypder hole. On a fixed blade :rolleyes:?
 
I think that some guys in the russian forum have mad a review of that thing ;)
It was extremely weak - the tang is very very short and the hadle is made from weak plastic ! These guys used a Mora 2000 to baton through the blade of the Spydie - the Spydie broke and the Mora only had some chipping :D
 
Though I agree the handle isn't a piece of art in terms of looks, I'm fairly sure it must be very comfortable. What really bothers me is that silly Sypder hole. On a fixed blade :rolleyes:?

I think that the hole is there for trademark purposes.

Bruceter
 
Back
Top