A New C-44 big Dyad?

My reason for advocating G-10 over Micarta is the superior dimensional stability of G-10. I love the original black Micarta, and I've never encountered any issues with it, but the BushcraftUK project has demonstrated that Micarta can shrink or warp due to changes in altitude and relative humidity. Of all the handle materials Sal has spoken of trying so far, G-10 was the only one that had no issues going from near sea level and humid to high and dry Colorado. Using G-10 (in anything but that awful foliage green, please) would eliminate one possible roadblock to making a sprint happen.

FRN? Oh, please. This is not likely to become a mainstream model with production numbers high enough to warrant the expense of making a mold, and there is no existing mold to re-use as was done on the Salt series. A full-sized, two blade Spyderco is going to be expensive enough without trying to recoup the cost of a $40,000 mold with 600 or 1200 pieces.
 
The funny thing is I actually have no rational reason for liking Micarta as much as I do. Yes there are cheaper more sophisticated, more stable and technically superior materials out there. But hey, I like Micarta! ;)

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Jack, FWIW, the Bushcraft was stabilized wood not micarta. IMHO, they got screwed on that deal since properly acrylic stabilized wood would never have had those problems. Don't recall hearing of any stability issues with the Street Beat scales, which are micarta.

One question would be whether "old school" phenolic resin micarta is still available. I read something a while back that led me to think the company that owns that trademark was phasing it out in favor of epoxy resin. If the phenolic is still available, it offers better wet traction than G-10 or CF with a similar finish. If not, then there's no particular advantage to micarta, but no issue with dimensional stability if you use it assuming such an issue exists.
 
Canvas micarta, phenolic or no offers more traction than g10 in my experience
 
Paul, I was referring to a post Sal made a while back, after the fiasco with the "stabilized" spalted maple. He had several knives made (I think he said ten each) in several materials, G-10 and Micarta among them, by the same maker in Taiwan. There was measurable shrinkage on the Micarta pieces after allowing them to acclimate to Golden conditions. From what he said, the only material in that test batch that didn't shrink, warp or crack was the G-10. Oddly enough, the next release of the BushcraftUK was in G-10.
 
yablanowitz said:
Paul, I was referring to a post Sal made a while back, after the fiasco with the "stabilized" spalted maple. He had several knives made (I think he said ten each) in several materials, G-10 and Micarta among them, by the same maker in Taiwan. There was measurable shrinkage on the Micarta pieces after allowing them to acclimate to Golden conditions. From what he said, the only material in that test batch that didn't shrink, warp or crack was the G-10. Oddly enough, the next release of the BushcraftUK was in G-10.
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Ok Jack, that makes sense. Although I still can't understand why micarta would be less stable than G-10, since I don't recall that type issues ever being brought up regarding the Street Beat, original Persian, small Persian, Kris, or black micarta Kopa. Only issue I recall was on folders with unlined micarta handles, clip screw retention, which also made them stop doing unlined G-10 on knives with 3 screw clips.
 
Well I come from an old school philosphy>> I used to work for a really brilliant older mechanic who had more common sense than I've seen in the past 20 years. And the one thing old Bob Buck would tell me over and over "IF IT AIN'T BROKE , then don't try to fix it". I've lived with that philosphy for many years and it has served me well with very few exceptions.

I really don't know what is wrong with the original construction of the C-44. Now don't get me wrong if there is a way we can improve it to where it is head and shoulders above the original then I will like to consider it. But that's one thing about the original C-44 big Dyad that I dearly love is it's super ridgid construction. I do want a colored handle of some sort>> a new/better blade steel ( VG-10 or better) and some way to attach a lanyard. A very modest wish list if I say so myself
 
The Deacon said:
Ok Jack, that makes sense. Although I still can't understand why micarta would be less stable than G-10, since I don't recall that type issues ever being brought up regarding the Street Beat, original Persian, small Persian, Kris, or black micarta Kopa. Only issue I recall was on folders with unlined micarta handles, clip screw retention, which also made them stop doing unlined G-10 on knives with 3 screw clips.
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I don't understand it either, but observable reality has never seemed to care whether I understood or not.
 
Noah.J.Revoy said:
Yellow G10, H1 blades with one blade from the Atlantic Salt SE + 1 blade from the Pacific Salt PE + lock back guts.
By using existing production shapes Spyderco would not even have to grind new blades, this would cut down the cost of a sprint run.
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I think this would be absolutely perfect! This would be about as close as one could get to a do everything EDC knife . I'd love it in yellow frn like the other Salts or toxic green/black blades of the USN variants!
I would prepay right now for one of those babies...
 
I would like to see one with two different steels... superblue and zpd? or SB and VG10? what do you think?

how about an American version with m390 and s90v:D or m4 and some other carbon steel... not sure about mixing carbon and stainless blades together...
 
bladefan said:
I would like to see one with two different steels... superblue and zpd? or SB and VG10? what do you think?

how about an American version with m390 and s90v:D or m4 and some other carbon steel... not sure about mixing carbon and stainless blades together...
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Very interesting "Bladefan" :) Because on another Forum where I have a thread very similar to this one going one of my Spyder Brethren suggested an H-1 blade for the sheepsfoot Spyderedged blade and a supersteel such as ZDP-189 for the steel on the plain edged clippoint blade.

I love the idea of a different blade steel for each blade. I bet it's never been done before by any knife company that I'm aware of.

Most of all I just seriously want this great C-44 big Dyad to return with newer steel and hopefully an improved handle material as well. For those of you all who have used or carried and used a C-44 Spyderco Dyad you all know what a splendid knife this is ;)
 
I also thought about H1 and zdp that would be a nice combo!!! same blade format as you mentioned.... h1 serrated and zdp plain!! what a cool knife that would be!!!
 
JD Spydo said:
Very interesting "Bladefan" :) Because on another Forum where I have a thread very similar to this one going one of my Spyder Brethren suggested an H-1 blade for the sheepsfoot Spyderedged blade and a supersteel such as ZDP-189 for the steel on the plain edged clippoint blade.

I love the idea of a different blade steel for each blade. I bet it's never been done before by any knife company that I'm aware of.
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This would be totally wicked!!!
 
bladefan said:
I also thought about H1 and zdp that would be a nice combo!!! same blade format as you mentioned.... h1 serrated and zdp plain!! what a cool knife that would be!!!
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It doesn't even have to be that exact combination either although I would dearly love it. Maybe just maybe Hitachi or one of the other great Japanese steel companies might have a new supersteel similar to ZDP that would be great to debut in such a great folder.

H-1 truly is a great choice for the Spyderedged blade. But I would really like a superior blade steel for the plain edged, clip point blade. ZDP-189 would make a great PE blade.

The original C-44 Dyad was made with ATS-55 which I always thought was a decent steel until VG-10 eclipsed it and was proven a better blade steel. It might be a neat idea to see if the company that made ATS-55 might have a new steel to be considered.

Personally I could be content with VG-10 because it is a great all purpose blade steel.

But the idea of 2 different blade steels for the 2 different blades to me is truly a novel idea and one I believe that Spyderco should consider taking a serious look at.
 
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