- Joined
- Oct 3, 1998
- Messages
- 883
Everybody loves the Spyderco Calypso Jr. BM, right? Well, if you like the Calypso Jr. but want something slimmer, you might want to look at the Al Mar Falcon Ultralight.
In several important respects these two knives are very similar, to the point that a reasonable person might bet they were made in the same Japanese factory. Both knives are made of the same materials--polished black linen Micarta and Aus8 steel--and both are lockbacks with similar construction, right down to the size of the pivot circle and handle rivets. Both knives are finished to the same excellent standard: very smooth operation, with the blade perfectly centered in the handle; crisp, even edge bevels and shaving sharp out of the box. Both knives have a full flat grind and a nice thin edge for excellent cutting performance. They lock up tightly with no perceptible blade wobble, and they snap closed resolutely.
The Falcon is the middle-sized knife in a series of three similarly shaped Al Mar folders, the Eagle being the largest and the Hawk the smallest. They are available serrated, partially serrated, or plain, with either satin or highly polished blade finish. My Falcon is the plain edged, satin finished version. I have fairly narrow hands, and of the three Al Mar Ultralights, I found the Falcon to be the best fit. The handle has a graceful curve to it, and there is a swell under the pivot to help keep the fingers from sliding onto the blade. This is a very attractive knife.
Comparing the Falcon and the Calypso Jr. BM., the most important difference is in the shape and thickness of handles and blades. The Falcon has an overall length of 7" (3-1/8" blade), whereas the Calpyso Jr. is about 6-5/8" (2-7/8" blade). The Falcon is a thinner knife, being 1/4" thick in the handle compared with the Calpyso Jr.'s 3/8". The Falcon is also narrower in both blade and handle: 5/8" where the the edge meets the choil, compared to just over 1" on the Calypso Jr. Of course the relatively broad blade of the Calypso Jr. is a function of the thumb hole/shoulder. The Falcon has dual thumb studs instead of the Spyderhole., so both knives are similarly ambidextrous in this respect.
Regarding ambidexterity, it should be noted that the Falcon has a reversible, butt mounted clip (for tip up carry), reminiscent of 1998 Spyderco Lightweights in that it makes use of the lanyard hole and is easily reversible. The mode of clip attachment is quite different, however. In the case of the Falcon, the clip screw plugs into the lanyard hole, so you can't use a lanyard while the clip is attached. The Falcon's clip screw requires a 2.5 mm hex key for removal rather than a coin. The clip has a small tab that fits into a slot on the edge of the lanyard hole, which effectively prevents the clip sliding around once it's attached.
I bought the Falcon Ultralight with a very specific set of criteria in mind. Basically, I wanted a Calypso Jr. with a narrower blade and a straighter handle. I intended to carry the knife in my shirtpocket, and I planned on using it for a variety of non-warlike applications, including opening mail, sharpening pencils, cutting string, manipulating bagpipe reads, and peeling and coring fruit. I favor a flat-ground drop point blade, which the Falcon has, as does the the Calypso Jr. BM. To really appreciate the shape and size differences of the Falcon vs. the Calypso Jr., all you have to do is peel an apple, quarter it, and cut out the core from each section. The Calpyso Jr. can do this, but the Falcon does it better. The Falcon is also a good cheese slicer, due to the thinness of the blade, and also because the blade's narrowness offers relatively little surface for sticky substances to adhere to.
The Falcon is my folding, shirt-pocket paring knife. Its flat handle and light weight allow it to ride well in my shirtbocket, along with a pen and a spiral memo notebook. The Falcon would be better as a shirtpocket knife if the clip were mounted on the pivot end, (like the Calypso Jr.) but this is a minor inconvenience; all it means is that you have to elevate your elbow and cock your wrist a bit more when withdrawing the knife.
The thinness of the Falcon makes it less robust than the stalkier Calpyso Jr., but it is by no means a flimsy knife. It's plenty strong enough to whittle a hardwood dowel, and it passed the beeswax test: I used it to cut through a cylinder of beeswax about the size of a votive candle. Beeswax, as everyone knows, is fairly dense and very sticky. You have to push a knife very hard to cut through a thick chunk of beeswax. Just for the heck of it (the devil made me do it) I decided to see if I could break the Falcon by pushing as hard as I could as I was cutting the wax. I pushed so hard it was difficult to hold onto the handle, and I had to push with both hands. I had to cut around the wax cylinder in a circle. When I finished, I expected to find some vertical play in the blade, but there was none whatsoever. This is not a hard-use knife by any stretch, and I would not consider it if I had self defense or prying in mind. Nevertheless, you don't need to worry about breaking this knife in any reasonable cutting task. I consider it in the class of "gentleman's folder", and I carry it as a compliment to my Benchmade AFCK.
This is an excellent knife, and I wonder why I don't hear it mentioned more often.
David Rock
In several important respects these two knives are very similar, to the point that a reasonable person might bet they were made in the same Japanese factory. Both knives are made of the same materials--polished black linen Micarta and Aus8 steel--and both are lockbacks with similar construction, right down to the size of the pivot circle and handle rivets. Both knives are finished to the same excellent standard: very smooth operation, with the blade perfectly centered in the handle; crisp, even edge bevels and shaving sharp out of the box. Both knives have a full flat grind and a nice thin edge for excellent cutting performance. They lock up tightly with no perceptible blade wobble, and they snap closed resolutely.
The Falcon is the middle-sized knife in a series of three similarly shaped Al Mar folders, the Eagle being the largest and the Hawk the smallest. They are available serrated, partially serrated, or plain, with either satin or highly polished blade finish. My Falcon is the plain edged, satin finished version. I have fairly narrow hands, and of the three Al Mar Ultralights, I found the Falcon to be the best fit. The handle has a graceful curve to it, and there is a swell under the pivot to help keep the fingers from sliding onto the blade. This is a very attractive knife.
Comparing the Falcon and the Calypso Jr. BM., the most important difference is in the shape and thickness of handles and blades. The Falcon has an overall length of 7" (3-1/8" blade), whereas the Calpyso Jr. is about 6-5/8" (2-7/8" blade). The Falcon is a thinner knife, being 1/4" thick in the handle compared with the Calpyso Jr.'s 3/8". The Falcon is also narrower in both blade and handle: 5/8" where the the edge meets the choil, compared to just over 1" on the Calypso Jr. Of course the relatively broad blade of the Calypso Jr. is a function of the thumb hole/shoulder. The Falcon has dual thumb studs instead of the Spyderhole., so both knives are similarly ambidextrous in this respect.
Regarding ambidexterity, it should be noted that the Falcon has a reversible, butt mounted clip (for tip up carry), reminiscent of 1998 Spyderco Lightweights in that it makes use of the lanyard hole and is easily reversible. The mode of clip attachment is quite different, however. In the case of the Falcon, the clip screw plugs into the lanyard hole, so you can't use a lanyard while the clip is attached. The Falcon's clip screw requires a 2.5 mm hex key for removal rather than a coin. The clip has a small tab that fits into a slot on the edge of the lanyard hole, which effectively prevents the clip sliding around once it's attached.
I bought the Falcon Ultralight with a very specific set of criteria in mind. Basically, I wanted a Calypso Jr. with a narrower blade and a straighter handle. I intended to carry the knife in my shirtpocket, and I planned on using it for a variety of non-warlike applications, including opening mail, sharpening pencils, cutting string, manipulating bagpipe reads, and peeling and coring fruit. I favor a flat-ground drop point blade, which the Falcon has, as does the the Calypso Jr. BM. To really appreciate the shape and size differences of the Falcon vs. the Calypso Jr., all you have to do is peel an apple, quarter it, and cut out the core from each section. The Calpyso Jr. can do this, but the Falcon does it better. The Falcon is also a good cheese slicer, due to the thinness of the blade, and also because the blade's narrowness offers relatively little surface for sticky substances to adhere to.
The Falcon is my folding, shirt-pocket paring knife. Its flat handle and light weight allow it to ride well in my shirtbocket, along with a pen and a spiral memo notebook. The Falcon would be better as a shirtpocket knife if the clip were mounted on the pivot end, (like the Calypso Jr.) but this is a minor inconvenience; all it means is that you have to elevate your elbow and cock your wrist a bit more when withdrawing the knife.
The thinness of the Falcon makes it less robust than the stalkier Calpyso Jr., but it is by no means a flimsy knife. It's plenty strong enough to whittle a hardwood dowel, and it passed the beeswax test: I used it to cut through a cylinder of beeswax about the size of a votive candle. Beeswax, as everyone knows, is fairly dense and very sticky. You have to push a knife very hard to cut through a thick chunk of beeswax. Just for the heck of it (the devil made me do it) I decided to see if I could break the Falcon by pushing as hard as I could as I was cutting the wax. I pushed so hard it was difficult to hold onto the handle, and I had to push with both hands. I had to cut around the wax cylinder in a circle. When I finished, I expected to find some vertical play in the blade, but there was none whatsoever. This is not a hard-use knife by any stretch, and I would not consider it if I had self defense or prying in mind. Nevertheless, you don't need to worry about breaking this knife in any reasonable cutting task. I consider it in the class of "gentleman's folder", and I carry it as a compliment to my Benchmade AFCK.
This is an excellent knife, and I wonder why I don't hear it mentioned more often.
David Rock
