- Joined
- Feb 4, 2006
- Messages
- 562
My new black FRN Calypso Jr was sitting on my doorstep when I got home today. I have to say it is a beautiful little knife, and I may just have to buy another one to keep in pristine condition.
There have been some reports of blade play when closed, which I don't really mind, but seems to be common in this knife. The blade play is pretty severe when closed and makes a little clicking noise when you move it back and forth. Locks up solid though, so doesn't bother me.
The knife is well fit and finished, though not on par with my Paramilitary or Street Beat. The swedge is a little uneven at the top, the previously mentioned blade play, a little too much space between the FRN and the lockbar and some very light scratching in the 420 layer keep me from giving it a "near perfect" rating. It's interesting to note that while the 420 has a bunch of light scratches, the ZDP core is unscathed. Other than that, the finish on the blade is very pretty.
On to the good stuff. The knife is fairly thin overall, but not too thin (.405"), and it is very light. I absolutely LOVE the blade profile and it is something I really like about Spyderco in general. The full flat grind gives it such a nice thin edge. Right behind the edge bevels it measured .015" thick, which puts it in 2nd place for thinnest edge in my collection (#1 being a small 3/32" thick lockback). The knife push cuts paper up to about an inch away from my point of hold and is quite possibly the sharpest knife that I have yet to handle from the factory.
Overall a great little knife for the price. Hot steel, good build quality, great design, and an amazing edge. There are some issues that need to be addressed, such as the blade play when closed that I have seen reported more than a few times on this forum. I'm tempted to save for the ZDP/CF Caly 3 that's coming out, though I wish Spyderco would put a full length swedge on the blades on Caly 3's. It adds some flair to an otherwise bland blade shape. Purely an aesthetic preference for me.
Does anyone know what hardness the ZDP and 420J2 layers are run at? The 420 seems to marr easily, and I'm just curious about the ZDP.
Pictures!
There have been some reports of blade play when closed, which I don't really mind, but seems to be common in this knife. The blade play is pretty severe when closed and makes a little clicking noise when you move it back and forth. Locks up solid though, so doesn't bother me.
The knife is well fit and finished, though not on par with my Paramilitary or Street Beat. The swedge is a little uneven at the top, the previously mentioned blade play, a little too much space between the FRN and the lockbar and some very light scratching in the 420 layer keep me from giving it a "near perfect" rating. It's interesting to note that while the 420 has a bunch of light scratches, the ZDP core is unscathed. Other than that, the finish on the blade is very pretty.
On to the good stuff. The knife is fairly thin overall, but not too thin (.405"), and it is very light. I absolutely LOVE the blade profile and it is something I really like about Spyderco in general. The full flat grind gives it such a nice thin edge. Right behind the edge bevels it measured .015" thick, which puts it in 2nd place for thinnest edge in my collection (#1 being a small 3/32" thick lockback). The knife push cuts paper up to about an inch away from my point of hold and is quite possibly the sharpest knife that I have yet to handle from the factory.
Overall a great little knife for the price. Hot steel, good build quality, great design, and an amazing edge. There are some issues that need to be addressed, such as the blade play when closed that I have seen reported more than a few times on this forum. I'm tempted to save for the ZDP/CF Caly 3 that's coming out, though I wish Spyderco would put a full length swedge on the blades on Caly 3's. It adds some flair to an otherwise bland blade shape. Purely an aesthetic preference for me.
Does anyone know what hardness the ZDP and 420J2 layers are run at? The 420 seems to marr easily, and I'm just curious about the ZDP.
Pictures!