Any chance on bringing back the Diver's Probe???

CD Fleischer

CD Fleischer

Joined
Oct 12, 1998
Messages
2,036
The diving post on the other forum got me to thinking about this.

Anyone else out there instersted in this one? I know I am!

Whaddya think, Spyderco?



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Clay Fleischer
cdfleischer@yahoo.com

"10,000 Lemmings Can't Be Wrong!"
 
Clay - we've had a few requests. It would only be the smaller 2003 if we did. I still dive with one and find it quite the tool. We're not sure why it didn't sell well. Probably a might too expensive and the average "non-knife-person" diver, may not see the value. I'll bring it up again. Maybe take it to the SHOT show and see if someone wants to pick it up as an exclusive?

The smaller probe was also abalone legal. I keep it in the sleeve of my suit with the wrist thong on my wrist. Since I'm always pokin' around, the smaller probe works well and the blade, which is folded into the handle doesn't dull out on the coral, rocks, sand or ?? Just about everything down there is harder than steel.
sal
 
Ahem... speaking of the Diver' s Probe, I recently happened across one, the larger original model, I believe. Question Mr. Glesser: Is excessive blade play intended as part of it' s design? And are there any spare wrist thongs lying in the corner of your warehouse?

L8r,
Nakano
 
Nakano - There was not excessive blade play on this model. There was probably a little vertical "pop up" (1 mm) when the lock is forced back, but this is part of the nature of that type of lock design. There were not a great many of those produced, probably less than 300. The first 17 pieces still had the original "hook" attached, which was a predecessor to the Snap-It. One of the problems encountered was that customers enjoyed snapping out the bladed with a "flick of the wrist", which was fairly easy because of the length of the pry bar section. This type of action is very hard on the pins and the center of the locking bar. Check for bend in either of the pins or the center of the locking bar. I don't know if it would be worth the effort, but a custom maker could probably sort that out by replacing the pins and/or rebending the locking bar. We will not bring that item back. It was too heavy for diving. The group that enjoyed it most was Swat, because of the pry bar muscle with a very sharp cutting edge when needed.
sal
 
Thanks for replying, Sal. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. :0

From the pic I have of the Diver's Probe, looks like the large one is about 9" and the small around 7" -- is that about right?

I love the balde shape on these!

What were the MSRP's on these puppies anyways?

I agree regarding the large one probably being too big. Hard to stow it.

What was the handle material on the original, btw?

Thanks again, Sal!

Clay

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Clay Fleischer
cdfleischer@yahoo.com

"10,000 Lemmings Can't Be Wrong!"
 
Clay - that sounds about right on the sizes. Don't remember prices but I believe they were at or over $100. The entire piece was made from eloectro-polished 440C. This proved the best for corrosion resistance, although some maintainence was required. The prybar section was spot welded every couple of inches to insure rigidity. The handle / prybar had inches and mm etched into the handle, although this type of measurement is not legal for Calif Ab hunting (clamps are required), they could give you a good idea of the size of the animal.

Nakano - we purchased the wrist thongs from one of the flashlight companies that make underwater gear. I believe it is a standard accessory.
sal
 
Hi Sal. In regards to your last reply to me: the locking bar is strait as an arrow. I' m not sure how I would be able to examine the blade pivot and locking bar pins; only their ends are visible, no? This particular one I refer to is in almost mint condition! Aside from the usual fine hairlines from handling and the marks on the blade pivot area from opening and closing, the tool appears new! Even the serations on the blade, which I' ve examined very closely, is pristine. This one must have slipped by QC as far as the blade play I was referring to earlier, is concerned. And finally, the "hook" you were referring to is the hole at the end of the tab that protrudes near the pivot area for the thong attachment? Thanks for your time and patience.

L8r,
Nakano
 
Nakano - Plese send it to our customer service dept. Let them know to call it to my attention. We'll see what we can do.
sal
 
Hi Sal. I only meant if you could answer my questions on the above post. But I will certainly think about calling CS and then possibly sending it back. Can you help?(:^)Just some answers to the previous questions that is! Thanks again.

L8r,
Nakano
 
Nakano - Sorry. I believe the one you have is the smaller 2003. The original "hook" that I spoke of only came out on the original 2002. It was similar to the snap-It "hook" in size and shape (the spring was different and didn't work well enough for us to release it to ELU). We left the hook on 17 because we had 17 collectors and thought they would want the original design even though it failed. On the the balance of production the "hook" was ground off and the pry bar was sold without the "hook". The extension for the wrist lanyard was only put on the smaller 2003. The blade play might possibly be "pop-up" (resulting from the lock design) but I would have to see the piece to be sure.
sal
 
Hi Sal. This particular one is just about at 10" closed. It has a full serrated sheepsfoot blade and a slot that starts at the spine that leads to a circular cutout located just short of the start of the blade grind, about 1.5 " from the tip. Presumeably it was made to cut thin wire of sorts if one got tangled in them. The lanyard hole I' m referring to is integral with the scale and is not a "wichard" type snap. Sorry if I didn' t explain more clearly. I' m sure the ones I' ve seen sometime ago were smaller than this present one. I could be mistaken though but just want to know if this is a variation from production models when they were first available. Thanks for being patient.

L8r,
Nakano

"To earn a million is easy, a real friend is not".
 
Nakano - I have one of the smaller 2003 models at the SHOT show. I pulled it from the museum to see if there might be any reaction at the show. Not the right show for it, but we have a few delaers and distributors that remember it and I can gain info. I'll measure the overall length tomorow.
sal
 
Nakano - I measured the one at the show. it is a 2003 (smaller version) and it was 8" long overall.
sal
 
Thanks Sal. So the one I have must be the large one. But what about that integral thong hole, remember? It isn' t the "hook" type as you' ve mentioned as the predecesser to the Snap- It. I guess I just need to know if this was a variant because it can' t be the first 17? Thanks again.

L8r,
Nakano

"To earn a million is easy, a real friend is not."
 
Nakano - we didn't make any other variations. I'll have to dig out one from the museum (boxes waiting for display) and take a close look at the large one for the lanyard hole.
sal
 
Have to chime in here. If the Diver's Probe isn't one of the most unusual knives/tools in exsistence, I don't know what is.

About a year ago, I was in a gun/pawn shop in Redding, Ca., (Sal knows Redding, Ca.), and I was looking under a glass case and spotted this unusual looking thing and noticed that it said "Spyderco" on it. It immediately piqued my interest and I asked one of the clerks to take it out and show it to me. He handed me one of the most unusual "knives" I had ever seen. I couldn't figure out what it was and asked the clerk if he knew. He gave me a blank stare and said; "I dunno". This thing was so quality and so unusual and with the Spyderco name on it, I bought it.

Being from SoCal and remembering prying abalone from the rocks at low tide in Dana Point, Ca., in my youth, it came to me. This knife/tool must be for use in diving and harvesting abalone. It had a line cutter on the blade spine, measurements on the handle in Metric and SAE and a pry bar on the end of the handle. Well, I E-mailed Spyderco and asked for advice and they told me it was indeed an abalone/diving tool, and the one I had was a "large".

If you've never seen a "Dive Probe", you owe it to yourself to check one out. They are truly unusual and represent Spyderco quality at it's best.

Nakano-I have since handled another large and two small Dive Probes and excessive blade play is non exsistent. Also, I have two original wrist thongs and would be glad to sell you one.

 
Sal,

I'm affraid this is turning into a habit
wink.gif

Anyway, if you bring back the Diver's Probe, you bet I'll be interested (I remember seeing a picture in an old Cutlery Shoppe catalog, back in the 80s; though impressed, I had to pass, due to a very limited budget
smile.gif
).

Regards,

Leo Daher
 
Greetings Gene. Thanks for helping out. But the hole, what about the hole?? Does the larger model you have have a thong hole integral with the scale near the pivot end?? Sal is looking into this for me and he doesn' t seem to recall this configuration. Since you' ve mentioned original wrist lanyards, there must be, no? yes?
Oh yeah, I' m interested in one of those original wrist lanyards. Thanks.

L8r,
Nakano

"To earn a million is easy, a real friend is not."
 
Saw an ad that had the small divers probe in it, from 88. Cool

So Sal, how did it go at the show with the re-introduction of the small Diver's probe?

There is a knife shop I know of that has a large Diver's Probe, how much are they worth these days, maybe I should pick it up.

------------------
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www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum20/HTML/000224.html

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