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Any thoughts on this spyderco fixed blade?
- Thread starter jeff_c
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2008
- Messages
- 6,037
As do I. They are both excellent knives....:thumbup:
I have been trying to stay 'US-made', so the VG-10, which means it, like the F1, was made in Japan, is a deal killer. Then there is the handle - another deal killer. If you like them, make it yours. If you want an F1 blade, convexed, fitted to a better Micarta handle and with a Sharpshooter leather sheath, both from MI's UP, consider 'knivesshipfree.com' and their custom F1s - still less than the F1s in micarta from Falkniven, too.
If you are in the $80-$90 range for the Moran, look at the similar price range (If you shop around!) Benchmade 201 'Activator+' - US made with a 3.5" x 1.25" x .142" D2 blade with winewood scales. It has a very decent leather sheath, too. Great slicer - decent small 'Bushcraft' knife (Some like a 4.25" - 5"), nice feel while the thumb notches ('jimping') on the spine give good close work support (carving) and draw a fairly good spark from a Swedish firesteel. The downer is it's a short bevel - ie, not convex - but that's easily remedied, if you want.
Stainz
PS I do have a made in Japan Kershaw 1993-2 'Gentleman's Folder' in VG-10 - love the knife, but VG-10 hasn't impressed me - S30V, however, rules!
If you are in the $80-$90 range for the Moran, look at the similar price range (If you shop around!) Benchmade 201 'Activator+' - US made with a 3.5" x 1.25" x .142" D2 blade with winewood scales. It has a very decent leather sheath, too. Great slicer - decent small 'Bushcraft' knife (Some like a 4.25" - 5"), nice feel while the thumb notches ('jimping') on the spine give good close work support (carving) and draw a fairly good spark from a Swedish firesteel. The downer is it's a short bevel - ie, not convex - but that's easily remedied, if you want.
Stainz
PS I do have a made in Japan Kershaw 1993-2 'Gentleman's Folder' in VG-10 - love the knife, but VG-10 hasn't impressed me - S30V, however, rules!
- Joined
- Apr 19, 1999
- Messages
- 100
I have one of the original mirror polished blades from Spyderco. I remember when they first came out, the msrp was like $200, but the pricepoint was brought way down back in 1999 to like around $45-$50. That's when I bought mine and bought a Bladetech sheath for it too.
It's been awhile, but I seem to remember the thread you were talking about when (the now late) Bill Moran told Sal Glesser that the design of the Featherweight came from an old knife he used in his shop to cut leather for his sheaths. I vaguely remember (been 10 years or so) that the handle grip was designed originally for a wood carving knife.
Perhaps you can post a question on the Spyderco Forum and Sal could tell you for sure.
I ended up losing the knife while working and have had it on my shortlist for awhile now, because I still have that fantastic leather sheath it originally came with.
i purchased the moran featherweight on a review on how strong it was in the field even for prying and for its pack weight benifits. If the tang goes back through the handle as thick as it is , than i have no doubt its pretty tough. tougher than any mora any way.
Sal Glesser
Moderator
- Joined
- Dec 27, 1998
- Messages
- 11,710
We heard through a third party that Bill was looking for a company to make a production version of his featherweight. He told the third party that the only company that he trusted to do it the way he wanted was Spyderco. That certainly got my attention.
Bill and I were friends so I approached him on the subject. He said that while he makes all of these large fighters and camp knives, the knife that he had been using and refining for 30 years was his featherrweight. He felt it was a good enough design to be worth the effort for production. It's a very refined design that speaks to you with time and use.
We cut a deal and the proto was to me mine. There was a 25 year waiting list for a Bill Moran and he was already geting old.
We worked closely with him for size, weight, balance and we had to match his 3D form. The Moran was the first model that used VG-10. It was introduced to the industry at that time. The first run was a "Moran" grind, also called an "appleseed" grind in the US. The high cost of the convex grind forced us to change to a full flat grind and following runs have been full flat.
We've been making the 2 models for quite some time with excellent reports. It's a user. Light weight, easy to carry, as much as you'll need for any cutting function.
Since Bill passed, the royalties on the design are being sent to the Bill Moran Museum project.
There is currently a "Sprint" run just released of a Moran drop point with an orange handle.
sal
Bill and I were friends so I approached him on the subject. He said that while he makes all of these large fighters and camp knives, the knife that he had been using and refining for 30 years was his featherrweight. He felt it was a good enough design to be worth the effort for production. It's a very refined design that speaks to you with time and use.
We cut a deal and the proto was to me mine. There was a 25 year waiting list for a Bill Moran and he was already geting old.
We worked closely with him for size, weight, balance and we had to match his 3D form. The Moran was the first model that used VG-10. It was introduced to the industry at that time. The first run was a "Moran" grind, also called an "appleseed" grind in the US. The high cost of the convex grind forced us to change to a full flat grind and following runs have been full flat.
We've been making the 2 models for quite some time with excellent reports. It's a user. Light weight, easy to carry, as much as you'll need for any cutting function.
Since Bill passed, the royalties on the design are being sent to the Bill Moran Museum project.
There is currently a "Sprint" run just released of a Moran drop point with an orange handle.
sal
