Anyone find overseas produced Spyderco G-10 Handles dealbreakers?

B

bubblewhip

Joined
Dec 18, 2009
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So I purchased a Byrd Cara Cara 2 in G10 and was excited to get it, but found that the G10 scales have a bad balance. They are not like the Benchmade G10 or the Buck G10 where they are smooth and polished like the vantage pro or 890 torrent, neither are they as finely checkered as a Military or Chinook 3. They are slick yet not smooth. I kinda find them uncomfortable. To confirm I handled a Tenacious in store and it's the same G10 scales.

I ended up carrying my old Cara Cara or my new FRN Endura. Honestly I prefer the FRN of both the Byrd Cara Cara 1 and the Endura to the G10 of a tenacious or a Cara Cara 2. They feel more responsive and tacky in a good way if that makes any sense, the sharp texturing of the FRN actually feel like they give me traction unlike the lightly checkered G10 of the Tenacious.

I think I will never buy a G10 overseas produced Spyderco. I just don't like handling them.

Are the Benchmade Redclass/HK/Davidson line the same G10? If so I will never buy them either.

Anyone else this way?
 
I agree with you. The texture just seems off.

Perhaps you could send it for a "PPT" treatment? That would improve it no end I'm sure.
 
I thought it was just me. I don't care for the Chinese G10 either, at least not as much as the US Spydies. Can't quite put my finger on the difference, though.
 
Add another member to your list of China made G-10 (Taiwan G-10 is actually quite good) dislikers. I've often wondered if it's a FR-4 vs. G-10 thing. Not sure what the Chinese are using.
 
I personally don't have any preference about handle texture. Lots of people dislike the texture of certain handles which I don't understand. I can hold on to a knife regardless of texture. As long as I can squeeze with my fingers and thumb I can use my knives. I don't really find any handles slippery which is why I don't understand these types of complaints. Even metal handles are easy to hold onto and I use knives when wet with blood or fish slime or even dish soap.

Guess I don't have the same problem.
 
You can tcompare a chinese made knife to an American made knife. theres no comparison. your talkin $100 knives compared to a $25? knife. Theres nocomparison. check out zt 0350. there great money and theres a guy on here who has them cheaper than any of the stores.
 
Big philly 1 said:
You can tcompare a chinese made knife to an American made knife. theres no comparison. your talkin $100 knives compared to a $25? knife. Theres nocomparison. check out zt 0350. there great money and theres a guy on here who has them cheaper than any of the stores.
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The thing is I prefer my old Cara Cara 1 in FRN to the Cara Cara 2 in G10
 
The only overseas G-10 I've had was on a Caly3, and it appeared to be the same as what's on US models. I've never felt of the G-10 from China or Taiwan.
 
Ken44 said:
The only overseas G-10 I've had was on a Caly3, and it appeared to be the same as what's on US models. I've never felt of the G-10 from China or Taiwan.
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I think we don't consider Japan to be "overseas." That term is generally for Taiwan and China or vietnam. Probably because overseas is a more PC term than China.
 
The only 'overseas' made G10 I've tried was on a Tenacious, and I can't say it seemed to be of poor quality...

Then again I'm not a big fan of G10 in general. Someone with more of an appreciation for the stuff might be more discerning than I am.
 
Timely thread here, since I was contemplating buying a Cara Cara 2 with G10. But I already have the Tenacious and the Persistence, and I like the G10 on them; the scales feel nicely grippy in my palm, not slippery.
 
I'm not a fan of the Tenacious overall but I didn't notice any issue with the G-10. It felt like a quality handle material to me. For G-10 that is.
 
I prefer the feel of the G-10 on my byrds to my US and Japanese Spydercos with G-10 handles. And Bark River's smooth polished multicolored stuff above the byrds. And cloth micarta or FRN above all.
 
I love g10. when yer hands are sweating, wet they get tighter in the hand.(this is a personal experiance). I like spyderco. had a delica and an endura. that was a nice knife. they had the plastic handles but it was a sweet knife. on a side note i did have a ss handle delica dn for some reason the knife would open up in my pocket. i reache in one day and cam out with a bloody hand.
 
I like the Byrd G10 lineup, especially at the price.

$20 for a G10 Meadowlark? Thats quite a deal in my book, and rivals the Walmart Buck 110 in terms of bang for the buck.

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Ken44 said:
The only overseas G-10 I've had was on a Caly3, and it appeared to be the same as what's on US models. I've never felt of the G-10 from China or Taiwan.
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Spyderco ships G-10 to Japan for those models, which adds to the price.

I don't have an issue with the China models G-10.
 
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