-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
anyone have Spyderco Kopa 3 knives?
- Thread starter exracr
- Start date
If you want to talk Kopa.... I would suggest finding "The Deacon". He's on the forum and probably has the most extensive collection of Kopas...Wish I would have gotten one
Post up pictures if you have them!
He also has a Web page: Paulberetta
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2003
- Messages
- 5,738
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2010
- Messages
- 1,545
wow!
I have 3 different kopas... and while I knew there others... I didn't know how many... Your collection is amazing!
I have 3 different kopas... and while I knew there others... I didn't know how many... Your collection is amazing!
SpySmasher
Lead Guitar
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2016
- Messages
- 5,016
Very nice collection, there. What's the inlay material on that banded, multi-color one?
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2003
- Messages
- 5,738
Thanks. As for the materials, might as well list them all
Top Row, Left to Right: Cocobolo, Black Micarta, Evrina, Tiger Coral, Apple Coral, Gold Pearl, Turquoise, Black Quince
Bottom Row, Left to Right: White Pearl with Abalone Accents, Jigged Bone, Stacked Wood, Pacific Blue Bone, Abalone with Pearl Accents, Giraffe Bone, Squash Jigged Bone, Carbon Fiber
Some Kopa trivia: There were 600 pieces of each of the 16 versions, and they came a little more that 3 months apart over a period of 4 1/2 years between Jan '05 and Aug '09. Some of the versions were completely made in Japan, others some were sent to Spyderco without scales and finished by Santa Fe Stoneworks. The stacked wood was originally suppose to be stacked leather, to emulate the look of the Ka-Bar style military fixed blades. but that proved impossible.
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2006
- Messages
- 165
Great collection by Paul/ Deacon.
His summary is correct.
The other trivia that people may want to be brought up to speed with are:
Odd clip (often referred to as the paperclip)
Odd recessed hole in the bolster for the clip to sit in (most other knives the clip is overlaid on top of the scale material). So if you choose to remove the clip you are left with a divot. Paul show this to great effect in one of his reviews IIRC. Also Paul has had one of his Kopa recesses filled up and IMHO it looks great.
I have had maybe a dozen Kopas customised with different scales, done by SF's Tonydahose. However it isn't something you'd do if you aren't a bit crazy for the knife as the donor knives firstly are not cheap. Secondly the material and labour cost for customising it isn't cheap either. Further more the customisation of these pinned knives with tight tolerances are quite the PITA (right Tony ?!?!
! )
There was some speculation late in the Kopa production runs (closer to the end of the 16 variant series - that there may have been a 17th variant coming out. Mind you it was merely speculation that possibly a SS one or maybe a clipless one may have been in the works. Myself along with the Deacon (from memory) were talking about a Boye Dent-less, clipless Kopa. I would've loved to have one. But sadly the series ended.
These knives for small gents knives were not 'cheap'. Excellent workmanship coming out of Seki City with good scales meant they were not for everyone but the craziest of collectors.
I believe the Collectors Club had 3 tiers and one of the tiers was specifically dedicated to the Kopa line alone.
Cheers
Dan (Ozspyder on Spyderco Forums - I really should change my name on BF)
His summary is correct.
The other trivia that people may want to be brought up to speed with are:
Odd clip (often referred to as the paperclip)
Odd recessed hole in the bolster for the clip to sit in (most other knives the clip is overlaid on top of the scale material). So if you choose to remove the clip you are left with a divot. Paul show this to great effect in one of his reviews IIRC. Also Paul has had one of his Kopa recesses filled up and IMHO it looks great.
I have had maybe a dozen Kopas customised with different scales, done by SF's Tonydahose. However it isn't something you'd do if you aren't a bit crazy for the knife as the donor knives firstly are not cheap. Secondly the material and labour cost for customising it isn't cheap either. Further more the customisation of these pinned knives with tight tolerances are quite the PITA (right Tony ?!?!
! ) There was some speculation late in the Kopa production runs (closer to the end of the 16 variant series - that there may have been a 17th variant coming out. Mind you it was merely speculation that possibly a SS one or maybe a clipless one may have been in the works. Myself along with the Deacon (from memory) were talking about a Boye Dent-less, clipless Kopa. I would've loved to have one. But sadly the series ended.
These knives for small gents knives were not 'cheap'. Excellent workmanship coming out of Seki City with good scales meant they were not for everyone but the craziest of collectors.
I believe the Collectors Club had 3 tiers and one of the tiers was specifically dedicated to the Kopa line alone.
Cheers
Dan (Ozspyder on Spyderco Forums - I really should change my name on BF)
Sal Glesser
Moderator
- Joined
- Dec 27, 1998
- Messages
- 11,676
More trivia;
The series ended when the family had some health issues and staff changed quite a bit. They didn't have the confidence to work with the newer materials that we wanted to use. We tried recently to make a "Deacon" version which was clip-less with stag scales, but they said they couldn't do it. A number of people do have the entire collection as they signed up when we began. Probably one of the more valuable collections we've done.
The new Chaparral series will be similar to the Kopa series.
sal
The series ended when the family had some health issues and staff changed quite a bit. They didn't have the confidence to work with the newer materials that we wanted to use. We tried recently to make a "Deacon" version which was clip-less with stag scales, but they said they couldn't do it. A number of people do have the entire collection as they signed up when we began. Probably one of the more valuable collections we've done.
The new Chaparral series will be similar to the Kopa series.
sal
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2006
- Messages
- 165
Excellent trivia Sal.
I hope the families have had their health issues under control or resolved.
Sad to hear that the clipless stag wasn't possible. I would've been all over that for sure. I love my insane Kopa collection (I need to update my Kopa Kabana shot on SF).
I haven't got a single Chaparral... might have to change that now