Are you satisfied with Spyderco's "fit and finish"?

[Magnacut]

I just bought my first Spyderco - a Wharncliff Delica 4 with a K390 blade.

I'm excited to try this blade steel and that's the reason I bought it. However, there's nothing "fancy" about the rest of the knife and when I consider how much it cost, I can't shake the feeling that the fit and finish is a bit disappointing.

Machining marks are present on the blade:

I thought that might be reasonable because K390 is presumably pretty abrasion-resistant, maybe it's hard to work with in mass production... but the backlock isn't make with a super-steel right? Same marks:

Somewhat sharp edges too.

The plastic scales aren't finished any better. Leftover flash/slight misalignment:

Sharp edges in the blade slot:

Clearly the expense of the knife can mostly be blamed on the blade material and the rest of the knife is nothing to write home about... but a $40 Civivi wouldn't have these defects.

I actually did buy a "Spyderco" of sorts before: a Byrd Meadowlark 2. It was terrible. The backlock was stiff and actually had a burr that threatened to cut my thumb, the finger choil had a bump at the end that dug into my skin, the action was gritty and the scales has leftover flash all over.

I took it apart and modified it and I actually enjoy carrying it now (shortened the back spring a touch, leveled and polished the part of the blade where the backlock rides, filed off the bump in the choil, rounded the backlock and polished it, added a deep carry clip and made some custom micarta scales).

Even though I like that Byrd now, I didn't like it at all when I first got it. I assume the real-deal Spyderco would be better, but it seems like I'll be "heavily modifying" this one too.

Despite all that criticism, there are things I love about the knife. The blade geometry is great, it came sharper than most knives do from the factory, it's light... I expect that I will like the knife a LOT once I'm finished tweaking it.

...but shouldn't I expect better from Spyderco? Are all their knives like this?

 

[Ajack60]

Yes, I’m satisfied with Spydero’s F&F.

 

[dan35]

Buy a Native 5 light weight. Finished much better than Seki on average. Maxamet, S110v, LC200N and MagnaCut. A good span of steels to choose from. Sprint or exclusive in Cruwear, REX45 or 4V.

 

[Halfneck]

Pretty satisfied with the fit & finish on all my Spyderco knives. But then I don't care about machining marks, FRN finish, etc. Sharp inner edge on FRN? Couple passes with a fine grit sandpaper & it's just fine.

 

[uxo2]

You get what you pay for. Yes I am happy with them

 

[DavidABQ]

The three most recent Spyderco knives that I have bought have had excellent first and finish. Two of them are limited edition Zome knives with super blue steel and the other is my Lil’ Navigator. The Lil’ Navigator is just about perfect with the other two pretty much the same.

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

I intend to try a swayback but after that I'm still probably going to settle on an endura. There are very few spydies that appeal to me because in general I find their overall profile just too big.

I only care about F & F on the premium models.

 

[minimag03]

Taichung: yes
Golden: mostly
Seki: could take advice from the other two facilities

 

[Bobthebrewer]

Mine have had good centering, reasonably sharp blades and nice handles, perfect?, No, satisfied, Yes

 

[beeinak]

I have never been disappointed with one, and looking forward to getting my pre-ordered military2.

 

[beeinak]

Magnacut:
I should have mentioned something in my above post. I truly love Spyderco as a company and have carried one model or another for more than 35 years. I think that the handle material of the FRN models (such as my Enduras) feels drastically different than say my PM2. They do not seem as refined maybe- but they are great. Even my workhorse Tenacious models have performed very well and all of 9 of my Spyderco knives are centered, lock securely, are smooth to open and close. Most of all, they are all reliable. I have never had one fail or break. When I clumsily broke a clip catching on a dozer I was jumping down from- it was easy to get a replacement. My PM2 is my favorite folder ever and I have had some pricey ones. I just love everything about it. I sometimes want a little longer blade and I think the Military2 will be awesome for me. Delica’s are great knives and I still have one with the molded clip that is still perfect and has been on multiple adventures.

I hope you give your new knife some time and grow to love it. I don’t like studs, flippers, autos, or slippery scales/handles. Spyderco makes huge varieties of blade shapes, steels, locks, handles, etc to fit most people’s preferences. If you decide that one is not for you, try going to a well stocked shop where you can handle and examine different ones.
Good luck and keep us updated.

 

[ferider]

Not a fan of the FRN / lightweight models. When you get - say - a G10 or Pakawood scaled Delica/Endurance/Police with liners, the F&F is great.

And Taichung F&F is outstanding.

 

[stillshot2]

I usually pass a ceramic rod around the spyderhole edges because I've some a bit too sharp, as well as down the spine of the blade. I've also had lockbars that sit high when the knife is opened that I've disassembled and ground down so they are more flush. Some sit recessed and below the handle when open and well, nothing I can do about that. None of my backlock Spydercos ever had any blade play, except a tad from my wife's pink delica I just bought that has a little up down play if I really try to induce it but oh well it appears solid and she doesn't care or notice. Also have had to smooth FRN as well as frcp on a manix 2 lw that had flashing. Do these mods ruin my warranties? Maybe. Should manufacturing processes be improved in these areas? Probably. Does it make the knife feel more my own and enjoyable to use when I mod it? Yeah

 

[Magnacut]

I appreciate all the feedback! Certainly sounds like by and large, most people are satisfied with the fit and finish. Helps put my impressions in context - I suppose that means I'm just picky.

I realize pointing out a bunch of minor flaws may imply I don't like the knife, but that's not the case. I wanted something super-slicey and lightweight - this Delica is exactly that.

Unlike my experience with the Byrd knife, there's nothing functionally wrong with this Delica (in contrast, I maintain that Byrd was "bad" out of the box because the stiff lock and burr on the lock bar made it feel like it might cut me). It's just little defects that I can remedy myself.

I suppose my Civivi Hadros was in my mind as a comparison when I complained about the Delica. It's another lightweight Wharncliff that's about the same size. It has a 10cr15comov blade (basically VG-10). I paid $65 for it (here in Canada). Retail on this K390 Delica is $192. That's quite a gap.

I realize nicer blade steel explains a good chunk of the price difference - a Vg-10 Delica is a much better comparison, but that's still $137 - so roughly twice as much. The Civivi is made in China, the Delica Japan - that costs something too.

It's NOT that I think the Delica should be the same price as the Civivi - but if it's going to cost twice as much, shouldn't the fit and finish be on-par?

The Civivi doesn't have any visible defects. The centering is perfect, the G-10 scales line up with the liners, the factory edge was even and sharp, it opened smoothly, the metal bits are all smooth-satin finished, the blade spine is beveled - heck, the liners are even crowned and polished. Why can't Spyderco do that?

 

[GeofS]

I appreciate all the feedback! Certainly sounds like by and large, most people are satisfied with the fit and finish. Helps put my impressions in context - I suppose that means I'm just picky.

I realize pointing out a bunch of minor flaws may imply I don't like the knife, but that's not the case. I wanted something super-slicey and lightweight - this Delica is exactly that.

Unlike my experience with the Byrd knife, there's nothing functionally wrong with this Delica (in contrast, I maintain that Byrd was "bad" out of the box because the stiff lock and burr on the lock bar made it feel like it might cut me). It's just little defects that I can remedy myself.

I suppose my Civivi Hadros was in my mind as a comparison when I complained about the Delica. It's another lightweight Wharncliff that's about the same size. It has a 10cr15comov blade (basically VG-10). I paid $65 for it (here in Canada). Retail on this K390 Delica is $192. That's quite a gap.

I realize nicer blade steel explains a good chunk of the price difference - a Vg-10 Delica is a much better comparison, but that's still $137 - so roughly twice as much. The Civivi is made in China, the Delica Japan - that costs something too.

It's NOT that I think the Delica should be the same price as the Civivi - but if it's going to cost twice as much, shouldn't the fit and finish be on-par?

The Civivi doesn't have any visible defects. The centering is perfect, the G-10 scales line up with the liners, the factory edge was even and sharp, it opened smoothly, the metal bits are all smooth-satin finished, the blade spine is beveled - heck, the liners are even crowned and polished. Why can't Spyderco do that?

I am satisfied with Spyderco’s craftsmanship. Knowing how much the Glesser family cares about all aspects of business, I’m pretty sure that all the workers involved are compensated fairly. I’d be surprised if some of the Chinese made brands cited do the same. That’s the difference.

 

[DeadboxHero]

I suppose that means I'm just picky.

There's more to be picky about than just how it looks.

The knife can't see itself when it's cutting stuff.

Geometry, heat treatment and steel matter.

 

[gooeytek]

I appreciate all the feedback! Certainly sounds like by and large, most people are satisfied with the fit and finish. Helps put my impressions in context - I suppose that means I'm just picky.

I realize pointing out a bunch of minor flaws may imply I don't like the knife, but that's not the case. I wanted something super-slicey and lightweight - this Delica is exactly that.

Unlike my experience with the Byrd knife, there's nothing functionally wrong with this Delica (in contrast, I maintain that Byrd was "bad" out of the box because the stiff lock and burr on the lock bar made it feel like it might cut me). It's just little defects that I can remedy myself.

I suppose my Civivi Hadros was in my mind as a comparison when I complained about the Delica. It's another lightweight Wharncliff that's about the same size. It has a 10cr15comov blade (basically VG-10). I paid $65 for it (here in Canada). Retail on this K390 Delica is $192. That's quite a gap.

I realize nicer blade steel explains a good chunk of the price difference - a Vg-10 Delica is a much better comparison, but that's still $137 - so roughly twice as much. The Civivi is made in China, the Delica Japan - that costs something too.

It's NOT that I think the Delica should be the same price as the Civivi - but if it's going to cost twice as much, shouldn't the fit and finish be on-par?

The Civivi doesn't have any visible defects. The centering is perfect, the G-10 scales line up with the liners, the factory edge was even and sharp, it opened smoothly, the metal bits are all smooth-satin finished, the blade spine is beveled - heck, the liners are even crowned and polished. Why can't Spyderco do that?

Use them both hard and often. you'll find your answer.

take note of how well or badly they cut, how comfortable and ergonomic they are to hold and use, open and close them see what suits your muscle memory better, drop both of them on concrete, get them dirty, take them apart to clean and re-assemble...you'll see what's important and where the money went.

Compare the Tenacious to the Civivi, that's more on the same level price-wise.

 

[Sal Glesser]

Hi Magnacut,

Welcome to our forum.

The Chinese Yuan is 6/1 to the US dollar. Apples to Apples, your $65 Civvi is $390 compared to knives made in Japan Europe or the USA. K390 is a premium European steel, shipped to Japan for our production. When comparing costs, try to keep in mind the Chinese Yuan valuation by the Chinese Government can be misleading.

Spyderco products are priced based on our costs. We believe that to "charge as much as the market will bare", is to bite the hand that feeds you. Our margins are consistent, and we think,fair.

We sell performance first. Much in performance must be experienced in use. Use the knife for a while and get back to us?

Thanx much to those of you that are also helping Magnacut to understand the market differences..

sal

 

[brownshoe]

I just bought my first Spyderco - a Wharncliff Delica 4 with a K390 blade.

I'm excited to try this blade steel and that's the reason I bought it. However, there's nothing "fancy" about the rest of the knife and when I consider how much it cost, I can't shake the feeling that the fit and finish is a bit disappointing.

Machining marks are present on the blade:

I thought that might be reasonable because K390 is presumably pretty abrasion-resistant, maybe it's hard to work with in mass production... but the backlock isn't make with a super-steel right? Same marks:

Somewhat sharp edges too.

The plastic scales aren't finished any better. Leftover flash/slight misalignment:

Sharp edges in the blade slot:

Clearly the expense of the knife can mostly be blamed on the blade material and the rest of the knife is nothing to write home about... but a $40 Civivi wouldn't have these defects.

I actually did buy a "Spyderco" of sorts before: a Byrd Meadowlark 2. It was terrible. The backlock was stiff and actually had a burr that threatened to cut my thumb, the finger choil had a bump at the end that dug into my skin, the action was gritty and the scales has leftover flash all over.

I took it apart and modified it and I actually enjoy carrying it now (shortened the back spring a touch, leveled and polished the part of the blade where the backlock rides, filed off the bump in the choil, rounded the backlock and polished it, added a deep carry clip and made some custom micarta scales).

Even though I like that Byrd now, I didn't like it at all when I first got it. I assume the real-deal Spyderco would be better, but it seems like I'll be "heavily modifying" this one too.

Despite all that criticism, there are things I love about the knife. The blade geometry is great, it came sharper than most knives do from the factory, it's light... I expect that I will like the knife a LOT once I'm finished tweaking it.

...but shouldn't I expect better from Spyderco? Are all their knives like this?

You had a simple question but your post seems unrelated and purposefully provocative.

Per your question “Are you satisfied with Spyderco's "fit and finish””? YES. My last one was a Jess Horn made in Japan. By Moki I think. It was almost perfect; same with the Police I bought before that.

 

[beeinak]

This weekend I carried my dual orange Endura’s while doing chores at my remote cabin. Using them both left and right handed for marking felled trees for cutting lengths, cutting zip ties/paracord/trimmer line, etc. The knives are just great and I was thinking of this thread when wiping them down after the trip. They are not beauty queens, but they are simply fantastic knives. Fit and finish is great. Still waiting for my Military2, but honestly I could not be happier with any of the Spyderco knives I have.