Arrrr... Spyderco's and the open sea's.

[MercuryHayze]

Hi Everybody!!

I just got back from Alaska, and this is my first post

Before I left I purchased a medium SOG fixed blade for the trip, thinking it would a good choice as an all around knife. I had no idea what I was getting into at the time, and soon learned that the knife I had brought was going to be pretty much useless. I went to one of the only stores in Kodiak where you can get a decent knife... a place called "Macs" across the street from McDonalds. I tested a few of the ones they had on display, including a Kershaw which flipped open in the coolest of ways, and an Emerson Blackhawk which also looked very cool. I ended up with a Spyderco Endura, the big one with the 50/50 blade. It had the simplest design and by far the best "Snap" when it was hurried. I also figured the Kershaw would be eaten alive by the salt and the Emerson was a little too bulky. I spent most of the first night flicking it open, to the point where my friend attacked me and tried to take it away

Anyways to make a really, really long story short. My Spydie spent the majority of it's life clipped to the top of my Bib's. I used it for everything... and I mean Everything! Including stiring the moring coffee and cleaning the fish for dinner (it was washed after cleaning the fish... ususally ). There was more than one occasion in the skiff were I had to whip it out and slice tangled sein from the prop or cut out a bad section of two line. I sharpened it religously, and kept it coated in Silicone as much as possible. The only time I ever saw rust on it was after I fell off my bib's during a moment of prolonged chaos involving our outboard. I was so pissed I'd lost that knife that I spent that whole night re-creating the scene prior to loosing it and figured it must have fallen at the end of the set when my suspenders came unhooked. I actuall moved most of the last half of our net's to get that little bastard back! Considering it had been sitting under the sein for almost a day and a half, it only had a few really minor spot's of rust.

I have many more tales of this knife, we were together for more than two year's all told. Anyways, I would LOVE to hear of anyone else who has taken a Spydie Commercial Fishing... or any knife for that matter, as I think it's a hell of a pratical test for a good EDC

 

[TheBadGuy]

Welcome to the Blade Forums and thanks for sharing your story. That's the type of hands on endurance tests I like to hear about. I myself bought a Endura II not long ago and love it. I am glad yours served you well throughout your experience. Have a good one Jason

 

[Allen E. Treat]

Welcome to the forum! Spyderco makes REAL USER KNIVES IMO. Best in the industry. I had a Cricket SE I used "heavily" for 3yrs & finally got another as the other's edge
was beyond even a sharpmaker's (204's) help. If you want to join a real buncha' good forumite(s), go to
the www.spyderco.com website, click on Spyderco forum, then General Infomation forum, and meet the "family" of devout(s) I'm "ATE"
there. GOOD CHOICE OF A KNIFE!

AET

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Hell, I'm more impressed by your making it back in one piece than the damn knife...

Hope ya' brought in a good haul, cash wise...

I've used Enduras and Delicas for a million different lil' tasks around the station and at home, but don't have any particularly cool stories about it. I have used it enough to agree that it's one of the best real world knives you can own, and I myself wouldn't hesitate to take it as a companion commercial fishing (If I were brave enough to go commercial fishing)

If you ever make it to Alaska again, stop by Northern Knives over off 5th Ave. before you leave Anchorage. They got a hellacious selection, and pretty reasonable prices for a B&M shop. (nice guy that runs it too)


Thanks for the story!

 

[MercuryHayze]

I agree that Spyderco makes some of the best production knives on the market. I'm happy to say that after posting last night I went online and ordered a new Police w/ the G10 scales. It will be arriving on Friday and I'm super excited. I think it will be a step up from my Endura, and god know's that little knife went through hell twice. I am a Spydie man for life at this point . In all honesty, I'd say that the majority of the stuff I used it for would be considered gross abuse. I've used the serated sections of the blade to cut through 1/4 inch cable, I've carved the rubber of a tractor tire away from the stell belts, as we needed the wire. I've seen it jammed into door locks and jams and wrenched to the point were I was shure I was going to be looking for a new knife. I got into the habbit of throwing it into the wood posts at the cannery, which must have been the ultimate test of lock strength.... And through it all this spydie did not loosen up in the smallest. In fact, I remember hammering it throught about three inches of fiberglass in our fish hold to make a recess for some planking.

I suppose that stories like this are probably a dime a dozen, and I don't entertain the illushion that this knife was anything special. I expect proformance like that now, and would be dissapointed at anything less. I would love to hear about somone taking one of those $400 Striders or Sebenzas and and putting it through it's paces. I don't doubt that they would come throught with shining colors. But it would be a damn good test. Actually, I'm going back to Collage at northern michigna university this winter, and after I finish up there (sill got about 2 and a 1/2 left) I am going to go back to Kodiak and try the whole circut, which will include a stint on a crabbing boat if I'm lucky. That will be the real test! lol. But rest ashured that I will have my spydie close at hand throughout.