Bi-directional FRN or G-10? What do you prefer and why?

S

Sterculius

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Oct 12, 2003
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I was always under the impression that G-10 was just better then FRN. But now that I have had several examples of each, I REALLY like the ergos of FRN the way Spyderco does it. It is simple, yet Very well thought out. I am starting to really prefer it over G-10.

Which is your favorite, and why?
 
G10. But I must say, the FRN has grown on my a lot. In terms of feel it isn't far off.
 
neither. both scratch your fingers during clipped pocket carry and are hard to draw during clipped waistband carry. i prefer smooth titanium.
 
Tough call but the knives I have in FRN I wouldnt change to G10 and vice versa. I have been really enjoying the feel of the delica's FRN though
 
G10 sometimes feels "nicer" but often comes in a heavier package that's not quite as grippy. I love the FRN for its raw functionality, light weight, and cheapness :thumbup:
 
Prefer G10, the knives I have with FRN feel/look cheap. Not to say I wont use em though, just that g10 looks more legit in my opinion.
 
The frn gets mighty dirty. My endura gets a lot of sealant and dirt stuck in that frn. BUT it is always grippy and it feels cool.

Neither one strikes me as uncomfortably abrasive. Im the kind of owner who fiddles with his knives constantly so I would notice.

G10 stays cleaner and is still grippy. wet or dry.
 
Easy for me, g10 hands down. Plastic just cheapens up a knife imo, even tho I have a half dozen frn knives, I would have bought g10 versions with no thought if they make them. Frn reminds me of gas station knives...
 
My only problems with G10 is that it is more brittle than FRN and the grippy texture will wear smooth with time.
FRN is super-tough but, yeah, it does feel cheap. FRN still functions like a champ though.
 
Depends on the blade. I wouldn't want my Delica in G-10 because I love the light weight. And I wouldn't want my Millie in FRN because it's just too much blade. At the same time, I can't imagine my GB in anything but carbon fiber. And of course FRN for my Pacific Salt is a no-brainer.

I think Spyderco does a great job of choosing which knives fit which handle material. I'm not in the anti-plastic camp because I don't think they overuse the FRN to nickel and dime people. I think the FRCN handle in the Manix 2 lightweight was a great idea and I hope they utilize that material in some future knives.
 
To me, it depends. G-10 is attractive, and thus worth the extra cost, when finished like that on the red Sprint Run Schempp Persian, the Des Horn, or the Anso Zulu and Perrin PPT. But I'll take Spyderco's FRN patterns over peel ply G-10. Neither is really attractive, but the peel ply G-10 is both less attractive and more expensive.
 
I don't like the look and feel of FRN. It may be, perhaps, because it looks like cheap plastic. I only have two knives with FRN (Ladybug and Pingo) and don't plan to get more.
 
FRN for me on a working knife. Better grip, usually less expensive, doesn't tear up your pocket edges.
 
It depends on the knife. I tried G10 Delica and Endura and both just felt too heavy and bulky. FRN all the way for those. Mili and PM would not be right in FRN. Once I got a Native in G10 I never looked back. Same with Police, once I tried the G10 I was hooked.
 
For me it's g10 every time. Plastic make the knife look and feel cheaper to me. I like g10 because I can do all different patterns on any different knife. I like the broader color choices as well as having multiple colors and solid colors. Plus I can add g10 liners to give it a little kick in the looks department. Plus from my experience g10 can take a lot of abuse.

;)
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The bi-directional FRN works great as a user scale material. When just fondling the knife, however, it just doesn't feel as satisfying as a nice G-10 scale or smoother material finish (CF, Micarta, Ti, etc). It's great for using your knife as a beer bottle opener as well without feeling guilty.
 
I personally prefer G-10 to FRN. Purely for aesthetic reasons, not functional. For some reason, there is a small part of my brain that screams at me whenever I spend $50-$100 on a 'Plastic' scaled knife. G-10 LOOKS more elegant. That said, I probably have 30 Spydies with FRN. Functionally, it's almost indestructible, and the newer bi-directional grip pattern is VERY effective.

Of course, given a choice for an EDC knife I prefer a smooth polished G-10, micarta or Ti to either textured G-10 or FRN, unless I'm in a heavy use situation.
 
I prefer FRN to G10 because FRN has a more aggressive texture (from the factory) than G10 when wet. G10 has a nicer edge finish and lends itself to higher end looks. That being said I'm carrying a Tenacious today and have been on and off for the past 6 months and I like it too. My Dream FRN knife would be a Police with a 4-way clip
 
Nullity said:
My only problems with G10 is that it is more brittle than FRN and the grippy texture will wear smooth with time.
FRN is super-tough but, yeah, it does feel cheap. FRN still functions like a champ though.
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