BM 555 vs. Delica 4 vs. VG-10 Calypso Jr.

love4steel said:
Im going to say get the delica because of one of the new improvements. the steel liners. they eliminate any flex out of the FRN which in turn eliminates any chance of blade wobble
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I wouldn't say that liners eliminate any chance of blade wobble. There are plenty of lined knives out there with blade play.

My Calypso Jr and Delicas are unlined FRN versions and they have zero blade play.
 
Steven Andrews said:
I wouldn't say that liners eliminate any chance of blade wobble. There are plenty of lined knives out there with blade play.

My Calypso Jr and Delicas are unlined FRN versions and they have zero blade play.
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I dont remember saying that there are no "lined knives out there" with bladeplay. I was speaking on the knives discussed in this thread.
 
You did say:
love4steel said:
Im going to say get the delica because of one of the new improvements. the steel liners. they eliminate any flex out of the FRN which in turn eliminates any chance of blade wobble.
Click to expand...

The fact that the Delica4 has liners does not mean that the knife that you buy will have a rock-solid lock up with zero blade play.

There is a chance that you'll get a knife with blade play.

.
 
Does anyone know where I can buy a Calypso Jr. in VG-10? I was lucky enough to find a zdp-189 Caly but have been reluctant to use it as it seems the value is going up. I really like the ergonomics of this knife, so I would like to find a CJ in vg-10 for edc. Any help appreciated.
 
For camping I would go with a "full sized" folder, especially if it is your only knife. My first choice would be the Manix. No other would come even close. Quite a bit heavier though, but the additional weight equates to no more than a couple ounces of water, of which you will lug a lot more mass around with you.

The FRN handles can show a bit more flex or play than lined handles, but I have never seen or heard from one that failed that was not used (abused) heavily or had a failure to begin with. FRN handles are not sexy, they do not feel nice, but they usually do their job. The Caly, though, is ground out very thin so it is not exacltly a sturdy blade. On the other hand it is, for the same reason, one of the best cutters out there. I would choose by feel. Among your three choices, you can't really go wrong. I would go with the one that appeals to you (for that given task) the most.

If you have the chance try to hold a bigger knife though.
 
So I ordered them all, Calypso Jr. out of stock. Here's my initial impressions.

Blade - about the same length, but the cutting edge of BM is noticeably longer, probably 1/4" BM is also ground a little higher than Delica.

Out of the box sharpness - Both are very sharp, shave hair, slice paper, cut some woody stuff I had lying around. However, the Spyderco is noticeably sharper. Hairshaving-wise it just leaves completely bare skin on the first pass. Scary. Could the BM be sharpened to the same edge as the Spyderco?

Handle - I like the roundedness of the BM, but it's much shorter than Delica. This creates a bit of a stubby feeling in the hand, and I worry about leverage on a tough task. The ramp at the top of the Delica blade is a little steep for my tastes. When I put my thumb on it, the rest of my hand is forced back a bit. The BM is more comfortable in this area, although the serrations on the back of the handle itself chewed up my thumb a bit.

Thumb holes - No problem w/ either.

Locks - The axis lock is a pleasure, while the lockback on the Delica is awkward to close. Any secrets to this? Couldn't figure out a reasonable one-handed approach.

Misc. - The brass bushing on the BM is interesting. It feels like a more solid pivot. Any thoughts on this? Also, Delica was supposed to have bronze washers, but I sure didn't see 'em...

Build Quality - Very comparable, very high.

So, as you can see, I haven't decided which to keep... uh oh.

Would appreciate you all's feedback on any of the above.
 
If you are not open to trying a larger, and in my opinion more appropriate, size knife such as the standard size Grip, then my advice is to get both these knives. There is enough difference in these to warrant owning them both. They represent different approaches in execution of a knife this size, are reasonably priced and very good value.

The standard size Grip (I have the Ritter RSK version) to me is really not a large folder. It fits well in the pocket, is reasonably lightweight, operates effortlessly, is very comfortable in the hand, and will shave you bald. I guess the "Endura" would be the competitive Spyderco model. Again, get'em both - that's what I did.
 
CrazyGunNut said:
how does the steel on the salt 1 compare from and edgeholding/easy to sharpen perspective. I want something that isn't gonna be too finicky to sharpen as I might not have a full on sharpmaker w/ me.
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H1 steel is very easy to sharpen. Here’s some info that I posted on edge holding of H1 vs. VG10:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=372653


….and here’s some on H1’s rust resistance:


http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=344293





- Frank
 
Thanks Frank, and all who've weighed in. I'm still very interested in what people think of the brass bushing on the benchmade.

A number of people have suggested a larger size knife, and just for the sake of discussion, I thought I'd share my thinking:

When I backpack, I go light. Tarp, water pills rather than filter, often leave the stove, pots, etc. In the past, I haven't brought a knife, or have brought a leatherman micra. Lately i've been wanting one to play around w/, and as a survival backup. So, even the 2.5-3 ounces of the Delica, and Mini-Grip starts to feel heavy. My fear in getting a bigger knife is that it'll get left in the car, doing me no good.

Thanks again for all the feedback.
 
CrazyGunNut said:
A number of people have suggested a larger size knife, and just for the sake of discussion, I thought I'd share my thinking:

When I backpack, I go light. Tarp, water pills rather than filter, often leave the stove, pots, etc. In the past, I haven't brought a knife, or have brought a leatherman micra. Lately i've been wanting one to play around w/, and as a survival backup. So, even the 2.5-3 ounces of the Delica, and Mini-Grip starts to feel heavy. My fear in getting a bigger knife is that it'll get left in the car, doing me no good.
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As a fellow ultralight hiker/knife enthusiast, I am in a similar situation (see my thread http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/2340/index.html for responses I got to this same question on another forum, including sharpening a piece of aluminum flashing and taping the handle!)

I was thinking a Benchmade Mini-Pika at 1.8oz, or the Spyderco Native at 2.65oz, as cheap experiments in carrying a "real" knife while ultralight backpacking. Removing the clip would make each even a bit lighter. I've got a cheapo Spyderclone that I got at KMart for $2.49 about three years ago for bike-touring kitchen duty, that weighs 1.7oz and locks up rock solid -- so far, so good. I just can't bring myself to trust it.

Other posters: what are some very lightweight (<3.5oz) fixed blades to consider?

I'll be watching your thread with keen interest. Great topic!
 
The Spyderco Salt 1 is listed at 2 oz/57 g&#8230;..definitely a real knife.


The FRN Dragonfly is listed at 1.2 oz/33 g&#8230;.still a real knife but getting small.


The FRN Jester and Ladybug are about .5oz/16g&#8230;.real small key chain type knives.


The Frost Mora fixed blades such as the Clipper and Swedish Army knives are the light, I don&#8217;t have a scale to weigh them, but I would guess that they each weigh around 3 oz (maybe less) including the sheath.






- Frank
 
I have to be honest and tell you that I think the brass bushing is pretty much a gimmick. I could be wrong, but I believe its intended to boost sales without any real addition to performance.

As to the original question of this thread, I'd go with the Delica 4. It has the liners which stiffen the handle, and VG10 which sharpens easy and takes a very wicked edge. The Grip is nice, and you can get it in a lot of different steels, but I just prefer the Delica.
 
I don't know about the bird and trout sheath; but I have the Hunter's Scalpel, and I don't have a scale accurate enough to tell me what fraction of an ounce it weighs. It's extremely light--the little metal ring and clip they send with it to attach it to a keyring or whatever is heavier than the sheath (which is nevertheless sturdy and neat-o in its operation). Based on the HS (which is really tiny, though very usable and ergonomic; a true two-finger knife), I'd bet the bird & trout would be about perfect for your purpose. For something in between those two, Russell also has the Woodswalker, which is a truly overbuilt 2", wood-handled 3-finger FB also made of A8 that comes with either a pocket leather sheath (very neat) or a tiny kydex neck-sheath. That one's under 2 oz., too--and only 20 or 25 bucks, depending on your choice of sheaths. It's a ridiculous bargain.

http://www.agrussell.com/knives/by_...woodswalker_in_leather_hip_pocket_sheath.html

For light weight and the greatest simplicity in the wilderness, there's really no reason not to go with a good, small fixed blade. They're delightful.
 
I would have gone with an Endura 4 personally. Great steel, great ergos, great lock up, great weight, great construction...........................Or the Delica 4 if you just have to go smaller. I have both :p
 
I like the CJ of all your choices. My mini grip feels cheap to me, never got used to the axis lock. I don't think the ergonomics are nearly as good as the CJ either. I don't have a Delica 4 yet...
 
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