Byrds?

[ihop11229]

Hey All,
Byrds are part of Spyderco, right? I know the thumbholes are tear shaped, but what else is different? How does a Cara Cara compare to an Endura/Delica say?
Be Well, Hop

 

[puukkoman]

They're a low-cost alternative, with entry-level materials.
Also made in Taiwan or China to keep costs down (Don't remember which, but somebody here can tell you).

 

[Peter1960]

Byrds are the economical cost line of Spyderco (production in China). They have comet shaped opening holes as trademark and 8Cr13MoV stainless steel blades (Spyderco says this is similar to AUS-8 in its properties and performance).

 

[Golbat]

Read the Cara-cara test here:

http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sstamp/knives/cara_cara.html

 

[Death's Head]

The Byrd knives are great alternatives to Spyderco's. They make great beater knives. The performance of these knives exceeds their price. I find them heavy for my tastes, but a line of low cost Byrds with G10 will be released soon.

 

[ghostrider]

I use my Crossbill CE everyday, and could be happier, but only if it came in VG-10, G-10 (or FRN) with nested steel liners, and a better blade stop.

The byrds are not just an excelent buy for the money. Their performance exceeds that of some knives costing more. Yes, the SS versions are heavy, and clunky however, some people like that. Besides, they'll be comming out with G-10 versions soon. While the fit & finsh isn't up the the Spyderco level, it is still very good (many claim 85% of Spyderco F & F).

The blade steel used is pretty hard, and holds an edge well. Often times, all that is needed to touch up the edge is a few strops on cardboard. One drawback is that, being so hard, it isn't always the easiest to sharpen (actually, it's the rebeveling that takes time). While Spyderco says that it is "similar to AUS-8 in it's properties", it seems to perform better than most of my AUS-8 blades.