C11 FRN Delica Review

Fisher of Men

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C11 FRN Delica Review

I have to say that being new to knives I had no idea that the Delica had been around so long. I also just assumed that I didn’t need to have one because it was just a normal knife and there was nothing big about it. All of my assumptions were wrong. First of all, I think everyone should have a Delica. For me it’s the best knife I have ever had to date. I now have 5 Delica’s and I love them all.

I first got hooked on the Calypso Jr. and it’s flat grind. I figured that I didn’t want anything else but a flat grind knife. Again, I was wrong. The blade on the Delica out of the box was the sharpest I have ever encountered on a factory knife. The blade is a tad longer than the one on the Calypso Jr. I have Delica’s with serrated edge, combo edge, and plain edge. All of them are the best cutters I’ve ever had. Mind you, I use my knives to cut food, rope, boxes (large HP Server boxes), some plastic ties, and some wire (CAT5 network cable).

I did a search on the “Delica Review” and didn’t find anything so I wanted to throw something down on “paper” for others to view if they were considering a Delica purchase.

In the short time that I’ve been able to use all my Delica’s I have to say that the one with the VG-10 blade cuts the best and needs sharpened the least. I have Delica’s that use AUS-8, AUS-6, G2, and VG-10. I don’t have a Sharpmaker yet so I need to get one as I need to sharpen all of these knives pretty soon. Sharpening is something else that I want to learn but I will take my time on.

The Delica is tip-up carry and I’m used to tip-down carry for the other knives I have. I think clip-up is actually pretty nice. When I take the knife out of my pocket it’s already in the right position to open and cut. Most of the tip-down knives I’ve had have to be flipped around before they are properly placed in the hand to open and cut. Plus I like the fact that it’s tip-up carry but the blade is actually facing the rear of your pocket. This is great as this will be the least likely way for it to open up in your pocket on accident. I also like the barrel nut that the clip is put on with as opposed to the 3 screw method. It lets the clip sit a bit closer to the knife handle and it gives it a thinner profile in your pocket ( I carry my Delica unclipped and inside my pocket when at work in the office).

This would be one mean knife if made with G10 handles. I guess then you’d almost have to call it a C05 Standard.

Pros:
  • 3” blade legal almost everywhere
  • Tip-up carry with blade facing rear of pocket
  • Very lightweight in FRN model
  • Right or left handed carry
  • Great Every Day Carry with great price.

Cons:
  • None that I can find

Thanks for reading. I know it’s not the most technical review ever but it’s a real world opinion from someone who simply works in an office all day.

I'll post again in this thread after about a month of everyday use.

I also plan to put some pictures in later today.

Stuff added after the original review:

5/3/05 - 8:10pm EST:
I forgot to mention that this was a review for the fully serrated model that I have. I have PE, CE, and some other SE's but this was for a fully serrated model.

One other thing I noticed that I hadn't really before is that this knife chews up my pocket pretty hard (just from clipping it to my pocket and removing it from my pocket). Not sure if it's the volcano patern on the Delica or just because it's FRN. I'm used to carrying either stainless knives, or the Calypso Jr FRN with the fish scale patern on the handle. In fact it has chewed up the pocket of a pair of jeans I have so much that I'm considering taking the clip off of it all together.

Things that I cut:
-As you can see in the pics I cut up a few real world things. I cut up a piece of 3/8" hard plastic tube. This is not soft like water supply line its a bit harder as it's for an inline water filter (I used to do plumbing too). It took about 10 seconds to cut through this tubing.

-The piece of wood is a paint mixing stick that's about 1/8th inch thick. It took about 6 back and forth saw cuts to get about half way through as shown.

-Lastly I cut straight down through a plastic coffee can. The lip was pretty hard to get through but after that it just zipped right down to the bottom.

I can tell that the knife needs sharpened a bit but it didn't really dull it that much. I probably cut through the equivilent of about 10 feet of 1/4" cardboard today too. Before that this knife was brand new out of the box. :D














Cheers,
David
 
Thanks for the review!

It seems that the Delica is loved by almost everyone on the forum--and for good reason:
It's a great small folder.

BTW, while the older Delicas were hollow-ground, I think the the newer ones (with VG-10) are flat-ground.
But they are not full flat grinds all the way to the spine like the Calypso Jr.

Allen.
 
allenC said:
Thanks for the review!

It seems that the Delica is loved by almost everyone on the forum--and for good reason:
It's a great small folder.

BTW, while the older Delicas were hollow-ground, I think the the newer ones (with VG-10) are flat-ground.
But they are not full flat grinds all the way to the spine like the Calypso Jr.

Allen.

Thanks allenC!

I think you're right. I just pulled the VG-10 one out of my pocket and it looks like a flat grind......but yes...not all the way to the spine. Another good reason to grab one :).
 
Nice review David. The correct term for the Delica's current grind is the "Sabre" grind and the Delica is one of the more efficient of these grinds I have seen - this could be because the Delica has thinner steel stock than you normally find on these type of grinds. The VG10 Delica has excellent edge retention (40 plus cuts of 3/8" Manila) and IMO is a better cutter than the Calypso Jr whilst the latter is the better slicer of the 2. I find the needle type point excellent in an EDC esp., where one is prone to getting prickles and splinters.

Of course the next model with the ZDP189/ATS34 laminate will be interesting and is being eagerly awaited by Spydie fans.
 
Nice write up of an excellent knife. i am fond of the Delica because it was the very first one hand opener/clip knife I ever owned. Got it for Christmas about 12 years ago.
 
Fisher of Men said:
I think everyone should have a Delica.
It would certaintly be a great way to introduce people to quality knives. Which edge combination (plain, partial, fully serrated) is the best choice for you?

-Cliff
 
Cliff Stamp said:
It would certaintly be a great way to introduce people to quality knives. Which edge combination (plain, partial, fully serrated) is the best choice for you?

-Cliff

Cliff,

Thanks for asking. I really used to love the plain edge until I tried a Spyderco serrated edge (Spyder Edge I guess it's called). I have to say that this edge is wicked sharp and well designed (at least I think it is). To answer your question I would have to say that fully serrated is what I like. Combo Edge is a very close second but I very rarely slice food with my knives so I don't really need a plain edge. For the stuff that I cut (rope, very thick boxes, nylon ties, CAT5 cable, etc) SE seems to do very well.

I'm sure in a few months I'll change my mind, but until then I like the fully serrated. :)

By the way, my review is nothing close to the kind that you do (you have quite the great reputation around here) so thanks for reading anyway :).

Cheers,
David
 
Kryosphinx said:
Calypso Jr. or Delica?

What do you mean? I'm not sure I understand the question. This was my review of a Delica as the subject says. Did I miss something? :D

Cheers,
David
 
Fisher of Men said:
To answer your question I would have to say that fully serrated is what I like.
On the forums, plain edges tend to be more popular, but with most people off the forums, serrated edges are extremely popular. They have much greater edge retention for one, and in some ways are much more tolerant of abuse.

They do get damaged easier, but man can they take a pounding and still cut. My brother took a Calypso Jr. and essentially work/broke all the serrations off through about two years of heavy cutting. He recently returned it to me to rework the edge .

Beyond that though, unlike most serration patterns Spyderco's are fluid enough so that you can carve with them and they of course are tremendously aggressive when slicing. One of the Sheepsfoot patterns should be a staple in the glovebox of every car.

The Sharpmaker is a great system, it is easy to use on both the plain and serrated sections. You will have no problem keeping both types razor sharp.

-Cliff
 
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