Caly III vs Byrd Meadowlark

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wingmanl

Joined
Jul 6, 2006
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So having recently giving away my Delica 4 to my cousin, I'm on the lookout for another ~3 inch folder, and have decided on Spyderco as the company. Both the caly and meadowlark are g10, have the same opening/lock mechanism (basically anyway), and are about the same size... right?

Is the Caly III worth the extra (and I mean lots extra) dough? I don't have any qualms about spending 100 on a knife, but I would like to know where that extra money is going.

Oh, I was also thinking about going the middle route and getting another Delica 4... but this time waved.
 
The fit and finish on the Caly 3 are outstanding. I have not handled the Meadowlark but am sure that, while "serviceable" it is not the same league where those qualities are concerned. The Caly 3 also has better steel, although the steel in the Byrd's is quite good, and better than that in some brands of knives which sell for a lot more. There are also the wire clip, full flat grind, and round hole opener to consider, some will see one or more of these as pluses, others will not.

Whether those things make the Caly 3 worth over four times as much or not, is a matter of what you like and what you value in a tool.

The one "advantage" the Meadowlark has is that it is all screw construction. Am betting that if you are mechanically inclined and want to put a bit of "sweat equity" into a knife, polishing the inside surfaces of the liners, the sides and "cam" portion of the blade tang, and the "follower" portion of the lock bar you would improve the "action" noticeably.
 
Mine still aren't here but I have one of each coming. Up here, I paid a LOT more than $100 for my Caly 3..... My primary reason for the Caly 3 was mostly for my generaly EDC type things - not really hard use, in other words. Not that it can't take it, it probably can manage quite easily, but I also wanted a folder for the "ugly" stuff. My Bryd Crow is probably my best reference point here. It was used for some reno work earlier this year with very good success. I also have an SS Meadowlark and that blade shape, I found was actually a little more useful than the Crow's, though the Crow's tip is no slouch either. I had an E3 that I used in conjunction with it, but I'm one of those people that really doesn't like to use my more expensive folders hard. I am getting better at it though:) If I had to pick only one, it probably would be the Caly 3 for what I'm currently doing. If I was doing rougher stuff more often, I might be more inclined to the Meadowlark. I can buy a "few" Meadowlarks for the price of a Caly 3:D

- gord
 
Yesterday I took apart my G10 Meadowlark and the Cara Cara. Now I understand, why are they so cheap: no sign of _any_ handmade refinements inside! :eek: (E.g. sharp edges on the liners, rough surface on the back spacer and the lock bar...) But they works really well in the factory state! Incredible! :thumbup:

I removed the dust and dirt from the knives, polished up the liners, the back spacer and the lock bar. It took about a hour, but I think they're better than the originals! :thumbup:
Now the openings as smooth as on my Mini Manix, no sign of vertical and horizontal blade play - it worth spend my time to "pimp it up" my Byrds! :D
 
I carry Caly III every day for about a month and I love it. For my today's needs it is one of my best knives. It has an excellent design and made very good. I had Byrd Meadowlark; I decided to give it away just after I open this knife once. These two knives IMHO not even close, Caly cost much more money, but it worth every penny.
 
I had both. The Caly is perfect, the Meadowlark is good. Fit and finish is ok on the Meadowlark, but the Caly is perfectly smooth, looks better, feels better and cuts better:D .

If you can afford it the Caly is worth it IMHO.

Getting both might not be a bad idea, since you can always give the Meadowlark to somebody who can appreciate a good knife, but isn't into high end folders. I gave my Meadowlark away and it is appreciated a lot more where it is now.
 
The Caly is definitely worth it. I've Had mine for about three weeks and I like it more every day. My full size Manix and Byrd Robin (SS PE) arrived today. The shipping deal through The Blade Shop pretty much made the Robin almost free, so I ordered one out of curiosity. It's not bad for the price (retail $15 but I paid $7), but I must say it isn't very impressive. Hard to open one handed. Hard to lock and unlock the blade because the lock doesn't fit the blade very well. Blade not very sharp out of the box. It's a $15 knife that's worth $15. Glad I didn't start with Byrd or I'd never have given Spyderco a chance. My three Spyderco knives (Manix, Caly 3, Kopa) are very impressive even for the higher price. I've paid twice as much ($200+) for semi custom Fontenille Pataud knives that aren't as smooth as my Caly 3. It's So smooth and precise. I'm not familiar with the Meadowlark, but if it's the same quality as the Robin, I'd pass on it and save up for the Caly. If you want a cheap beater and quality isn't very important, then the Byrd Meadowlark is probably worth consideration.
 
Another vote for the Caly 3: when I first got it, I was surprised at how small it seemed, but after using it for several weeks, I realized its a big cutter in a refined package- the F&F are awesome.
Plus its got the full liners & g-10... no contest with frn IMO.
 
I have both and the great but the caly 3 holds its edge longer and that full flat grind is so easy to resharpen. But if you going to be doing things that could cause you to lose your knife like caveing or climbing or other outside stuff the meadowlark can take the beating and sould the lose happen your only out about 20$ not 100$ but for looks and name sake go for the caly 3 i love mine one of my first pics for edc. :cool:
 
I had to order one after all the positive reviews and getting it for $76.00. Looks like I will have a new EDC for awhile. Thanks for the ifo.
 
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