Centofante 3 vs 4. Sway me?

G

goodeyesniper

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Aug 31, 2009
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Okay, been looking for something a bit smaller than the Tenacious to EDC. The centofante did not appeal to me at first, but it's starting to look very tempting.

I've never had a quality knife with a Wharncliffe blade, so am hesitant on the 4, but I hear nothing but great things about this one. But a main reason for possibly going that route, is that the blade is a tad shorter, falling overall to the 3" mark, and I've been finding that more local laws criminalize 3"+ blades in cali than I had first thought. and that's cheap insurance. Even though the Centofante 3 has a 3" cutting edge(according to specs), the blade itself goes a tad over, and you never know what might happen :rolleyes: though that's not really too much of an issue to me, just a thought.

Any thoughts/opinions?

I'm starting to love the look of both of these knives. The weight and thickness sound great. And the thinner blades will be perfect for me. A nice change of blade shape is also welcome in the Centofante 4.
 
I have the III, and I love the knife. I'm a bigger fan of the "drop-point" blades rather that wharncliffe. The blade is very thin, and provides excellent slicing ability, very lightweight(I wear it loose in RFP and I hardly notice that it is there. You can't go wrong with either one.
 
i also have a III , great knife .

the choice is either straight or curved cutting edge , both are great so it's more of an aesthetic preference .
 
I wondered also about the blade shape. I ordered one anyway. Now the Centofante 4 is my all time favorite Spyderco. The cutting power of that thin Wharnie is incredible. The tip is a great splinter picker. The handle fits my hand like a glove. It's just the right size and weight for EDC in any attire. I'm thinking that I may buy a couple more just to have spares ... It really is that good.

Gordon
 
yeah, really leaning more and more towards the Wharnie. Only, the 3 sites I usually go to for knives don't have any Centofante 4s.... anyone have reputable sites with a 4 in stock?
Found one site with a seemingly good deal on them, I'm unfamiliar with the site, though. And they don't say which of their knives are in stock or not, which kinda throws me off....
 
Both are great knives and you'll be happy with either. It comes down to which one YOU like more.

I'v carried the 3 for a few months now and just love it, but I perfer a bit of 'belly' in an edc which I dont get with the warncliff.
I think some pics might help you out :thumbup:

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Have fun shopping!!:D
 
I own the Cento 3 and like everyone else states here it is a super nice knife for slicing and very light weight, I have not had much experience with warncliff blade styles other than my recent purchase of the Kiwi [which I LOVE] but I know bellie to a blade can give you some more cut when you roll up to the tip.

Remember all spydies will hold value.

GET BOTH. haha
 
I really liked the aesthetics of the Cento 4, and had never carried a wharncliffe around. For EDC, I think the blade shape is just right. Good for the things I do more often than skin animals. Things like, opening boxes, mail, etc. Also the "boxcutter" shape may work in your favor if you plan to use at work. I wouldn't want the wharncliffe in a "do-all" setting, like camping/survival, but it's just fine for city type chores.

DC
 
The wharncliffe blade never appealed to me. I'd see guys on here rave about that style so I picked up a Cento IV to see what all the fuss was about. It's a very useful shape. Like a box cutter on steroids. Pierces clam shell packaging with ease and is ideal for splitting sheathing on electrical wire. Do like I did and get both.
 
Dunno if this is kosher, but the Cento 4 is on sale for like thirty bucks at KnifeWorks.
 
I recently got the 3 via the web @ amazon. That was after searching all the local stores for Nada :(.

Anyway, I'm out with my son the other day, and he asks to see my knife. I pull out the 3 and he's Wowed by it. He looks it over, opens it several times and says, "Dad, I want one of these". :thumbup:
 
well, i chose the 4. There's probably a good chance I'll pick up a 3 in the future if this one treats me well. And I've never handled a spyder I haven't loved. Thanks for your thoughts and info.
 
goodeyesniper said:
well, i chose the 4. There's probably a good chance I'll pick up a 3 in the future if this one treats me well. And I've never handled a spyder I haven't loved. Thanks for your thoughts and info.
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good luck with your new knife , i only have the centofante 3 , but there is a good chance of a 4 in my future . i love all my spyderco's , they made a life long customer out of me , i only EDC spyderco's , period .
 
I had the 3 for a few years and love it, but if I'm looking for a new one I would get the 4. Wharnny blades are just awesome, think box cutter.
 
goodeyesniper said:
well, i chose the 4. There's probably a good chance I'll pick up a 3 in the future if this one treats me well. And I've never handled a spyder I haven't loved. Thanks for your thoughts and info.
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Great choice. If this is your first time edc'in a wharn, you're in for a real treat. They cut like razors and are dead simple to sharpin. I don't seem to miss having some belly at all.

Also i really love the frn texture on these knives, I wish Spyderco offered smoother frn on other models, a native or strech with smooth frn would be pretty sweet. Anyone else think so?
 
Got the 4 in today, very impressed! It is quite the lightweight, which is perfect. The pictures were deceiving, it's light like my old Native, but with a much thinner blade. This thing just looks built to SLICE. Size and weight seem perfect for my EDC, I just got it in the mail today so it hasn't seen real carry time, and has only cut some bits of plastic and paper :D

So far this is the "slowest deploying" spydie I've had out of the box. The Tenacious opens and locks lightning fast, and came that way. The Native came quick, but broke in to be even quicker. The centofante still opens very easily, but the last 10% or so is slightly stiff upon opening. Also the spydie hole is closer in to the pivot, than the other two, which gives you slightly less leverage. It feels like it will break in nicely, though. And it's not really even a complaint on my part, just something I noticed.

jimnolimit said:
good luck with your new knife , i only have the centofante 3 , but there is a good chance of a 4 in my future . i love all my spyderco's , they made a life long customer out of me , i only EDC spyderco's , period .
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If you're looking for a 4 in the future, I'd start shopping around. As it's going to be discontinued for 2010. the 3 is sticking around though.

korbiaka said:
Great choice. If this is your first time edc'in a wharn, you're in for a real treat. They cut like razors and are dead simple to sharpin. I don't seem to miss having some belly at all.

Also i really love the frn texture on these knives, I wish Spyderco offered smoother frn on other models, a native or strech with smooth frn would be pretty sweet. Anyone else think so?
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I am very impressed by the scales, it looks classy as hell, and feels great too. I love my Native I scales, but I'd opt for a FFG Native in smooth frn too!
 
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I'd like to get a 4 sometime before they're discontinued...hopefully. Always thought it was a real classy looking knife.
 
I picked up two more 4s this weekend for spares and a 3 while I was at it. I really like the 3. Almost as much as the 4.:D

Gordon
 
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