A Christmas present from my wife, I ordered a Chaparral Light Weight back in November and got one of the first ones knifeworks.com received. They are great to work with. Unfortunately, the mail service is not. That knife (along with a Spyderco paring knife) completely circumnavigated the earth, and then went around the second time and finally arrived today. However, this knife was worth the wait.
I have one of the early Carbon Fiber XHP models and I had to 'doctor' it to get it right. It was gritty, not smooth, the edges were sharp as a razor on the spine and lock bar button. I had to break them to use the knife. Also, the jimping was so sharp I worked that over, too. The blade would not fall free. My $36 Cat 440C with jimping top and bottom was a much nicer knife. However, I fixed the Chaparral because I loved the design.
Now to the Light Weight. This knife is superb. Dated KQ, it is everything the older model was not. Spyderco fixed every issue I had with the older knife. It is smooth as butter. When you press the lock bar button the fly weight blade falls smooth and free. The edges of the spine, jimping, FRN scales, and lock bar button have been dehorned, yet remain crisp. Everything about this knife, the over all fit and finish, the blade centering, edge grind, and more are all really good.
The blade came very sharp. I went around looking for things to cut as soon as I unboxed it, as excited as a kid with a new toy. I cut open one of those plastic bags of frozen french fries by standing up the heavy plastic bag and one handed (not holding the bag with my other hand) slowly sliced the entire top off the bag. I did not have to saw, and the blade never bound up in the plastic. That is sharp! I did it again on a bag of fish. I cut up the shipping box with one hand to see if it would glide or need some pressure. Again, it glided through the box. I also cut up an apple (about to do that again!) and the knife made tissue thin slices of apple without an issue. The blade is sharp.
I really like the FRN. This knife is lighter in weight than the CF model. I was surprised. It is also thinner by a tad more than one Chaparral liner of thickness. This is a slim knife. The color, which we forumites voted on (not sure if Sal listened to us but it appears he did), is spot on. What a great shade of gray. It is dark, but not too dark. It is a different shade than the Urban LW K390, but they are close, if that gives any indication.
I had originally hoped for the same pattern of texture as is found on the Urban LW. That just feels good in the hand when fidgeting with the knife in hand or in pocket. However, after getting the knife, I am very happy with this texture. The texture looks like elongated hex nuts and gives a very good grip. I decided I like this a little better than the Urban texture because the knife is so very slim, that without a pocket clip, it would be hard to hang onto without it. It is a little aggressive, but not rough enough to cause a wear problem on clothing or hot spots in the hand while using it.
So, on the subjective side, this knife feels good in the hand. It is not as smooth as the Urban LW, but it still feels like you want to hold it and use it.
Yes, the first thing I did, was take out a T8 torx bit and take off the clip. I then screwed the clip screw back into the handle, assuming that like my CF model, the knife requires this screw to be in place to hold the scales on properly. I simply dropped the knife into my pocket like a good, old fashioned pocket knife, and have been carrying it that way all day. One thing, and I am not sure if it is the weight, or the slimness, but it does not turn upside down in my pocket as readily as does the CF model.
On the down side....o wait! I cannot find a downside. This is a better knife than my older Chaparral, and it is as good as some very expensive knives that I own, but this knife was, what, $80? Great job, again, Spyderco. I have a less expensive knife that has a quality I can be proud of, for a lot less money. Gotta love it.
I hate to say it, but good bye Delica. This knife is kicking my beloved Delica out of my watch pocket. Spyderco has been on fire lately. I have bought 3 exceptional knives this year from Spyderco: The Urban LW k390, Manix 2 back lock, and now this one (yes I bought more, but they were older designs) that have been really beyond expectations.
I have one of the early Carbon Fiber XHP models and I had to 'doctor' it to get it right. It was gritty, not smooth, the edges were sharp as a razor on the spine and lock bar button. I had to break them to use the knife. Also, the jimping was so sharp I worked that over, too. The blade would not fall free. My $36 Cat 440C with jimping top and bottom was a much nicer knife. However, I fixed the Chaparral because I loved the design.
Now to the Light Weight. This knife is superb. Dated KQ, it is everything the older model was not. Spyderco fixed every issue I had with the older knife. It is smooth as butter. When you press the lock bar button the fly weight blade falls smooth and free. The edges of the spine, jimping, FRN scales, and lock bar button have been dehorned, yet remain crisp. Everything about this knife, the over all fit and finish, the blade centering, edge grind, and more are all really good.
The blade came very sharp. I went around looking for things to cut as soon as I unboxed it, as excited as a kid with a new toy. I cut open one of those plastic bags of frozen french fries by standing up the heavy plastic bag and one handed (not holding the bag with my other hand) slowly sliced the entire top off the bag. I did not have to saw, and the blade never bound up in the plastic. That is sharp! I did it again on a bag of fish. I cut up the shipping box with one hand to see if it would glide or need some pressure. Again, it glided through the box. I also cut up an apple (about to do that again!) and the knife made tissue thin slices of apple without an issue. The blade is sharp.
I really like the FRN. This knife is lighter in weight than the CF model. I was surprised. It is also thinner by a tad more than one Chaparral liner of thickness. This is a slim knife. The color, which we forumites voted on (not sure if Sal listened to us but it appears he did), is spot on. What a great shade of gray. It is dark, but not too dark. It is a different shade than the Urban LW K390, but they are close, if that gives any indication.
I had originally hoped for the same pattern of texture as is found on the Urban LW. That just feels good in the hand when fidgeting with the knife in hand or in pocket. However, after getting the knife, I am very happy with this texture. The texture looks like elongated hex nuts and gives a very good grip. I decided I like this a little better than the Urban texture because the knife is so very slim, that without a pocket clip, it would be hard to hang onto without it. It is a little aggressive, but not rough enough to cause a wear problem on clothing or hot spots in the hand while using it.
So, on the subjective side, this knife feels good in the hand. It is not as smooth as the Urban LW, but it still feels like you want to hold it and use it.
Yes, the first thing I did, was take out a T8 torx bit and take off the clip. I then screwed the clip screw back into the handle, assuming that like my CF model, the knife requires this screw to be in place to hold the scales on properly. I simply dropped the knife into my pocket like a good, old fashioned pocket knife, and have been carrying it that way all day. One thing, and I am not sure if it is the weight, or the slimness, but it does not turn upside down in my pocket as readily as does the CF model.
On the down side....o wait! I cannot find a downside. This is a better knife than my older Chaparral, and it is as good as some very expensive knives that I own, but this knife was, what, $80? Great job, again, Spyderco. I have a less expensive knife that has a quality I can be proud of, for a lot less money. Gotta love it.
I hate to say it, but good bye Delica. This knife is kicking my beloved Delica out of my watch pocket. Spyderco has been on fire lately. I have bought 3 exceptional knives this year from Spyderco: The Urban LW k390, Manix 2 back lock, and now this one (yes I bought more, but they were older designs) that have been really beyond expectations.
