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Buck_110 said:
First off, please pardon my ignorance, as I'm a Buck guy with virtually zero Spyderco knowledge.

Are there any differences between the current SpydeRench and the original versions? I have noticed that the original versions have 'USA' cast into the handle on the knife side, and current versions do not. Are the current versions produced in the United States?

Also, what are the differences between the SpydeRench and the byrdRench? Is it merely the blade steel? I see these for sale bladed with 440C, yet on the Spyderco website, 440C is not a blade steel choice.

Lastly, what years was the original SpydeRench produced?

I would like to thank you in advance for any input. I appreciate it!
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Hey Buck 110 I've been over there at your Forum here recently. I thought I recognized your name :) Oh yes there are a many differences between the original USA made, 1999-2000 era Spyderench over the newest one. First of all The original USA made version has 440C knife blades and there were 3 variations i.e. PE, CE & full SE. They were originally designed by a guy named Marty Beck from what I've been told who was some kind of an engineer.

The current newest Spyderench is called the Byrdrench and it's blades are made with 8cr13MOv. The overall design is very similar

There was for a short time a Taiwan version made with AUS-8 blades and I'm not sure how long they were available but it wasn't too long because I never got a chance to trade for one.

I'm personally favored toward the original USA version for obvious reasons and I like 440C blade steel better than the others. There is a guy on the Spyderco.com forum who goes by the forum name TED. And he host's "Ted's Spyderco" website which you can google. It's got everything Spyderco ever made and there should be some more information there you can dig up. I'll see what else I can find out in the meantime. I'll be popping up on your Forum occasionally because I still have some Buck stuff in my collection. I hope that gets you in the right direction. JD
 
The newer SpydeRench has an AUS-8 blade, a better bit retention magnet (much, much better), and an improved #1 Phillips bit. The small straight screwdiver bit on the other end of the diamond file has been replaced by a punch end, which isn't a bad trade off for the improved Phillips. The adjustment wheel threads on the old Rench are also more robust than those on the newer version. Apart from that, I don't see much difference.

Some comparison pix of the ByrdRench and original SpydeRench can be seen here: http://s276.photobucket.com/albums/kk28/yablanowitz/?start=20
 
JD Spydo said:
Hey Buck 110 I've been over there at your Forum here recently. I thought I recognized your name :) Oh yes there are a many differences between the original USA made, 1999-2000 era Spyderench over the newest one. First of all The original USA made version has 440C knife blades and there were 3 variations i.e. PE, CE & full SE. They were originally designed by a guy named Marty Beck from what I've been told who was some kind of an engineer.

The current newest Spyderench is called the Byrdrench and it's blades are made with 8cr13MOv. The overall design is very similar

There was for a short time a Taiwan version made with AUS-8 blades and I'm not sure how long they were available but it wasn't too long because I never got a chance to trade for one.

I'm personally favored toward the original USA version for obvious reasons and I like 440C blade steel better than the others. There is a guy on the Spyderco.com forum who goes by the forum name TED. And he host's "Ted's Spyderco" website which you can google. It's got everything Spyderco ever made and there should be some more information there you can dig up. I'll see what else I can find out in the meantime. I'll be popping up on your Forum occasionally because I still have some Buck stuff in my collection. I hope that gets you in the right direction. JD
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The SpydeRench and the Byrdrench are two different products. The SpydeRench is being discontinued and is made in Taiwan: http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=286

The Byrdrench is made in China: http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=241

The SpydeRench can still be found at many retailers, and is being heavily discounted.
 
The one in those pictures is one of the originals, and it does not have USA cast into the handle anywhere. Sal posted in the past that they had a LOT of problems getting those first pieces made, including if I remember right some of the tooling (i.e. molds for handle casting) wandering off. As far as I know, all of the originals were made entirely in the US, with 440C blades, and if you find one with that steel, it is one of the originals.
 
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