Delica vs Stretch vs Endura (aka The Age Old Question)

Rhyno37

Rhyno37

Joined
May 27, 2012
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291
Hey guys, after a year of plunging into the knife world and doing countless trades and purchases, I've decided to stick to Spyderco. Personally, their ergonomics are outstanding and fit me well. I love their pricing and business model. I feel that they constantly put out good knives for a great price. That being said, I've sold away almost all my other knives except for my PM2. At this point, I am looking for a cheaper EDC, bringing me to the Delica, Stretch, and Endura. Note that no matter what I choose first, I will probably end up with all of them :p. I've only ever had the Delica 4 before, and it was a great all around small knife. The Stretch and Endura interest me a bit more, since they are still very slim but have larger blades. Is the Stretch that much better than the Endura to warrant a $20 price difference? I'm kinda leaning towards the Stretch but have never held either so I want some input. Size isn't a big issue. Knife will not be abused, just typical cutting tasks for an EDC.

Also, whether I get the Delica, Stretch, or Endura, is it worth it to upgrade to ZDP-189? Thanks!
 
I haven't had a Stretch either, so I'm gonna say go for the Endura in VG-10. Very good price point and very useful knife
 
I have them all in many variations and I think the Stretch in ZDP is my preference, but they are all good lightweight users. It has the best ergos for my sausage fingers and is a superb slicer. With the Super Blue variations around the corner I will definitely be getting the Stretch Super Blue and likely the Endura. I like your angry Bevo avatar.

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Don't have a Stretch but between Endura and Delica I like my Endura's better, mostly because its bigger and I like a bigger knife and I also like the FRN because it is lightweight and a great EDC knife.
 
Brisket said:
I have them all in many variations and I think the Stretch in ZDP is my preference, but they are all good lightweight users. It has the best ergos for my sausage fingers and is a superb slicer. With the Super Blue variations around the corner I will definitely be getting the Stretch Super Blue and likely the Endura. I like your angry Bevo avatar.

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How soon is the super blue supposed to come out? And thanks, gotta love Bevo
 
They are all great knives. I think the Stretch is just a bit more refined in the ergos, and so it gets my vote.

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How soon is the super blue supposed to come out? And thanks, gotta love Bevo
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My understanding is that Fall 2013 is the scheduled arrival date for the Stretch Super Blue (grey FRN handle), a sprint run with limited quantity (1200?) with a retail price of $175 and an initial street price of about 60 less than that. Keep in mind that the street price of Sprints, Dealer/Distributor Exclusives and limited runs can increase considerably based upon demand.
 
The stretch is a fine knife, very comfortable, with a great utility shape. The endura is a good knife also, but get the stretch if you can. You won't be sorry.
 
I have and like all three. I carry and use the Delica the most of the bunch. It just fits more comfortably in pocket than the others. It is a shorter blade, but I've found it more than adequate for my typical EDC tasks. All three have the fantastic ergos you'd expect of Spyderco. The Stretch does have the additional choil for choking up on the blade, if you find yourself using that grip regularly. The Stretch is also quite a bit wider at the tail of the handle, which is a bit more comfortable if you are gripping tightly, but it does make it a bit more obtrusive in pocket as well.
 
The Stretch and Endura are my two work beater blades.
If I had to pick one it would be the stretch.
Its a bit smaller but I like the belly in the blade and it feels better in my hand.
 
Have yet to pick up a Delica, but I have owned a few Endura's and gave the Stretch a try. I will be picking up a Delica sometime in the future, maybe the SB sprint, but I actually preferred the Endura over the Stretch. I like the extremely thin profile of the Endura with a good size blade. I'm sure you can't go wrong with either though.

Can't get the the Stretch in the awesome purple handles though...;)
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SHKnives said:
Don't have a Stretch but between Endura and Delica I like my Endura's better, mostly because its bigger and I like a bigger knife and I also like the FRN because it is lightweight and a great EDC knife.
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^This^

The ZDP Endura is an excellent knife, as long as you keep on top of your touch-ups. Unless you have diamond rods, you do not want to try and re-profile ZDP.
 
I have a few Delicas, but I prefer a larger knife. The Endura is a favorite, but I almost always choose the stretch. It's handle is barely bigger than a Delica, but the blade is about 1/2" longer; plus it has a choil.
 
My son has a Delica, but I still prefer my Endura Wave to it just since it has that little extra reach and heft.
 
I was trying to make this decision two years ago. First good knife. Keep in mind that I was, and am, not ridiculously rich. Knives are nice, but some things do get priority. All three knives are under $100, yet are good, high quality designs that offer a lot for the price. I broke the decision down into two bits. Steel and model. ZDP vs VG10. This really depends on the user, IMO, but at the time, I was still a novice and decided on VG10. I was wary of ZDP, since I wasn't confident I could handle the hard steel, brittleness (relatively), and less corrosion resistance. I felt VG10 would be sufficient- I did not anticipate any high wear tasks, and would not mind more frequent sharpenings. The lower price didn't hurt either.

As for the model, I decided against the stretch. I didn't feel the extra $20 or so was justified for essentially the same knife as the Endura. Additionally, I thought the choil wasted space on the knife, and preferred the Endura/Delica. I had trouble between the two, but decided on the Endura, since it was an extra inch of steel for the same price. Also, my previous EDC knife (Gerber Evo), was also 4", and I felt no need to go smaller.

Not sure if that helps, but that was how I did it. Oh, and pictures. The stretch is a friend's. (And just for the record, I'm still more attached to the endura).
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I've owned all three, and I really like the Delica. However, between the Stretch and the Endura, I'd take the Stretch any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

It has just as much blade length but with a slimmer blade, slimmer profile, and much better ergonomics. Is it worth the $20 price difference? Maybe, maybe not, but to me it is. For an EDC, I'd gladly spend $20 more to get a much more comfortable and refined knife.
 
I vote for the Stretch as well. If you like the ergos of the PM2 (specifically the hump where your middle and index finger go, and the relief on either side), I have found the Stretch to be the closest in comparison of any Spyderco. Plus the Stretch gets cool factor points for being Sal's personal project of what he wanted in an EDC. For me, the only (slight) negative the Stretch gets is that it is a lock back, but so are the other two.
 
I have actually found myself carrying the Stretch quite a bit. IMO, all three knives would be excellent. Figure out which design and ergonomics you prefer. Well, I don't have a Delica but it is a Spydie, so no worry there.
 
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