Buzzbait
Gold Member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2001
- Messages
- 6,731
Man am I stoked. My D4 and E4 arrived this afternoon, and I think Im in love!!!
I ordered them up late last week, with the intention of keeping my favorite of the two knives, and giving the other to my father-in-law as a Christmas gift. Having heard that they now have steel liners, I figured that Id spend some time during autumn, and make up some G-10 or Micarta scales for them, as Ive never been much of a Spydie FRN fan.
My view of FRN Spydies has now done a total 180 degree shift. In the past, I was never really impressed with the FRN Spydies, as they flexed far too much for my liking. They just felt cheap to me. Id always recommend Kabar Doziers instead, as they felt far more solid. The nesting of the steel liners was a surprise to me on the D4 and E4, but it is a pleasant surprise. I probably wont be tackling the G-10 or Micarta rehandling job now, as it would be more difficult than planned. But to tell you the truth, Im very happy with the FRN now. FRN is obviously tough stuff, and now that the flex has been removed, Im perfectly happy with leaving the knives in stock condition. The new grip pattern on the E4 and D4 is outstanding.
I also love the changes to the blade grinds. Id also stayed away from recommending many Spydies in the past, just because my friends have those nasty habits of using their knives to pry up paint can lids and the like. An LEO friend of mine, whom I had given an old Military to, had the tip snapped off in two weeks. Ugghh!!!! A very fine tip is great for me, but my friends definitely needed a stupid-proof tip, that wouldnt snap off so easily. So it was back to the Kabar Dozier recommendations again. But the new D4 and E4 are perfect beater knives. They have very substantial tips, without being too obtuse. These new models seem to be ideal do it all models, for both urban and outdoor use.
It feels like there is a little more weight now, in comparison to the older models, but nothing that Id call a deal breaker. I have been carrying a Military for years, and more recently a ParaMilitary, and both the E4 and D4 are even lighter still. Thats money in my book.
Im also liking the new styling on the pocket clips. My biggest beef in regards to the Military and Para has always been the pocket clip. The edges of the clips scrape everything in sight. The new E4 and D4 clips are much more rounded and smooth, without that sharp edge. I may even grow to like these new clips even more than the Spyderco wire clip on my Salsa. The multi-positional clip mounting capabilities of the E4 and D4 are also a sweet bonus to an already excellent package.
The jimping on the thumb ramp, as well as the molded jimping on the back of the FRN scales, was an unexpected bonus. I am accustomed to my Golden-made Spydies, which have jimping on the thumb ramp, so I dont feel cheated at all, when using the E4 or D4.
So which knife will my father-in-law get in his stocking? Too bad for Pop. These Spydies are both staying with me. The Endura4 is REALLY speaking to me in big way. There is no way that this knife is getting out of my hands. It is the Spydie that Ive always wanted, for light hiking trips, weekend house projects and yard work. Im not afraid to accidentally lose it, and it feels superbly robust. Its not a tank like the Manix, but it is much easier to live with in the pocket.
The Delica4 is going to replace my Dragonfly as my sweat pants knife, that I wear during the evening. Ive had a couple of bad experiences with liner locks, over the years. The blade would overcome the ball detent, while clipped to the front pocket of my sweats, and stab me in the leg. The Dragonfly was my solution to this problem, having a back lock with spring tension to keep the knife closed. Unfortunately, the Dragonfly is too small for me to open one-handed, because of my unusually long fingers. I always end up getting a bad grip on the Dragonfly, and cutting myself when trying to open the knife. The Delica4 happens to be a perfect replacement, and is definitely the minimum size that I can open one-handed, without having to concentrate on the opening action.
Both knives arrived with good fit and finish. They werent Golden Colorado good, but excellent for their price point. The blades were centered better than most, and the blades were sharp. The grinds were more even than many of my higher priced knives. Thankfully, the screws were not painted black, like my Golden Spydies, as the black looks like hell after the first week. The only real rough areas were the on the blades, where a sharpening choil might usually go. That spot looked like a chunk of blade had been hammered off. Very rough. There was also a distinct lack of finishing, on the inside of the lock bar, which you cant normally see without peeking inside of the knife, while in the open position. No biggie there, considering that this is an inexpensive production folder. I wouldnt expect more for this price.
All in all, I am initially blown away by the Endura4 or Delica4. Sal Glesser, as well as the rest of the Spyderco crew, has done a sensational job. They took long standing and time tested designs, and brought them to the next level of usability and abusability. For less than half the price of comparable Golden-made Spydies, such as the ParaMilitary and Military, the E4 and D4 appear to be the knife bargain of the century. Now where is that Native4?
Here are some junky pics I just took at work.
I ordered them up late last week, with the intention of keeping my favorite of the two knives, and giving the other to my father-in-law as a Christmas gift. Having heard that they now have steel liners, I figured that Id spend some time during autumn, and make up some G-10 or Micarta scales for them, as Ive never been much of a Spydie FRN fan.
My view of FRN Spydies has now done a total 180 degree shift. In the past, I was never really impressed with the FRN Spydies, as they flexed far too much for my liking. They just felt cheap to me. Id always recommend Kabar Doziers instead, as they felt far more solid. The nesting of the steel liners was a surprise to me on the D4 and E4, but it is a pleasant surprise. I probably wont be tackling the G-10 or Micarta rehandling job now, as it would be more difficult than planned. But to tell you the truth, Im very happy with the FRN now. FRN is obviously tough stuff, and now that the flex has been removed, Im perfectly happy with leaving the knives in stock condition. The new grip pattern on the E4 and D4 is outstanding.
I also love the changes to the blade grinds. Id also stayed away from recommending many Spydies in the past, just because my friends have those nasty habits of using their knives to pry up paint can lids and the like. An LEO friend of mine, whom I had given an old Military to, had the tip snapped off in two weeks. Ugghh!!!! A very fine tip is great for me, but my friends definitely needed a stupid-proof tip, that wouldnt snap off so easily. So it was back to the Kabar Dozier recommendations again. But the new D4 and E4 are perfect beater knives. They have very substantial tips, without being too obtuse. These new models seem to be ideal do it all models, for both urban and outdoor use.
It feels like there is a little more weight now, in comparison to the older models, but nothing that Id call a deal breaker. I have been carrying a Military for years, and more recently a ParaMilitary, and both the E4 and D4 are even lighter still. Thats money in my book.
Im also liking the new styling on the pocket clips. My biggest beef in regards to the Military and Para has always been the pocket clip. The edges of the clips scrape everything in sight. The new E4 and D4 clips are much more rounded and smooth, without that sharp edge. I may even grow to like these new clips even more than the Spyderco wire clip on my Salsa. The multi-positional clip mounting capabilities of the E4 and D4 are also a sweet bonus to an already excellent package.
The jimping on the thumb ramp, as well as the molded jimping on the back of the FRN scales, was an unexpected bonus. I am accustomed to my Golden-made Spydies, which have jimping on the thumb ramp, so I dont feel cheated at all, when using the E4 or D4.
So which knife will my father-in-law get in his stocking? Too bad for Pop. These Spydies are both staying with me. The Endura4 is REALLY speaking to me in big way. There is no way that this knife is getting out of my hands. It is the Spydie that Ive always wanted, for light hiking trips, weekend house projects and yard work. Im not afraid to accidentally lose it, and it feels superbly robust. Its not a tank like the Manix, but it is much easier to live with in the pocket.
The Delica4 is going to replace my Dragonfly as my sweat pants knife, that I wear during the evening. Ive had a couple of bad experiences with liner locks, over the years. The blade would overcome the ball detent, while clipped to the front pocket of my sweats, and stab me in the leg. The Dragonfly was my solution to this problem, having a back lock with spring tension to keep the knife closed. Unfortunately, the Dragonfly is too small for me to open one-handed, because of my unusually long fingers. I always end up getting a bad grip on the Dragonfly, and cutting myself when trying to open the knife. The Delica4 happens to be a perfect replacement, and is definitely the minimum size that I can open one-handed, without having to concentrate on the opening action.
Both knives arrived with good fit and finish. They werent Golden Colorado good, but excellent for their price point. The blades were centered better than most, and the blades were sharp. The grinds were more even than many of my higher priced knives. Thankfully, the screws were not painted black, like my Golden Spydies, as the black looks like hell after the first week. The only real rough areas were the on the blades, where a sharpening choil might usually go. That spot looked like a chunk of blade had been hammered off. Very rough. There was also a distinct lack of finishing, on the inside of the lock bar, which you cant normally see without peeking inside of the knife, while in the open position. No biggie there, considering that this is an inexpensive production folder. I wouldnt expect more for this price.
All in all, I am initially blown away by the Endura4 or Delica4. Sal Glesser, as well as the rest of the Spyderco crew, has done a sensational job. They took long standing and time tested designs, and brought them to the next level of usability and abusability. For less than half the price of comparable Golden-made Spydies, such as the ParaMilitary and Military, the E4 and D4 appear to be the knife bargain of the century. Now where is that Native4?
Here are some junky pics I just took at work.
I bougt a NIB for only 50 Euro! Can you imaging how glad Im now whit the lil' sharp basted
