Endura 4 came today

H

Hesparus

Joined
Oct 31, 2004
Messages
1,442
I just got an Endura 4. I knew this thing was big, but when I got it in my hand...Wow... This thing is huge. This thing is really solid, too. The skeletonized liners give it just a little bit more weight to make it feel more solid (the actual strength that it provides aside) but it's not so heavy that it will be impossible to carry. The handle is much more ergonomic than I imagined it would be. It's not as comfortable as, say, the native but it's comfortable in many more different positions than the native is. The grip is so big that my hand feels a little bit lost on it but it's very secure and I'm just not used to knives this big. The grind still doesn't thrill me, but I'm starting to become a real believer in VG10 and the blade ought to be real tough. I can only imagine the kind of abuse this knife could take. There is just the slightest bit of vertical blade play (less than my other spydercos, actually) and I can wiggle it a bit from side to side — no complaints, though.
I haven't been able to move the clip or take it appart yet because I don't have the right size torx wrench (it'd be cool if spyderco included a couple of cheap-ass torx wrenches with their knives the way crkt does). Hoping to fix that on my way home.
I really dig the new clip style, too.
Now I really can't wait for the waved version to come out.

- Chris
 
So I finally got to take it appart — I busted three of my new torx wrenches in the process. Some of those screws are really in there (the first one that holds the spring on just below the lock bar was the worst). After that, I assumed that taking it appart was going to be the hard part. After cleaning and relubricating it, I found out what a pain in the ass it is to get back together. It wouldn't be bad if it didn't have those tiny washers (anybody konw how well this thing would function without the washers? I'd try it out myself but I don't want to risk dammage). I had originally envisioned regular take-downs and cleanings but that will probably not be the case. It's still nice, though, to know that if I want/need to clean it really well I can — my older ones could really use it.
I'm still getting the hang of carrying a knife tip down in my pocket. It's easier to draw if it's on the right side of my (left) pocket, but it's much more comfortable to wear when sitting down if it's over on the left side. I have always been a proponent of tip up carry, but for a knife this big I think tip down is deffinately the way to go. Naturally, all of these problems will go away when I get the waved version. Gives me wood just thinking about it...
Anyway, it's gotten nicely broken in from playing with it for two days and I really like the action on it. On the down side, the inner edges of the spyderhole are unusually sharp, as are the corners on the lock bar. I'm getting chafed on my thumb where the sharp parts dig in.
After carrying it for a little longer, I can confirm what I said in my original post. Although this is a little bit heavier than my other spydercos, it carries very well. It's thin enough so it doesn't hang off of you like my crkt M1 does but it's thick enough that you can get a really good grip on it. The slim profile is also really nice because I can still get my hand into my pocket while I'm wearing it. The style and location of the clip makes it seem like you're carrying a much smaller knife than you really are, which is never a bad thing.
The bottom line: Although it's a tough call, I think this may be my favorite spyderco or at least in the top two. I like it so much that I'm contemplating getting the foliage green model, too, so I can have a plain edge and a combo edge of the same model that I can distinguish without opening them.

- Chris
 
if those sharp edges bother you too much, just use a small ceramic stone (like the corner of a sharpmaker stone) to ever so slightly chamfer the hole. It doesn't take much, and will be barely visible to the naked eye, but will make a large difference in comfort.
 
I just got an Endura 4 FRN CE a couple days ago. Loved my Endura 3, but never liked the tip up carry. Being able to move it to tip down is great! Big improvement - hasn't left my pocket yet :thumbup:
 
Does anyone know the weight of the new Endura 4? How heavy is it compared to the previous version?
 
kamagong said:
Does anyone know the weight of the new Endura 4? How heavy is it compared to the previous version?
Click to expand...
It feels a little heavier than the E3 but in a reassuring way, you won't know it in pocket, but in hand. I've had mine for a month and I like it much better than the E3, and I was a dyed in the wool fanatic about the old integral clip
E1 fan, before the E4 that is. Get one you'll love it!
Cheers,
Rob
 
kamagong said:
Does anyone know the weight of the new Endura 4? How heavy is it compared to the previous version?
Click to expand...
The Endura 3 weights 3.0 oz. The Endura 4 weights 3.7 oz. My digital scale is pretty accurate. You can feel the difference, but in a good way.:)
 
IUKE12 said:
The Endura 3 weights 3.0 oz. The Endura 4 weights 3.7 oz. My digital scale is pretty accurate. You can feel the difference, but in a good way.:)
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm a little surprised that it weighs this much now. The Endura and the Military are both big knives with similar sized blades. Now that the Endura has steel liners it would seem that it has lost one of the main advantages it had over the Military, i.e., weight.
 
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