GOLDEN ERA Of Spyders: 1998 -2003

J

JD Spydo

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Nov 20, 2004
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I cut my Spyder Teeth on my very first Spyder I bought back in 1995 which was a GIN-1, SE Mariner model with stainless handles. Since then I've been hopelessly hooked on the divine hardware of the Great Spyder FActory as many of you all are :D

I've gotten new models off and on over the years with little time off and I came to the conclusion quite a while back that Spyderco had an Era in which the amount of Super Classics was mind-boggling. I personally call it the GOLDEN ERA Of SPYDERS 1998 to 2003. The models that they produced during that era to me are just in a class and a league of their own.

Some examples are the Dodo, Lil Temperance, Chinook, Spyderhawk, C-60 Ayoob, Lum Tanto folder and Lum Fixed blade, Lum Chinese and JD Smith just to name a few. When you see any of these super classics from that era go up for sale or auction they demand a lot of attention and a high price tag with very few exceptions.

But because 1998 to 2003 is what I JD Spydo call the GOLDEN ERA Of SPYDERS it doesn't necessarily mean that would be your GOLDEN ERA Of Spyders. So do any of you agree with me and I'm sure a few of you old timers like myself probably will but I'm also sure that some of you have fond memories in another era. So what's your Favorite Spyderco ERA?
 
It's no coincidence that you believe the best spydercos are from when you first started buying them. All "old" people think the times of their youth are better than today, from the days of ancient Greeks to now. Whatever floats your boat :)
 
brownshoe said:
It's no coincidence that you believe the best spydercos are from when you first started buying them. All "old" people think the times of their youth are better than today, from the days of ancient Greeks to now. Whatever floats your boat :)
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NO I beg to differ with you on that one Brownshoe>> because sincerely I base my liking for those models between 1998 to 2003 based on the amount of my favorite Spyders of all time. Because if you read my opening post it clearly says I got my first Spyder in 1995. There were some during that Era that I liked but no where near the collaborations and In house designs that came forth during the GOLDEN ERA. I get what you're saying but no I base it on objective thinking and on the ones I truly like the best.

There are a few models I dearly love that are just a year or so out of that Era like the Temperance 1 fixed blade model and the Impala for instance but most of my personal favs are out of that era for a lot of reasons and it really doesn't have a lot to do with my Spyder collecting youth so to speak.

MC Chan has said that many of his favorites are in this present era and I can certainly appreciate that because in the past 2 years I've had a much renewed interest in many of the new models like the ULIZE and Southfork and a few others. Because there was about a 3 year time slot where a lot of the newer ones just didn't appeal to me

I tell what guys I'll let results do a lot of my talking for me. To prove that just go try to get a few of the classics out of that era and let me know what the price tag ends up being. I'm not alone because a lot of people's favorites are also out of that ERA.
 
"Golden" Era seems to be a slightly odd choice for reference... since Golden still produces many of the models in the current line-up.


That said, I do agree, there were several models from then that quickly became standards, classics, legends... in a fairly short history. :thumbup:
But things continue to progress and evolve, and that's what I love most!
 
At the end of your golden era is when the multiposition clip holes started appearing on all of the new models and then retroactively ruining older models.
 
Lol at "ruining"... :p
Versatility and ability to fit different needs has rarely ever been a downfall in my book.
 
I don't appreciate being berated for my opinion. I say ruined. I find the unnecessary holes repulsive.

Left hand versions have always been available. Sprints could have been made for the tip-up hipsters.
 
@LeathermanGX said:
I don't appreciate being berated for my opinion. I say ruined. I find the unnecessary holes repulsive.

Left hand versions have always been available. Sprints could have been made for the tip-up hipsters.
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Sure, opinion noted. I apologize if that came off as an attempt at "berating" you. :)
Ruined is a strong term and it made me lol.

On another note, Tip up hipsters are in an outrage right now at being berated.
 
Golden era started with the advent of the Taichung Spyderco knives in 2008. :)
 
The era never ended.
This year dawned with me getting the Tatanka, an amazing new Spyderco knife. :)
Great ergonomics, perfect grinds, and an innovative new lock.

Other years saw the Lava, Yojimbo 2, or the Kris further back in the mists of time.

I wasn't so keen on the era of integral moulded clips...but since then, every year that Spyderco has produced knives sees the advent of something I want to own.
 
20130222_115225_zps1ceabada.jpg

This Spyderco Endura (Generation 1) with G2 blade steel was produced between 1990 - 97. As was often the case with this series, the molded Zytel (DuPont product) clip would break. I replaced the clip with this metal clip purchased from Spyderco for a nominal fee. In this day of high tech steels and ball bearing pivots, its still fun to remember the good old days when this knife won Blade Magazine's "Overall Knife Of The Year".
 
JD Spydo said:
NO I beg to differ with you on that one Brownshoe>> because sincerely I base my liking for those models between 1998 to 2003 based on the amount of my favorite Spyders of all time. Because if you read my opening post it clearly says I got my first Spyder in 1995...
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Sorry, given it is now 2015, from my frame of reference 1995 and 1998 are not really much different...
 
Let me guess, you have 100's of so called "Golden Era" white box Spydercos sitting brand new in shoeboxes:rolleyes:;)
 
stabman said:
The era never ended.
This year dawned with me getting the Tatanka, an amazing new Spyderco knife. :)
Great ergonomics, perfect grinds, and an innovative new lock.

Other years saw the Lava, Yojimbo 2, or the Kris further back in the mists of time.

I wasn't so keen on the era of integral moulded clips...but since then, every year that Spyderco has produced knives sees the advent of something I want to own.
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Hey I can appreciate the differing opinions as to when you personally think Spyderco has had or has now at this time the best era ever. There are good arguments to be made on those accounts. On another Forum where I talked about this subject I got a couple of people agreeing with me based only on the collaborations and the designs of the time rather than on the workmanship and overall quality.

There is no argument on this end that blade steels have gotten better as well as handle materials; not to mention better locking systems on most folders that Spyderco makes. But the models from the era that I believe is Spyderco's GOLDEN TIME did yield some great classics like the Dodo, The Gunting, The JD SMITH, The Viele, The Herbst as well as most of the Bob LUm collaborations. There are many more that when they hit the auction sites they go for really big bucks as a general rule.

Just yesterday a Spyderco folder out of that GOLDEN ERA which was a Cranberry colored Chinese Lum which brought over $1000>> and I believe we are going to see many more out of that era go for + $500 or better. Models like the Titanium ATR, ORiginal R model and a few of the other obscure and rare models are poised for a price break out. Because the final sale price tells it all. Supply and demand is not a falsehood
 
I think there's some truth that most knife guys, no matter which is their particular favorite maker, have soft spot for the makers lineup that they first started buying. Not always, but perhaps.

I've been fortunate in that I've been buying Spyderco right from the get go in the early 80's. The Hunter, Standard, Worker, etc. Those ugly knives with the holes and SS handles. They are great knives though. Then models in ATS-34 appeared and we all thought blade steel couldn't get better.

So I've gotten to watch Spyderco grow, adapt, and increase their market share to the huge presence it has today. With it's tremendous legion of fans.

But for myself personally, and it's not just Spyderco, there are just too many larger, MBC, type knives anymore as compared to a good utilitarian blade shape. But that's the lion share of the demand right now, which drives sales, which drives expansion, R & D, etc. So I get that. But how many Ti slabbed framelock knives do we need. Lol.

Drifted off course there. So for me, the golden age, would date to even before the OP's. That's why I always buy spares of my favorites. And now and then I still carry my old Hunter. But the Forum Native 5 is a pretty awesome knife. :)
 
I cannot, with any real experience, form an opinion about when the Golden Age of Spyderco was/is......if there is such a term to describe Spyderco's best design/production days.

Spyderco has done well every single year I would expect. Great designs, great materials, great manufacturing, a great following...what else could Spyderco want.....in any age?
 
I am biased as my favourite spyderco is the Lum tanto folder, although mine is the 2011? sprint, I prefer to the original ti version as it is much lighter.

I always like showing off the picture of it new.

image_zpsa83f22de.jpg
 
Rare blade said:
I am biased as my favourite spyderco is the Lum tanto folder, although mine is the 2011? sprint, I prefer to the original ti version as it is much lighter.

I always like showing off the picture of it new.

image_zpsa83f22de.jpg
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So that brings up a question in my head; in which way does it bias your outlook, like you mention?
Do you prefer the time period when that knife was first designed, or instead, do you bias towards the slightly more modern period with it being rehashed with different materials?
 
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