Good Buy: SP3 in clam pack $7

C

Carl64

Joined
Apr 3, 2005
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(the plastic handle lockback)
Item SCSH3CPSS for $7 at eknifeworks.com

The description says it could be bulk or retail packaging. Mine came in the retail clam pack with the sharpening stone inside. It's worth a shot if you want to add a cheap Schrade in original packaging to your collection. I gues you might end up with a bulk packed item, but they put the same disclaimer on all Schrades and I suspect the ones that come with some free item are more likely to be packaged.

I always liked how Schrade included sharpening stones (and sometimes oil) with some packages. Not a very good stone, but it still screams "use me!"
 
Not a bad little knife, Carl. I have one stuck in an extra pouch in my cell phone case. A bargain!
Phil
 
I bought one of those a couple of months ago on a whim while ordering some closeout OldTimers.

I'd say the SP3 is 1/2 as nice as the similar MiniBuck, 1/5th as nice as the Gerber LST, and 1/20th as nice as the Spyderco Delica or Ladybug. The SP3 blade seems thin, cheap, and flimsy. There's a ~lot~ of side-to-side play when open.

But the SP3 isn't any worse than a $3 no-name Chinese knife. So for $7 you're getting a $3 knife and a $1 stone.

Just my 2 cents.
-Bob
 
The lock works well. A lot of cheap knives tend to pop out. The blade is a nice thin flat grind, which is how most knives ought to be.

The Ladybug is AUS6, so it isn't a whole lot better even though it is more finely manufactured. The Mini bucklite has always suffered from a loose blade, even more so than the schrade, and 420hc is not so hot. Both are better than whatever Schrade used, but at that level you still have bottom-level steel. Also, the SP3 I just bought is actually aligned better than most of the latest Buck lockbacks I have seen.

Besides, the minibuck and ladybug are way too small to put to much use. The SP3 is larger than the SP2 which was sold at walmart. I noticed the SP2 went down in quality in the last years. I have an older SP2 I bought many years ago at Kmart that is a little nicer than the "same" thing available at walmart just last year.

$3 chinese knives are not as good. They typically have blades that are too fat and sometimes dull and are entirely stamped for the tang/lock. The SP3 has some amount of polishing on the inside and is shaped well. There have been some superior chinese knives recently, but those are going for $10 at the absolute bottom and then up, if you want a chinese knife.

I'm not sure what the point is of comparing it to a Delica which costs $40.
 
The beads on my abacus are now whirring at top speed as I attempt to do a quality/cost/value comparison among the knives you mentioned Bob...... :D

There is very little hope, I fear.

Oh, how much would you say the clamshell package is worth?

Bill

Just having some fun here... ;)
 
OK, not the best from Schrade's but cute and handy little knives, Here's my two SP's, the larger one modified with lanyard hole and a small brass thumbstud.

Luis

6yejqs.jpg
 
My MiniBuck (a free gift form somewhere or another) is a bit loose, but nowhere near as bad as the SP3. The lock feels similar, but the Schrade does have sturdier handles.

I'm not sure what the point is of comparing it to a Delica which costs $40.
Click to expand...
Yes, but if you could find one for $20, that would be a real bargain. I'm not convinced a $7 Schrade is such a great deal. I'd rather have one Delica than six SP3s...

The most similar Gerber I have is the Magnum Jr. It was 'free' with a $200 pair of boots; the retail price is around $20. Definitely a better deal than the SP3.

My Myerco Speedemon was $6.99 on closeout, and a better knife than the SP3. AUS-8, very little blade play, one-hand opening, and a sturdy lock. The $10 "warehouse find" Coleman-Western knives are also better quality than my particular SP3 (well, one is better, the other is equal).

I know there are SP3 knives out there better quality than mine. That's my real complaint with most Schrade knives, inconsistant quality. And you can't send it back to Schrade if you get a bad one. So for $7 you might get a good knife, or you might not. Even some of the final OldTimers (of which I'm a big fan) were sub-par.

The real Schrade bargains from SMKW were the very inexpensive knives. For instance the Imperial Frontier Jack Knife ($1.99), the Imperial Peanut ($1.39), the Imperial Camp Knives ($1.99 ea), and the Schrade Melon Tester ($9.99) were incredible bargains. Not great materials, but each is well-made and worth several times the price.

I'm not saying you shouldn't buy the SP3. It's a Schrade knife after all, and they aren't making any more.

Best Wishes,
Bob
 
Didn't they make those SP in orange? I think I got one in my shed drawer. It takes a good beating every weekend...

Glenn
 
glennbad said:
Didn't they make those SP in orange? I think I got one in my shed drawer. It takes a good beating every weekend...

Glenn
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's the one. I have one of those I got many years ago (from Home Depot, the big orange store:) ), but I don't care for serrated edges because t doesn't work so well for peeling apples, but eknifeworks also had a plain edge in stock (bulk packed) with a black handle, so I got one of those for "emergency" food use. For $11, it was a fine knife for ocassional non-critical use.
 
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