Hardest use Spydie

Hardest use Spydie? - the whale Rescue blade.

And no, I'm not being a smartazz. Think about it, what other blade do they make that comes even close to this one in terms of treatment and use?
 
Hardest use Spydie? - the whale Rescue blade.

And no, I'm not being a smartazz. Think about it, what other blade do they make that comes even close to this one in terms of treatment and use?

And I initially thought you were being a smartass.
http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=279
Holy crap... now THAT'S a knife!
:eek:

Yep but this is not a knife even not a folder...:confused:
It's a serrated blade destined to be fixed on a pole to cut ropes to free entangled whales.
Cutting ropes is not the hardest use for a blade. And 400C has been chosen for stain resistance because H1 was not yet available.
A 440C Maddox knife used to scrap some paint would be used in a much harder manner with the same steel...;)
http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=50

And on the first place the question was about folding knives still in production not fixed blades.:)
Now fixing a folder on a pole to be used as a spear on boar hunting would be a much harder use !

cheers
Nemo
 
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Yep but this is not a knife even not a folder...:confused:

And on the first place the question was about folding knives still in production not fixed blades.:)
Now fixing a folder on a pole to be used as a spear on boar hunting would be a much harder use !

cheers
Nemo

Exactly what I was thinking. :D
 
I've owned or extensively used just about everything in the last three years of the spyderco lineup, and agree with everyone that mentioned the Chinook III and the Bradley. The blade shape on the Chinook isn't as inherently robust as a drop-point (or more robust americanized tantos) but the secondary bevel is the most obtuse one I've seen on any folder. I've never chipped out that blade. There is a lot of 'neku' on that knife (Japanese terminology for '*meat* behind the edge of'). Look at the geometry of the Chinook III and it's clear that it's making some compromises in terms of raw slicing power in order to be more robust. The Bradley is built like a tank -- but the blade is definitely thinner at -- and leading up to -- the primary bevel.

I actually used both a Bradley and a Chinook III to peel an inch thick layer of hard vulcanized rubber off a Russian riot baton (don't ask). The Chinook's geometry kept the edge from rolling and chipping as much as the Bradley's...but ymmv Bradley-fans.
 
I've owned or extensively used just about everything in the last three years of the spyderco lineup, and agree with everyone that mentioned the Chinook III and the Bradley. The blade shape on the Chinook isn't as inherently robust as a drop-point (or more robust americanized tantos) but the secondary bevel is the most obtuse one I've seen on any folder. I've never chipped out that blade. There is a lot of 'neku' on that knife (Japanese terminology for '*meat* behind the edge of'). Look at the geometry of the Chinook III and it's clear that it's making some compromises in terms of raw slicing power in order to be more robust. The Bradley is built like a tank -- but the blade is definitely thinner at -- and leading up to -- the primary bevel.

I actually used both a Bradley and a Chinook III to peel an inch thick layer of hard vulcanized rubber off a Russian riot baton (don't ask). The Chinook's geometry kept the edge from rolling and chipping as much as the Bradley's...but ymmv Bradley-fans.

Since I carry my 'nook 3 exlusively for Social Development(SD :D) I wanted the sharpest edge I could get on it. I thinned the secondary bevel somewhat and sharpened at the 6th setting on the DMT aligner. If the pamphlet is correct it's about 26-28 degrees. It's hair splitting now. To test the point I drove it through 1/4 inch plywood several times. The point was not damaged at all just dulled it enough so you couldn't take armhair off.
 
I wouldn't have the money to find out which one would meet the criteria.
I'd have to say though it's the one you have with you. It's that daily carry you
usually most often have with you, your go-to knife. In my modest collection
it is without out a doubt my Pacific Salt. I've put that knife through a lot of
cutting and it's held up remarkably. You can torture test all you like,
but a knife is a knife and was made for cutting/slicing.
I'm sure I have stronger knives in my collection but I don't carry them as often as
the Pacific just because of their lack of versatility compared to the Salt.
 
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If hard use is actually cutting something a lot, then there are a lot of models that fit the bill. If hard use is something else, than I would buy one of those sharpened crowbar brand knives. One of the things that makes Spyderco so appreciated is that their knives are made for cutting.
 
I would say anything with the Compression lock or the CBBL.

The Chinook certainly is a beast as well.
 
PS: I've driven the chinook through 1/4 inch plywood several times with no tip damage.

The Chinook's tip is much stronger than it looks at first glance. Spyderco's heavy duty lock backs are very stong also.


The Chinook gets my vote!
 
In the Spyderco book there are stories about hard used C02 Mariner used as pray bar/ lever on a outboard motor...
The Mariner is a very strong design and has been hard used in very harsh environment for more than 20 years !
Same thing with Enduras and Delicas and Millies (remember Jeff Randall review of the Millie in his Amazon raid?)...
Now I wonder which Spyderco is made for light use...
My Dodo is a beast of a hard worker for example.
 
In the Spyderco book there are stories about hard used C02 Mariner used as pray bar/ lever on a outboard motor...
The Mariner is a very strong design and has been hard used in very harsh environment for more than 20 years !
Same thing with Enduras and Delicas and Millies (remember Jeff Randall review of the Millie in his Amazon raid?)...
Now I wonder which Spyderco is made for light use...
My Dodo is a beast of a hard worker for example.

you have any links to the Randall review? I'm interested.

as far as hard use... I find most quality knives are capable of much harder use than many people think. For instance, today I was out on a trail walk with my dog, and we've had a lot of high winds in the past few days which blew over several wrist thickness or larger saplings into the path. All I had was my Centofante 4, and I used it to cut through several of the trunks enough to easily snap them and clear the path.

And the edge geometry of the Centofante is so thin, that many knife users talk about it like you can't breath on it without distorting the edge...
 
you have any links to the Randall review? I'm interested.

No link here as it was for Tactical knives around 2000 and also on the RAT site before Jeff and Mike get into business making their own knives.
It was a review of the Millie in S60V...
Sal gave it to Jeff for testing purpose and asked him not to baby it.
I remember some story about an amazon fish very hard to scale... No issue with the lock even when dirty. The action stay smooth even when some other famous brand knives did not...
They were not able to really dull it and the Millie went to hell and back without resharpening and eventually has gone back home with flying colors !
It was a great review. "Knives in Green Hell" was the name... I'm not sure.

I don't know if TK will do like Blade Magazine: selling a DVD with back issues on it but it would worth the read.
 
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Practically speaking, I feel you're propbably going to get the hardest use out of a knife with decently thick blade stock, overall blade grind, full steel liners with hardened steel stop pin that is fitted into the steel liners and a well designed lock with good, thick stock. In that regarding I'm picking the Gayle Bradley and Perrin PPT out of the most recent offerings.

Not to sound off as a Perrin PPT booster (I love it though), this knife seems to have a special blend of outstanding and strong design elements and materials. The way this knife is constructed bodes well for a hard use knife much like the Bradley. In fact, the apparent strength of the design and materials on the Perrin PPT beg for a special blade steel variation. Not that Spyderco S30V is a slouch by any stretch but CPM M4 would be a fitting steel match for the rest of this knife and how it's constructed. The semi-hybrid Walker Lock/RIL lock design using steel in the frame and lockbar is pretty cool and appears to be a very strong lock design.
 
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Hardest use Spydie? - the whale Rescue blade.

And no, I'm not being a smartazz. Think about it, what other blade do they make that comes even close to this one in terms of treatment and use?

I wonder why it isn't naturally made from H1 steel. Seems like the perfect match for the job.
 
Spyderco is famous for making no nonsense little big folding knives.
So...
What would be the Spydie folders purposely made for light use ?

The slipjoint serie ?
I got a drop point slipjoint and like my grand grand fathers used to, a slip joint when well constructed and sharp can be used very hard. The choil gives you a great security even if there is no lock. So it can be hard used like any folder can be.

The thin blades folders ?
My Gayle Bradley's blade is 30% thinner than my old starmate.
The Shabaria was a thin blade folder but built like a weapon.

Perharps those grasshoppers and bumblebees serie ?
 
I wonder why it isn't naturally made from H1 steel. Seems like the perfect match for the job.
I think they made those, or least the first ones, were made before H1 was made/discovered.
Or it may be something as simple as the the Whale Rescue blades being made in Golden.

Paul
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I would not put the Military on a hard use list, and certainly not the Sage II. I would place the Sage II in a gentleman's folder category. The Gayle Bradley, though, would be on my hard use list.

As you guys say, though, it depends on what one means by hard use. Prying and twisting would rule out the Sage II for me, for example. Though I have not tried to snap the blade on the Sage II, it gives me the impression that a broken blade would not be that hard to accomplish. Thats just my subjective belief, which could be totally whack.
 
I would not put the Military on a hard use list,.

I knew a guy French Police Captain who used is serrated S60V Military as his only diving knife when he was not EDC it...
He really used it hard and was very happy with it.

I know other brand titanium buff folders who are great pry bars but cant cut crap...

Really the Millie is a knife to be used hard and in every condition. It has 15 years of improvement and happy users.
Now having a thin point is something to "respect".
YMMV.
 
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