Help me understand the allure of spyderco knives

AntDog said:
No throwing of the salts, dude. Simply saying that you have a lot to learn. That’s evident - you seem to be learning things you didn’t know with every other post.

I fully agree that you’re in the right place to ask what you did. No need to twist it around and act like any post indicating you should learn more is negative. It’s simply saying “educate yourself”. Ignorance is nothing to be ashamed of and has a simple cure - knowledge.

Now that you’ve learned all of these new aspects, does any Spydie interest you? Do you see yourself giving one a try?
Click to expand...

Apparently I'm bad at this because I wasn't trying to state you threw salt. I admit I need to learn and yes I have learned a lot, even line by line on this thread at times.

There were a few other posts that were not constructive at all and more nitpicking price points, plastics or stating I was insulting the brand by asking questions..... that was the salt I was talking about. I get it, people don't like someone asking questions about quality of something they appreciate. for me it was more about value I learned as the thread progressed. I went in to this with an open mind and open ears truly trying to understand, and now i have learned.

No matter how much I tried to avoid giving any negative tones I obviously failed. It's a touchy subject apparently and I really wanted to understand more without insulting anyone or anything. I have pretty thick skin in case you haven't noticed, but this is the society we live in now. I hope I didn't upset anyone and yes I have I have much more respect for the brand.

Yes i will be buying a Spyderco now, as I have been informed on the make, quality, ergos, and versatility of the brand. I even believe I need one in Maxamet since it is obviously such a great steel for every day tasks. Thank you for all the info.
 
Last edited:
I never cared for the classics but it wasn’t for lack of trying.
The leaf shape blades do nothing for me either though they work quite well.
You should try the Gayle Bradley 2.
 
Last edited:
ErocSD said:
Apparently I'm bad at this because I wasn't trying to state you threw salt. I admit I need to learn and yes I have learned a lot, even line by line on this thread at times.

There were a few other posts that were not constructive at all and more nitpicking price points, plastics or stating I was insulting the brand by asking questions..... that was the salt I was talking about. I get it, people don't like someone asking questions about quality of something they appreciate. for me it was more about value I learned as the thread progressed. I went in to this with an open mind and open ears truly trying to understand, and now i have learned.

No matter how much I tried to avoid giving any negative tones I obviously failed. It's a touchy subject apparently and I really wanted to understand more without insulting anyone or anything. I have pretty thick skin in case you haven't noticed, but this is the society we live in now. I hope I didn't upset anyone and yes I have I have much more respect for the brand.

Yes i will be buying a Spyderco now, as I have been informed on the make, quality, ergos, and versatility of the brand. I even believe I need one in Maxamet since it is obviously such a great steel for every day tasks. Thank you for all the info.
Click to expand...
I think you're being a litttle over cautious here. For some, Spydercos just don't appeal to them and for some, any kind of plastic will feel cheap or unpleasant. Nothing wrong with that. You're not bashing the company for no good reason, so you're good!:thumbsup:
 
danbot said:
I think you're being a litttle over cautious here. For some, Spydercos just don't appeal to them and for some, any kind of plastic will feel cheap or unpleasant. Nothing wrong with that. You're not bashing the company for no good reason, so you're good!:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Thank you sir, good lookin out! :thumbsup:
 
Just an FYI, tool steels such as Maxamet/K390/M4/10V/etc are liable to rust if you're not mindful. Keep them dry, wipe them down and apply a thin layer of mineral oil or EDCi to keep them fresh.
 
I haven't read the entire thread (yet), only a few posts so far. I like Spyderco knives simply because they (or at least MOST of them) simply work, and work very well, at what knives are intended for: cutting. And the ones I have feel great in hand while doing it. Most are also comfortable to carry, including most of their larger models. If so many people like them, it's because they work so well and feel good in hand, and innovate ith different materials. The newer Spydercos I own are better than the ones I got when I started getting and using them back in the 1990s.

Do I like all Spyderco knives? Nope. Like any other knife models, regardless of the company, I like the ones I like.

If all Spydercos just look like basic knives, there's really only so many variations on a knife that can be made. They're cutting tools, after all. Most or all Spydercos are designed for practical application first and looks 2nd (sometimes a distant 2nd), though I personally like the look of the ones I like.

Of course, nobody "has to" like any brand if it doesn't appeal to them. If Spyderco doesn't call to you, then ignore it and buy what you like. We are lucky to live in this time of great variety.

The kinds of knives out there that I really DON'T like on sight are the really weird, overly "artsy" designs that are supposed to look 'awesome', but only look ridiculous and gaudy (and probably perform so-so or horribly in actual use).

Jim
 
Spydies are probably some of the best knives out their. They are known for function over form. Some may be ugly but until you use it, you will go a ha! They make some of the best tools out their. If it wasn’t for Spyderco I wouldn’t of found all these other great knife companies and be where I am today. Sal and Company are the best in the business hands down, integrity goes a long long ways. Plus who else in the production knife game is offering so many different steels, with the best, spot on heat treats out there? No one. The Advocate just happens to be one of my favorites too. :)
NsDGpMD.jpg
 
Murphjd25 said:
Spydies are probably some of the best knives out their. They are known for function over form. Some may be ugly but until you use it, you will go a ha! They make some of the best tools out their. If it wasn’t for Spyderco I wouldn’t of found all these other great knife companies and be where I am today. Sal and Company are the best in the business hands down, integrity goes a long long ways. Plus who else in the production knife game is offering so many different steels, with the best, spot on heat treats out there? No one. The Advocate just happens to be one of my favorites too. :)
NsDGpMD.jpg
Click to expand...


The advocate is one of the spydercos I really want to get my hands on. It looks awesome and thin with a nice blade profile and spydie hole as well as a flipper tab.... so much going on that I like. Native looks pretty promising as well. I wish I could handle a few before hand but knife stores with inventory are pretty rare near me.
 
ErocSD said:
The advocate is one of the spydercos I really want to get my hands on. It looks awesome and thin with a nice blade profile and spydie hole as well as a flipper tab.... so much going on that I like. Native and GAyle bradley looks pretty promising as well. I wish I could handle a few before hand but knife stores with inventory are pretty rare near me.
Click to expand...
You can’t go wrong with any of Gayles designs. I have all of them (folders and fixed) besides the Air. The GB2 is one of my all time favorites.
 
OP I didn't really get Spyderco's at first either. But then I spent good money on a mediocre knife brand and used it for over a year. After that time I picked up a Spyderco and I could instantly feel the difference, it was like the light bulb suddenly turned on and I could see it. The fit and finish and just the way the knife felt in my hand was 100x better then what I had.
I don't know if you golf OP, but in a way it's like golf balls. If you never golf then it will make no difference if you have the expensive balls or the cheap ones, as they are going to feel the same to you. But if you golf regularly the more expensive balls are going to perform better for you. Knives are the same, the more time you spend with them the more you will see and feel the difference between a quality knife and a mediocre one to the point where it's night and day.
 
I'm a Spyderco fanboy...I've had large collections of PM2's and Militaries in the past, and have owned at least 300 separate Spyderco folders.
A very few Benchmade (on purpose) and many ZT's (also on purpose) have been with me also, along with Strider and CRK collections, but there just isn't another knife like a Spyderco...or another CEO like Sal Glesser.
 
Ive owned a few spydies in my time...all were comfy and did the job well. The blades are tall and i only have a few more to sell until I have no more spydies. Only knife im keeping with a spydie hole is my BM Pika II. Great little blade! (Sorry Sal :/ Brightside - hopefully someone is actually using them now. :D )
Nothing wrong with spydies at all...I must make that clear...pretty good QC, great heat treat, lots of steels, generally good lockup, 60% centered blades in my experience (not sure how the new knives come in for centering). I loved my Native 5...but just didnt use it enough to keep it.

I guess im getting out of spydies because I use my CRK the most.

Just to throw this out there for a twist...If i could find a Nirvana with great QC...im gonna be all over it!

Keep ‘em Sharp
 
OP: I own over 125 Spyders out of over 300 knives in my collection, so I guess I'm a fan.

Why did I buy so many of them?

My reasons for buying any specific Spyder (or any other knife for that matter) include some (if not all) of the following, which are listed in no particular order of priority:

Quality
Value
Blade steel type/shape
Variety
Aesthetics
Uniqueness
Rarity
Automatic
Balisong
Suitability for a specific purpose

The cheapest Spyders I own are a couple of Byrds and the most expensive is the Nirvana. The most unique (to me) include a D/A Valloton, Janisong and Spyderfly. Many are asethetically pleasing to me but the Nirvana, LionSpy, Pattada and Advocate are among the most attractive to me. I could go on and on. If you're a Spyder fan, you'll get the point. If your not a fan to begin with, you probably won't.

No problem. My money, my choice. Your money, your choice. There are still many other very excellent brands of knives (a lot of which I also own, just not in such quantity) available to purchase. That's what has made knife collecting so appealing to me.
 
While I like spydercos for their style and steels I really don't care for the plastic handles as well. I still carry a 30 year old all stainless dlc coated police. They do make a few metal handled folders Ti I believe is also one of them. I still wouldn't mind having a nice Native 5 with liners to try out though.
 
71B49142-7B1C-4D34-93FE-40EF96F4D697.jpeg B17C8EAA-A89E-4E67-8D75-E5B236FEF10F.jpeg
Murphjd25 said:
Spydies are probably some of the best knives out their. They are known for function over form. Some may be ugly but until you use it, you will go a ha! They make some of the best tools out their. If it wasn’t for Spyderco I wouldn’t of found all these other great knife companies and be where I am today. Sal and Company are the best in the business hands down, integrity goes a long long ways. Plus who else in the production knife game is offering so many different steels, with the best, spot on heat treats out there? No one. The Advocate just happens to be one of my favorites too. :)
NsDGpMD.jpg
Click to expand...

Sup Josh???
Agreed on the Advocate. Mine is an early release with the ‘horrible’ thin washers. This bitch has been beat on for quite some time and has held up beautifully.
Flips like a dream, still centered and is super smooth.
Oh, it also cuts like a scalpel.
Great work knife that disappears in pocket.
 
ErocSD said:
So please don't flame me too badly here, I'm not understanding the draw to spyderco knives. I'm being serious, I dont see what sets them apart specifically. I have no disregard for the knife maker, in fact I like the new designs like the all ti orange peel flippers and such.

I know there's many different models now but I look at the classics and all I see is a basic knife. I mean other than the proprietary spidey hole they're just plastic handled knives to me. So I'm hoping someone can help me see what I'm missing.

Don't get me wrong I have used a few pm2s that my Dad and friends have owned and I appreciate the lightweight feel, I like the blade steels and the fit and finish is always pretty on point. I just dont understand the love affair that many people have for them. Even Nick Shabazz raves about them.

I had the same problem understanding why people spend $30k on over under shotguns when a $1k semiauto would blow them out of the water. I kind of feel like I'm in the same scenario here, there is a reason they're so loved....What am I missing?

Help me out please, and this is no disrespect to the brand so please don't take it that way.
Click to expand...

ErocSD - You can't handle the truth!!!

Well you probably can so here it goes,

Spyderco came out with a very creative knife many years ago called the "WORKER". It allowed for easy one-handed opening and was designed by a guy who at the time was selling knife sharpeners, the Sharpmaker, and had tremendous experience with pocket knives, the good and the crappy bad. His knife was heads above most of the stuff being sold at the time. Once the buyer got past the funny looking hole, serrated edge, Japanese stainless steel, steel handle, and the unusual shape of the blade, and actually used it, the buyer was pretty amazed at how easy and well the knife worked. So that was the beginning of the Spyderco story and it is still continuing today.

I EDC a Spyderco Gayle Bradley 1 which is a great knife for all my knife tasks around the yard and shop. I bought it years ago and don't think I'll replace it until Spyderco comes out with their Laser Military model with adjustable cutting length and power settings for the laser blade.


 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top