Heretic Confesses

roshi

roshi

Joined
May 3, 2001
Messages
1,501
Sal,

I can't stand it anymore. I've been living a lie and I need to come clean. I'm a very critical knife user not a collector yet I haven't had the courage to open up in this forum.

I've only found one Spyderco folder that I consider a keeper (Harpy G-10). There's just something about all the others that have come through my hands that I didn't like:

Military -shape wasn't quite right for my hand.
Lil Temperance - handle finger grips caught my hand wrong, didn't like the compression lock.
Salsa - compression lock defies easy closing
Shabaria - bad ergonomics
Native - didn't like the grind
Calypso Jr. - micarta was too slick
Cricket - too small

However, I've never found a Spyderco fixed blade knife I didn't like.

Moran - Excellent slicer, lightweight, I'll pass it down to my son
Perrin Bowie - Best 5 inch blade knife ever, my son will have to pry it out of my dead fingers (but Sal you could do better on the sheath).
Temperance - love it but haven't used it enough yet to see if the younger son will get it

I intend to buy a Ronin as soon as you agree to sell one and I'm sure the SpyderHawk will be a keeper based on the Harpy I love.

Before other forumites flame me for my personal opinions, I have made sure that each and every Spyderco folder has found a suitable home usually at a cash loss on my part.

Sal - Thanks for the Moran, Perrin, Temperance (for the kitchen knives too) but stop making those folders, they are slowing down the fixed blade production.
 
You should try a Calypso Jr, PE, FRN in vg-10. The fish scale pattern looks really cool and also provides an unusually secure grip. If you can find one of these beauty's it may well turn into your favorite folder!:cool:
 
Like anything else in life, people have different tastes.

I personally really like most Spyderco folders.

The G-10 Harpy is probably one of my very favorites, though the Lil Temperance is really growing on me.

I don't mind the compression lock. Actually, I really like it. It takes practice to close easily. But honestly, so do liner locks.

I don't own any fixed blades. I can't really legally carry them in Kalifornia. Thus, I prefer folders. I don't doubt that Spyderco fixed blades are great; I'd just be very disappointed if they stopped producing as many folders to concentrate on fixed blades.

Out of curiousity, what folders do fit your hand?

-- Rob
 
I take it that you haven't handled a Police model yet...The Police feels GREAT in MY hand, as does the Chinook and the Massad Ayoob folders.
 
I find the BM 710 and the MT Amphibian to be the best fit for off hours and weekend EDC. For more discrete office EDC the best fit has been the BM 940. My hands are small and I have short fingers. The larger size Spyderco folders tend to be too large in grip size for me.

While I would agree that the compression lock may take practice, I find it less than intuitive while lock backs, liner locks, frame locks, and axis locks are no brainers.

A folder requirement I failed to note is that it is easily opened and closed left handed. While I'm a "righty" I want my tools to be ambidextrous. Some liner locks are not lefty friendly. I didn't find the compression lock of either the Lil Temperance or the Salsa to be friendly to either hand. That may be a problem for only me but that's makes it important to me.

I was joking suggesting Sal stop folder production in favor of fixed blades. I do think that the fixed blade knives offered by Spyderco haven't been given the credit they deserve. The only one I don't have is the Lum Tanto because I don't find tanto blades to be very practical for the way I use knives.

I'm not up on laws in the Peoples Republik of Kalifornia but I think you can carry a fixed blade with a two inch or smaller blade. Maybe you should try the new Spyderco SPOT when it's available. I'm waiting for the Ronin since I want something a little larger.
 
It's a good job that Spyderco and other knife companies make so many different models :D

Good luck on your search for your "ideal" :cool:
 
In California you cannot have a concealed fixed blade, no matter how short. So that means no neck knives a la SPOT or La Griffe.

You can carry any length fixed blade in a belt sheath under state law so long as it's not concealed. However, a number of local jurisdictions (L.A. City and County, for two) require that unconcealed knives have a blade length under 3", with exceptions for "legitimate occupational, recreational, or religious purposes", which are not defined anywhere.

Johnny
 
>with exceptions for "legitimate
>occupational, recreational, or religious
>purposes"

It's enough to make you wanna become a Sikh. Almost :D
 
I really like the majority of the folders Spyderco makes.

Some of my favorites:

Chinook

Starmate - Great knife

Ayoob

Endura - Has to be listed

Military - Most people really like it, too bad it did not fit your hand.


I also agree that the Perrin Bowie has to be one of the greatest fixed blades ever. The sheath is not too bad.
 
How about the Endura or its little sister the Delica (my favorite BTW)? Or, if you're into smaller knives, you could consider the Navigator or the Meerkat. Give Spyderco folders a chance, I can hardly accept that no one fits you :rolleyes:
 
I have owned an Endura for over ten years and I am waiting on my second Delica (stainless/plain) that I bought on Ebay to arrive. Either one of these are excellent knives including the fact that they both are ergonomically perfect, IMHO. I know that some of the more high-end Spydies may be nice as well but as a state employee I don't have the funds to buy one in good conscience. Trust me the Delica or Endura would be awesome.
 
Hi Roshi. Thanx for the input. I always appreciate honesty above all else. I'm pleased that you like our fixed blades (Once in a while one gets lucky). And the G-10 Harpy (& Standard) were very nice designs by my standards.

In reality though, it is not possible to have someone like all or even a largve percentage of our designs. They are vastly different because peoples likes and dislikes are unique. Even I do not carry all of my own designs. I often design for the likes of others, as long as I can keep the reliable high performace part.

I too have my favorites.

Your involvement in the forum, knowledge and understanding that you are willing to share, and feedback are always appreciated. It's communication like that, IMO, is what makes this forum special.

sal
 
With all the affection for G-10 Harpies, I must ask if there is hope for another production run? I would buy at LEAST 4 of them.
 
Whatever floats your boat... Luckily, Spyderco makes enough designs to float a lot of boats. I've owned quite a lot of Spydercos; some made the cut; others didn't. Here's my own list:

Ones that I sold:

Military - Just too dadgum big for a folder for my uses.
Jot Sing Khalsa - Lockup problems. This one went back to Spyderco.
Goddard Lightweight - Nice blade. Just didn't carry it enough.
CF Dragonfly - CF just doesn't do it for me. Pretty, but not as functional as I'd like. Scuffs up easily.
CF Ladybug - See above.
Native - Great knife. Kind of sorry I let this one go. My wife carries one.
Large Centofante II - Just too long and pointy.
Rookie - No great improvement over Standard.
Calypso Jr. in Micarta - Micarta a bit slick.
Calypso in Micarta - Kicked myself at first for selling it, but now Spyderco has a lot of knives in VG-10.
Endura - Fully serrated. Just prefer plain edged.
BF Native - Too blue.
Wegner Jr. - Nice little knife, but I found others in this size I like better.


Ones that stuck:

Wegner - Nice folding skinner.
Calypso Jr. LW - Great EDC. VG-10!
Centofante II (small) - Like the G-10 and backup lock.
Ladybug (blue) - A fixture on my keychain.
Standard - A great design. I wish Spyderco would do a run in better steel than ATS-55.
Moran - Handy fixed blade. Gets a lot of use.
Dragonfly SS - Engraved with my initials, it was intended for airplane travel. Now, it doesn't come out so much.
Viele - Great deal at SMKW. Still deciding on this one.

I haven't really gotten into the last couple of years of production. Still waiting for that design that grabs me.
 
I REALLY get a kick outta people who(m) extoll the fixed blade ; let me tell you somethin', though, ever get stopped by a cop for carryin' one? I carry the SE cricket & have no damn problem(s), you also forgot to mention the FB03 Lum Tanto.

"Mister, you got something out on the West Coast they call "vision" and "vision" mister, is the talent for seein' spots before your eye's and recognzing them for fabulous projects, you oughta go see your headshrinker or get yourself Miltownized..." Jed Midnight to Goldfinger in the Ian Fleming novel

AET (ATE on the "home" forum ;))
 
AET,

I don't carry fixed blades on the street but often on the trail. Knives that I often carry are the BM 710, and the MT Amphibian and LCC. As I noted at the start of the string, I've gone through a lot of Spyderco folders until I found one that really works for me, really two, the G-10 Harpy and FRN Goddard.

Here in Texas carry knives can have a blade up to 5.5 inches. However, common sense dictates that any fixed blade is likely to scare the public more than a folder so a Camillus CUDA Maxx is appropriate for discrete carry while a Spyderco Perrin isn't. However, on the trail, in the car, in your kitchen, the Spyderco Perrin is a better knife.

I didn't mention the Spyderco Lum fixed blade because I don't particularly care for the American tanto style blade. If Sal puts a Japanese style tanto blade on that type of handle I'll be one of the first to buy one.

I'm looking forward to two Spyderco knives. The new fixed blade Ronin and the new folder Spyderhawk.

I respect Spyderco's variety of knives, williningness to try new things, and above all, Sal Gesser's dedication to his customers.

Thanks Sal!
 
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