How did you discover Spyderco?

Maprik

Maprik

Joined
May 17, 2012
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For me it was the movie, Cliffhanger, with Sylvester Stallone. In one scene he whips out a Spyderco and cuts a climbing rope like it's dental floss. I went to a knife store for the first time the next day and bought an Endura...that was in 1994.
 
I saw my first one from a friend back in the early 90's but I was stuck on Cold Steel at the time. I then moved on to Benchmades in 2001 with my first purchase of an Accent I think. I later bought two Axis lock models which didn't take long to break the both of them and a Dejavu which I don't trust anymore because their liner lock has weakened.

In 2006/2007, I bought my first Spyderco. A sprint run Military in D2 with foliage green handles. I was sold since then. I have to give it to Bladeforum though for opening my eyes.
 
My father, a lineman, used a mariner during the eighties. It took a beating and asked for more. I picked up an endura for my 15th birthday.
TC
 
My dad bought me a delica with the pressed out clip when they came out (80s sometime iirc) and I've been hooked ever since
 
I was in an REI in Atlanta in the early 90's when I first saw, and bought, a Spyderco. I was undecided until I opened it, then I had to have it.
It's one of the smoothest knives I've ever seen, and still gets used at times.
Oh yeah, it's an Endura.
 
I've explained this a few times to a few knife/gun friends in the past few weeks since getting a Delica4, so I'll try to keep it short.

Many years ago, I bought a cheap Chinese knock-off of a Spyderco (looked more like a Byrd knife, really, but I digress). It was, naturally, a piece of garbage. As such, I've been turned off to the idea of owning anything that remotely resembled them, and have always thought they were overpriced plastic junk.

Fast forward to about a month ago, when I traded into a Benchmade Mini-Barrage. After messing with it for a while and carrying it a few times, I realized that I'd been making due with inexpensive (but still decent, IMO) knives my whole life. Not only that, but I realized that tip-up carry was WAY better than tip down. So for the past month, I've been looking over various Benchmade models, and have picked up a few used examples at pretty good prices to replace my very well worn EDC knives, and to make the switch to all tip-up knives.

Along the way, however, I kept seeing Spyderco knives come up. Many of them are tip-up carry, and as I looked into them more, I found that people absolutely RAVE about them (which I thought was odd, as I was still holding on to an erroneous idea that they were crap). So I finally caved and picked up my Delica from a local guy. After opening it, I was hooked! It's smooth, very light, thin, extremely grippy, sharp as a razor, and the thumb hole works better than I thought it would. In the past two weeks of owning it, I've come to view it as the Glock of the knife world. Perhaps not a pretty show piece, but robust and well made. I figure if my Glocks can take the beating they have and keep running without issue, then why can't an FRN knife do the same?

The result? I love this thing, and I'm now on the lookout for a decent deal on an Endura for days when I could use a little extra blade length.
 
my good buddies older brother .we were sneaking a look at all his knives he was 18 we were 10 lol i remember seeing a spyder looking thing on the handle. he busted us and said the ones with spyders on the blades were the best years later when i got into knives i remembered what he said lol. always been my number one knife
 
I read about the wave feature and looked at several brands that had it. The endura was the most affordable and popular model. So I gave it a try. After that I was hooked.
 
I'm 32, so around 14 all the cool kids had a Spyderco.

Never had one growing up. Wasn't allowed any sharpies or bang sticks.

Went to get my first quality knife as an adult, and was told by the knife counter guy (soon to be my friend) that Spyderco actually made a great blade. I tried out the Native, then Enduras, now Manix. Every one is superb.
 
About nine years ago I read Thomas Harris' Hannibal, and he referred to several Spyderco models. Had never heard of them, wasn't even sure if it was a real brand or something he made up. Googled the name, looked at the knives, and was intrigued by the Spyderhole. It looked like it would work better than a thumb stud for someone with limited feeling in their fingers, so I bought one.
 
I first saw them on Bladeforums. Couldn't figure out why people liked them so much. I ended up buying a G-10 Endura, which started the whole FFG Spyderco bit for me.
 
Long ago a friend in Boy Scouts with me had one, but I thought it looked weird and didn't give it much thought. A few years ago I needed a knife, googled around for results, and found this forum and Spyderco's own along with all the positive reviews on Spyderco knives so picked one up.
 
I was issued a Rescue Clip-it in 92' or 93'. I remember going over the knife, opening and closing it then cutting the hell out of myself on the serrations! I was hooked. I don't think I understood what sharp was until I got that knife. Best part is, I still have it. Been hooked ever since.
 
I learned about them from this forum... everyone was talking about them but i didn't really like them in the beginning. Bought a Coldsteel mini AK (actually pretty cool), Then a Benchmade Grip (felt to cheap), Then finally a delica, which i loved and ended up getting a native which is a tough little guy.

Theres a trend of the people disliking them like i did, but once you get one it is done...
 
the "post your spyderco pics" thread where i was flabbergasted that people actually take time to photograph their own knives.
 
hank_rearden said:
the "post your spyderco pics" thread where i was flabbergasted that people actually take time to photograph their own knives.
Click to expand...

Haha, I wonder how many people here have more pictures of their knives than their kids :p
 
My dad got me a lady bug when I was 14, also back in 94. I was amazed at how sharp and how durable the edge was.
 
On a whim, I looked at a stainless Delica in an LL Bean Store in maybe 2002? I was hooked. It was about $50 if I remember right (yeah, I paid full MSRP before I knew better). It felt fantastic in-hand and looked awesome; the AUS-6 was incredibly sharp and toothy. Today, I have about a dozen Spydies. I still carry my "first" Spyderco knife from time to time. :)
 
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