How's that stretch?

W

wongKI

Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
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Hey guys. First of all a BIG thanks to everyone who posted in my thread-Manix 2 or Gayle Bradley.

Seems I'm at it again. While almost completely decided on the Gayle Bradley, I was idly browsing some old threads over at the Spyderco forum, chancing upon a review of the Stretch 2.

Well...you know what I'm gonna ask :D

ZDP-189, carbon fiber, full flat grind for less than 150 bucks?

ZDP and blue FRN for less than 100?

I'm about sold. And reading The Deacon's posts didn't help.

So...convince me NOT to get the Stretch 2 over the Gayle Bradley.

Please. :D

By the way, if I do end up with a Stretch, it'll be the FRN one, with which I'll try my hand at making some nice wooden scales. The rest of the 150-dollar budget will probably go to a Kiwi or a Typhoon knife kit.
 
The Stretch FRN ZDP is a great knife, just like the CF model (I own both). Great ergos, blade geometry, blade shape, and great EDC useability paired with a great steel makes for a wonderful knife. The Gayle Bradley is on it's way to my house, so I can't comment on it yet except about the steel. CPM M4 has great edge holding, excellent toughness and resistance to chipping, gets sharper than any other steel I have tried, and is pretty much the most well rounded steel for it's combination of so many good proprties that I can think of. My guess would be the Stretch will be the better EDC, but we'll have to see how much I like the Bradley when I get it.

Mike
 
the stretch carbon fiber is one of spys best,great grind and carbon fiber handles,the frn is okay but i would do cf over anything..............
 
Except for the ladybug (read: cheap keychain knife) I won't buy a knife with FRN handles. Therefore my recommendation is for any of the CF, you won't go wrong with either.

Edited to add: what I really meant to say is the the Ladybug is affordable, not cheap.
 
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Yes I would say if you go Stretch then go CF. I shy away from FRN and zytel and nortyl from all makers. Gave in though for the Meerkat and regret it. I personally just don't like the cheap feel of above mentioned
 
Santa was kind enough to give me a Blue FRN ZDP Stretch, and after handling it for a few days, I'd say you'd be hard pressed to find a better EDC knife, period. ONLY exception are if you lived in a salt water area or worked a lot with highly corrosive or acidic substances (ie a while in lawn care business some years back taught me how fast fertilizers will eat up a knife). As for the FRN vs CF debate, that one is highly personal. You see what I chose, but overall I simply can't see ANYONE owning this knife and regretting it, handle material regardless. I love it.
 
I have a FRN VG-10 Stretch. I love it. It's a great design, rugged with a good blade shape. I'm a big fan of FRN. It's very tough and impervious to any abuse I've been able to dish out. I decided against the ZDP-189 model due to concerns over corrosion and ease of sharpening. However, if those aren't issues you are concerned about then ZDP-189 is certainly worth considering. Let us know what you get.
 
I really like my CF Stretch for it's thin profile and classy looks, not to mention grippy handles. However, the FRN version actually fills my hands better and is very grippy, not to mention lighter weight. To write off the FRN Stretch due to it's construction is a mistake IMO as it is among the best values in high performance cutlery out there. Plus, Spyderco's FRN has never letme down 1 time, it really is some impressively strong and lightweight stuff. I love CF, G-10, and Micarta, but I will never turn up my nose at FRN, especially when it let's you get the same basic knife for much less cash with the Stretch. Just my opinion.

Mike
 
I'd get the FRN. Carbon fiber just doesn't do it for me. It's a fabulous material for things like bicycle frames, arrows, airframes, and masts, but for things like knife handles, it's a waste of money, other than for fashion. Since I'm a completely and irrevocably fashion-challenged engineer, I'd get two knives with FRN instead of one with CF if it was me.

Gordon
 
I'm planning on FRN myself. Mostly because I want that Typhoon, and I'm planning to rehandle it anyway. I love FRN on the Delica, since it's really grippy (textured).

Plus it's cheap. Yay.
 
I like Spyderco, but I'm not a big fan of their carbon fiber models. I've owned a Native, Caly 3, T-Mag, and Stretch in CF and sold them all.

I've found the liners to be sharp on the CF models. This is particularly pronounced and uncomfortable on the Stretch -- especially near the choil. The CF models also tend to wear an arc near the pivot. It looks bad even though it doesn't seem to impact performance. The CF models are also rather slippery. The CF Stretch is grippier, though. It is more like G10. The CF models are also pinned together when I prefer screws. Finally, the fit and finish on some of the CF modesl (and the Stretch in particular) wasn't what I have come to expect from Spyderco.

I've bought the FRN versions of the Native and Stretch and much prefer them. I can't think of a way CF is superior except that we think of it as a higher end material.
 
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I guess I'm the exact opposite of lava_lamp in that I'm becoming a huge fan of Spyderco's carbon fiber models.

I've acquired multiple CF Native, CF Caly 3s and CF Delicas. Today I bought Superhawks and CF Sages. The purchases today (and I guess the others as well, come to think of it) were made after extensive handling of the models at the Spyderco Factory Outlet. (I'm very fortunate to live not too far away.) The CF Stretch is on my short list of future Spyderco purchases now as well.

The one CF model that I simply do not care for is the Gayle Bradley. I thought the Gayle Bradley would be great but, disappointingly, I just didn't care for the feel in my hand and the locking mechanism really put me off as I found it very difficult to manipulate.
 
Both are excellent knives.

The CF version definitely has more snob appeal and is arguably more attractive. On the practical side, the peel ply CF offers a bit more grip, but that's not really needed since the handle is so well shaped. It also causes more wear and tear on pockets. CF version is a bit thinner which I find to be a plus when I'm sitting on it, but a minus when I'm using it for more than a couple cuts. It's about 15 grams heavier than the FRN one, some will call that a plus, some a minus, but since both are around 3.5 ounces, I'd call it a BFD. If either version is more rigid than the other, that rigidity would only be noticed by someone with more grip strength than me. Blades are identical.

Paul
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