I got my caly3 friday, there are no qc issues at all - it is perfectly made.

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uncleknife

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May 25, 2000
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I got my caly3 friday, there are no qc issues at all - it is perfectly made.

It is very similar to the non-locking uk-penknife, with 4 execeptions;
it has vg10 instead of CMPs30V blade, - so, low-er-end steel than CMPs30V or ZDP-189 - but still a very good steel
the bottom finger groove is grooved it's nice - I can take it or leave it
the handle has skelitonized liners - make for stronger, more rigid handle
and it has a very low-profile lockback - to make it safer.

There are trade offs between the calypso jr and the caly3 knives;
The caly3 with vg10 has a better handle materials & slight improvements with the finger grooves & liners than the calypso jr
BUT, the zdp-189 calypso jr model or the cpms3pv uk pen-knife have better blade materials.

The calypso jr.seems to have a thinner blade than the caly3 or uk, but it might just be the beveled spine that makes it seem thinner than the non-beveled caly3 & uk.
The caly3 & uk have slightly more belly than the caly3.

The caly3 makes my uk-penknife redundent - even if it is a design team model. - I will see, if I don't carry it for a few weeks, I will sell or trade the uk. - then I will have funds for the upcoming micro dyad !!! (wish it were in zdp-189 instead of vg10, and caly jr sized & had a clip)

I never seem to be satisfied, when they make a new knife, they improve one thing & seem to take something away - make either the calypso jr or the cal3 with the linered g10 handle & the solid zdp-189 blade.

I want it all, baby !!!
 
Thanks for the review. I actually prefer VG-10 over any other steel so the fact that it is VG-10 is a good thing to me.

I know I am going to be buying one soon but when if ever is Spyderco going to make the large Calypso again? I just got a SE large Calypso and it makes me miss my PE version that I once had. Make it again Sal! Please. This time make it in G-10 with skeletonized liners like the Calypso 3! Sweet!
 
Sorry, If I posted this in the wrong area.
I didn't start out typing a review, just my opinions.
If it should be moved to the reviews section, please do.
 
I'm not sure I'd call VG-10 "lower end" steel. It's just different.
 
I never meant to insult vg10's qualities - still a great steel, just not as "hot" as zdp-189 or cpms30v right now.
 
can someone tell me where to get the Caly 3 at a good price? New Graham is out, and knivesplus will charge taxes if I ship to TX.
 
I have knives in VG10, S30V, and ZDP189. I like the S30V least of the bunch; it's harder to sharpen than the VG10 yet it does not take as aggressive an edge. This might be okay if the SV30 held a working edge a lot longer than the VG10, but in my experience it does not. ZDP is in a class by itself, but it loses in the bang-for-buck category.
 
kgriggs8 said:
I know I am going to be buying one soon but when if ever is Spyderco going to make the large Calypso again? I just got a SE large Calypso and it makes me miss my PE version that I once had. Make it again Sal! Please. This time make it in G-10 with skeletonized liners like the Calypso 3! Sweet!
Click to expand...

They do make a large Calypso, it's called the Manix. The Manix and Calypso series are so similar it's hard to tell them apart. The Calypso has a wire clip, VG10 and was made in Japan instead of Colorado. Other than that, it seems to be almost identical to a Mini-Manix. There are subtle differences in the blade and handle shapes, but nothing very significant that I can see. The prices are pretty close as well.

Am I wrong on this?
 
moonwilson said:
They do make a large Calypso, it's called the Manix. The Manix and Calypso series are so similar it's hard to tell them apart. The Calypso has a wire clip, VG10 and was made in Japan instead of Colorado. Other than that, it seems to be almost identical to a Mini-Manix. There are subtle differences in the blade and handle shapes, but nothing very significant that I can see. The prices are pretty close as well.

Am I wrong on this?
Click to expand...

They look similar, but that's where the similarities, end, really. The Manix is much thicker, much heavier, and much stouter in the hand. They feel like completely different knives for completely different things. The Caly 3 feels very small and nimble in the hand compared to the stout, vault like, heavy use feel of a Manix. It's hard to explain to somebody that hasn't handled both. Trust me, though, the Manix is nothing like a full size Caly. A full size caly would be much more comparable to an Endura in feel and function than a Manix.
 
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