I just ordered my first Spyderco

[Beltfedleadhead]

I placed an order for a G-10 Cara Cara plain edge.

Anything I should know about maintenance? I have read that the blade angle is decent as is. How is the action? Is it tight enough to keep out dirt, or does it need a detailed teardown every month or so? Is the hinge smooth? Any known problems?

It will be replacing my Gerber Firestorm that has traveled all over the world with me. The Gerber was a great, beefy knife. It held an edge and even helped me work on a few F-15s while in the USAF. I honestly don't see why Gerber has such a bad name in the knife community. I'd buy one again, but I decided it was time for a change, and I had heard great things about Spyderco.

Thanks for the input!

 

[Mick R.]

I recently bought a Byrd Robin and Cara Cara with G-10 handles and have been totally happy with their performance - Great knives for the money. The action is reasonably smooth and you shouldn't have to tear it down for cleaning unless you're using it in an extremely dirty environment. I assume you know that the Byrd line is subbed out to a Chinese contracter and not actually made by Spyderco. (definitely the best quality knives I've seen come out of China but they should not to be confused with the more expensive Spyderco's made in Seki-City or Golden Colorado)

As for Gerber's reputation - In the 60's, 70's, & 80's Gerber (along with Puma) made some of the best production knives in the world. When those companies sold their new owners decided to go with cheaper steel and materials so the quality of their knives suffered greatly. Gerber still makes some decent knives but they don't come close to superior quality cutlery they used to produce in their heyday.