Info on Calypso jr. please.

R

R.Taylor

Joined
Oct 15, 2005
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I have found a source for a grey handled Calypso jr..
The new laminated blade steel one is very nice but this one is more affordable.
Any info on this model greatly appreciated.
All i know is that the black frn handled ones were the first issue.
Were the grey handled ones a sprint run ?

also any pics of the grey calypso?
thanks,regards,Rick.
 
I've had one of the gray ones. It is a great knife. Buy it you won't regret owning a knife of VG10. It is a fine user and quite easy to maintain edge wise.

The Gray ones are harder to find now but there are a few out there yet. They were a regular production model but since discontinued.
 
Hi Rick,

The first Caly jrs were micarta scales (no bolsters). AUS-8 blade.

The first FRN pieces were black with directional texturing. VG-10 blade. They were disco'd due to lack of sales. Most dealers won't stock more than one "3" Plastic handled Spyderco", and the Delica is the top seller, so it always gets the one space available in the store showcase. The Caly jr and Native have suffered being younger.

Then we made a couple of runs in gray FRN due to demand from the "Afi" ELUs. VG-10 blade.

Then we made a run in burgundy as a "token" to the "steel junkies" for an affordable ZDP-189 knife.

At this time, there are no Caly jrs in production and none planned.

The UK Pen Knife is an updated pattern of the Caly jr. but it is a non-locking folder and at this time, only sold in the UK.

sal
 
The info is very much appreciated.
Just recently came back into the Spyderco fold.
Although i've owned a few since 1991 & acquired one here & there since then.
It's one knife brand i never parted company with.
Keep up the good work,also looking forward to more of Dialex concept Spydys.
all the best ,regards,rick.
 
Well THIS knife nut TOTALLY appreciates the new burgundy handled Calypso, Jr. in ZDP189. I LOVE this knife. THANK YOU Sal!!!
 
Knifecollector your quote is dead on ,so many knives ,so little money!
lol
all the best from Newfoundland,Canada,regards,Rick.:cool:
 
Sal Glesser said:
The UK Pen Knife is an updated pattern of the Caly jr. but it is a non-locking folder and at this time, only sold in the UK.
sal
Click to expand...
At this time?? Sounds like there is hope for an Americanized version.
The Burgundy ZDP Caly is a major home run! :thumbup:
 
Where did the Calypso Jr name come from? I also want to know why the blade spine is not flat, what's the intent of this design?
 
Aficianado, as Joe mentioned.

The name had no bearing on the design. We needed a name, Calypso seemed like a good idea at the time. :rolleyes:

sal
 
Sal Glesser said:
Hi Rick,

The first Caly jrs were micarta scales (no bolsters). AUS-8 blade.

The first FRN pieces were black with directional texturing. VG-10 blade. They were disco'd due to lack of sales. Most dealers won't stock more than one "3" Plastic handled Spyderco", and the Delica is the top seller, so it always gets the one space available in the store showcase. The Caly jr and Native have suffered being younger.

Then we made a couple of runs in gray FRN due to demand from the "Afi" ELUs. VG-10 blade.

Then we made a run in burgundy as a "token" to the "steel junkies" for an affordable ZDP-189 knife.

At this time, there are no Caly jrs in production and none planned.

The UK Pen Knife is an updated pattern of the Caly jr. but it is a non-locking folder and at this time, only sold in the UK.

sal
Click to expand...

I gotta wonder what other model has sold so many "Special" runs??? What does it take to prove a design as viable?
 
imho caly jr is bar none one of the best spyderco designs with exception of military of course:)
 
Coho said:
I gotta wonder what other model has sold so many "Special" runs??? What does it take to prove a design as viable?
Click to expand...

Hi Coho,

All of the designs are viable to some extent. Long term survival of a design depends on long term sales. When the sales begin to slow down, we have to assume the market for that design has been satisfied.

sal
 
Coho said:
I gotta wonder what other model has sold so many "Special" runs??? What does it take to prove a design as viable?
Click to expand...

Sal's point is that it isn't selling to the average user. The average non-collector will buy a Delica.

For the cutlery aficionado that values function over fancy looks, something like the Calypso is prized. There is something of a cult that has built up around this knife, and this group of collectors continue to repurchase new runs of new variations of this knife. I'd estimate that this group is only large enough to absorb something like 1500 pieces at a time at most. Continual production of any variant meets a deadfall in sales at the point where every collector who wants one already has one.

To support regular production of an FRN knife at high volumes you need to be getting the average user to buy it, and they are not.

The doom of the model, IMO, is that it is a sophisticated, high-end pattern that was never given the full high-end treatment of premium steel AND a premium handle material. This undermined it with the high-end user, as many have overlooked this knife due to a plastic handle on the VG-10 version, or AUS-8 steel on the Micarta version.

I also think that the name was a little confusing. It sounds like a name for a sea-faring knife.
 
Maybe the next Calypso Jr run should have scales and bolsters. ZDP-189 blade of course. I'm not really particular about the scales but jigged bone would be pretty nice.

Sal has said elsewhere that "nothing's impossible".

clay
 
Thanx Joe. That is a good explanation.

Hi Clay. We've thought about that.

I guess the next question would be what?

The ZDP Caly jr seems like it would have supported more pieces, but I think a lot of that was due to the lower price. A ZDP Caly jr with front bolsters and jigged bone scales (or ?) could run close to $200. I question the market to support even a 1200 piece run.

Also there becomes a question of the clip; type? location? (up/down, etc).

Opinions?

sal
 
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