Is the southard worth it?

I haven't read the other replies but here is my input.

I, like you, was also iffy about spending almost $300 on a Spyderco knife. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Spyderco as a brand and I have more of them than any other alternative. I also have a couple of Sebenzas and like mid-techs. So I was very timid about spending almost that much on a production knife. The only reason I pulled the trigger is because I got $200 worth of Amazon gift-cards for Christmas. That being said, it is worth every single penny. The quality is just about that of a Chris Reeve and the usability is that of the PM2. Knowing what I know now, I'd happily pay the full price for it. It has the ability to be the only knife you ever need.
 
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I look at it this way. Spyderco has managed to take top of the line materials, a superb design, and immaculate f&f and sell it to you for $260 (MSRP is higher though). If this knife said Strider, Hinderer, or Chris Reeve on it, it would have a $500+ price tag on it, and would still fly off the shelves.

But, Spyderco has done what they do best, offering top of the line knives, at VERY reasonable prices.

This knife has kicked everything out of my pocket. It's fantastic.
 
My older son and I each bought one - I think for about $230-240 each. At that price, I think this knife is a value, maybe a ragin' bargain. This is the nicest knife to come out of Taichung ever (IMHO...) on all counts: materials, design, workmanship, everything. I didn't think I'd like a flipper...ooops, this one erased all my hide-bound preconceptions! :D
 
Man... you guys are making me REALLY REALLY tempted to pull the trigger. Ok... I'm gonna pull the trigger. OP, I recommend you do the same.
 
That Southard is definitely a great knife, but if you cannot
comfortably afford it, it makes no sense to buy it. It's just a knife, and every month there will be another cool knife. I say know your budget and stick to it.
 
To appreciate Spyderco quality and design, one doesn't have to go that far. The budget lines (Tenacious family) are great. The most enduring models (Endura and Delica) are also there for a reason. Military and Paramilitary are there too.

Some said Taiwan's Spyderco models are among the best in fit & finish. Some of these can be had for much less than 200$.

Know your budget and buy accordingly.

P.S. Don't knock 8Cr13MoV. Done by Spyderco, it easily beats the OEM's (chinese brands). There's YT poster in Russia comparing the Tenacious vs Enlan EL02, and Tenacious won by a large margin.
 
To be honest, I've had two in my hands and sold them both. I liked the knife, I thought it had fantastic fit and finish, but it wasn't that comfortable for me to hold and I wasn't really in love with the looks. The clip dug into my hand a little bit when I gripped it tightly and even though its the newest toy out and everyone wants one - I don't really think it's a 'better' knife than the paramilitary 2 for my purposes. I don't really need the fanciest steel, and I prefer a compression to a framelock personally. However, I can definitely see the appeal of the knife. I think it flipped just as smoothly as my hinderer (actually a little easier to flip out, imo) and it had perfect bank vault lockup. It was razor sharp and the blade style is actually pretty comfortable to use for anything. A+ for the knife, just not my cup of tea so I got rid of it. Sometimes you really like a knife when no one else does, and sometimes you hate a knife that everyone else loves. Thats what makes this fun. Everyone prefers different things. I edc a $600 dollar mammoth ivory mnandi which was an upgrade to a $30 dollar sog flash. Is the mnandi $570 dollars better of a knife? Probably not, but it makes me happy to carry it so I do because I can afford it.
 
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I have a great deal of experience as a poor college student, having worked my way through college and grad school. I can say without hesitation that nothing that costs that much is worth it to a poor college student. That is 1200 packages of ramen.
 
Wait a while, the price may drop (a little). Especially when it gets discontinued . . . although you may be waiting a good bit on that one.
 
While I despise your university, I applaud your knife taste hehe :p

In all seriousness, I've handled a buddies southard and thought it was incredible and worth every penny on the price tag. I don't own any spydies myself, but every encounter I have with one sways me towards picking one up.

Go Gamecocks!
 
An expensive knife and a very good value for the money. That says it in a nutshell.
 
I have 5 CRKs and my Southard just showed up today. First impression is that it very much worth the $224 I paid. Love the blade design since my large and small Sebenza Insingos are some of my favorite for EDC use. I am looking hard and can't find any flaws. Perfect lock up, smooth, amazing edge grind. I've owned a Hinderer XM18 Gen3 that had blade rub and weak detent issues so the quality level is certainly up to the price. If you don't like the design then that is a just a personal issue but the quality is certainly up to the standards, and beyond, for the $224.
 
I would say the southard is worth every penny. I would go so far as to say that IMHO its the best bearing pivot flipper made by a production company that is actually available right now.
 
I got to handle a Southard today and I liked it. It is a very high quality frame lock flipper. I was surprised that the blade grind looks hollow ground instead of flat like so many Spydercos. It also seems smaller that it really is too. It reminds me more of a handmade knife than a factory model.

I find the ZT 560/561 to be a more "fun" knife. The finish of the ZT seems less custom, but the ball bearing flipper is just fun, and I love that it is a big knife!

Neither the Southard or the 561 would make a good EDC for me because they are too long. The BM 300SN would be closer to the right size for me.
 
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Just received my specimen yesterday, its a bit early for any real answers to the initial question but I can say that the craftsmanship is just what everyone else has been saying, outstanding! Its definitely putting my current edc's on the back burner for a while. The fit & finish is the best Ive seen from Spyderco, wonderful design, very smooth operation. It's a bit smaller than I expected but still the perfect size for edc. I'm very happy with the purchase.
 
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