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Just ordered my first new Spydie in years

Chris Larrikin

Chris Larrikin

Joined
Jul 19, 2012
Messages
1,774
My first quality knife was a Spyderco Delica (combo edge), bought in about 2001. At the time I was heavily involved in our volunteer emergency services and wanted a knife I could trust to cut through a rope or line with minimal effort if my life depended on it. I followed it up with a Meerkat, which became my favourite emergency call-out beater knife (I wanted to keep the Delica's edge pristine for emergency use and I was a bit sharpening challenged back then). A few years later I picked up a Native (serrated) and a Remote Release, neither of which have seen much use because by that stage I'd left the emergency services and didn't really need big serrated edged blades. Since then I've been eyeing a lot of Spyderco knives but haven't been able to bring myself to buy a knife which in all likelihood won't really see daily use. Well it's been a stressful few weeks and so I decided to be nice to myself and buy a carbon fibre Chaparral...so...

What am I in for? What can I expect? Any tips about what I'll need to do to bring out the best in it?
 
The Chaparral is the smallest bladed knife I've ever had that still offered me a full comfortable grip. (thanks to the finger choil) Ultimately I sold mine however it was a great knife while I owned it. Very small so disappears in the pocket. I'm not a huge lockback fan but I didn't mind it on this one.
 
It's like a classier dragonfly. I particularly like it, it's nearly weightless. It may cause you to start buying more knives. which isn't a bad thing.
 
I loved mine...I traded it for a K390 Mule and definitely miss it a lot because it was such a classy, unobtrusive carrying, and fantastic slicing knife. I'm holding off (With difficulty) for the Chap 4 which is going to have brass handles, but if i don't like the looks of it I'll buy the stepped titanium version.
 
I don't have the Chaparral but looks real nice and comfortable. Let us know how you like it. I like lock backs so I'm going to look into this one along with a few others.
 
The stepped titanium version is beautiful. I picked one up but I fear to carry it. It's more an art piece. That being said if you need a knife it is still a great one.
 
The chaparral is a very sweet piece. Excellent f&f, very light weight, great slicer, and nice ergos. It's definitely a gentleman's knife - not a flicker and with the 2.0 mm blade, not meant for abuse. It carries really well, open super smooth, has crisp machining (don't mistake this for poor quality - I assure you it is a quality knife). I love the handles on my carbon version, and cary it much more than my Sage 1, which I also love but which is way bulkier in the pocket. The CTS-XHP steel has been very impressive so far in light use, and is my current favorite steel. I hope you will enjoy yours as i have mine. Can't wait for the bronze one!
 
Thanks guys!! I have to admit I'm getting pretty excited about it. I'll post my thoughts and impressions when it arrives. It also feels good to be buying another Spyderco; it's one brand that I have trusted for years and I have a lot of respect for Sal and the others who have built a business while doing the right thing by their customers and end users.
 
This is a great knife design. It is not a knife to use hard, however. It is a gentleman's folder. If the liners and other edges (besides the cutting edge) are too sharp you can soften them with a diamond hone. The steel in the knife is one of my favorites as it is like a stainless D2. This knife looks really good and the Carbon Fiber was the way to go. I carry mine when I am dressed appropriately. Good choice.
 
Okay so a quick update. The Chaparral arrived a few days ago and I figured some thoughts and impressions were in order.

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The Chaparral is a very smart looking little folder. The first thing I noticed of course was the visual appeal of the textured carbon fibre. This immediately sets the knife apart from the more utilitarian Spydies out there :) The second thing I noticed was the weight. It is light, but not super light and feels light a solid knife. It certainly does not feel fragile. The overall fit and finish are excellent. The blade opens and closes very smoothly and is centered when closed (that last one doesn't matter to me a lot but I know how much some people like it).

I have read some reviews that said the scales were a bit sharp around the edges; my knife has very nicely beveled scales which along with great ergonomics make for a lot of comfort in-hand. While the spine of the blade and the trademark hole are nicely squared-off, they're certainly not uncomfortably sharp.
...speaking of sharp...
In my experience, Spyderco knives have always come sharp. The edge on this one is incredible. It feels like it has a slight toothiness to it, but it is hair popping sharp. While I have so far only used it to butcher three small apples, cut some paper and shaved my arm, I have absolute confidence that it will exceed any reasonable cutting expectations.

The one thing I'm not a huge fan of - and this is strictly in the realm of first world problems - is the wire pocket clip. I understand the why - it's a compromise between an obvious clip and no clip, but it doesn't work for me. It's a very nice, classy knife and for me the wire clip detracts from that a bit. Personally I feel it's a bit of a shame that it doesn't have a lanyard hole instead, because a nice braided leather lanyard and bead would set this off incredibly. That's purely a personal aesthetic preference though, so really go ahead and ignore it :)

To finish, just out of curiosity (and if I'm honest to support an Aussie stereotype) I just now took a few minutes away from the keyboard and used the Chaparral to neaten up the edges of my beard - without any kind of shaving cream. Yes folks - THIS is a knife!
 
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I've been toying with the idea of purchasing the Chap for some time now. Thank you for the brief review. Your comments about the wire clip are appreciated; however, I actually prefer it to the standard clip due to it's reduction in weight and the reduction in footprint it provides outside of the pocket. I may have to just pop on over to my favorite retailer and pick one up tonight. 😊. Thanks again.
 
speedseeker said:
I've been toying with the idea of purchasing the Chap for some time now. Thank you for the brief review. Your comments about the wire clip are appreciated; however, I actually prefer it to the standard clip due to it's reduction in weight and the reduction in footprint it provides outside of the pocket. I may have to just pop on over to my favorite retailer and pick one up tonight. ��. Thanks again.
Click to expand...

You won't regret it. As I said the wire clip was just a matter of personal aesthetic preference. In terms of functionality I couldn't fault it and it seems smoother to use than the standard clip.
 
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