Kapara or Fact?

Joined
Jun 1, 2009
Messages
27
Trying to decide between the Spyderco Kapara or Benchmade Fact. Held a Fact today at Cabelas but can’t find a Kapara in a shop anywhere near where I live. Really liked the Fact. Suggestions please.
 
Buy them bought from a dealer that will accept returns. Keep the one you like best and send the other back.
 
Buy them bought from a dealer that will accept returns. Keep the one you like best and send the other back.
In my opinion, that's a pretty sleazy thing to do. You're making them eat the cost of dealing with a return just so you can fondle a knife you don't intend to keep. And if the packaging has to be damaged to open it they now have a "used" knife to sell. The only time I return knives is if there is a defect.

~Chip
 
Last edited:
I just bought a Kapara from DLT. Fantastic knife. I am very impressed by it. I have not handled a fact. Let us know which one you go for!
 
As this is the Spyderco part of the forum, I’ll bet I can guess what you’ll hear. ;)

I’ve fondled a Fact a few times and I own a Kapara.

The Fact I checked out was well built (can’t speak for all of them) but struck me as a novelty knife; long and dagger-like. It’s ergos were ok in my hand, but not by any means great.

I think the Kapara is amazing, with fantastic ergonomics, better materials, and a more useful blade shape/grind. Mine had a good action out of the box and has only gotten better. It carries great.

The Kapara’s access to the compression lock is a bit more limited than a PM2, but realistically I think that’s only an issue if you’re a hyper-fidigeter.

I VASTLY prefer the Kapara, but if the Fact’s long stabby blade floats your boat, you’re a lefty, or if fidgeting is your supreme desire, I won’t fault you if you think differently.
 
Fact is cool but I agree Kapara is more useful.

Fact strikes me as one of those knives you’ll buy and carry a few times thinking it is good for self defense. Then after abit of rolling the streets never needing it you will switch it out for a better cutter and never carry it again except that one odd time you get paranoid.
 
Last edited:
I think the Kapara is amazing, with fantastic ergonomics, better materials, and a more useful blade shape/grind. Mine had a good action out of the box and has only gotten better. It carries great.

This sums up my experiences perfectly. My only complaint with the Kapara is that the carbon fiber is a bit slick. On the other side of that coin is the fact that it looks spectacular. It's a hell of a cutter to boot.
 
I like the fact, but then again I like pointy things and have the Chokwe as well.

Not a big fan of compression lock as I have trouble with it as a lefty.
 
I own lots of knives. I started collecting them as a kid and I’m 60 now. I still have many of those knives I paid $1.50 for. I have Benchmades, Spydercos, ZTs, Chris Reeve, etc. I’m partial to Spyderco. I’m a 28 year retired LEO and left handed but have always carried my knives on the right as my firearm is (still) on the left. A knife is a dandy firearm retention device! I am as good with a knife and a pistol with either hand and have been an instructor for many years. I’m going to call some more places tomorrow in search for the Kapara. I do like the Fact, but I know if I buy it I will still want the Kapara. Well, the retirement check will roll in tomorrow anyway....
Thanks for the input guys.
 
As this is the Spyderco part of the forum, I’ll bet I can guess what you’ll hear. ;)
The Fact I checked out was well built (can’t speak for all of them) but struck me as a novelty knife; long and dagger-like. It’s ergos were ok in my hand, but not by any means great.
Fact is cool but I agree Kapara is more useful.
Fact strikes menas one of those knives you’ll buy and carry a few times thinking it is good for self defense. Then after abit of rolling the streets never needing it you will switch it out for a better cutter and never carry it again except that one odd time you get paranoid.

These are the reasons I haven't bought a Fact, despite it being a really great looking knife that feels nice in the hand. I don't want to start getting into novelty knives or carry aggressive knives that are clearly for self defense purposes and nothing else. It's a cool knife though!
 
These are the reasons I haven't bought a Fact, despite it being a really great looking knife that feels nice in the hand. I don't want to start getting into novelty knives or carry aggressive knives that are clearly for self defense purposes and nothing else. It's a cool knife though!

I’m kind of surprised they released the Fact and the SOCP dagger at the same time. SOCP is a tiny bit longer but I already have my ridiculously long stabbing knife I never carry.

VHTglJ2.jpg
 
W
In my opinion, that's a pretty sleazy thing to do. You're making them eat the cost of dealing with a return just so you can fondle a knife you don't intend to keep. And if the packaging has to be damaged to open it they now have a "used" knife to sell. The only time I return knives is if there is a defect.

~Chip

Would you mind if the dealer was Amazon?

Obviously, if one were planning to do this, I'd expect that person to admit the return was not for any defect (just personal choice), pay for the return shipping and any restocking fee and treat the knives and boxes w/due care so that the one returned is still resaleable.

Anything less would be "sleazy" but, as the OP mentioned, if you can't find a dealer to compare the knives, would you expect him to buy the knife blind and then keep it if he didn't like it? Don't think that's fair either.

People who buy things at Costco, use the product and then return it years later expecting a full refund, are certainly sleazy. However, carefully unboxing and looking at and feeling out a knife at home briefly and returning it promptly in good condition is not.

I seldom return things that I buy but I have returned a NIB ZT0609 to a well known eBay dealer who has a free return policy, when I decided that the knife just wasn't for me. He gave no static about it and I've bought and kept orher knives from him since.
 
Would you mind if the dealer was Amazon?

Yup, makes no difference. I also don't return things to Amazon unless it's defective or the wrong product.

If you can't find a dealer to compare the knives, would you expect him to buy the knife blind and then keep it if he didn't like it? Don't think that's fair either.

I'd venture to say that the majority of us are in the same boat, I haven't been in a decent knife store in a decade. I do my research, if I get it and don't like it that's my fault and I'll sell it here on the exchange.

~Chip
 
P
I own lots of knives. I started collecting them as a kid and I’m 60 now. I still have many of those knives I paid $1.50 for. I have Benchmades, Spydercos, ZTs, Chris Reeve, etc. I’m partial to Spyderco. I’m a 28 year retired LEO and left handed but have always carried my knives on the right as my firearm is (still) on the left. A knife is a dandy firearm retention device! I am as good with a knife and a pistol with either hand and have been an instructor for many years. I’m going to call some more places tomorrow in search for the Kapara. I do like the Fact, but I know if I buy it I will still want the Kapara. Well, the retirement check will roll in tomorrow anyway....
Thanks for the input guys.

So you’re like me...

In trying to decide which hand you wanted to use your knife in and which hand you want to carry your pistol in you ended up being pretty much equal with each in both hands.

I came to the opposite decision though. Pistol on right knife on left. Mostly because the majority of Emersons come tapped for right hand carry only and I wanted to reverse wave them so I standardized on wearing knives with a right handed clip in my left pocket.

I wear it on the corner of the pocket closer to my zipper rather than the corner closer to the hip as is usual. Thus I can sort of always cross draw my folder from my left pocket with my right hand.
 
Yup, makes no difference. I also don't return things to Amazon unless it's defective or the wrong product.

I'd venture to say that the majority of us are in the same boat, I haven't been in a decent knife store in a decade. I do my research, if I get it and don't like it that's my fault and I'll sell it here on the exchange.

~Chip

I don't think anyone should abuse a seller's return policy but there's nothing wrong in making use of it.

Amazon, Costco and Eddie Bauer are big retailers that offer essentially no questions asked returns. Costo's and Bauer's is unlimited in time. Amazon's is not but they will accept anything back for any reason but if it's not for a defect, you've got to pay the return shipping; otherwise return shipping is free. Saw a Eddie Bauer executive on TV questioned about their unlimited return policy and, for them it's a way of promoting business and goodwill and, in general, it is not abused. REI use to have a similar policy but it decided to change that policy from unlimited to w/in a year of date of purchase because of the abuses they experienced, which you can see evidence of during their periodic clearance sale of returned goods.

The kind of return I am talking about is one that you do w/in a day or 2 of receipt of the product w/a seller who has a clearly stated return policy. Accepting returns for such a dealer (like Amazon on the high end and smaller eBay dealers on the low end) is a cost of doing business. All dealers are free to state whether they are willing to accept returns or not but, if they state that they are willing to do so, there's nothing wrong w/making use of that policy IMO as long as you don't try to abuse it.

In the case of buying something you don't like and then selling it on the exchange, I think that would apply to any knife that you bought but KEPT for some time (let's say more than 30 days which is the typical return period for retail stores). Then I'd say the burden is on you and they you have no right to try to return it to the dealer.

But, if you have only kept it for a few days, didn't "use" it and promptly returned it in "saleable" condition to a dealer who has stated that it would accept returns, I see no problem doing that whatsoever.
 
Last edited:
I'll play devils advocate here on the spydie forums a bit then. I prefer spyderco all around but I guess I have to give credit where credit is due.

I got the fact when it first released and I like it a lot actually. I confess to buying it as a novelty item, but it surpassed my expectations on quite a few fronts.
Its a very slim and light carry. It comes with a deep carry clip and it just works.
The handle is very nice, due to the ribbed texture on it and long handle its very grippy. Better then a 940 I'd say.
The blade is something else though. I thought it would probably cut pretty bad due to the stout oval shaped spearpoint but when I put a good 17 degree per side bevel on it it actually did pretty well. It'll never be as good as a ffg blade at 15 degree inclusive but it's much better then I expected. It's also very well build. I didn't have to fool around with my washers and pivot adjustments and it came perfectly centered even.

Let's see I have to leave for New years soon so I'll wrap this up.

Does this make it a better knife then the kapara? No probably not, but it is one of the most fun knives I've handled in recent years.

That being said. I own lots of slicers like 5 pm2's, 2 manix's an Endura etc so it was a welcome departure from the function over fun thing I hold my standards to. If you however are not in possession of good slicers I would recommend going with a ffg blade like a pm2, military or like you said the kapara.

If you already have these bases covered I say give the fact a try.
Hope that helps.
 
Good points already mentioned.
I love the Fact.
It's probably my favourite release by BKC this year.
That said, its singular purpose-built design limits use for normal chores.
I look forward to getting a Kapara, looks like a great food prep knife.
 
Back
Top