powernoodle
Power Member
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2004
- Messages
- 11,970
With each of these fine knives hitting the market at about the same time, and given the size similarity and great price disparity, I thought it might be fun to take a quick look at these two knives.
Off the bat, I recognize that this is an apples and oranges thing, at least in terms of materials and cost. But when it comes to ergonomics and utility, its a fair fight. I also do not give the Ankerson treatment to my knives by cutting rope and killing cardboard, and honestly blade steel doesn't matter that much to me for urban EDC. So for edge retention and so forth you may have to look elsewhere.
What have we got here? On one hand, the Cryo comes in at around $30 - $32 more or less. Its a Kershaw A/O knife with steel scales and Chinese 8Cr13MoV steel. The Hinderer flavor is highly touted with this knife, and you see it in the blade and scale profiles, as well as the Hinderer lockbar stabilizer. The spring-loaded flipper works splendidly and lock up is solid with no play. It sports a 4-way clip, with the tip down configuration provide complete deep carry. When the clip is flipped around for tip up carry, about 0.5" of the knife protrudes from the pocket. Subjectively, it has a feel in the hand of relative quality, though the slick steel scales remind you that this is a $30 knife. But given its pillar construction, good looks and attention to detail (design and manufacturing), I would be surprised if anyone will say that you aren't getting your dollars' worth out the Cryo. It instantly joins the ranks of high value knives, including the Buck 110, Spyderco Tenacious series, RAT-1 folder and others.
Techno, top, with Cryo.
Overall lengths: Techno 6", Cryo 6.5".
Blade lengths: Techno 2.55", Cryo 2.75".
As for the Techno, its at the opposite end of the spendy scale. Arriving in your mailbox at around $190 more or less, this is not a knife for the masses. At about the same size of the Cryo, the Techno wears titanium scales in a "tumbled, natural color" according to one vendor, and a full flat grind CTS-XHP blade. Spyderco describes CTS-XHP "as having the steel properties and hardness of D2 carbon tool steel but with the added advantage of chromium to classify it as a powdered stainless steel." What grabs the attention both online and in hand though is the stoutness and thickness of both the knife and the blade relative to its length. Blade thickness is 0.177". Whereas the Cryo's calling card is bang for the buck, the Techno gets you with its design (Polish knifemaker Marcin Slysz), superb material and manufacturing, and its overall stout countenance. Other touches on the Techno include a 2-way wire clip for deep carry, and notably the blue backspacer with raised jimping. Those 7 raised blocks on the backspacer rise just about the profile of the titanium scales. About the only thing I would change on the Techno, other than its entry fee, is that the wire clip bends when pressure is applied with 3 fingers when the blade is opened. This is not flaw per se, and I am a fan of deep clips generally and wire clips specifically, but that little bit of movement may detract from what is otherwise a tank-like experience. Chris Reeve knives are often characterized as vault like in their lockup and operation, and the Spydie Techno is no different in this regard. Additionally, one might think that the stout Techno would outweigh its thinner, less spendy counterpart. But at 3.6 oz., the titanium Techno comes in about half an ounce under the steel Cryo's 4.2 oz. I find the weight of each knife to be a non issue, as the relatively lightness of the Techno belies its beefy construction, and the slight heft of the Cryo feels of quality.
The Techno comes here from Taiwan, and the Cryo from China. For some buyers this matters, and others not so much. Both blades were super sharp with even grinds, and well centered.
I would not characterize these knives as sexy, but you would get no argument from me if you did.
In terms of pure ergonomics, and all other factors aside (not that one can really do that), I subjectively give the nod in ergos to the Cryo. The flipper deployment is certainly faster and easier, and I can get 4 fingers on the Cryo's scales whereas the Powernoodle Pinkie remains dangling with the Techno. The corollary to this, though, is that you may wish to take your time and enjoy the Techno's refinement, so speed takes a back seat. After all, enjoying the knife is the reason you bought the Techno in the first place.
Is the Techno "worth" 6-7x the price of the Cryo? If utility is the sole measure of "worth", I would say absolutely not. I have long advocated the notion that a $440 (shipped) Umzumnaan, for example, and which I own, does not vivisect a cardboard box 9 times better than does a Delica. In fact, quite the opposite is true. In my view, spendy knives do not earn their keep by being better than the pack when it comes to utility. What the spendy knives - including the Techno - do excel at is pride of ownership, the pleasure of having a piece of knife in your pocket that has "better" design, materials and manufacturing than the knives of everyone you encounter during the day, and the good vibes that those factors impart on your life.
So pick your poison. $35 or so on the credit card to get a Cryo in the mailbox, or $190 for the Techno. Each "earns" the price of admission, albeit in different ways and for different reasons.
Off the bat, I recognize that this is an apples and oranges thing, at least in terms of materials and cost. But when it comes to ergonomics and utility, its a fair fight. I also do not give the Ankerson treatment to my knives by cutting rope and killing cardboard, and honestly blade steel doesn't matter that much to me for urban EDC. So for edge retention and so forth you may have to look elsewhere.
What have we got here? On one hand, the Cryo comes in at around $30 - $32 more or less. Its a Kershaw A/O knife with steel scales and Chinese 8Cr13MoV steel. The Hinderer flavor is highly touted with this knife, and you see it in the blade and scale profiles, as well as the Hinderer lockbar stabilizer. The spring-loaded flipper works splendidly and lock up is solid with no play. It sports a 4-way clip, with the tip down configuration provide complete deep carry. When the clip is flipped around for tip up carry, about 0.5" of the knife protrudes from the pocket. Subjectively, it has a feel in the hand of relative quality, though the slick steel scales remind you that this is a $30 knife. But given its pillar construction, good looks and attention to detail (design and manufacturing), I would be surprised if anyone will say that you aren't getting your dollars' worth out the Cryo. It instantly joins the ranks of high value knives, including the Buck 110, Spyderco Tenacious series, RAT-1 folder and others.
Techno, top, with Cryo.
Overall lengths: Techno 6", Cryo 6.5".
Blade lengths: Techno 2.55", Cryo 2.75".
As for the Techno, its at the opposite end of the spendy scale. Arriving in your mailbox at around $190 more or less, this is not a knife for the masses. At about the same size of the Cryo, the Techno wears titanium scales in a "tumbled, natural color" according to one vendor, and a full flat grind CTS-XHP blade. Spyderco describes CTS-XHP "as having the steel properties and hardness of D2 carbon tool steel but with the added advantage of chromium to classify it as a powdered stainless steel." What grabs the attention both online and in hand though is the stoutness and thickness of both the knife and the blade relative to its length. Blade thickness is 0.177". Whereas the Cryo's calling card is bang for the buck, the Techno gets you with its design (Polish knifemaker Marcin Slysz), superb material and manufacturing, and its overall stout countenance. Other touches on the Techno include a 2-way wire clip for deep carry, and notably the blue backspacer with raised jimping. Those 7 raised blocks on the backspacer rise just about the profile of the titanium scales. About the only thing I would change on the Techno, other than its entry fee, is that the wire clip bends when pressure is applied with 3 fingers when the blade is opened. This is not flaw per se, and I am a fan of deep clips generally and wire clips specifically, but that little bit of movement may detract from what is otherwise a tank-like experience. Chris Reeve knives are often characterized as vault like in their lockup and operation, and the Spydie Techno is no different in this regard. Additionally, one might think that the stout Techno would outweigh its thinner, less spendy counterpart. But at 3.6 oz., the titanium Techno comes in about half an ounce under the steel Cryo's 4.2 oz. I find the weight of each knife to be a non issue, as the relatively lightness of the Techno belies its beefy construction, and the slight heft of the Cryo feels of quality.
The Techno comes here from Taiwan, and the Cryo from China. For some buyers this matters, and others not so much. Both blades were super sharp with even grinds, and well centered.
I would not characterize these knives as sexy, but you would get no argument from me if you did.
In terms of pure ergonomics, and all other factors aside (not that one can really do that), I subjectively give the nod in ergos to the Cryo. The flipper deployment is certainly faster and easier, and I can get 4 fingers on the Cryo's scales whereas the Powernoodle Pinkie remains dangling with the Techno. The corollary to this, though, is that you may wish to take your time and enjoy the Techno's refinement, so speed takes a back seat. After all, enjoying the knife is the reason you bought the Techno in the first place.
Is the Techno "worth" 6-7x the price of the Cryo? If utility is the sole measure of "worth", I would say absolutely not. I have long advocated the notion that a $440 (shipped) Umzumnaan, for example, and which I own, does not vivisect a cardboard box 9 times better than does a Delica. In fact, quite the opposite is true. In my view, spendy knives do not earn their keep by being better than the pack when it comes to utility. What the spendy knives - including the Techno - do excel at is pride of ownership, the pleasure of having a piece of knife in your pocket that has "better" design, materials and manufacturing than the knives of everyone you encounter during the day, and the good vibes that those factors impart on your life.
So pick your poison. $35 or so on the credit card to get a Cryo in the mailbox, or $190 for the Techno. Each "earns" the price of admission, albeit in different ways and for different reasons.
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