Kiwi Review...

[Jazzman]

Here's my review of the Spyderco Kiwi...
1) Handle- I don't think that you can ask for much more. Two very comfortable finger choils, beautiful brushed bolsters, and the star of the handle: jigged bone. This particular model features not only some of the best jigging I've ever seen but also a great deep brown/cranberry color. I wonder if the jigging is done by hand like the earlier Jess Horn model? Only gripe is that I would have liked a slightly larger lanyard hole. As is I couldn't use anything thicker than a thin leather thong.

2) Blade- One word: utility. The wharcliffe style is one of my favorites and the Kiwi is definately high on my list. The roughly 2 in blade of VG-10 cuts like a much larger knife and the hole position allows for alot of control. My Kiwi came RAZOR sharp and after cutting down 10 cardboard boxes, still shaves. No problems here.

3) Lock- Not much to say here except that it's a simple lockback held up to Spyderco's rigid quality standards. However, I really wish it were a slipjoint.

Overall I give the Kiwi a 10/10. This knife will be in my pocket (in a slip sheath actually) for a long time to come.
Thanks,
Matt

 

[Bruceter]

Matt,

I found some small diameter braided nylon cord at REI. You
might look around at that type of store. I find that for a
slip sheath, a rough out suede sheath works well for me. I
can grab the lanyard, give a quick pull, and the knife is in
my hand and the sheath is still in my pocket.


Bruceter

 

[fulloflead]

Did you feel like you could get good enough a grip on the handle to apply real pressure to the blade? If you flipped it over so it was blade-up could you get a grip to control it if you had to rip the plastic wrap of bubble wrap off a package or something like that where you had the spine against the material and were cutting up?

Let's say you had to cut through two layers of corrigated cardboard; do you think you would be able to grip it so you'd be able to make the cut fairly easily?

If you wanted to cut a Dilbert cartoon out of a newspaper could you choke up on the knife enough to use it Exacto-knife-syle to cut a clipping out of a newspaper without cutting yourself?

I always thought of the Kiwi as an urban knife. I just wanted to know if it was, indeed, an urban knife.

I like gentleman's knives, but I like them so they're also designed to work like a gentleman might work it. What do you think about that? Do you think the Kiwi is an Urban worker?

I'm thinking about getting one and was hoping for a good "city-boy" review before I do.

Maybe I'll just get one and put it through the "City Boy" trials myself.

 

[PhilL]

Originally posted by fulloflead
Do you think the Kiwi is an Urban worker?

I'm thinking about getting one and was hoping for a good "city-boy" review before I do.

Maybe I'll just get one and put it through the "City Boy" trials myself.

I'm a "city boy" and I think the Kiwi will be perfect for my day to day knife needs, but I've only had my Kiwi for a day and haven't got past the fondling stage yet. I think Jazz wrote a good review of the Kiwi. I'd just like to add a bit regarding the fit & finish of it. I would say that the quality of the Kiwi is on par with my Spyderco/ Jess Horn C27 (which I think is the most expensive knife Spyderco ever made). The C27 is IMO on par with many handmade knives I've handled.

So if you think you can't afford custom, get a Kiwi.

 

[Jazzman]

I have to agree with PhilL, just about as good as it gets. I have to do some more work with it but I am pretty sure that it will perform the listed tasks with little difficulty.
Matt

 

[tarsier]

Everyone seems to love this knife. I recall Anthony Cheeseboro and Sergiusz Mitin both gave it a big thumbs up too. I just wish it came in a little wider choice of scales. For natural materials, I love wood. A Kiwi with checkered cherrywood scales would be an absolute must-buy for me. As is, I have to add this one to my wish list anyway.

 

[PhilL]

Bruceter, good idea on the lanyard it really helps. I used a good old round brown shoelace...works for me.