Knife noob wanting advice on spyderco delica 4

M

mizjif

Joined
May 1, 2012
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Hi everyone! I am fresh to the forum and a complete noob to knives. I am looking for a nice EDC/camping knife. I am from Canada, but am in Fargo, ND for the next day. A local store here in Fargo has two black Delica 4's left, half serrated blades, and they are on sale for $49.99.

Is this a good price? Getting these shipped to Canada is not easy to find, and the price when I can find them is near double that.

So I was wondering if in general, $49.99 is a good price for a brand new Spyderco Delica 4?

Thanks everyone! happy to be here!

Mike
 
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if you want a delica thats one of the better prices iv seen there usually 50 at cheapest and 65 at most
 
Did the prices on Delica's go up or something? That price doesn't seem special to me. And a saber grind combo edge is probably one of the least desired incarnations of that model.

OP, you should remove the name of the seller. That counts as "deal spotting" on the forums, which isn't allowed. The dealers that have accounts here can be mentioned anywhere (I don't think that one does), but others are only talked about in the feedback forums.
 
My apologies! It has been edited.

Why would this edge be the least desired?

Thanks everyone for the quick responses and input! It is very much appreciated!
 
mizjif said:
Why would this edge be the least desired?

Thanks everyone for the quick responses and input! It is very much appreciated!
Click to expand...

Combo edges are just less popular than full plain edge knives. It's just personal preference. If you like/want a combo edge, go for it! Welcome to the forums!
 
Combo edges aren't as well liked, because they're kind of the worst of both worlds. Plain edge is very useful and versatile, and a good serrated edge will last a little longer than a plain edge due to the greater cutting edge length (however, serrated edges rip and tear more than they cut. They're mostly good for rope and cardboard). Most people prefer plain edge, some like serrated edge, but combo edges don't give you enough of either edge type to do anything useful. That's especially bad on a very small blade like the Delica's. My first one-hand opener was a combo edge, and I never made that mistake again. Plus, the FFG Delica's are better liked because the grind lets them slice with much less resistance. I'd consider mine one of my best knives as far as utility is concerned.

I did a quick check on the pricing of D4's. I don't know where you guys get your knives, but that price still doesn't look that special to me. Good for a bricks and mortar store, but you can get an FFG D4 for that much online, pretty easily.
 
mizjif said:
Why would this edge be the least desired?
Click to expand...

Its not.

The knife you are talking about is a saber grind, which is what all Delicas were up until about a year or two ago. Spyderco added a full flat grind to the Delica lineup. Those are the ones with the colored handles. Some folks like the saber grind because its a little thicker and probably a little less likely to breakage. Other folks prefer the full flat grind because it is probably a little better slicer.

Many folks around here prefer either a plain edge, or a serrated edge, but not a combination of the two which is what you are talking about. This is purely a subjective, personal preference. But none is objectively "better" than the other. They are all groovy, and you should get whatever floats your boat.
 
That's about average.

I think the main reason that most enthusiasts wouldn't buy that particular combo is the fact that: a) FFG is just better for most tasks, including slicing, period :D; and b) most folks that know how to keep a knife sharp find that a serrated edge is totally unnecessary. It's all purely subjective, though. If you want a partially serrated edge, though, go for it; no hard feelings here.

Again, these are all personal opinions. I'm sure there are genuine knife nuts that appreciate both of those characteristics in a blade. I just don't happen to be one of them.
 
I checked eBay and that seems to be a fair price, not a killer deal, but a fair price.

Serrations aren't real popular here, and partial serrated blades even less. The saber grind on the Delica is fine, but the full flat grind performs better. That's why it's the least desirable, not that it's bad, it's just not as good. We're a bunch of knife nuts around here with picky taste.
 
mizjif said:
My apologies! It has been edited.

Why would this edge be the least desired?

Thanks everyone for the quick responses and input! It is very much appreciated!
Click to expand...
re: sabre-ground combination edge.

there's nothing wrong with it. what the poster is probably saying is that the delica 4 comes on its own in the full flat grind, plain edged configuration. with vg-10 steel, you have one of the best EDC slicers in the business. and the package is so light you can clip it to your boxers or underpants without bringing them down to half-mast. the grind and edge type are all up to the buyer.
 
It's a fair price. But I much prefer a plain edge Delica. The plain edge Delica is one of my favorite EDC knives. I started with the Endura and decided it was a little big for me to EDC comfortably. I went through the partial serrated blade designs and came to the conclusion that I either want a full serrated edge or plain edge. I have a Delica and Endura or two with a plain edge and a fully serrated Endura which I like for certain tasks.
 
these ppl are all knife nuts dude you gota take it with a grain of salt too, its a good price for it they are just giving it a big hit because its partially serrated, thats a good price for it
 
I -like- the saber grind on my Delica 4 (my FFG Enduras and Meadowlark are too thin for me), that's really the only thing I like about it. Oh well.
 
Thanks for the input everyone! I know to get one in Canada would cost me near $75-100 to get a Delica, and this is the only one I've found here during my stay. I have never had a serrated or partial serrated blade, however I have on occasion wished I had it while cutting meat or rope during my camping excursions.

Hmm. I guess I'll have to think about it. I do have a plain edge tenacious on its way right now so at least that will give me a taste of the spyderco plain edge.

Thanks again for the great responses!
 
mizjif said:
Thanks for the input everyone! I know to get one in Canada would cost me near $75-100 to get a Delica, and this is the only one I've found here during my stay. I have never had a serrated or partial serrated blade, however I have on occasion wished I had it while cutting meat or rope during my camping excursions.

Hmm. I guess I'll have to think about it. I do have a plain edge tenacious on its way right now so at least that will give me a taste of the spyderco plain edge.

Thanks again for the great responses!
Click to expand...
How long are you in the states? You could always order one online while you are here and have it shipped to where ever you are staying. The knife plus overnight shipping in the US would probably be cheaper than purchasing one at $75-100.

I wouldn't sweat the combo edge though, I personally had a combo edge delica 4 and it was an excellent knife. I gifted it to a friend who works in a seed warehouse and he says it works excellently on everything he's thrown at it such as mass quantities of rope, cardboard, and burlap seed bags. Combo edge isn't my favorite on a small blade but sometimes a little bit of serrated steel is just what you need (which is why in addition to a larger folder I edc a serrated g10/h1 frankenfly). I'd say if you have no problem with the combo edge you should pick it up.
 
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unfortunately I am leaving Fargo tomorrow, so I don't have time for that. However my parents will be going down to their place in AZ for a week or two pretty soon. Perhaps I can have something mailed to them. Thanks for the info!
 
buy it, you wont regret it! I have a ffg blue delica and its my favourite edc knife:).Im getting saber ground serrated edge version too! Endura and delica are worth every penny! Byrd gen2 frn knives are amazing for price too.you can get Byrd Robin gen 2 frn for about 20 dol.Very similar to delica and quality is about the same....
 
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