Lil' Temperance-- why?

S

Stiletto Raggio

Joined
Jan 29, 2000
Messages
546
It seems that the (relatively) new Spyderco Lil' Temperance has quite a following. Why? I know this is my opinion, but the thing is just plain ugly to me. Is it comfortable enough in the hand to overcome it's aesthetics? I love Spydies, but this one I just don't get.
 
I may be a covert, but some of the spydies still looks very odd to me.
 
I don't own one but I do like it...yes, the ergonomics are very good...more importantly, it is BY FAR the smoothest Spyderco that I have ever handled...oh, and I think it's kinda cute :)

RL
 
Most Spydies don't appeal to me looks wise. The Lil' Temperance (leaf) is very nice looking. As for why I like it - handle egros, blade shape, blade thickness, overall size (little big knife), CPM 440v, and made in USA, just to name a few.

One question I have is, does anyone know about the (bushings) washers?

Thanks,
Scott
 
It's built like a tank, it locks like a tank, it feels like a tank... must be a Spyderco...

The C69 Lil Temperance is one of Spyderco's toughest models. The dual liners, compression lock, and thick slabs of G-10 give it that toughness. It's also fugly, but it works.

It feels great in my hand(only from store though, waiting on the backorder log for mine), and holds your pocket tight.

Seriously, most of the Spyderco knives are 'ugly' until you use them. Only a couple have the beauty and grace of a work of art: Calypso jr micarta, SS Dragonfly, CF Dragonfly, CF Civvie(and I know where to get a PE), and the Anniversary Delica(from pics only).
The rest of them is simply a case of they feel good in your hand.

Take for example the C36 Military. Just try to tell me it's beautiful. But it's probably one of the hardest used knives in the lineup. Why? Because it's minimalistic yet high-tech, but thats beside the point. It's used a lot because it feels good in your hand.
 
Okay, so maybe it has a SAAB-like "so ugly it's cute" thing going for it, but that doesn't work for me. The "draw tip" or whatever the non leaf one is is REALLY ugly.

I don't think this is true for many Spydies, and certainly ugly ones are not in the majority. I happen to think that two of my Spydies (Native and Viele) are among the most attractive modern folders I have ever seen. The Vesuvius is gorgeous in both guises. I have never felt the LT, but knowing that I can have looks and ergonomics in the same knife, I don't see myself ever trying one.

P.S.- Please make a bigger Native...
 
.. but while the C41 Native may look nice to us, it scares the sheeple...

I agree, the C42 Vielle, and the C56 Zowada don't seem to scare sheeple as much, but they still freak out to the thin blades.
 
Agree with the general sentiment that Spyderco doesn't make the purdiest knives in the world. But their knives do kick butt, and high performance has a kind of aesthetic all its own ... at least to people who crave high performance.

If you're looking for a sub-3" bladed knife for hard use and possible defensive use, I think you'd be hard pressed to find something that will beat the Lil Temperance. Wide blade gives a feeling of heft and strength despite the small 3" size. High-performance full flat grind. Even though the blade is small, the handle -- which is astoundingly secure and comfortable -- is suitable even for big hands. Opening hold mechanism. Compression lock, kicks butt on some of the more common lock formats. Great fit and finish. And, of course, it may be ugly, but it's got that "performance aesthetic" that makes some of us drool.

Joe
 
ROFLMAO! If you want "coyote ugly" in a 3" knife, try the Gunting! It also scares the living Hell out of hoplophobes without even being opened. And, yet, it does what it is intended to do better than any other design that I have ever seen. I think of it like modern firearms, none are as beautiful as the walnut and deeply blued machined steel of an S&W Mod. 29 or of a Weatherby magnum rifle or even a Springfield 1903, but they do what they are intended to do better that all of the others put together. As for the Li'l Temperance, I find it to be a wonderful "big" little knife for one whose hands are arthritic and who needs to carry something with a blade of no more than 3". I used to carry a Gunting for the same reasons, ease of manipulation for my arthritic hands, but 9/11 and working in a federal office building made that unadvisable due to appearances. Yes, call me a coward, but there are fights worth fighting and that image issue is not one of them just now.
 
I think prettiness of materials matters more to sheeple than actual design. Sure, a Matriarch with mother of pearl handles will still be scary as hell, but nobody who has seen my Viele thinks twice because it has nice micarta instead of ugly, military looking PRN handles. The Vesuvius (probably my next folder) with abalone looks like a wonderufl compromise.
 
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