looking at my first spyderco buy

김원진

김원진

Joined
May 4, 2011
Messages
1,405
hey all

title says it all. after being on the forums, iv'e opened my eyes to new things. top of the list is a sebenza(not enough money at the moment)

so, i've been looking at some spydercos. just looking for another nice EDC. saw the dragonfly with g-10 handles, vg-10 steel, green foliage. a little smaller than i'm use to from the description(2 1/4in), but it seemed like a well rounded knife. the sage2 looks nice too, but a tad bit higher for my wallet, it peaked my interest because of the commonality with the sebenza(i really want a sebenza >.<) i didn't see on spydercos site, but are the vg-10 made in japan, and s30v in america?

my main collection is sog, and i have a becker necker, and crkt ABC. and my current EDC is a sog vulcan. just wondering if there's a starting spyderco that you all prefer more so than others. i've never had g-10 handles, that interested me, and i was looking at the caspian to replace my becker because of the h-1 steel

thanks for any input/info
god i love this forum:p
 
Last edited:
If you watch the sale form you can find a g10 Rookie pretty reasonable occasionally. That one sounds like it might fit you needs. I also love the full flat grind (ffg) Enduras and Delicas. They have the frn handle that can be had in several different colors. They are great knives for the price.
 
I really really like the Tenacious. The 8cr13MoV holds a good edge and the knife has the best lockup of any of my folders. It has a smooth one hand opening. Over all I love it and the 35 dollar price point makes it even better!
 
Maybe you could try the Sage 1? It's a great value, carbon fiber and S30V for $100. The steel and other materials are shipped from america, and it is made in Taiwan. Don't let that put you off--most Spyderco fans think that the Taiwan made knives are the best quality. They certainly are exceptional, and tied for best quality. The Sage 2 is great as well--if you're willing to spend the extra $50 or so, it is well worth it.

I love my G-10 Dragonfly, but if that's too small for you, you could look for a Foliage green G-10 Delica, they were just discontinued last year, so there still should be some around.

Probably my number 1 recommendation in the $100 price range would be the Caly 3 CF. It is made in Japan, has extremely high performing ZDP-189 steel, and the quality and tolerances are just excellent. The American made Paramilitary 2 is also great, the price is awesome for what you get.

If you want to spend more like $50-70, my number 1 suggestion is the Stretch 2. It's an incredible knife. Also, at about $70, the Manix 2 is great as well. Then, of course you have you FFG Delica's and Enduras for a little over $50
 
My first spyderco was a stainless steel delica in vg-10. I always stayed away from FRN, but to be honest with you, i gave one a shot and they're AWESOME. I never really liked "plastic", but spyderco does it right. I then progressed to a caly3 in carbon fiber and ZDP-189. Then got an all black military and my last was a salt 1 with the H1 steel.
 
Let me just say the sage 2 is the closest thing to a sebenza for a normal production knife. In fact the sage 2 has a couple advantages over the sebenza like superior ergonomics and full flat grind blade. The grind is preference though. Fit and finish is ridiculous at the price point of $150 imho. Save up and get the sage 2 since it seems like you really want a sebenza like folder. If you would rather just get a cheaper knife the delicas in any flavor are awesome. In the $100 range there's much to pick from but the paramilitary 2 and sage 1 immediately come to mind. The sage and paramilitary series are my favorite in spyderco.
 
I really like the g-10 dragonfly 2, my brother has one and I'm jealous. I don't find it small at all, it hides perfectly in the 5th pocket but has such good ergos that it really performs as well as any 3in blade. I love my caly 3 CF, the only thing I would change is making the CF more textured like a weave. If your budget is sub 100, then I'd go for the g-10 dragonfly 2 or a delica ffg, I like the frn handles for their weight and grip and vg-10 steel is awesome for work.
 
Do not get a Sage 2 before you get a Sebenza - it will make you wonder where all that extra money went for the Sebenza (unless you're planning on getting a large sebenza - then just get a Ti Military) :D

Not knocking the Sebenzas, I think they're great knives, but I just don't see them as being worth more than $200-$250 or so new. Possibly $300 for a large (btw, you can pick up a used Sebenza or Millie/Sage2 on these forums for a pretty good price if you keep your eyes open).

The Sage 1 and 2 are both made in Taiwan (Spyderco's website has the country of origin for all models and most sales sites post where the knife was made). Don't think for a moment that being made in Taiwan means less QC than either the Japanese or US made models - because it doesn't.

If you want my advice, pick the locking mechanism you like the most and then start to scour the various Spyderco models that match what you are looking for to find one that looks to be a good fit for your needs (and save up and get the one you want - trust me, it will be worth it).

I love the compression lock models, but I understand if you're looking for just RIL/Frame-lock models. If so, you're stuck with only a few to pick from in current production models:

Ti Military
Sage 2
Chokwe
LeafStorm

The Perrin PPT is a hybrid Frame-lock/liner lock (with basically a thick frame-lock and some scales on the frame-lock side) and the Gayle Bradley is a liner-lock with a liner that is as thick as a lot of frame-locks out there.

The Techno is coming out sometime in the future and is also a Ti Frame-lock.

Good luck with your hunt.
 
Since this is to be your first Spyderco, I'd recommend a Delica or Endura for entry level. The Dragonfly is a very nice little knife, but if you want to go just a bit bigger, the Delica will not disappoint!

Then again, I haven't been disappointed with any Spyderco... ;)
 
wow, thanks for all the replys. i actually think i may cough up the few extra bucks and get the caly now. I don't have much experience with other metals and handles: aus8, vg-10 being the only 2 steels, and grn being the only handle type. so the zdp and carbon fiber look like something new and nice to play with. i can't wait to start handling all the different types of locking mechanisms, steels, and handles(as soon as the budget lets me :P )

i was looking at some pictures, and the clip looks like a paper clip >.> any oddities with that? that's the only thing that strikes me as odd, and anyone know wht the clip material is?

i wish there were stores here so i could actually handle them first, but how everyone here on the forums goes into great detail, and a lot of positive reviews i feel i won't have any kind of buyers remorse
 
&#44608;&#50896;&#51652;;9627524 said:
wow, thanks for all the replys. i actually think i may cough up the few extra bucks and get the caly now. I don't have much experience with other metals and handles: aus8, vg-10 being the only 2 steels, and grn being the only handle type. so the zdp and carbon fiber look like something new and nice to play with. i can't wait to start handling all the different types of locking mechanisms, steels, and handles(as soon as the budget lets me :P )

i was looking at some pictures, and the clip looks like a paper clip >.> any oddities with that? that's the only thing that strikes me as odd, and anyone know wht the clip material is?

i wish there were stores here so i could actually handle them first, but how everyone here on the forums goes into great detail, and a lot of positive reviews i feel i won't have any kind of buyers remorse
Click to expand...

That's called a deep-carry wire clip. It's the same clip as the Sage series, and many other ones.

Many people consider it one of the best if not the best clip on the market today. Don't judge it from a picture on the internet. Wait till you try it out (it's on all Caly's, Sages, UK Penknifes, the Superleaf, Dragonfly 2/D'Fly G-10 and more).

It is easy to slide in and out of the pocket (easier than other clips) but holds on very securely when in the pocket. It carries deep in the pocket, meaning that not much at all sticks out (this is preferred by many knife users). It is much stronger than you think. It also is very discreet looking, and will not draw attention the way a bigger clip would.

I believe it is made from stainless steel.

Don't worry, I have at least 10 spydies with wire clips, and they work extremely well, they have to be my favorite type of clip Spyderco uses. They work the best for me.

PS-If you haven't yet, try looking up some reviews on Youtube, there are many of the knives we're discussing.
 
i do love the dragonfly, small knife, but it sure doesnt feel like it when its in your hand. i would reccomend the sage 2, paramilitary 2, and maybe the manix 2. good luck brother.
 
Just as a note - the Caly 3's Carbon fiber is very smooth and I didn't find it very grippy, also the design of that knife is very thin and therefore there are not washers or bushings in it, so it might be rough opening/closing for a bit and you'll notice some scratches on the blade-tang as the steel liners are in direct contact with the choil. Also, the finger choil is not that deep on this particular model.

Loved the clip and the size though - I sold my Caly3, but I prefer the basket-weave carbon-fiber of the Sage (and the overall size).
 
For your first Spyderco, go ahead and get the Military. You will probably end up with one anyway if you like Spydies. :D
 
On the larger end-Mannix II is one of the best values in edc knives Imho. Its not a Sabenza- but for 68-75.00 bucks it really is an amazing value EDC. For smaller- I think the millies are real nice too.
 
alright, so i ended up ordering the caly 3, after going back and forth on webpages and such, plus mentaculus recommendation. it will be arriving tomorrow, hopefully before work so i can play with it on the drive there :P looking forward to my first spyderco buy. a little more than what i wanted to spend, but a lot of people seem to rave about spyderco. plus i'm looking forward to a new metal and new handle type i've never seen. :D
 
Nice! I hope you like it! Don't be put off if it's a bit "gritty" out of the box, it will smooth out with time, mine is now extremely smooth. Adding some oil (I use Tuff Glide and it works great) will smooth it out as well.

I look forward to hearing how you like it!
 
Being new to Spyderco, this Spyderco forum is great, but I also recommend checking out the Spyderco.com forum.

I say if you want cheap the Tenacious/Persistence are very popular. The Sage is awesome, so is the Caly 3.5 and the Military is an all-time BEST. Also, Spyderco serrations cut through pretty much anything, and the word is that H1 serrations are the best. Cheers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top