I guess these are late first thoughts since I have had the knife almost a month now, but I didnt figure I would add anything by saying what I noticed on the first day. First off I really like the knife overall. A large part of this is the:
Ergonomics- They suite my hand and style of use very well. I have medium sized hands and the blade feels very natural in many grips. There is a bit extra handle in my hands but not enough to feel awkward. I especially like how the choil lets me choke up very far on the blade (middle finger in choil index on spine) to make it as small as I need. I can also do the reverse and the extra jimping on the spine of the handle provides moderate traction. A big thumbs up to Eric for this one. The true jimping on the thumb ramp is very sharp which is just how I like it.
F&F- Very very nice. It is by far the smoothest of my folders. The blade is perfectly centered and the lockup is solid. Some people dislike plastic cage for the lock but I have no doubts about the strength of the plastic and while it may not look fancy I did not get this as a dress knife.
The G-10 on this knife is the grippiest I have encountered so far. It will pull bits off of cheap sueded leather gloves.
Despite the roughness of the handle the clip works fantastically. I was expecting a pocket shredder but found it does not seem to be the case. The tension is just right. Tight enough that I dont worry about it coming out of my pocket, but at the same time its very easy to slide in and out. I am fine with the clip not being black. This way paint wont rub off.
Lockup- As stated it is solid. No wiggle in any direction. At first unlocking it was fairly difficult but after a few cycles it does smooth out a bit. Still I dont think it will ever be possible to operate without using two fingers. At first this seemed a bit disappointing but it really doesnt bother me anymore.
Blade- The knife came sharp. I can cleanly slice paper and mostly shave arm hair. I felt it could have arrived sharper but all things considered its a fairly minor nock.
Carry- Im a back pocket carry kind of guy so the size of the knife works against me here. This is not really a nock against the knife since most are designed for front pockets. I can sit and drive with the knife wedged into the outer seam but its always noticeable. I have noticed that it carries better backwards in the back pocket due to the curves. By this I mean the knife is in the left pocket with a right hand clip. Im not really an ounce counter and normally dont really pay attention to the weight of a folder but 5 oz isnt light. It noticeably tugs on the pocket. I wish the liners had been drilled out.
Steel- I have not enough experience cutting with this knife or with enough different steels to give a knowledgeable opinion.
Extras- When people say the lanyard hole is big they are not kidding. You can fit two full un-gutted pieces of paracord through. The Spydie hole has nice sharp edges. They take bits off a fingernail when flicking it open but this really helps make sure you get purchase. The extra handle jimping is another feature I like. I find it aesthetically pleasing and dont find it uncomfortable. Its less useful than I had expected but bit along the spine helps if you choke back on the handle and want to rest your thumb on the spine.
All in all I am very pleased with my purchase and would recommend this to anyone looking for a good working knife.
I do have two questions. What is the back spacer made out of? I have yet to find a conclusive answer.
Also what is the factory and or optimal sharpening angle for the knife? The Sharpmaker DVD mentions that most Spidies are ground around 15 but should be sharpened at 20. I would like to get good performance out of the knife without worrying too much about edge deformation.
Ergonomics- They suite my hand and style of use very well. I have medium sized hands and the blade feels very natural in many grips. There is a bit extra handle in my hands but not enough to feel awkward. I especially like how the choil lets me choke up very far on the blade (middle finger in choil index on spine) to make it as small as I need. I can also do the reverse and the extra jimping on the spine of the handle provides moderate traction. A big thumbs up to Eric for this one. The true jimping on the thumb ramp is very sharp which is just how I like it.
F&F- Very very nice. It is by far the smoothest of my folders. The blade is perfectly centered and the lockup is solid. Some people dislike plastic cage for the lock but I have no doubts about the strength of the plastic and while it may not look fancy I did not get this as a dress knife.
The G-10 on this knife is the grippiest I have encountered so far. It will pull bits off of cheap sueded leather gloves.
Despite the roughness of the handle the clip works fantastically. I was expecting a pocket shredder but found it does not seem to be the case. The tension is just right. Tight enough that I dont worry about it coming out of my pocket, but at the same time its very easy to slide in and out. I am fine with the clip not being black. This way paint wont rub off.
Lockup- As stated it is solid. No wiggle in any direction. At first unlocking it was fairly difficult but after a few cycles it does smooth out a bit. Still I dont think it will ever be possible to operate without using two fingers. At first this seemed a bit disappointing but it really doesnt bother me anymore.
Blade- The knife came sharp. I can cleanly slice paper and mostly shave arm hair. I felt it could have arrived sharper but all things considered its a fairly minor nock.
Carry- Im a back pocket carry kind of guy so the size of the knife works against me here. This is not really a nock against the knife since most are designed for front pockets. I can sit and drive with the knife wedged into the outer seam but its always noticeable. I have noticed that it carries better backwards in the back pocket due to the curves. By this I mean the knife is in the left pocket with a right hand clip. Im not really an ounce counter and normally dont really pay attention to the weight of a folder but 5 oz isnt light. It noticeably tugs on the pocket. I wish the liners had been drilled out.
Steel- I have not enough experience cutting with this knife or with enough different steels to give a knowledgeable opinion.
Extras- When people say the lanyard hole is big they are not kidding. You can fit two full un-gutted pieces of paracord through. The Spydie hole has nice sharp edges. They take bits off a fingernail when flicking it open but this really helps make sure you get purchase. The extra handle jimping is another feature I like. I find it aesthetically pleasing and dont find it uncomfortable. Its less useful than I had expected but bit along the spine helps if you choke back on the handle and want to rest your thumb on the spine.
All in all I am very pleased with my purchase and would recommend this to anyone looking for a good working knife.
I do have two questions. What is the back spacer made out of? I have yet to find a conclusive answer.
Also what is the factory and or optimal sharpening angle for the knife? The Sharpmaker DVD mentions that most Spidies are ground around 15 but should be sharpened at 20. I would like to get good performance out of the knife without worrying too much about edge deformation.
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