My Endura 4 arrived today! =)

Y

yacoub

Joined
Nov 18, 2006
Messages
137
Initial impressions:
  • Very nice size - just what I'd hoped for; slightly longer overall than I'd imagined, which is great, and it fits in my hand very well.
  • Blade thickness seems rather excellent and the VG-10 should hold up to anything I'd throw at this puppy.
  • The handle is a little on the thin side but with the clip attached, opening the knife one-handed is pretty straightforward.
  • With the lightened liners and the big blade, it feels a bit "blade heavy" in its balance when open.
  • The blade does not seem to be sharpened from the factory to more than a very basic (and uneven) degree, so I'll have to pick up a sharpening kit asap and use this knife as my trial-and-error sandbox for sharpening. =)
  • There is no play in the blade (vertical or horizontal) when it is locked open. Good, solid build quality, just like the BM mini-grip I also received.
In comparison with the BM mini-grip that came alongside the Endura in my order, the BM came wicked sharp and with a sweet little silk drawstring slippouch w/ BM logo (similar to what nice sunglasses come with to hold them in while they're in a pocket so they don't scratch anything or get scratched and dust/lint don't get all over them). The BM is also smoother to engage/open from the first try, where as the Endura will need to be worked a bit to get it smooth I think (it could also use a fresh cleaning and oiling as I hear/feel very slight dust grating as I open and close it).

So I'd say the overall packing and attention to detail is definitely better presented with the BM, but the fit-and-finish is certainly just as good on the Spyderco and it's pretty much what I hoped for (especially having never held an Endura before).

Also now that I've held it in person, I know I'd never EDC a knife this big :D (that was what the mini-grip was bought for) but it will be great for foolin' around with here at my desk, being stuffed in my bug-out bag, and taken on any outdoor adventures. A very utility friendly knife that wants to be used, I think. :thumbup:

I rate it a satisfactory purchase. Now if only Sal would bring back the Ayoob... :p
 
Congrats on two nice knives.... I'm surpised that the endura wasn't sharp out of the box, but at least you got a tight one.. mini grip is a great knife also. Used one hard everyday for over three years and it just kept goin. If you think its smooth now, what till ya use it for a while.. Enjoy
 
Congratulations on your new Endura 4...I just bought one before Thanksgiving to replace an old 1st generation Endura. I wasn't certain I was going to "appreciate" the changes that have taken place in the new Endura4....however, I enjoy it more and more each day. I don't think I could have spent my money any more wisely !

-Regards
 
A couple pics:

k1.jpg

k2.jpg

btw, sorry for the bad coloration in the pics - flash went off and there was a light behind it so the blade looks a bit funny in color.

edit: here's a better one of the steel:
k3.jpg
 
Congrats! One of my very first knives was a Delica and up until know its still one of my best cutters. I think your Endura will serve you well for years to come
 
Nice couple you have there, I've had a couple of endura's and my first
spydie was the delica bought straight from Mr Glessers hands at the
Ashokan Seminar....a long long time ago ;) Very sharp knife!

I've not had the mini grip, but have always thought about getting one
useful blade shape on that, congrats to you sir!
G2
 
those are some great pics! That endura is just ready to cut everything.


If I buy myself anything this year for xmas it will be that. Picked one up at a store and loved the changes. I beat on my endura 3 for years and it was always solid. Comforting to know what a folder can take. I will get one of these.
 
Congrats on the Endura - watch out, though - it'll start to increase your attraction for other large blades:) I'm also surprised that your Endura wasn't sharp out of the box and that it was uneven, though my Jess Horn was uneven on the laminates:) Mini-Grip is a nice blade - I have two and one rides every day along with my D4.

- gord
 
Hey so I figured I'd try opening up the Endura since, as I mentioned earlier, I hear and feel a bit of grit grinding away at the blade steel when opening and closing it.

As you can see in the first pic, after a couple dozen opens, the result of the particulate matter in the opening mechanism has already etched visible scarring into the blade steel near the pivot.

I tried compressed air to no avail.

So I picked up the Torx set someone mentioned in another thread, found at Lowe's. I tried to open the main (T8) screw as well as one of the T6 screws and since each was on so tight it would have required more torque than I felt I could practically re-apply when putting it back together, I gave up. :(

No sense trying to take it apart if I can't get it back together as tightly, right?

Oh well, maybe another time.

k6.jpg

k4.jpg

k5.jpg
 
I think it's funny that you apparently used a pair of scissors to open the package, when you had a perfectly good knife right there! LOL :)
 
Congrats on the New Pair, I got an endura 4 about a month ago to replace an older 1st gen delica, Mine came Hair popping sharp, surprised yours diddnt. I was a bit leary about an EDC this size but i have grown used to it though i now carry a keychain knife for sheeple heavy environs.

I am looking at a D2 grip from cabela's for my next folder (then two more spydercos after the holidays A D'allara, and a Salt tasman)
 
yacoub said:
I tried to open the main (T8) screw as well as one of the T6 screws and since each was on so tight it would have required more torque than I felt I could practically re-apply when putting it back together, I gave up. :(

No sense trying to take it apart if I can't get it back together as tightly, right?
Click to expand...

I wonder if the screws are "loctited"? Hopefully someone else will know.

I don't think you would need to torque it a great deal to make it tight.
 
yacoub said:
Initial impressions:
  • The blade does not seem to be sharpened from the factory to more than a very basic (and uneven) degree, so I'll have to pick up a sharpening kit asap and use this knife as my trial-and-error sandbox for sharpening. =)


  • the Endura will need to be worked a bit to get it smooth I think (it could also use a fresh cleaning and oiling as I hear/feel very slight dust grating as I open and close it).

    but the fit-and-finish is certainly just as good on the Spyderco
Click to expand...


  • So out of the box the Endura wasn't as sharp as the Benchmade (usually it's the other way around), and the Endura had a gritty action to it, to the point you went out and bought tools to try and clean it out, and the fit and finish is just as good as the Grip? :)
 
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