My first Spyderco!

S

SuperBro

Joined
Oct 20, 2010
Messages
67
Hey guys,

I have been collecting a few knives now from crappy Chinese imports to more expensive Emerson folders. I want to expand into Spyderco but I am pretty much lost when it comes to the different models they offer.

So I was hoping you could recommend their more 'popular' models that wont break the bank.

I am also an OCD nut and will be getting a Ladybug in hopefully a matching color :< I will have the Ladybug on my person for EDC, since I am hoping the bright colors and small blade won't scare people. Yet still have a bigger folder in my messenger bag for when more blade is required.

I have looked at:
1. Military
2. Sage 1 and 2
3. ParaMilitary
4. Manix 2

Those are my top 4 in no specific order. I do fancy S30v over 154cm and I like the look of the Sage 2's frame lock the most. Also it comes in cool looking titanium.

If anyone who owns any of these would post up what they like and do not like, it would be a tremendous help.

Also, for any international customers, where do you recommend I buy Spydercos? I need a vendor that will ship to New Zealand, but most charge a rate that rivals a 10kg box I had delivered via DHL last week.:barf:

Thanks for any help.

SuperBro
 
Allright, I am no ultra expert as I don't own tons of Spydies (only 6 of them), but here's my $0.02, hopefully it will help you.

If money is no problem, of the ones you mentioned, I would get a C36TIP...Military Titanium with frame lock and S30V. Or if that's a tad too pricey, I have a fond spot for the Military with black blade and camo handles (C36GPMOBK).

Personally, I like the Military/Paramilitary a lot (I wish I had not been slacking on knife stuff lately, so that I wouldn't have missed pre ordering the Paramilitary in CF and S90V...it still hurts...), but I also like slighty different stuff and I am very fond of persian style blades and therefore I would like to suggest you take a look at the limited edition Persian with red G10 scales (C83GPRD). You can still find them at very good prices ($140-150) and it's one heck of a knife IMO. Though you mentioned S30V and 154CM and the Persian is VG10...

Another knife that was discontinued but IMO it's a beast, it's the Chinook 3 (C63GP3), which you can still find at $130-150. S30V, tough as nails, a blade that looks as mean as a blade can get...

That's it...good luck for your 1st Spyderco!
 
Spyderco has several models that are very popular. All the models you listed are among those for a reason. Your intended purpose has to be a factor in your decision for your final choice. Also to be considered are the knife laws in your area.

Having said that, all of those knives on your list are excellent and very popular models. It will come down to your personal preference and intended use.
 
Paramilitary 2 or a Sage II would be my first two choices.
Ti Military if you want a big honker.
All the knives you've listed are excellent and availiable in S30V except the Manix 2 in it's base model.
 
I own, or have owned, all but the Manix. I would be hard pressed to pick an overall favorite. But if it was a gun-to-the-head decision, I would have to pick either one of the Sage models. And if it was a second gun to the head to pick between the two I would pick the Sage 2.

However, having picked the Sage 2 over the Sage 1, I did so because money was no object. The CF Sage is no slouch. Every bit as strong (possibly more so), uses the exact same blade, and has the same OUTSTANDING fit & finish as all top-notch Spydercos. So if funds are an issue go with that one. You won't be disappointed in the least.

But the biggest reason I picked the Sage models over the Military (which is a fantastic knife in all rights) is that I find the ~3" blade most useful across a wide variety of everyday tasks. Plus the Sage's blade SHAPE lends it to a wide variety of cutting tasks where it just seems to be the perfect tool for the job. I don't always get that with the Military's blade, as it's sometimes a smidge too long, or a smidge too pointy. But it's all subjective, so your mileage may vary.

At any rate, no matter which one you pick you're gonna be happy.

-nate
 
If money is no object look for a military with Carbon Fiber. A little harder to find but worth it. I really love the Sages also and prefer the Sage1 by quite a bit but others may like the Sage2 more so you can't go wrong with either.
The Sage1 is such a great knife for the money, I don't know why you wouldn't start with it though.
 
I am going to go the other direction on you...sorry. All of your choices up there are fantastic. I have and love the Military and hope to get another one (orange :D). But don't hesitate to look a little lower down on their price range. I got both an Endura and a Delica, in their really nice gray, full flat grind, VG-10 which is really great steel for the price of one Military (more or less). I EDC a rotation of the Endura and Delica and swap in the Military when I am more "outdoors".

I am not sure any Spyderco would be a bad choice FWIW. I think the Military is probably the most awsome folding knife in the world at that price point and surely surpasses many that exceed it in price as well.
 
Hello,

I am a relative knife newbie, and only own 3 spydercos (for now), but for what it's worth, I would suggest that you at least look at the Enduras and Delicas. They really are nice, and are pretty popular. But, there are NO dogs in any of the ones you have listed for sure.

Good luck.
 
First off, GREAT TASTE!!!

After having roughly around 30 different Spyderco models you narrowed down a few of my TOP favorites.

The Sage Series is my All Time Favorite Spyderco model.
For EveryDayCarry I prefer the Sage series in general. The overal design is just about flawless for my needs. Blade is not too long, not too short. Super ergonomic with choice of finger choil. Deep pocket carry and easily taken in and out of pocket due to the wire clip and nonabrasive handle materials.

Between the Sage 1 and 2 [own both] I do have a preference for the Sage 2. Due to the slightly slimmer profile, RIL, and the bit of heft. You CAN'T go wrong with either though.

My next choice would be the Military. I waited a LONG time to pick one of these up and when I finally did I couldn't believe I didn't get one sooner. The amount of knife you get vs. the weight and slim profile is outstanding! As many claim it literally shrinks when you put it in the pocket.

The military has become my 2nd favorite offering from Spyderco. I don't own a full G10 model, but own the CF/BG42 and G10/Ti/M4 variants. I believe the biggest selling point is the light weight to size ratio. So I would recommend going for G10 or a CF variant if you can find one and you are willing to pay more.
 
Yeah, all those knives are great. If the Sage 2 is the one that especially strikes your fancy, then go for it. You can't go wrong.
 
i have a bunch of spyders and have favorites that more or less match your list depending on my mood or what i might want to use it for. dont overlook the manix2 if you want a knife with a heavy tough blade in the standard model. allot of the others tend tword more pointy or thin delicate tip blades. the military is right there in that regard. so is the police3 which im having trouble not making a purchase on at the moment, i regard the police3 as a better choice than the military because its got full steel liners and its a lock back design. im not super keen on a liner lock for a defensive knife. which is what the military or police models are. no other use for them because they would suck as edc knives. The Sage 2 Ti is my favorite edc blade. in my favorite steel , s30v. i do enjoy there lower end knives though just as much, the Native in s30v is a great great choice on a smaller budget, i have one and i always consider it for edc especially for work where it might get dinged a bit now and then. to tell you the truth i wish the sage came in g-10 with the native shaped blade in s30v and im there, i agree to buy it ahead of time. lol
you cant go wrong with the endura or delica or stretch. though im not really liking my stretch zdp-189 as much as i did initially. think id like it better in vg10 or even more s30v.
think its important that you ask the question with an idea of what it will be used for. obviously the cream of spydercos crop is named but theres some vastly different uses there good for. my opinions on what size / shape of blades work for edc vary from some. for instance, allot like the endura for edc. the blade shape of the endura lends itself more to tactical imo. just a smidge too long for what id consider normal use. though i do love the blade and still carry my endura often the sage is just a better fit, ad to that the ability to choke up on the blade.... awsome. the way i like the endura is why i think ill love the police3. handle is longer for gloved work. blade length is awsome for a tactical or defensive knife. it has a jimped choil for choking up!! woohoo. think thats what puts me over the top on the police3. thats me using my experiance to make a choice on a tactical knife. take those points and subtract an inch or so of blade length and you get the sage, native. maybe caly3
 
bada61265 said:
im not super keen on a liner lock for a defensive knife. which is what the military or police models are. no other use for them because they would suck as edc knives.
Click to expand...

I beg to differ. The Military makes a great EDC knife. I find it even more useful than the Sage and almost as easy to carry.
 
I have the S30V and CTS-XHP manix sprints, a para 1, and a M4 Milli, should have the S90V mili soon. Haven't gotten a chance to try the sages yet, but the sage 2 is on the list. All are great choices, I find the manix the most ergonomic, it gives great secure grip. My first was the para and I find I carry it the most, the para2 should be even better. I also really like the mili but since I'm used to the para/manix size I'm still getting used to the larger size. Bottom line all are great, but I just love the size, lock, FFG and steel (when compared to the reg. versions of the others) of the para.
 
Thank you so much for all the replies!! I think I am in love with the Sage series right now. Such a beautiful knife..

I was going to buy a Sage 1, Delica and Ladybug with the spare knife money I have now. And hopefully after Christmas and around January be able to buy the Sage 2 and Military.
My question is if the Sage 2 is a limited quantity knife or will it still be available from places like eBay during January?

Thank you again for all the replies, I just had a quick glance at all of them and will read them in depth after this post.
 
I think the Sage2 will be available as long as the demand is up. I could be wrong on that though. Beware, if you buy the Sage1 first, you may be disappointed when you get the Sage2 later if you expect that much more for the extra money.
 
All the ones you mentioned are great---I have a Sage 1 and it is one of my favs...my Manix 2 is in my pocket right now, and I wouldn't count it out based on steel, as 154cm with spyderco's heat treat is great. Just got an orange Military a few weeks ago, and I am seriously in love with it :). I have a para 2 on backorder, hopefully coming in a few weeks. So basically, all those have my seal of approval--although depending on the use, some are better than other--the sage is better for a more "gentlemanly"/office setting, where as the Manix, Millie and Para are more heavy duty knives you can EDC for general work. I'm sure the sage can take some heavy use, but is more aesthetic and something I wouldn't want to beat up

One more suggestion I'd make is the Stretch 2. for $70 in VG10 it's one of my favorite knives ever, and a perfect first spydie. Also as someone else mentioned, an endura or delica is a good place to start--my first spydie was a tenacious, followed by a FFG Endura which I still carry fairly regularly.

I hope you find one that's right for you, although if you're like me, you'll end up with most or all of them eventually :D You can't go wrong with any of them though! Good luck
 
Have you seen the Spydercos on Trademe? You might find something already in-country that you like.
 
SuperBro said:
Thank you so much for all the replies!! I think I am in love with the Sage series right now. Such a beautiful knife..

I was going to buy a Sage 1, Delica and Ladybug with the spare knife money I have now. And hopefully after Christmas and around January be able to buy the Sage 2 and Military.
My question is if the Sage 2 is a limited quantity knife or will it still be available from places like eBay during January?

Thank you again for all the replies, I just had a quick glance at all of them and will read them in depth after this post.
Click to expand...

:thumbup: All the Sage models will be made as long as the sales justify the production. I prefer the Sage 1 over Sage 2 due to how much I like the textured CF scales. I owned 3 at one time but gifted one to my dad and and sold the other to a friend at cost. They are too good to sit on the shelf. I will pick up another one if a good deal comes along. :p
 
don't know if you decided on the sage or not, i just ordered one for my first spyderco. good luck with your decision.
 
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