I was wanting to replace my trusty Endura work knife after 10+ years of reliable service, so with a birthday coming up I started dropping hints to the lovely wife about possible choices. Hint #1-another Endura with VG-10 blade or Hint #2-a AFCK with D2 blade. The Big Day comes, much celebrating ensues and out comes the ever popular small rectangular wrapped present. Paper off, aha it's the Spyderco. Knife comes out, whoa, not the Endura, but a Shabaria. Lovely wife, while Internet shopping, saw the Shabaria and thoughtfully upgraded.
First of all I was going to love this knife because my wife took the time to scope it out and pick something she thought I would like. However, I don't really do well with surprises and this was a surprise. It seemed oddly shaped
and kind of fancy for a work knife. But, when I expressed those feelings she said, "I bought it for you to use, so take it out and use it".
So use it I did. I have been carrying it daily for about a month and a half now and I gotta say that I absolutely love this knife. Typical Spyderco quality. VG-10 blade, micarta handle, dual steel liners, smooth as silk opening, tight lock up, and feels solid without being heavy. Has the really cool Spydie logo on the clip, too. Looks really nice. Another plus is that the back is open so clean up is a snap. A great package all the way around. The handle shape is definitely different, but not at all uncomfortable (in my hands) or hard to get use to. In fact, it provides a very secure grip.
Where this knife really shines, though, is in the blade. Long and thin, slight recurve with a wickedly sharp tip. This badboy is a deluxe slicer. It will out cut every knife I have with the exception of a hawkbill custom with CPM 3V steel and a very thin edge bevel. The VG-10 takes a very good edge and holds it nicely. Resharpens readily, too. A nice combo in a stainless steel.
Buuutt, it's not perfect. A couple of small complaints. The blade/handle shapes don't allow for the opening hole to be fully exposed. A small portion is hidden below the liner. This makes accessing the hole a little more difficult than usual for a Spyderco and also allows for the possibility of riding your thumb along the blade edge if you're not paying attention (but you'll probably only do it once, the blood will alarm your daughter). Small complaint number 2-something in the design allows about a 1/4" of metal above the locking notch to stick out while closed. This part kind of digs into my leg when it's clipped in my pocket. It's rounded off, but still catches me. My Wegner does the same thing, but to a lesser degree. Maybe it's just a design flaw with my legs. Might not happen to you and not a big deal for me. Lastly, and this isn't a complaint, more of a heads up. The tip is very acute. Good for some things, not good for others. You will not be successful prying with this knife. You will, however, cut cardboard like it's butter. The right tool for the job is all I'm saying.
If you've been thrown off by the appearance of the Shabaria give it another look. Based on an ancient blade style that has lasted this long because it works. Nicely designed by the late Eduard Bradichansky and well executed by Spyderco.
Jack
First of all I was going to love this knife because my wife took the time to scope it out and pick something she thought I would like. However, I don't really do well with surprises and this was a surprise. It seemed oddly shaped
and kind of fancy for a work knife. But, when I expressed those feelings she said, "I bought it for you to use, so take it out and use it". So use it I did. I have been carrying it daily for about a month and a half now and I gotta say that I absolutely love this knife. Typical Spyderco quality. VG-10 blade, micarta handle, dual steel liners, smooth as silk opening, tight lock up, and feels solid without being heavy. Has the really cool Spydie logo on the clip, too. Looks really nice. Another plus is that the back is open so clean up is a snap. A great package all the way around. The handle shape is definitely different, but not at all uncomfortable (in my hands) or hard to get use to. In fact, it provides a very secure grip.
Where this knife really shines, though, is in the blade. Long and thin, slight recurve with a wickedly sharp tip. This badboy is a deluxe slicer. It will out cut every knife I have with the exception of a hawkbill custom with CPM 3V steel and a very thin edge bevel. The VG-10 takes a very good edge and holds it nicely. Resharpens readily, too. A nice combo in a stainless steel.
Buuutt, it's not perfect. A couple of small complaints. The blade/handle shapes don't allow for the opening hole to be fully exposed. A small portion is hidden below the liner. This makes accessing the hole a little more difficult than usual for a Spyderco and also allows for the possibility of riding your thumb along the blade edge if you're not paying attention (but you'll probably only do it once, the blood will alarm your daughter).
Small complaint number 2-something in the design allows about a 1/4" of metal above the locking notch to stick out while closed. This part kind of digs into my leg when it's clipped in my pocket. It's rounded off, but still catches me. My Wegner does the same thing, but to a lesser degree. Maybe it's just a design flaw with my legs. Might not happen to you and not a big deal for me. Lastly, and this isn't a complaint, more of a heads up. The tip is very acute. Good for some things, not good for others. You will not be successful prying with this knife. You will, however, cut cardboard like it's butter. The right tool for the job is all I'm saying.If you've been thrown off by the appearance of the Shabaria give it another look. Based on an ancient blade style that has lasted this long because it works. Nicely designed by the late Eduard Bradichansky and well executed by Spyderco.
Jack
