Native question

Paradiggum

Paradiggum

Joined
Jul 4, 2001
Messages
1,662
Hello everyone. I just wanted to say I carry a Delica everyday and own about a dozen Spyderco knives. I just wanted to preface my post with that so nobody thought I was dogging the knives.
Having said that a friend of mine just ordered 2 Natives from Knife Outlet. It said something about them being outsourced. But they still say Spyderco. He bought a serrated and a plain edge. He has had two Natives up to know. (lost the first one) He liked them so much he thought he would give them as gifts. When he got them they are terrible examples of a great knife. They were on sale. They are the "1st run" or something like that. I don't have one here with me. I was wondering if anyone else got in on this sale. Since he has one (a good one)we compared them. The new Native from KO has thinner blade stock. It's not straight and the back where you depress to unlock the blade sticks out about 1/8the of an inch. Like I said before I have never seen a Spyderco anything like this. I figured if nothing else Sal might want to be aware there are blades going out in this condition with Spyderco on them.
Please don't take this as a bash because it isn't. Just an FYI.
 
the BRK natives are known for a while.
They weren't produced by Spyderco, and no one really recommends them.
Your buddy is much better off picking up a CPM440V/S30V Native than a pair of those.
 
Thanks for the response. He already has a "real" Native and bought the others as gifts.

Have a good one.
 
I gave one a try.It was very tight.All the ones I have handled either had very loose or very tight blades.I will not try another,to me they are a Camillus not a Spydie.You know the funny thing is camillus makes a good knife,how did they screw up so bad on this one?:barf:
 
You know I thought the same thing. I mean I have some Camillus knives and they are head and shoulders about this knife. I guess you get what you pay for and if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is. I'll stick with my regular Spydie.
I didn't see the serrated one he got. It was ordered for a guy he works with and apparently he didn't seem to think it was all that bad. It was his first pocket knife though.
It also goes to show that the users of Spyderco knives and other quality companies are spoiled. I have some cheap folders that I used at my last job. (factory, knife destroyer) They cost me only a few dollars a piece and this Native was on par with those. Maybe it was just a really really bad one.
Like I said nothing against Spyderco I carry them and will continue to for the forseeable future. I will also continue to recommend them to other people. Just not the 1st Generation Native. ;)
Have a good one.
 
I just received from SMK a BRK 1st Gen. PE Native.I ordered it several days ago and after reading this thread almost had second thoughts.I looked it over and can't find anything wrong with it save stiff opening which will smooth out with use.At $21.99 plus shipping it seems to be a good economy knife and will ride in my fanny pack.tom.:)
 
I'm glad your knife was in good shape. Maybe he just got a couple of bad ones. I know the one I saw I would have returned but he figured it was too much trouble. His Dad took it as an outdoor work knife. It's not pretty but it will still cut. I wouldn't trust it like I do my Delica but I guess for rooting around in the garden and whatnot it will work.
 
To me, it's a damn shame that those BRK Natives even exist as it has made me afraid to get a Native for fear that I'd end-up with one of those junker models by accident.:(.
 
Yeah, ran into all this too. But wasn't surprised Camillus was the outsourcer...I don't understand all the comments about Camillus' great quality; every single Camillus of whatever type I've ever seen has been of inferior workmanship.

The REAL Native, though...Soooooperb!
 
Sorry 'bout that. The BRK Native was produced by Camillus. Quality standards were theirs. How and why this "project" came to pass is a long involved story involving a few people.

If we had it to do over again, I assure you we wouldn't. It was one of those things that was done to "help out". So much for good intentions.

At this time all I can do is apologize. I'm sure we'll take flack and pay for this for a long time.,

sal
 
Well it's kind of like that time you embarassed yourself at the family reunion. Nobody ever lets you live it down but the rest of the time is all good.
I think most of the people that buy a Spyderco knife probably have more than one so they know you make quality knives.
For example I'm about to get a new Delica cause mines from 98 and the new flat grind intrigues me. Plus I need a blue one to replace my red Sog autoclip as my field/water knife. Even my buddy that got the Native isn't sour on Spyderco. He has a real Native and loves it. It's his second one cause his first one went AWOL one night out on the town.
If you want something done right you have to do it yourself. :D
 
Originally posted by mjolnir
Yeah, ran into all this too. But wasn't surprised Camillus was the outsourcer...I don't understand all the comments about Cammilus' great quality; every single Camillus of whatever type I've ever seen has been of inferior workmanship.
Click to expand...

The Becker and the CUDA series from Camillus are surprisingly good for the price.

Which Camillus knives have you held/used?

-j
 
Any truth to the rumor that Fred Perrin had a hand in the Natives design? I seem to remember hearing that somewhere.
 
The Becker and the CUDA series from Camillus are surprisingly good for the price.

Which Camillus knives have you held/used?

Well, many...just a few are:

Camillus "ka-bar" marine...the pin holding the pommel to the tang busted, AS I WAS TAKING IT OUT OF THE BOX! The pommel rotates around the tang about 5 degrees.

AF Pilot Survival...a stainless version came out around 1994. The clerk at Remington's didn't know what alloy it was. I bought one, and let the blade tip rest in a pan of water overnight to test the alloy. The next morning some rust had appeared, not just on the portion that had been underwater, but even on other parts of the blade not exposed to water...not much, but rust nonetheless. The stacked leather washers were sloppily made, the guard was loose, the blade grinds looked like they were made by St. Vitus himself.

Various of the lockback folders, stockmans, etc. All have struck me as being clearly worse knives than similar examples made by Schrade or Buck. One Cuda I handled had enough side to side blade play to double as an emergency light switch.

The Beckers I have no problems with; I have the 7 & 9. Maybe they're made on a different production line...I don't know. The OVB Fisk I own is also very nicely done. But the rest of 'em...
 
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