New Catalogue Blues

I am sorry you are dissapointed with Spyderco's 2004 offering, but that's all right. Most of us are Spyderco fans and still we have spydies that we like, spydies that we like less and spydies that we dislike even more (I guess this is the disadvantage of a wide offer).
Besides, Spyderco's concept is "function first". Spyderco knives have always been looking "strange" in the eyes of a newcomer.
I wonder what did you find innovative at that Mel Pardue you said that you want?
 
everyone is entitled to their opinion and brownshoe stated his case in a relatively calm tone, but perhaps superficial appearances don't tell the (w)hole story.
Just a coupla points --

compression lock - I can only judge by the Lil Temp, but it is easy to use and seems much more robust than a normal liner lock.
Gets an MBC rating, which is something spyderco actually measures and not just a marketing label.

cobra hood - don't have one but thumb discs are one of the reasons I don't carry my custom Terzuola (I prefer my starmate w/opening hole). I don't know if Terzuola invented thumb studs, and he is a great knife maker, but studs and discs have at times caught on my pocket and caused blade to open without my permission. Don't like that. Maybe a cobra hood is a "variant" of a thumbing device, but it looks more streamlined to me. Improvements on existing designs still count as innovative, don't they ?

In general, I find quality of materials and manufacturing to be higher in spyderco products than any other maker, including BM and Emerson. I have some BMs I like, but there's always a spyderco in my pocket. Because that's what works for me.

04 catalog - just got a Chinook II - I'm very impressed so far. Salt I is my current EDC (along with my Delica), to see how this steel holds up. Looking forward to the paramilitary - my vote for knife most likely to be carried (by me :) ). Yojimbo looks like a keeper too, based on function for its intended purpose.

So maybe nothing earth-shattering, but lots of good stuff.
 
Don't get me wrong. I still like spyderco knives. I have a variety of them. I started this thread based upon my own feelings. I'll still by spydercos as presents, but haven't seen one this year that will hop in my pocket, and I usually buy at least 1 or 2 a year for me. No I ain't "knifed-out" either, just picked up two within the last three months and been to two shows.

I hoped there would be some give and take, however as I said before, I stand corrected. I'm the only one with the new catalog blues.

I haven't actually seen the new benchmade pardue, just read about it here. It appears the updated benchmade pardue is combination (350 now the 530 I think). The original model became a classic and in my mind was somewhat innovative, and the updated version appears to be better, although I'll have to see it first. Kind of like when the civilian morphed into the matriarch, which then became the knife I had to have.
 
Brownshoe, I love the BM 350 and I want a 530, but what was so innovative about the BM 350? It was a zytel liner lock with a dagger ground blade. There was aboslutely nothing there that had not been seen before. I know that I'm being picky, but given your standards for innovation that you have held up for Spyderco, I think that you should be consistent.;)
 
Originally posted by xChris
To me, innovation this year is more about evolution rather than revolution.
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"One man's meat is another man's poison"
"There is nothing new under the sun"

Sorry to hear of your disappointment, Brownshoe.

I am and will be a diehard Spydie owner and collector until the material quality, customer service, and evolving designs change for the worse – and this does not appear to happening in any case.

I have not seen the catalog yet this year and will not try to sway you either way. That you and others have stated your opinions here provides excellent feedback to both Spyderco and the other users here. Viva le diference! Maybe next year …… :D

Originally posted by Doc4570
(Sure, Angelina Jolie has lips,
but Ruth Buzzi had lips first)
;)
Doc
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ROFL!!! Yeah but who has the patent rights/trademark restrictions on those babies???
 
Originally posted by The Deacon
not even a "first by a major manufacturer", like the use of H-1 in the new Salt 1
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Sweet mother of meat! Paul, Benchmade used H1 in their 100H2O at least a whole month before the Salt 1 came to fruition. Razzing you, but it did.

Also, Benchmade, Bladetech, and CRKT were putting 4-way clip positions on their folders before the Chinook II came out.

Originally posted by jim_l_clifton
Compression lock is a pain to undo?? All you do is use your thumb & push it to the right!!
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With the nested compression locks, it took my left hand a little adjustment to get used to the action, but it was always easy-squeezy with the integral compression lock. After a few minutes, it was a non-issue (especially since my Salsa is right-only).

I want Spyderco to keep on doing what it has been doing:

Coming out with new designs based on constant tinkering and customer input. It's what brought us the ATR and Chinook II and allowed us Johnny-come-latelys to get our mitts on the Calypso Jr.
 
Very interesting stuff here.... Brownshoe, I can understand your point about the catalog and being let down a little but with today's market that can be easy to do.
The new Spyderco catalog did not "bowl me over" but it didn't disappoint either. I had already seen pics of the new stuff anyway so the catalog was a mute point really. I like the Yojimbo, Karambit, Spyderfly, and Maddox and will purchase when I can.
Brand fairness here....I didn't get too excited about Benchmades catalog. There are a couple of models I will check out and buy if I like. The Ambush disappointed me in person, looked great in the pic but not in the hand (a little big and heavy IMO), BUT I may like the smaller version...who knows. I am sure about that new "in-draft" detent that the BM Ambush has. The 3 or 4 I handled took too much effort to get blade to start opening(very tight, too tight IMO)
As far as innovation, that Rolling Lock is not innovative, it's REKAT!!!
I understand your opinion but you kind of lose me when the innovative stuff. If your logic about the Spyderco Catalog is applied to the whole knife industry, there is not much "innovation" at all....everyone copies someone else to some extent and people "borrow" ingenouity everyday. Now not liking a design or a blade shape I can uderstand.
I think Spyderco strives to be as innovative as possible and as a result, make some of the most interesting (and specialized) knives on the market.
By the way, if you think the Spyderco Persian is a "repeated" idea from Emerson, you really need to Compare them in person side by side and you can clearly see that it's a totally different "Design" even though the Persian "Style" is the same.
Just my opinion(I already know what they say about those)
thanks,
Shannon
 
I liked the collection and even wonder if Spyderco would ever sell a special price "entire collection" containing one each of all the knives. That would be interesting.
 
Being innovative (whether is revolutionary or evolutionary) and hitting your buttons to say that I'll damn well buy the item is different. There are plenty of blades in catalogs now and past that I thought was innovative, but didn't quite hit my button, at least not initially.
Like Benchmade Ambush. I so want to get that blade (I'm in a bind at a moment). It's the funniest thing. I absolutely want a blade with a handle and blade shape that has been done before, but seeing that in BM's catalogue is not sufficient for me to say BM isn't innovative.
Ted Voorde: It is overpriced, at least for me. For 100USD I picked out my perfect knife thus far, the Spyderco Starmate, and with the money that a Sebbie commands, it is overpriced to me. I kinda yanked on the CRK chain to demonstrate how subjective we really are on the knives.
 
oh well..
Spyderco done (and do) the greatest innovative designs . period.
this statement is widely recognised in industrial designer ambients. even from the ones that arent interested in knives..
benchmade ?! what the hell do you find innovative in benchamde ? they are plain ole boring knives...
ahh,maybe except the one that stole the trademark to Spyderco...

:D

regards..

Boink ,your idea is REALLY appealing.. a special price for full collection..
 
calyth, you made a good point, and I just replied (flamed) for fun.

The Starmate is a great knife. It's my favorite Spydie...however that might change when the Para-Military is released.

Ted
 
From what I have seen, Spyderco has been one of the more innovative knife companies, if not the most.

When looking at this year's offerings, we can see that spyderco has made many "little big knives". Knives that have large handles and modest sized blades. While this doesn't appeal that much to me, I would imagine that for people that live in countries/states that limit blade size to 3 inches, 2 ½ inches, etc. will be very pleased with knives like the Yojimbo and Dodo. I really haven't seen any other company go this way; develop knives that maximize grip comfort with blades that are legal in a variety of places.

Still, I *would* like to see longer blades in relation to their handles from Spyderco.

Spyderco's MBC models all have exellent locks. The only other company with adequate locks for that kind of use is Benchmade, imho.

The 530 by Benchmade is an exellent offering in my opinion, allthough not innovative in a sense that the same style has been done by Gerber, SOG and Cold Steel. The benchmade has a good lock, non-specialized handle and a point that is in line with the centerline of the knife, which I like very much. Most of Spyderco's knives have a point that is below the line of the knuckles and handles that are very specific for regular forward and revese grips.

As for the Persian and kerambit, those are matters of taste. I prefer the style of the Spyderco kerambit, the point is more forward than the EKI version, like it is on an Indonesian kerambit.
 
Ok let me have a look through the 04 catalog and see how many I will not ever be interested in getting.
1.trainers
2.Guthook Impala
3.Assist 1 and 11
4.D'Allara rescue,unless I can work the ball lock better than the Dodo.Don't like the wire clip either
5.Dodo,finger to big for the ball lock.Has wire clip
6.Karambit
7.Yojimbo
8.Salt,I just do not need the H1 steel.
9.Spyderfly ??
10.Spot
11.Salsa,not enough point.Compression lock pinches,cobra hood hangs on pocket.has wire clip.
HHUMM 11.When I started this post I thought I would find maybe 5.
 
Originally posted by u812
Salsa,not enough point.Compression lock pinches,cobra hood hangs on pocket.has wire clip.
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I find, that with just an ounce of practice, the compression lock doesn't pinch my hand any more. Also, my Salsa and ATR's hoodies haven't got hung up in my pockets yet. Are your pants too tight?
 
It hangs on blue jeans mostly but has hung on BDUs and opened the blade like a wave.I just can't seem to get used to the compession lock.The one on the para military does seem to work much better though.
 
Well, I have no BDU's, but I'll almost always in dungarees. Weird. Oh well. Sorry about the compression lock not being to your liking, either. The Paramilitary aside, I guess that you'll just have to make do with all of the lockbacks, ball-bearing locks, liner locks, and framelocks that find their way out of the Spyderco factories.
 
The compression lock will get better I am sure.The only dealings I have had with it is on the Salsa,a knife I did not really like anyway and on the Vesuvious,problems with them from the get go.
The proto Paras compession locks top was folded over to form a flange to keep from pinching I guess and it unlocked smoothly.Both the Salsa and Vesuvious seemed to stick,this is where the pinch really bothered me.When applying enough force to get the lock to disengage it would let go with a snap and really pinch the thumb.As a result the only way I can unlock them with out the pinch was to use my forefinger to unlock it and that seems to not be the natual way to do it.
 
Hmmm, go away for a couple of days?

Interesting thread, lots of good opinion and some "heat". Better than boring.

Brownshoe says, "I stand corrected". Certainly that's about as much as a man can do. And in this case, even more than would be expected because it is his opinion, and there's nothing wrong with standing by one's opinion, even if it may not be popular? I can respect that.

hey Brownshoe, we'll try to "knock your socks off" with the 2004 offerings that were not put into the catalog because of late 2004 delivery.

sal
 
Well, I thought the 2004 catalog was pretty good. Spyderco has a lot of new designs and always seems to be trying something different. A couple of the new offerings don't really interest me, but I still think they are innovative. I'm still waiting for the full size Military with an intergal compression lock! I do wish that Spyderco would make more large folders. (4 or 5 inch blades)
 
Suprises are always fun, bring on what's not in the catalog. Just because the catalog doesn't scream at me, doesn't mean there won't be a few Spyderco purchases this year as presents.
 
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