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thebigsalad

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Good evening everyone. I had seen how welcoming and knowledgeable the community was to a recent post about a Ganzo. One response said to ask questions here before you buy so here I go along with some general newbie reactions to EDC.

I wanted to test the water with an everyday manual knife. I had held some thumb stud knives and it did not feel like the way I wanted to go for a first knife. I had seen recommendations for the Rat 2 and many Kershaw for the entry level knives. The first time I saw the hole on a Spyderco knife, I very much disliked it. After watching various YouTube videos from the popular channels, it grew on me. I set a $30 limit and ordered the Byrd Meadowlark 2.Very light weight(I walk a lot, size and weight was important) . Was concerned with length and law for my first carry, I chose something under 3 inches. The teardrop is comfortable for a beginner and I enjoy that. The tip up carry was spooky before actually doing it. I wanted to order something that I could try all 4 carry options. Tip up is not as spooky as I imagined.

If I were to look for a knife with the characteristics of the Byrd (light weight, 2-3”, thumb hole) but upgraded steel , what should I begin to look at in that $100 or under range for a next knife? The Byrd steel is as expected, I could see chipping on the horizon. The Delica 4 seems like a no brainer. Beginner question- How often are new models released? Should I hold my breath for a Next gen Delica ?

thanks for reading!
 
Welcome to BF! Spyderco only updates knives when they really feel they need to. Get a Delica in VG10 and don't look back.

For many of us, the Delica was a tremendous discovery. I carried one exclusively for years. I no longer carry any of mine as I've refined my tastes and zeroed in on details. But my primary carries are still Spyderco's and without the Delica, I wouldn't have known how to really bracket what I was after.

If you told me all I could have for ever and ever was a Delica 4 in VG10, I'd be alright.
 
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Delica 4 is indeed the obvious choice, but not the only Spyderco that would fit. There's also the Para Military 3 Lightweight, Native 5 Lightweight, possibly others that are also ~$100 and with under 3" blades.
 
Welcome to the forums!
Chaparral in CTS-XHP and FRN would be a good alternative to Delica 4, but only tip-up.

Chap5.jpg
 
Something to consider:

How do you hold the Meadowlark 2? If you find yourself putting your index finger in the choil area (in other words, choking up on the grip in the indent where the blade meets the handle), you'll probably find that you don't like the Delica 4. The Delica essentially forces you to grip the knife entirely at the handle, which unless your hands are smallish, can be cramped and uncomfortable. The finger choil on a knife this size makes a huge difference, albeit at the sacrifice of a tiny bit of cutting length (which you're already used to on the Meadowlark 2).
 
Welcome to the forums T thebigsalad

If you like the Delica the VG10 steel isn't a bad steel ...and if you'd like a step up in a blade steel in a Delica I think the Cutlery Shoppe Exclusive with a Hap40/SUS410 blade that comes in under your budget is still available ... it and my Cruwear version are my favorite Delicas.
 
The Delica 4 is an excellent knife no doubt, but I’m gonna stray a little bit here and recommend the Endura 4. It gives you more cutting edge, a handle with more real estate, and the pocket footprint isn’t terribly larger compared to the Delica. Nonetheless, you can’t go wrong with either knife.

After that, go ahead and pick up a Paramilitary 2 or Para 3!

Welcome to Blade Forums. Let us know which knife you pick.
 
Oh, and don’t buy from Ganzo or other clone/counterfeit makers lol. If you need a cheap beater knife for garden work or something, just ask around here and you’ll get plenty of sub-$50 recommendations. Happy hunting, pal.
 
At or under $100 is a great spot for getting a great knife that can be your one and only if you want it to be.
There are MANY choices. Even with your light weight, no thumbstud requirements.

Brands to consider.
Spyderco
Benchmade
Buck
WE
CIVIVI
Kizer
Artisan Cutlery
CJRB

Do some searching and have fun.
 
thebigsalad said:
Good evening everyone. I had seen how welcoming and knowledgeable the community was to a recent post about a Ganzo. One response said to ask questions here before you buy so here I go along with some general newbie reactions to EDC.

I wanted to test the water with an everyday manual knife. I had held some thumb stud knives and it did not feel like the way I wanted to go for a first knife. I had seen recommendations for the Rat 2 and many Kershaw for the entry level knives. The first time I saw the hole on a Spyderco knife, I very much disliked it. After watching various YouTube videos from the popular channels, it grew on me. I set a $30 limit and ordered the Byrd Meadowlark 2.Very light weight(I walk a lot, size and weight was important) . Was concerned with length and law for my first carry, I chose something under 3 inches. The teardrop is comfortable for a beginner and I enjoy that. The tip up carry was spooky before actually doing it. I wanted to order something that I could try all 4 carry options. Tip up is not as spooky as I imagined.

If I were to look for a knife with the characteristics of the Byrd (light weight, 2-3”, thumb hole) but upgraded steel , what should I begin to look at in that $100 or under range for a next knife? The Byrd steel is as expected, I could see chipping on the horizon. The Delica 4 seems like a no brainer. Beginner question- How often are new models released? Should I hold my breath for a Next gen Delica ?

thanks for reading!
Click to expand...

Welcome! I think the Delica sounds like a great progression. Keep in mind you can get it in both a flat saber grind and a full flat grind with the Delica 'Lightweight' (FRN) models, and you've got tons of handle colors and steels to choose from. Some even glow in the dark!
 
If I were you I would bypass the Delica and shoot straight to the holy grail..... Military! Why not go bold! It’s bigger..... and carries very well!
 
Welcome to the forums!

Is your username due to Seinfeld?

I'd recommend the Delica 4 myself. Hard to beat the value of a Delica. It is also a great way to experiment with the 4 way pocket clip to find what position you like.

I can't speak for Spyderco, but I would bet no new designs on the Delica coming in the next few months. If anything, I would bet they would expand their Endela lineup with new handle colors/sprint runs (different blade steels).

You can always try the Exchange here and look for a Delica. You can find everything from mint knives to users and many are priced very fairly. The reputation score works like ebay. Most transactions use paypal.
https://www.bladeforums.com/forums/for-sale-folding-knives-individual.892/
 
Thank you for the information to everyone!

my username is indeed a reference from the TV show Seinfeld to those that caught that.

Many recommendations for me to read up on. Thanks for the link to the exchange. Great option for beginners like me to get a good condition knife from those that take care of their items.
 
You known your real knife guy......
When you see the beauty in functionally.
Spyderco's are UGLY !
Great knife though........
 
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