New Spyderco User -- Endura Review?
- Thread starter Guyon
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 3, 1998
- Messages
- 883
Hello Guyon, and welcome to the Forums.
A plain Delica and a serrated Endura together make a pretty good combination. My feeling is that most of the time a plain edge is better than a serrated edge, and a small blade is usually more convenient than a large blade. Consequently, it makes sense to keep your serrations on the larger knife. Also, serrations lend themselves for a sawing motion, in which case a longer blade is better than a short blade.
Let me tell you why I like the Endura better than any other knife I can think of:
1. It's light. It won't drag your pants down. Not even a swim suit or athletic shorts.
2. It's flat. This is a real advantage when you carry it in your pocket or clipped to your waistband. If you carry your keys or other objects in the same pocket where your Endura is clipped, you can reach past the knife without much interference. The flatness of the handle in conjunction with the width makes the knife carry well in the pocket, without getting twisted around. You know it will be oriented properly when you go to draw.
3. The Endura is very fast to deploy, thanks to the large blade and smooth action. Just grab the knife, jolt it downward to set the blade in motion and add a bit of an upward flip of the wrist to swing the blade up and into the locked position. Using this method, your thumb doesn't have to engage the thumb hole. And it's just as well not to use the hole since, if you're like me, your thumb won't reach it anyway unless you adjust your grip after the initial draw. Try my shake and flip method a few times and you'll see what I mean. I doubt you could deploy a switchblade any faster. Thanks to the clip placement, just enough of the handle protrudes out of your pocket to easily grab hold of, yet the knife rides fairly inconspicuously.
4. The handle is very well thought out. I like the fact that it's wider aft, in comparison to the Benchmade Ascent, for example.
5. The 98 Endura, like the Delica, is totally ambidextrous, as you already know. Construction is similar to the Delica in every respect. It's not the strongest knife you'll run across, but it's strong enough for any sane person to use with confidence.
6. Good blade steel. It'll get really sharp and stay that way for quite a while.
7. The lock release is positioned well: it tends to sit under the concavity formed by the narowest part of my thumb, so there's not much chance of accidentally disengaging the lock--not in normal edge-down cutting, at any rate. Of course your hand may be different than mine.
8. Last but not least, the Endura is economical. You can use it and lose it without too much worry.
There are knives I like better than the Endura in some respects (i.e., brute strength), but it's hard to find a knife that combines so many positive features as the Endura. Take all of the above points and factor in the price and Spyderco's bulletproof reputation for quality and customer satisfaction, and I have to say it may very well be my all-around favorite knife. It's the knife I'm most likely to have with me at any given time, regardless of whatever else I may be carrying. I carry one in my left front pocket every day as a backup for my primary heavy-duty folder. I even sleep with an Endura clipped to my P.J.'s, and swim with one clipped to my swimsuit.
If there was a Nobel Prize for Knives, Sal Glesser would get it for developing the Endura.
David Rock
------------------
AKTI Member # A000846
Stop when you get to bone.
A plain Delica and a serrated Endura together make a pretty good combination. My feeling is that most of the time a plain edge is better than a serrated edge, and a small blade is usually more convenient than a large blade. Consequently, it makes sense to keep your serrations on the larger knife. Also, serrations lend themselves for a sawing motion, in which case a longer blade is better than a short blade.
Let me tell you why I like the Endura better than any other knife I can think of:
1. It's light. It won't drag your pants down. Not even a swim suit or athletic shorts.
2. It's flat. This is a real advantage when you carry it in your pocket or clipped to your waistband. If you carry your keys or other objects in the same pocket where your Endura is clipped, you can reach past the knife without much interference. The flatness of the handle in conjunction with the width makes the knife carry well in the pocket, without getting twisted around. You know it will be oriented properly when you go to draw.
3. The Endura is very fast to deploy, thanks to the large blade and smooth action. Just grab the knife, jolt it downward to set the blade in motion and add a bit of an upward flip of the wrist to swing the blade up and into the locked position. Using this method, your thumb doesn't have to engage the thumb hole. And it's just as well not to use the hole since, if you're like me, your thumb won't reach it anyway unless you adjust your grip after the initial draw. Try my shake and flip method a few times and you'll see what I mean. I doubt you could deploy a switchblade any faster. Thanks to the clip placement, just enough of the handle protrudes out of your pocket to easily grab hold of, yet the knife rides fairly inconspicuously.
4. The handle is very well thought out. I like the fact that it's wider aft, in comparison to the Benchmade Ascent, for example.
5. The 98 Endura, like the Delica, is totally ambidextrous, as you already know. Construction is similar to the Delica in every respect. It's not the strongest knife you'll run across, but it's strong enough for any sane person to use with confidence.
6. Good blade steel. It'll get really sharp and stay that way for quite a while.
7. The lock release is positioned well: it tends to sit under the concavity formed by the narowest part of my thumb, so there's not much chance of accidentally disengaging the lock--not in normal edge-down cutting, at any rate. Of course your hand may be different than mine.
8. Last but not least, the Endura is economical. You can use it and lose it without too much worry.
There are knives I like better than the Endura in some respects (i.e., brute strength), but it's hard to find a knife that combines so many positive features as the Endura. Take all of the above points and factor in the price and Spyderco's bulletproof reputation for quality and customer satisfaction, and I have to say it may very well be my all-around favorite knife. It's the knife I'm most likely to have with me at any given time, regardless of whatever else I may be carrying. I carry one in my left front pocket every day as a backup for my primary heavy-duty folder. I even sleep with an Endura clipped to my P.J.'s, and swim with one clipped to my swimsuit.
If there was a Nobel Prize for Knives, Sal Glesser would get it for developing the Endura.
David Rock
------------------
AKTI Member # A000846
Stop when you get to bone.
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2000
- Messages
- 45,835
David, thanks for all the info! And Ferret, maybe I will request a little overtime this month. And come to think of it, I noticed Ramen noodles 6 for a dollar at the grocery store. Hmmm....do you think anyone has ever starved because of a knife habit?
- Joined
- Oct 3, 1998
- Messages
- 883
Nobody has ever starved to death on account of a knife habit and lived to tell about it.
I couldn't agree more with David Rock - the Endura is truly a GREAT knife.
I bought the original version when it was first released, almost 10 years ago - it's still in great shape, and my wife carries it now. Still, the '98 series is even better!
Actually, it's somewhat hard to justify purchasing the more expensive folders... I guess for the average buyer/user (as opposed to a knife nut) the Endura is just perfect.
Regards,
Leo Daher
------------------
"Though the meek shall inherit the Earth, they won't keep it past Saturday night..."
I bought the original version when it was first released, almost 10 years ago - it's still in great shape, and my wife carries it now. Still, the '98 series is even better!
Actually, it's somewhat hard to justify purchasing the more expensive folders... I guess for the average buyer/user (as opposed to a knife nut) the Endura is just perfect.
Regards,
Leo Daher
------------------
"Though the meek shall inherit the Earth, they won't keep it past Saturday night..."
- Joined
- Oct 3, 1998
- Messages
- 4,842
I agree with David Rock also, with the addition that the endura is a breeze to resharpen, due to a very well done hollow grind.
I prefer mine in plain edge, ESPECIALLY for camping ... Tell us what you think you'll be doing with it, and maybe we can help you make a better decision. For camping, most of my cutting use seems to be things like food prep (plain edge works better), whittling walking sticks or marshmellow sticks (plain edge works better), cutting moleskin or bandages (plain edge works better), cutting miscellaneous cordage (serrated has an edge, but plain edge works fine). I can't think of many reasons for having a serrated edge in the bush, especially since if you find you're doing more slicing, you can just rough-up your plain edge.
Joe
I prefer mine in plain edge, ESPECIALLY for camping ... Tell us what you think you'll be doing with it, and maybe we can help you make a better decision. For camping, most of my cutting use seems to be things like food prep (plain edge works better), whittling walking sticks or marshmellow sticks (plain edge works better), cutting moleskin or bandages (plain edge works better), cutting miscellaneous cordage (serrated has an edge, but plain edge works fine). I can't think of many reasons for having a serrated edge in the bush, especially since if you find you're doing more slicing, you can just rough-up your plain edge.
Joe