- Joined
- Jan 12, 2013
- Messages
- 112
So today I finally pulled the trigger and added a Spyderco Caly 3 to the family. I was drawn in by the carbon fibre handle and the blade made of ZDP-189 with the 420J2 surrounding it. Please do excuse the brief nature of my review, it's my first go. If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask.
Size comparison with a Military
My first impression of the knife is it was very very showy, sleek and sexy, not what im used to from the no nonsense tough Spyderco's i've owned before, but it still looks like it will get the job done. The grip is a thing of beauty, with perfectly sanded down carbon fibre and beautiful brushed hardware. Moving onto the blade itself, I found it interesting compared to my Military, I like the curvature of it. I noticed that where the steels are laminated it's not a perfect symmetrical line, thats just my OCD, but hey.
Ofcoarse Spyderco's are almost always razor sharp out of the box (unlike some brands...), and this one was no acception as you will see below. I have heard that ZDP-189 is an amazing steel, even so much as outclassing CPM S30V, but being more of a pain to sharpen (I haven't tried yet, im satisfied with the edge as of now). The outer 420J2 steel is fairly soft and will scratch if it's fooled around with. Let it be known I am not a fan of non coated blades, but this one I find to be quite nice. The blade was perfectly centered from factory.
The lock is quick solid feeling, the knife feels firm when you open it, and a little springy when you close it (feels like it's trying to bite me!). I prefer the lock on my Military, but thats just because its more convient to operate with one hand.
My main issues with this knife are:
1) You cannot move the pocket clip to be a blade down carry, that is my favorite kind of cary.
2) There are no holes to place a lanyard through.
3) The 420J2 is soft, and prone to scratching, especially around the pivot.
For the most part my issues with the knife are small and trivial (2 of the 3 involve me not being able to carry it how I prefer), and I find it is a stunner to look at and operate and is sure to get you comments (guys always seem to comment on my Spyderco's or Benchmade's at work!). I am going to try EDCing this knife (probably going to see a lot of heavy nylon rope, banding, cardboard and vinyl tube), though I am a bit concerned about how it is more prone to rusting then my others and im concerned about the blades edge holding ability.
Overall its a keeper, and I love it.
I hope my review was adequate, thanks for reading! Sorry for the photo quality, it's just an iPhone 5 camera, and it makes the carbon fibre detailing impossible to see.
Size comparison with a Military
My first impression of the knife is it was very very showy, sleek and sexy, not what im used to from the no nonsense tough Spyderco's i've owned before, but it still looks like it will get the job done. The grip is a thing of beauty, with perfectly sanded down carbon fibre and beautiful brushed hardware. Moving onto the blade itself, I found it interesting compared to my Military, I like the curvature of it. I noticed that where the steels are laminated it's not a perfect symmetrical line, thats just my OCD, but hey.
Ofcoarse Spyderco's are almost always razor sharp out of the box (unlike some brands...), and this one was no acception as you will see below. I have heard that ZDP-189 is an amazing steel, even so much as outclassing CPM S30V, but being more of a pain to sharpen (I haven't tried yet, im satisfied with the edge as of now). The outer 420J2 steel is fairly soft and will scratch if it's fooled around with. Let it be known I am not a fan of non coated blades, but this one I find to be quite nice. The blade was perfectly centered from factory.
The lock is quick solid feeling, the knife feels firm when you open it, and a little springy when you close it (feels like it's trying to bite me!). I prefer the lock on my Military, but thats just because its more convient to operate with one hand.
My main issues with this knife are:
1) You cannot move the pocket clip to be a blade down carry, that is my favorite kind of cary.
2) There are no holes to place a lanyard through.
3) The 420J2 is soft, and prone to scratching, especially around the pivot.
For the most part my issues with the knife are small and trivial (2 of the 3 involve me not being able to carry it how I prefer), and I find it is a stunner to look at and operate and is sure to get you comments (guys always seem to comment on my Spyderco's or Benchmade's at work!). I am going to try EDCing this knife (probably going to see a lot of heavy nylon rope, banding, cardboard and vinyl tube), though I am a bit concerned about how it is more prone to rusting then my others and im concerned about the blades edge holding ability.
Overall its a keeper, and I love it.
I hope my review was adequate, thanks for reading! Sorry for the photo quality, it's just an iPhone 5 camera, and it makes the carbon fibre detailing impossible to see.