Non-knife expert (newbie) seeks recommendation...

Loneriderz

Loneriderz

Joined
Dec 1, 2008
Messages
397
Hi all,

I hope the title says it all. I'm sure there are many knife nuts here who would be able to point me in the right direction. The knives I've used so far in my adult life has been a Victorinox (a gift from my late father), a Ka-Bar courtesy of the Singapore Police Coast Guard with whom I served 10 years with and of course one of those box cutters which always seems to be handy. Singapore has 2 knife retailers (for population coming 4mil) and though they do stock a few Spydercos the range is limited. So I will be buying online as I doubt I'd want to wait 2months for my knife to arrive, checked my local laws and it's ok to import knives in if its for own my own use. I may be buying from eBay from an American seller called whitemountainknives (if I recall correctly). This limits my chances of handling the knife before buying it.

Anyway here are a few of my need...

1. Lefty friendly. I was born right handed and used my right hand for most tasks. In 2001 I got jumped while clearing a small boat at night. He managed to mess up my right arm pretty bad in an attempt to take my sidearm.

2. Able to be opened and closed with one hand as my right hand has lost a lot of dexterity... One reason I chose Spyderco. That hole is such a simple idea but I'm sure some models are easier for one hand operation than others.

3. Non-automatic. Automatics, switchblade and butterflies are illegal in Singapore.

4. Good stain and rust resistance. Though I'm now an elementary school teacher I still fulfill 2-3weeks of millitary training with our Coast Guard annually as required by our laws (till males hit 45years of age). I'm also an avid angler who fishes both salt and freshwater year round.

5. Holds a sharp edge for a good duration. The Ka-Bar we were issued sharpens razor sharp. I'm not sure what steel it is but it does get dull pretty fast.

6. It doesn't have to be pretty but I'd prefer it to be in black or other inconspicuous colours. So I guess pink is out for me.

The knife will be used for general deck duties and when I conduct seamanship training. This usually involves cutting 3 strand nylon ropes up to 2.5inch thick, ripping nylon straps etc... I'd also hope to bring it along for my fishing trips. A good knife is essential when leadering a man sized sailfish in case anything fouls up. Won't be cutting bait with it though since I've a fillet knife for that. In school it'll probably be used for cutting up boxes and tapes, thin ropes etc.


Sorry for the lengthy message... Just want to make sure I've got my bases covered. Thanks for reading and I hope to get some useful feedback soon. Can't wait to get that brand new Spyderco..

Best regards...
 
1. police 3, endura, or delica. the clips can be positioned for left hand carry, tip up or tip down.

the lockback isnt as simple as a liner/frame lock to close one handed, but with very little practice becomes second nature.

the vg10 steel should do fine regarding rust/corrosion, but perhaps someone with some first hand experience could give better info.

2. salt series. rustproof, work hardens. also lockbacks. come in many variations and sizes, fixed blades, folders, black or yellow scales. most are lefty-friendly.
 
I'll second the salt pick. The sheepsfoot profile is better suited towards marine use. Oh, and no matter what you do, get a fully serrated version. Spyderco serrations go through rope like nobody's business.
 
I have to chime in with the salt series. It pretty much fits your needs. IF you cut a lot of rope you might want to look at the Tasman Salt.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the recommendations guys... Now searching for those models online. Hope they're not too rare. Didn't know the make truly "stainless" stainless steel. Few things I'm curious about though, can a lay person open up a Spyderco knife for cleaning and oiling? I've hand sharpened knives before with moderate success but can a serrated blade be sharpened at home? They have knife sharpening services here but the cos and wait time may not be ideal and I've always felt user servicing is an important aspect of using any tool. Do agree with Enkidu that serrations makes working with ropes very easy.. To Morimotom, I'm not sure how suitable the steel on the Police is for me.. But searched online and saw that knife. I'm gonna get that one too!
 
Last edited:
If you get an SE Spyderco (or even if you don't), you might want to order a Sharpmaker too. Do your own SE touchups at home and save the $.

BTW, you can also get a Delica or Endura with the waved blade so that you can open the knife as it comes out of your pocket. If you want to get an H1 Spyderco like one of the Salts (for a corrosion-proof blade), you can get someone on these forums like STR to wave the blade for you so you get the same effect of opening the knife while drawing it, but in a rust-proof steel.

And welcome to the forums.
 
If you just own flat sharpening stones, stick to plain edge knives. If you buy a decent sharpening system such as Spyderco's sharpmaker...you can sharpen just about anything...including the serrated edges.

It will take practice to be perfect, but anything worth doing takes practice. ;)
 
I'm a big fan of my Salt I so that would be my recommendation. In my experience the H1 sharpens razor sharp on my Spyderco Sharpmaker and is wonderful to use outdoors.
 
If you're already good at sharpening and have stones I would go with a plain edge. If you do decide to go with a serrated edge knife, the spyderco sharpmaker works very well for sharpening. Even if you get a plain edge you might want to consider the sharpmaker.

As for taking them apart, the delica and endura are held together with torx screws and can be taken apart, but I think the salt line is pinned.
 
Check out Boye Boat knives. No steel to rust and they are made in different styles to suit your needs. They are easy to one hand and have the patented Boye lockback which Spyderco uses. They don't need a lot of resharpening like steel blades do. A bail is included so you can attach a lanyard, don't want to lose an expensive knife overboard.
 
The marine aspect of your description tells me that this knife (perhaps in the serrated variant) might be for you:

Pacific Salt

This one is basically an Endura 3 in H-1 steel and a less delicate tip.

That said, if you will take a little care about your new knife after rough service conditions (humid and/or salty), you can choose between all the VG10 knives which opens up a lot more choices! (And besides that, VG10 is just an even (!) better performing steel. Period.)

The only really constriction you have is the locking mechanism: a lockback seems in order. You still can choose between FRN or G-10 handle material, and most of the spyderco lineup is available in black handle color.


If I understand your needs the right way, your new knife needs to cover a wide variety of tasks, so you should not restrict yourself to a specialized blade shape like a hawkbill or a "rescue" (sheepfoot) (as much as I like both of them), but just stick with the more traditional shape.

So, if you want a "pointed" blade and are not afraid of a little higher price, the new Flat Grind Endura G-10 would be a VERY fine choice IF you vote for plain edge. This knife is fully screw construction, so you can disassemble and clean it if necessary.

If you want at least combination edge, the FRN Endura is still a nice choice.

There's still a ton of other spydies you could choose, and that's basically half the fun. One of the Enduras (including the Pacific Salt subspecies) will be a safe bet though. Years and years of refinement went into them, and you will feel it in use.

You really SHOULD get yourself a sharpmaker, too. It will be one of the best invest investmens you've ever made, promise!

Dennis
 
Last edited:
I say Murdoc is right one the FFG Endura is amazing, and since you say you service your own tools then just remember to oil it and maybe pick up a marine tuf-cloth and you will be good to go. It is a great knife.
 
lockbacks can be a little tricky to take apart and clean. if you've never done it before you should find a good tutorial online with pictures. in my experience Spyderco's lockbacks are simple to clean without requiring any disassembly.
 
The H-1 steel of the Salt series replaces a part of the carbon with nitrogen. The nitrogen works the same way carbon does in the steel molecule, but it also helps bond the molecules together. Because of this, H-1 has reached working hardness of Rc 67 or 68. The one thing it does not do is promote corrosion the way carbon does. People have been trying to get H-1 to rust since it came out, but the only thing anyone has managed is to rust the material used to make the blade etch black. The Salt series are all pinned construction to they essentially can't be disassembled, but there really isn't any need to, either. You're talking about knives that you can boil in vinegar to clean them without worrying about rusting anything. The Pacific Salt in PE or the Pacific Salt in SE with a SharpMaker would either be an excellent choice.
 
My Pacific Salt is one of my favorites in my collection; it served for two years as my EDC, then was moved to my runner's defense knife. Now in the winter months it finds habitat in the door storage panel in my GMC as my emergency knife, since the climate changes so fast (from about ten degrees Fahrenheit to around seventy when the heat is going) that the steel of any knife would condensate and eventually cause rust, except for an H1 or X15T.N model. It is a do-all, reliable knife---a great cutter, edge holder, and ergonomically pleasing like all Spyderco models. While my knife is handled in yellow FRN, it comes in a more discreet black color that would more readily fit your needs.

The titanium pocket clip is able to be modified for left-handed carry; I am a southpaw as well.
 
Came here to get recommendations to buy a knife and ended up buying 3... Good thing the wife is away in Thailand. Haha.. :D Below is what I have ordered and they are enroute to Singapore, estimated arrival 10 days. All Spydercos by the way.

1. Pacific Salt w/ serrated edge in yellow. I know I said no bright colours but on hindsight I think its advisable as it'll aid in finding it at night should I drop it though thats highly unlikely as I always carry my tools (knives and pliers in a holster with a lanyard and carabiner, those phone coil type). The lack of steel lining is also another reason I got it as there's less likelyhood of salt getting trapped and corrosion to set in.

2. A Salt 1 in plain edge. Smaller in size and looks less threathening. This will be my EDC.

3. I wanted to get a Spyderco Police but found them too expensive for my taste (at least for now). Finally settled on a Native (Native III I think) with combo edge in black.

The salt series makes sense as I'll be out in the salt a lot and due to the high humidity and tropical climate we have in Singapore. The native? Bought it because it just looks plain cool!

I did not get the sheepsfoot blade as suggested by some as I find the sharp point essential to my needs. It may be practical in days of old where we had wooden decks (as twritten on Spyderco's website) and the bosun gives deck ratings hell for scratching up the hardwood but in modern boats its a null factor.

All In I've spent about $200, just shy of the taxable amount for online purchases in Singapore. Hope they arrive soon. Honestly I feel like a kid waiting to unwrap his Christmas toy. I'll take a pic and post it here when the do arrive though I know it may not be necessary but think it'll be nice. Also a chance to display some old stuff my late father left me, few old ceremonial kris and Indonesian machetes. I might even start buying knives on a regular basis. Its cheaper than me smoking that's for sure...

Thanks guys... If there's anything you guys need from my part of the world do PM me and I'll try my best to see to it especially fishing stuff... Thy're a lot cheaper here especially hooks and lines. Good to see a forum that's really helpful. Seen too many forums where noobs just get ignored or worst flamed for giving their views. Also please excuse any grammatical or spelling mistakes, English is not my native language.

Regards
Azad
 
Loneriderz said:
Thanks guys... If there's anything you guys need from my part of the world do PM me and I'll try my best to see to it...
Click to expand...

That's very kind of you. The only thing I would ask is that you post occasionally and tell us how your knives are performing, and please include pictures.

We love pictures.
 
Last edited:
shangchi108 said:
That's very kind of you. The only think I would ask is that you post occasionally and tell us how your knives are performing, and please include pictures.

We love pictures.
Click to expand...

Pix... pix... gotta have pix, especially of working Spydies in their native habitats.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top