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Not Impressed...

fedaykincmndr

fedaykincmndr

Joined
Aug 3, 2004
Messages
971
Well I got my first Spyderco from a local store and have carried it for about a week. It's a Delica 4 and it's a pretty solid folder. However, I'm not impressed. There are a few things that turned me off to it:

1. The screws for the clip are either too short or the tapping is stripped because only the left side tip down holes will hold the clip in place, the others I can pull out with my fingers.

2. I've heard a lot of good things about VG-10 and it's performance. Personally I'm not really that impressed. It does take a very good edge and seems to hold it fairly well.

3. There is minimal vertical play in the lock...well, more like the lock moves. When I pull up on the blade the blade itself does not move but the locking bar moves <1/8" so it doesn't concern me that much.

I don't want this to be a flame session or to get on anyone's bad side as I know that a lot of folks here like Spydies. There are things that I do like about it, don't get me wrong: the handle feels VERY solid and quite comfortable, the blade is the epitome of utilitarian, and the thumb ramp is definately something to be desired. Again I don't want this to be a flame session or step on anyone's toes, I just personally am not all that impressed and thought that I'd share my opinion and see what y'all thought or if anyone else has had a similar experience.

I can say this, it will be a very nice addition to the overall collection. :p
 
VG-10 hasn't been my favorite steel either, but steel is the least of my worries.

You should send it back to Spyderco for them to look at and fix/replace. :thumbup:
 
I didn't find the FRN Spydercos to be particularly impressive at first, but they shine over extended periods of use (regardless of pricepoint), primarily due to their utilitarian nature. You might find it grows on you after a while.

Used to carry AXIS-lockers almost exclusively; EDC is now a slightly modded Pacific Salt.
 
well.. here's the score:
un-impressed - 1
impressed - 1,000,000
j/k..
hey, it takes different strokes to rule the world
 
fedaykincmndr said:
Well I got my first Spyderco from a local store and have carried it for about a week. It's a Delica 4 and it's a pretty solid folder. However, I'm not impressed. There are a few things that turned me off to it:

1. The screws for the clip are either too short or the tapping is stripped because only the left side tip down holes will hold the clip in place, the others I can pull out with my fingers.

2. I've heard a lot of good things about VG-10 and it's performance. Personally I'm not really that impressed. It does take a very good edge and seems to hold it fairly well.

3. There is minimal vertical play in the lock...well, more like the lock moves. When I pull up on the blade the blade itself does not move but the locking bar moves <1/8" so it doesn't concern me that much.

I don't want this to be a flame session or to get on anyone's bad side as I know that a lot of folks here like Spydies. There are things that I do like about it, don't get me wrong: the handle feels VERY solid and quite comfortable, the blade is the epitome of utilitarian, and the thumb ramp is definately something to be desired. Again I don't want this to be a flame session or step on anyone's toes, I just personally am not all that impressed and thought that I'd share my opinion and see what y'all thought or if anyone else has had a similar experience.

I can say this, it will be a very nice addition to the overall collection. :p
Click to expand...
1. This is a QC issue. Spyderco will repair it for you.

2. "It does take a very good edge and seems to hold it fairly well." So, what's the problem? What were you expecting it to do besides take a good edge and hold it well? :confused:

3. This is common with almost all Spyderco lock backs. It does not effect the lockup at all, it's just the spring giving a bit under heavy force.

It's sounds to me like, aside from the stripped clip which isn't a common problem, you allowed the hype for the knife to affect your opinion. You basicly just said it's a good knife, butfor some reason you aren't impressed. You have to remember that it's a $40 dollar knife. That's why people rave about it. Where else can you get a knife that good at that price? I think, if you take the time to have the clip repaired, several years down the line, if you actually use it, you will find that it id a soild knife that won't ever let you down, and that is why it has the reputation it does.
 
sph3ric pyramid said:
I didn't find the FRN Spydercos to be particularly impressive at first, but they shine over extended periods of use (regardless of pricepoint), primarily due to their utilitarian nature. You might find it grows on you after a while.

Used to carry AXIS-lockers almost exclusively; EDC is now a slightly modded Pacific Salt.
Click to expand...

Not to hijack but, if you see this, can you tell if your H-1 is getting harder? You know the "work harding steel thing". I ask because I just got a salt I and am curious. Thank you. (I have a Pacific Salt but only use it in the kitchen and have never sharpened it)
 
Maybe you got a lemon. My Delica 4 is solid in every respect, including lock and clip. It took two tries, however. There were some minor problems with the first sample, so the store swapped it for another, which was perfect. The only negative is that Spyderco apparently does not chamfer Delica Spyderholes anymore, so the rims are too sharp for thumb comfort. A few run-arounds with a ceramic rod took care of that, however.

Can you return the knife to where you bought it for exchange? If not, you can send it to Spyderco, who will probably make things right. They do have a reputation to protect.
 
wwells20 said:
Not to hijack but, if you see this, can you tell if your H-1 is getting harder? You know the "work harding steel thing". I ask because I just got a salt I and am curious. Thank you. (I have a Pacific Salt but only use it in the kitchen and have never sharpened it)
Click to expand...

I've heard about that, but I doubt I'll ever be able to tell. I've cut the edge clear down to the primary grind with a diamond stone and given it a very small microbevel.

Given its current cutting efficiency and how little steel I remove at each sharpening on ceramic/diamond stones, I doubt I'll ever really see any signicant differences in edge retention/difficulty in sharpening.

Edit: My knife is PE obv. The serrated versions have are much harder at the edge IIRC.
 
I'm not a huge fan of the lower end spydercos myself, but I love their g10/s30v stuff.

Among their low end, you should try the D`allara drop point...it's an incredible knife for 55.

As for VG10, I have had pretty good experiences with it. In fact, I can't seem to get anything as sharp as I can VG10, but S30V comes realllly close. But in any case, if you like its edge holding and bite, I mean, what more do you want?

Also among the low end, give the Centofante a shot...

The best knives Spyderco make in my opinion are the Para and Dodo. The upcoming Calypso might be up there too.

If you'd like to try something different in that same price range (diff manufacturer) give these a try:

Benchmade minigrip
CRKT M16 or M21
Kershaw Leek
Kershaw Speed Bump (I'm not sure if this one's out yet)

I'll come up with some other things as I think of dem
 
The Kershaw Scallion is a sweet little knife for the $$. I've been carrying one for a couple of weeks now, and though I want more knives (which is a good thing, right?), I'm not sure what I'd replace it with it with for my EDC. Check it out.
 
HEY NEW HERE. THIS DOES NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS QUESTION, OR STATEMENT. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW TO POST SOMETHING ON MY OWN. WITHOUT HAVING TO REPLY. THANKS. CHRIS
 
Your #3 is the reason i dont like FRN handled knives. I have had the same experience with all the spydercos I have handled, and with my Emerson Endevor: the side to side is good, but there is verticle play. But as you say, the handle does not move, the whole locking mechanism rocks a little bit.

From now on all my locking fodlers will be metal liners or scales with an adjustable Blade Pivot screw. My Buck Mayo Cutback cost 1/2 the price of the Emerson Endevor or a similar spyderco, yet after months of carry with no adjustments its still rock solid bolth verticaly and horizontaly; something the Seki City crew normaly cant claim out of the box.

Im not a spider hater...I think they have some great designs, They just aren't the company for me.
 
Auto Veritas... It's nice to see another Dune fan out there or at least someone who knows about it.

I agree with mr. trooper, however I do like SOME FRN handled folders.

Look I'm not saying that spyderco has bad stuff or that this means that I won't by a spydie ever again. I listened to the EXPERTS here on BF and made a desicion based on fact, not hype. The fact is that most everyone who buys them, likes them. Personally after my experience it just isn't my cup of tea. A couple years ago I would've had nothing but good to say, but after owning a Bencmade or 3 I just didn't care for the Spydie. I've not spent much more on the BM's that I do own than I paid for the Spydie and the QC, performance, etc. was better than top notch. Again, I thought I would share my PERSONAL experience, not bash a very reputable company or type of knife. To answer J's question, it wasn't that I expected that much, but compared to other steels (e.g. AUS-8, D2, 440C) that I've dealt with/used I didn't see anything that much better. There are pros and cons to all, VG-10 however didn't strike me as being anything outstanding. Perhaps I misunderstood what's been said in the past
 
cjdknives, welcome to Bladeforums! :)

First, turn off your caps lock. All caps is the internet equivalent of SHOUTING !!! :D

Next, go to a forum page, rather than a particular thread. At the head of a thread page, it shows Post Reply. At the head of a forum page, it shows New Thread.

Whenever you have questions about the way Bladeforums works, the best place to ask is BladeForums.com Service and Support.

Hope this helps!
 
mr.trooper said:
Your #3 is the reason i dont like FRN handled knives. I have had the same experience with all the spydercos I have handled,
Click to expand...

So which spydercos don't have vertical play? The military? I have a waved endura on the way, and the first thing I'm doing is testing for play in the lock. I will not be down with that if it is the case. In fact, since two promised ship dates have come and gone from the retailer, thinking about cancelling the order altogether anyways. I've only held out this long because it was $46. I;m not even opposed to spending twice that, if there was another clear choice. Just was excited that it had a wave, and read good reviews on endura- the vertical play is news to me though. Bad news.
 
All front lock models can have a minimal amount of vertical movement that some consider blade play. If you are uncomfortable with that you better choose a model with a different lock design. Usually it is minimal however and hard to notice unless you really look for it. It doesn't impair function in any way either.
As the waved models have just been shipped from the company the retailer was unable to deliver any sooner.
 
Spyderco's quality control has slipped over the past couple years, IMO. As far as I know they're still good about warranty replacement, but that's a pain. I've heard of them refusing to replace knives for minor blade play saying it's normal ..... but I don't know how normal that is, since there seem to be plenty of other knives in the same price range that don't seem to have the problem.

Send it back and see what happens.
 
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