Old Paramedic question

[recoil]

I have a plain edge Paramedic from the short run in the early 80's.
For those not familiar with this model, it's basically an early Mariner with no name etched on the blade, clip side scale thicker then the other and no drain vents in the handle. My question is:
Was the blade steel different then that used on the Mariner marked blades?
I recall reading somewhere that it was.

Thanks in advance.

dave

 

[Sal Glesser]

Hi Dave, nice piece.

The early Mariners and Paramedics used the same pattern.

First, the Mariner model came out. We used Gingami I for the blade steel.

Then we made a run of Mariners with AUS-8 and Paramedics with Gingami I. The thinking at the time was that the AUS-8 would have better corrosion resistance for the sea-going folks and the Paramedics would need the better cutting power of Gingami I. We made about 500 of the Paramedic model. We didn't mark them differently, we asked the customer which they preferred and shipped accordingly.

We then dropped the AUS-8 on the Mariner model on the grounds that the Gingami I was almost as good as the AUS-8 in corrosion resisance but provided better edge retention which was preferred by the Spyderco customer.

It seems that many of the customers that Spyderco attracts prefer the cutting performance to price or looks.

Thanx for the trip down memory lane.

sal

 

[recoil]

Sal,

Thanks for the great information. I hope to see you & the crew in Nov. in NYC.

dave

 

[Grover_Cephas]

I'm curious; what's the reason for the thicker clip-side scale?

 

[Sal Glesser]

Better clip screw purchase. Stronger and more reliable.

Our philosophy has always been "no more than necessary and no less than perfect". Just like mother nature

sal

 

[Grover_Cephas]

So why no more models with "asymmetric" scales? Is there a functional problem with it, or a matter of ELU reaction? (I know that I tend to be turned off by knives with a single full liner because it feels like a "shortcut")