Other knives like Spyderco?

J

Jim malone

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May 25, 2007
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I'm a die hard fan of Spyderco for 35 years now . Carried one as a lifesaver in my LEO years and on the TAC team. I always wore and used a Spyderco under, on or above the water. I collected 70+ Spyderco models and rarely looked elsewhere. But with the uncrease in price buying a Spyderco knife in Europe has become disgustingly expensive. Are there any other no nonsense knife brands with the same Quality without the pricetag?
I hoped this day would never come where i had to start collecting other brands because i frankly could no longer afford Spyderco.
Looking for prac- tactical folders preferably .
Anyone know what could function as a good alternative for Spyderco (pricewise).
 
Hello, if you stop collecting other brands, you could afford Spyderco’s, maybe not as many though. Sorry, there are no good alternatives to Spyderco. I know it’s not what you are looking for, this is merely my opinion. Good luck
 
cold steel has some affordable models that are pretty good like their basic 4 inch voyagers or their tuff lite and air lite models, also i believe the founder of spyderco helped cold steel in its early days so there is a connection, cold steel voyagers were basically their version of the endura/delica and used to be made in japan like spydercos but are made in taiwan now

the 4 inch tanto voyager is a lot of knife for the money and a personal favorite of mine, comes in a full serrated version too
CS-29AT.jpg
 
So you used the word collecting. Do you want to continue to buy something(knives in this case) just to continue your habit of buying things; do you want to buy knives to add to and enhance the collection you already have; do you think you are just ready for a change of pace?

Focusing on Prac-Tac knives with an average sale price below Spydercos listings isn’t my forte but I believe ColdSteel makes decent blades with enough variety to keep you busy for a while.

Let’s just say you spend X amount a year on 3 or 4 knives, what about the same amount on 1 or 2 Spydercos and continue to enhance the collection you already have.

It should go without saying at this point but everything has gone up in price and it’s not going back. I too find it hard to pay more for essentially the same product but it’s the world we live in now. I’ll always have a passion for knives but I’m definitely buying less these days.
 
If you are OK with knives from China I would look at Kizer. They make some fantastic users with well done heat treat and well ground blades.
 
For the most part with knives you get what you pay for. I'm not talking about corner cases like the current absurdity around GEC, or sprint run nonsense. I'm talking about purchasing working knives which seems to be what you are interested in. In that case why do you think that the price has gone up? Sal Glesser wants a bigger office? Maybe, but its more likely that its because the cost of materials and labor have gone up across the board. Those costs are universal and no one is immune to them. If someone else is offering a cheaper product they are almost certainly using cheaper labor or materials. So no, you won't find a spyderco equivalent for less money. You will instead get a lesser product. Your call.
 
Jim malone said:
prac- tactical folders
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Cold Steel Tri-ad Lock , made in Taiwan folders are all just as good or better , IMO , for the hard use utility / fighter role , and generally much less expensive .

Their prices are variable and you need to shop around for the best deals , but they are not as rigorous about price control as Spyderco .

Cold Steel is under new and NOT improved ownership now and customer service is lacking , but quality of old models from Taiwan seems to be holding steady .


 
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DocJD said:
Cold Steel Tri-ad Lock , made in Taiwan folders are all just as good or better , IMO , for the hard use utility / fighter role , and generally much less expensive .

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Man's got serrations for days 🤣

But I agree, Cold Steel has always excelled at the whole price to value ratio aspect. They are also hard to beat as a straight forward work knife.. not that Spyderco, or other popular companies are any less capable,.. CS just tend to be extra capable.
 

"Other knives like Spyderco?"​


A whole lot of them. As soon as their design started selling like hot cakes every Tom, Dick, and Harry suddenly "discovered" new ergos for their knives that looked an awful lot like Spyderco. Not to mention the knock offs and counterfeits. The market was very soon flooded with them. I don't even know where to begin.
 
Let's see I love the Cold Steel Triad Lock. Cold Steel is great quality. So is Spyderco even if they don't have triad locks they are still king of no frills ergos. Spyderco still makes stuff in the US also and I like the the lock back.

Cold steel used to write that their knives did not have any unsightly humps or holes in the blades. I noticed Cold Steel have evolved from this (standard non-triad lock back old model Voyager far left 1st picture) to these triad locks (current Voyager and Goldern Eye next pictures.) Oh look peek a boo it's a golden eye (removable too.) They do a fair share of borrowing don't they. Spyderco prevails in ergos and Cold Steel hos bowed to the king of egos like a lot of others (Benchmade AFCK.)
 

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A slight change of subject with this question. What are your top three Spyderco models for everyday carry? Just curious.

Why not just look for other brands that offer similar ergonomics to your favorite Spyderco?
 
I'm stuck on my edc Spyderco Gayle Bradley and other Spydies. But, here is another Taiwan knife that is a good low-cost folder that would stand up to many more expensive knives.

Ontario Knife Rat-1 Folding Tactical Knife

 
GatorFlash1 said:
I'm stuck on my edc Spyderco Gayle Bradley and other Spydies. But, here is another Taiwan knife that is a good low-cost folder that would stand up to many more expensive knives.

Ontario Knife Rat-1 Folding Tactical Knife

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Yeah the Rat is a “good” knife. I have the D2 version. It does everything well, at least everything a non-knife-enthusiast would care about.
It’s robust enough, good ergos, good steel…but it’s boring AF. Not something for a collector IMO. More of a user.
Just my.02 , not knocking it as a great work knife btw, it’s just boring.
 
Byrd knives.
I believe they are even made by Spyderco. The blade hole has a different shape tho.
 
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