- Joined
- Aug 27, 2004
- Messages
- 12,956
Today a knife I've been waiting for for what seems like a long time finally arrived.
As is usually the case on knives ordered that I really want they take longer to get here than the ones I'm excited about but not enough to dwell on it. Those types come in two days but the ones I'm really gung ho for always seem to take five days!
First thing I want to cover is something I've read time and time again on this knife now regarding blade play side to side due to some change in the pivot. Its a non issue IMO. Mine, while having slight, and I mean slight noticeable blade play if you look for it, is not really an issue at all. It is so slight you really have to even struggle to notice it on my example. I think if I try hard enough I can find the same amount on my Sebenza. So, thats a non issue in my opinion. Certainly not what I expected based one some of the reports but it may be their examples are different so I'll give the benefit of the doubt.
My lock is spot on. No blade play locked up at all. No noticed side to side when locked up at all. Smooth as silk right out of the box with the only real issue being that the clip is tip down which for me is the wrong way. I must admit its refreshing to not have to run to the shop and zip some holes in a knife and thread them to make it suit my needs. Thanks Sal.
The size difference is not as big an issue as I expected. In fact when its away from the old original Para which I do have to compare it to, you really don't notice the size difference when its in the pocket or the hand during use. I mean its bigger no doubt but not by so much as to really change the feel. I'd say thats a well thought out change and more welcome than I thought it would be. I like the bigger hardware a lot. It looks tougher. It seems the thumb ramp on the Spyderhole/hump is slopped to a better angle not quite so sharply inclined and my thumb seems to really like that better. Even the lanyard hole being bigger is a nice change and for those of you carrying some nice lanyards with the bigger cord it won't be such an issue getting it threaded in there.
Overall I'm quite pleased with this knife and I really really love the cleaned up tang for when the blade is closed. It looks so much more complete and well thought out now as opposed to the old model even though its a great model and perhaps one of the best knives to come into this industry in my life time.
My lock has just a bit of a catch making one focus to close the blade. I can't help but think this is engineered in by design as an added safe guard of some kind. Its almost as if the lock has just the slightest tweak sideways there at the very end to make it really so the user has to push that thing into the scale to allow the blade to pass. To me this makes it just that much more unlikely that it can accidentally close on fingers even if the lock did slide toward release because that last bit of ummmph required to release the blade has to be very purposeful and I can't see it happening from a use issue all that easy at least on my example. I'm not saying its actually anything on all models but I do notice it on mine and truth be told I rather like that feature as well.
According to my digital postal scale the original Para weighs in at 3.6 ounces. My new one in the Para 2 weighs in at 3.7 ounces. Imagine that. All these great improvements and only a tenth of an ounce weight gain! Not too shabby Spyderco!
You know overall I think this knife is a real winner and it could well change my opinion of the compression lock. Don't get me wrong. I've come to think this lock is among the most impressive Spyderco has done personally but I've found I've never quite warmed up to it. This new model may actually get me over that hump though. Time will tell. The clip versatility, cleaned up look, improved hardware, full liners, pivot improvements and lanyard hole size increase all add up pretty well to a grand slam home run here Sal and I see Eric has a signature on this one too so I can't miss him on the credits either. I think its very impressive guys. It seems you've kept all the great things about this model and fixed all that one could be critical about to me.
I also believe that in every way this knife will excel in use with the exception being maybe passing Ankerson's prying test but truth be told> I'll take a better slicer and more delicate point over a folding pry bar any day of the week anyway. I don't have much use for prying with my knives and I have said I'm not really fond of those kind of tests so I would not be likely to validate a test for pry usage with this blade profile. I've no doubt it would waltz right through any other aspects of use and testing one was to put it to though. You've done your homework. I think you have a real winner here and I'm so glad I've snagged one early.
I guess now I have to sit down and start designing a low rider for this one. I've already been hit up for them and the guys don't even all have one yet. The good news is it looks doable. Tight, but doable in case you were wondering guys. Sal, Eric, great job! Thanks for all the effort in this one.
STR
As is usually the case on knives ordered that I really want they take longer to get here than the ones I'm excited about but not enough to dwell on it. Those types come in two days but the ones I'm really gung ho for always seem to take five days!
First thing I want to cover is something I've read time and time again on this knife now regarding blade play side to side due to some change in the pivot. Its a non issue IMO. Mine, while having slight, and I mean slight noticeable blade play if you look for it, is not really an issue at all. It is so slight you really have to even struggle to notice it on my example. I think if I try hard enough I can find the same amount on my Sebenza. So, thats a non issue in my opinion. Certainly not what I expected based one some of the reports but it may be their examples are different so I'll give the benefit of the doubt.
My lock is spot on. No blade play locked up at all. No noticed side to side when locked up at all. Smooth as silk right out of the box with the only real issue being that the clip is tip down which for me is the wrong way. I must admit its refreshing to not have to run to the shop and zip some holes in a knife and thread them to make it suit my needs. Thanks Sal.
The size difference is not as big an issue as I expected. In fact when its away from the old original Para which I do have to compare it to, you really don't notice the size difference when its in the pocket or the hand during use. I mean its bigger no doubt but not by so much as to really change the feel. I'd say thats a well thought out change and more welcome than I thought it would be. I like the bigger hardware a lot. It looks tougher. It seems the thumb ramp on the Spyderhole/hump is slopped to a better angle not quite so sharply inclined and my thumb seems to really like that better. Even the lanyard hole being bigger is a nice change and for those of you carrying some nice lanyards with the bigger cord it won't be such an issue getting it threaded in there.
Overall I'm quite pleased with this knife and I really really love the cleaned up tang for when the blade is closed. It looks so much more complete and well thought out now as opposed to the old model even though its a great model and perhaps one of the best knives to come into this industry in my life time.
My lock has just a bit of a catch making one focus to close the blade. I can't help but think this is engineered in by design as an added safe guard of some kind. Its almost as if the lock has just the slightest tweak sideways there at the very end to make it really so the user has to push that thing into the scale to allow the blade to pass. To me this makes it just that much more unlikely that it can accidentally close on fingers even if the lock did slide toward release because that last bit of ummmph required to release the blade has to be very purposeful and I can't see it happening from a use issue all that easy at least on my example. I'm not saying its actually anything on all models but I do notice it on mine and truth be told I rather like that feature as well.
According to my digital postal scale the original Para weighs in at 3.6 ounces. My new one in the Para 2 weighs in at 3.7 ounces. Imagine that. All these great improvements and only a tenth of an ounce weight gain! Not too shabby Spyderco!
You know overall I think this knife is a real winner and it could well change my opinion of the compression lock. Don't get me wrong. I've come to think this lock is among the most impressive Spyderco has done personally but I've found I've never quite warmed up to it. This new model may actually get me over that hump though. Time will tell. The clip versatility, cleaned up look, improved hardware, full liners, pivot improvements and lanyard hole size increase all add up pretty well to a grand slam home run here Sal and I see Eric has a signature on this one too so I can't miss him on the credits either. I think its very impressive guys. It seems you've kept all the great things about this model and fixed all that one could be critical about to me.
I also believe that in every way this knife will excel in use with the exception being maybe passing Ankerson's prying test but truth be told> I'll take a better slicer and more delicate point over a folding pry bar any day of the week anyway. I don't have much use for prying with my knives and I have said I'm not really fond of those kind of tests so I would not be likely to validate a test for pry usage with this blade profile. I've no doubt it would waltz right through any other aspects of use and testing one was to put it to though. You've done your homework. I think you have a real winner here and I'm so glad I've snagged one early.
I guess now I have to sit down and start designing a low rider for this one. I've already been hit up for them and the guys don't even all have one yet. The good news is it looks doable. Tight, but doable in case you were wondering guys. Sal, Eric, great job! Thanks for all the effort in this one.
STR
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