Question on Rescue Jr / 79mm

[diamdave]

I bought a "Rescue 79mm" on eBay, stamped VG10, came in a Spyderco Red and Black box. It is engraved "rescue 79mm' on the side of the blade.
After doing a bit of research I see that there also is / was a "Rescue Jr." This one comes in a black box, doesn't have anything engraved on the side, but like the first one, is VG10 and has similar dimensions (3.13" blade length, etc.)

Can anyone tell me if what I have is the new style, old style, what the differences are, is one better, etc..... please enlighten me, thanks.

 

[wotanson]

I bought my wife a Rescue Jr. for her to use at work two years ago, it's a VG-10, blue FRN handled SE. It has no etching on the blade. The Rescue 79mm shown on the Spyderco website, http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=13, shows the exact knife I bought my wife but with a black FRN handle. IIRC they dico'ed the blue FRN a year or two ago. As far as the box difference? That's minutia that I dare not tread. All of my Spyderco boxes from my first one (SS Native CE bought six years ago) to my most recent (Endura 4 trainer I got today for Yule) have the same greenish box that usually ends up in the trash minutes after I open the knife.

Cheers,
Rob

 

[The Deacon]

There are, actually several differences between 79mm Rescue and the the older Rescue Jr. it evolved from. The 79mm Rescue has a 14mm spyderhole, jimping on the spine, and a bright finished clip and barrel bolt. The Resuce Jrs. have 12mm spyderholes and no jimping. The earlier ones also have black clips and barrel bolts and were ATS-55, but the 2002 catalog shows them with the bright finished clips and bolts, in VG-10. The red and black box is a very recent change. I'd call the 79mm version better, because of the larger spyderhole and jimped thumbramp, but, as with most things in life, YMMV.

Paul

My Personal Website - - - - - - A Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting - - - - - - Kiwimania
Dead horses beaten, sacred cows tipped, chimeras hunted when time permits.
Spyderco Collector # 043 - - WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
It's easy to grin when your ship comes in and good fortune and fame are your lot, but the man worthwhile is the man who can smile with his shorts twsited up in a knot. - Morey Amsterdam

 

[diamdave]

Interesting... mine has the jimpiing, says 'rescue 79mm" but it does have a black clip, not a shiny one.

Wotanson, what is that wild looking emblem under your user name? Does it represent something scientific? Aztec?....

 

[The Deacon]

Interesting... mine has the jimpiing, says 'rescue 79mm" but it does have a black clip, not a shiny one.

Wotanson, what is that wild looking emblem under your user name? Does it represent something scientific? Aztec?....

Not the least surprised about the clip. On many models those shift back and forth between plated, brushed, bead blasted, blued, and painted. Did forget one other "probable" and one almost certain difference between the two versions though. The David Boye dent appears to have been introduced simultaneously with the change from Rescue Jr. to 79mm Rescue, but there's no way to be absolutely sure, given Spyderco's penchant for "evolution". The handle marking change was more likely simultaneous, but given the "Endurahawks" even that is by no means certain.

Here are a couple comparison shots...

​

By the way, check that clip out with a magnet. There's a chance it's the same blackened titanium one being used on the latest evolution of the C45 - the C118 Saver Salt - which is basically a 79mm Resuce in H-1.

Paul

My Personal Website - - - - - - A Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting - - - - - - Kiwimania
Dead horses beaten, sacred cows tipped, chimeras hunted when time permits.
Spyderco Collector # 043 - - WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
It's easy to grin when your ship comes in and good fortune and fame are your lot, but the man worthwhile is the man who can smile with his shorts twsited up in a knot. - Morey Amsterdam

 

[diamdave]

Thank you. Mine is identical to the blue one except mine has a black handle.
I thought I read somewhere that one had a hollow grind, one had a saber grind... don't understand being that both are serrated.

 

[The Deacon]

Dave, all of mine, including my all stainless Rescue Jr. and Saver Salts, have flat saber grinds, but given Sal's history of "tweaking and tuning" things, I cannot rule out there being some hollow saber ground ones out there somewhere. There are serrated versions of other models with hollow saber grinds, including the Rescue Jrs "grandpa" the Mariner, so the two things are definitely not mutually exclusive. In addition to your black, and my blue, the 79mm version was also made in orange.

Paul

My Personal Website - - - - - - A Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting - - - - - - Kiwimania
Dead horses beaten, sacred cows tipped, chimeras hunted when time permits.
Spyderco Collector # 043 - - WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
It's easy to grin when your ship comes in and good fortune and fame are your lot, but the man worthwhile is the man who can smile with his shorts twsited up in a knot. - Morey Amsterdam

 

[wotanson]

Interesting... mine has the jimpiing, says 'rescue 79mm" but it does have a black clip, not a shiny one.

Wotanson, what is that wild looking emblem under your user name? Does it represent something scientific? Aztec?....

My avatar is a variation of the Odal rune, it represents the "letter" O in the ancient Nordic Futhark (alphabet). It is also used by practitioners of Asatru (aka Odinism) as a symbol of Odin the one eyed primary God of the faith. I'm a practising Odinist so I use it as my avatar. I also wear a Thor's Hammer amulet around my neck as an outward expression of my faith.

Cheers,
Rob

 

[wotanson]

Not the least surprised about the clip. On many models those shift back and forth between plated, brushed, bead blasted, blued, and painted. Did forget one other "probable" and one almost certain difference between the two versions though. The David Boye dent appears to have been introduced simultaneously with the change from Rescue Jr. to 79mm Rescue, but there's no way to be absolutely sure, given Spyderco's penchant for "evolution". The handle marking change was more likely simultaneous, but given the "Endurahawks" even that is by no means certain.

Here are a couple comparison shots...

​

By the way, check that clip out with a magnet. There's a chance it's the same blackened titanium one being used on the latest evolution of the C45 - the C118 Saver Salt - which is basically a 79mm Resuce in H-1.

Paul

My Personal Website - - - - - - A Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting - - - - - - Kiwimania
Dead horses beaten, sacred cows tipped, chimeras hunted when time permits.
Spyderco Collector # 043 - - WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
It's easy to grin when your ship comes in and good fortune and fame are your lot, but the man worthwhile is the man who can smile with his shorts twsited up in a knot. - Morey Amsterdam

I defer to the expert, however page 7 of the 2003 Spyderco catalogue illustrates the older style Rescue Jr. as the "Rescue 79mm" with VG-10 steel, the old blade style, handle and smaller opening hole. That said, the one I got for my wife has the larger opening hole, a silver clip, and doesn't have the etching.
Cheers,
Rob

 

[The Deacon]

I defer to the expert, however page 7 of the 2003 Spyderco catalogue illustrates the older style Rescue Jr. as the "Rescue 79mm" with VG-10 steel, the old blade style, handle and smaller opening hole. That said, the one I got for my wife has the larger opening hole, a silver clip, and doesn't have the etching.
Cheers,
Rob

Rob, you'd probably be hard put to find a better example of just how difficult it is to pin down any "fact" concerning Spyderco's ever changing lineup. While the shape of the blade in that illustration, and the somewhat larger one on page 8 of the 2003 Dealer catalog, is definitely that of the older Resuce Jr., it does show the jimped spine. The dealer catalog also notes the hole size as 14mm and clearly shows the Rescue 79mm marking. My "guess" is that the catalog pictures are "artists conceptions", but only the Spydercrew would know for sure.

If you don't already have both catalogs already, here a link to Ted van der Voorde's page where you can download the .pdf versions of those two and a whole lot of others.

Out of curiosity, what does the "disk" on the handle of your wife's say?

Paul

My Personal Website - - - - - - A Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting - - - - - - Kiwimania
Dead horses beaten, sacred cows tipped, chimeras hunted when time permits.
Spyderco Collector # 043 - - WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
It's easy to grin when your ship comes in and good fortune and fame are your lot, but the man worthwhile is the man who can smile with his shorts twsited up in a knot. - Morey Amsterdam

 

[wotanson]

Rob, you'd probably be hard put to find a better example of just how difficult it is to pin down any "fact" concerning Spyderco's ever changing lineup. While the shape of the blade in that illustration, and the somewhat larger one on page 8 of the 2003 Dealer catalog, is definitely that of the older Resuce Jr., it does show the jimped spine. The dealer catalog also notes the hole size as 14mm and clearly shows the Rescue 79mm marking. My "guess" is that the catalog pictures are "artists conceptions", but only the Spydercrew would know for sure.

If you don't already have both catalogs already, here a link to Ted van der Voorde's page where you can download the .pdf versions of those two and a whole lot of others.

Out of curiosity, what does the "disk" on the handle of your wife's say?


Hey Paul,
You're very right about the constant upgrades and the somewhat not perfect catalogue pics! I have Ted's site in my favorites. It is, by far, one of the best reference sites around. In fact I learn something new almost everytime I call it up!! When did box types become something of interest to collectors? My wife's etching free Rescue Jr.(by that I mean I guess this partially my fault, as I always refer to the "smaller" Rescue as Junior) disc reads Rescue 79mm, my bad. Best to you friend.
Cheers,
Rob

 

[wotanson]

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