If you are a diehard faithfull Spydy fan, I caution you to not read further as it might hurt your feelings.
I 1st need to say that I don't enter into any investment like this without considerable research. So when I looked to buy my 1st high quality EDC folder I had a budget of $50-$75. Everyone on here and elsewhere pointed me to Spyderco. I've allways wanted one but never felt compelled to spend more than about $25 for a knife I would inevitably loose. So with great anticipation I ordered an Endura with black FRN handles, with the saved $$$ I also wanted to try a Byrd Cara Cara.
1st impression was not that great as the handle felt less than rigid in the hand under only slight torsional and side to side flex. I could easily feel it flexing in hand and could visibly see the blade trying to seperate the handle at the pivot point (again, only under slight pressure). I figure it's just normal with this type of material with a handle this long. The blade, all I can say at 1st is WOW!!! most uniform and expertly ground edge I've ever seen or felt, and as allways stated extremely, even surprisingly sharp!!!!!!! So my spirits were lifted when I examined the blade and figured I can get over its somewhat minor shortcommings.
Then disaster struck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:grumpy: :grumpy: :grumpy:
After less than 1hr of ownership my new Endura had its 1st real world test. To cut a 1.25inch poly pro rope than was fouled on a barge cavel here at work on the Mississippi River (Navy men call them cleats). The rope was under a good load/ tension and as I started to cut (and with me boasting to a coworker about how few strokes it will take to finish i started counting) I knew by the 3rd cutting stroke the knife was going dull!!!! I gave up trying at 20 strokes and about 1/2inch deep. After the 11th or 12th it pretty much quit cutting regardless of how hard I pressed. Stopped for fear of loosing my temper and doing something stupid.
As this is the only knife I had on me at the time, and the Cara Cara in the room where my relief was asleep, the only option I had was to go into the galley and get a knife. Sadly, a $.50 cent steak knife finished what the Endura could not. This was not a "let see what this knife can do test" I was in almost dire need to cut this line loose to keep from breaking stuff it was attached to.
And before someone says this is something only a serated blade can do, I owned 2 el' cheapo plain edge knives that at worst were slowly able to cut and perform the same task called upon as the Spydy but at least could finish what they started. One was a $10 420J2 3.25" Smith & Wesson Spec Ops, the other a small 2.5" Gerber LST in 420HC.
Naturally I'm extremely upset, but wondering and hoping that maybe I got a defective knife. I will contact headquarters in the morning and see what they say. This was the 1st and only thing I tried to cut, So now I pretty much have a very expensive butter knife as the edge is so dull It won't even slice paper, only tear it. And fear to sharpen it cause of possible warranty issues, and no owners instructions included in the box.
I 1st need to say that I don't enter into any investment like this without considerable research. So when I looked to buy my 1st high quality EDC folder I had a budget of $50-$75. Everyone on here and elsewhere pointed me to Spyderco. I've allways wanted one but never felt compelled to spend more than about $25 for a knife I would inevitably loose. So with great anticipation I ordered an Endura with black FRN handles, with the saved $$$ I also wanted to try a Byrd Cara Cara.
1st impression was not that great as the handle felt less than rigid in the hand under only slight torsional and side to side flex. I could easily feel it flexing in hand and could visibly see the blade trying to seperate the handle at the pivot point (again, only under slight pressure). I figure it's just normal with this type of material with a handle this long. The blade, all I can say at 1st is WOW!!! most uniform and expertly ground edge I've ever seen or felt, and as allways stated extremely, even surprisingly sharp!!!!!!! So my spirits were lifted when I examined the blade and figured I can get over its somewhat minor shortcommings.
Then disaster struck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:grumpy: :grumpy: :grumpy:
After less than 1hr of ownership my new Endura had its 1st real world test. To cut a 1.25inch poly pro rope than was fouled on a barge cavel here at work on the Mississippi River (Navy men call them cleats). The rope was under a good load/ tension and as I started to cut (and with me boasting to a coworker about how few strokes it will take to finish i started counting) I knew by the 3rd cutting stroke the knife was going dull!!!! I gave up trying at 20 strokes and about 1/2inch deep. After the 11th or 12th it pretty much quit cutting regardless of how hard I pressed. Stopped for fear of loosing my temper and doing something stupid.
As this is the only knife I had on me at the time, and the Cara Cara in the room where my relief was asleep, the only option I had was to go into the galley and get a knife. Sadly, a $.50 cent steak knife finished what the Endura could not. This was not a "let see what this knife can do test" I was in almost dire need to cut this line loose to keep from breaking stuff it was attached to.
And before someone says this is something only a serated blade can do, I owned 2 el' cheapo plain edge knives that at worst were slowly able to cut and perform the same task called upon as the Spydy but at least could finish what they started. One was a $10 420J2 3.25" Smith & Wesson Spec Ops, the other a small 2.5" Gerber LST in 420HC.
Naturally I'm extremely upset, but wondering and hoping that maybe I got a defective knife. I will contact headquarters in the morning and see what they say. This was the 1st and only thing I tried to cut, So now I pretty much have a very expensive butter knife as the edge is so dull It won't even slice paper, only tear it. And fear to sharpen it cause of possible warranty issues, and no owners instructions included in the box.
