Sage 1 trump the Caly 3?

B

bobnery

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Mar 16, 2008
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Been a fan of the Caly and UKPK for a long time BUT may have found a rival. I had always steered clear of the Sage because of it not being made in Golden BUT after getting my hands on the Bradley, and liking the CF so much on it compared to Spydeco's other CF offerings I had to have a Sage 1 AND wow I think I have found the Caly replacement.... Well maybe. Anybody else dig the Sage over the Caly after using both?
 
I have not used the caly but do own the Sage and Sage 2 and by far like the design from many other spyderco knives. It fits like a glove and LOVE the comfortably jimped thumb ramp and choil. The Sage just feels so solid.
 
I have the Caly and the Sage 2. The Caly seems like a more refined knife. Something I would carry if dressing up, but the Sage 2 is all business. It seems more robust. Both are great but I've not carried the Caly since getting the Sage 2. I've got a Sage 1 on order but can't compare those yet. Maybe Monday.
 
I own the Caly 3 in G-10 and the Sage in CF (your mileage may vary if you have the CF Caly 3 - I do not so I can't compare).

I like the way the Caly 3 fits my hand versus the Sage, although the fit of the Sage is not uncomfortable - just that the Caly fits me that well.

I like the look of the Sage over my Caly. The CF scales are very nice and they have a grip to them as well. The Sage seems a bit lighter than the Caly, perhaps due to its flow-through design and the CF scales. The weight difference is no big deal to me.

Despite feeling heavier, the Caly is slightly smaller in width, length, and thickness.

Both have nice jimping around the thumb ramps and also have pronounced finger choils, which I love.

Caly 3 has a back lock and the Sage has a liner lock. The only difference is that I can close the Sage easily with one hand, but I don't mind either lock type, really.

Your choice of one over the other might be a toughie. It will boil down to your personal taste. My slight preference is for the Caly 3 for the way it fits my own hand, but it's a close race with the Sage. I carry them both a lot during an average week.
 
I was buying and carrying a new knife about every 2 months. Then I found the caly3. I did try the carbon fibre Caly3, but it feels too slick. That lasted a year and a half, no new knives, much easier on the budget. Then it was the Rock Lobster for a week or two, on to the carbon fiber Sage. Wow. We have a new winner. Again, I did have to get the Ti Sage, and it's nice, but the carbon fiber wins out. Slighty bigger, not too big, a little more robust.

Hopefully, Spydie content and back to easier on the budget.
(It is hard to resist that blue Stretch)
 
cgmblade said:
I have the Caly and the Sage 2. The Caly seems like a more refined knife. Something I would carry if dressing up, but the Sage 2 is all business. It seems more robust. Both are great but I've not carried the Caly since getting the Sage 2. I've got a Sage 1 on order but can't compare those yet. Maybe Monday.
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The Sage II would be more robust due to the Ti handle. But comparing the Caly 3 to the Sage I, I'm not sure there is any difference in strength or "robustness." Same blade width, both have full stainless liners, and G10 vs. CF handles is probably a draw. The only thing I can think of that would give the Sage I an advantage in the strength department is its S30V blade material (VG-10 for Caly3) and its slightly broader tip.:)
 
KarlMaldensNose said:
Same blade width,
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Sage blade might be same thickness, but it's definitely wider or taller depending on how you define that measurement.

The Sage is routinely compared to the Caly 3, yet the Sage is a larger knife by some measure. Sage fills the hand more than the Caly.

Also Caly 3 is unfortunately pinned. I like the option to take my knives apart if I choose, so it's a no go for me.
 
The Sage is a hybrid between the Caly and the Native. I prefer the smaller size of the Caly3 for the same blade length, it's easier to carry and fits my uses better. But I also carry the Sage 1 and 2 regularly, thy're all good.
 
Biggest plus for the Caly 3 is a hand-neutral lock. Aside from that, the Sage beats it in several ways. I can't wait for the midlock Sage, hope I live to see it.

Wrong Sage, but it will give you an idea of the relative sizes...

caly_delica_sage.jpg

Paul
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My Personal Website ---- Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting ---- Kiwimania ---- Spydiewiki
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I bought the Caly III and Sage II at the same time to try both out. I now own both sages and don't own a Caly III. The Caly III is a great knife and I'm looking at getting a UKPK, but the Sage is just... absolutely phenomenal to me. I prefer the Sage II but both are great.
 
bobnery said:
Been a fan of the Caly and UKPK for a long time BUT may have found a rival. I had always steered clear of the Sage because of it not being made in Golden BUT after getting my hands on the Bradley, and liking the CF so much on it compared to Spydeco's other CF offerings I had to have a Sage 1 AND wow I think I have found the Caly replacement.... Well maybe. Anybody else dig the Sage over the Caly after using both?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say the Sage trumped the Caly but I did sell my Caly 3 CF soon after getting my Sages and a couple other knives. I'm not sure if it was a coincidence or subliminal. I guess it just depends on what you need your EDC for and how you use it that determines the value you put into your knife choice.
 
I have both the Sage 1 and Caly 3. Because I got the Sage first, it was my EDC when I got the Caly 3. And the Caly 3 failed to trump the Sage in my view. For me, the size and ergonomics of the Sage is perfect. I have yet to find a knife that can equal the Sage, although the Native comes close. I just picked up two additional Sage 1 and one will be going to my Dad as a gift and the other will be my backup. There were some great deals on the Sage 1 in December.
 
I EDC Caly3 for more than three years and absolutely love this knife. I bought CF Sage when they come out. Nice handle, I have no problem with liner lock, but never really like the blade shape. Sold it recently. After Caly3 was discontinued I bought couple backups.
 
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For me the Caly 3 is the best edc ever and second is the sage 1. I now edc a native 3 and bought a native 3 in both blade edges cause there cheep edc.

Caly 3 all the way.........
 
I do love my Caly 3 PE and my Native SE very much. I usually carry both for different cutting tasks. I got my first Sage 1 today and have yet to do anything intensive with it. In my experience, I find the Caly 3 has a bit more secure lock than the Sage 1 (first impressions anyway).
Something about the lockbacks makes me feel a lot safer when gripping the knife. I'm happy with the Sage so far: 1. out of the box razor, 2. beautiful & functional CF scales, 3. light weight, 4. value for my $.
 
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I have both in Carbon fiber and prefer the Caly3 CF to the Sage1. The sage1 is great don't get me wrong and does have some points over the Caly3 like screws instead of pins and the textured CF. Overall though, I like the Caly3's shorter overall length for the same size cutting surface. The Caly3 is also more ergonomically shaped IMO.The Caly3 just oozes quality when the back lock snaps shut. I love the laminated steel look and the smooth CF feels just fine. I still think it's close to perfection. Of course there is a price difference, I paid about $25 more for my Caly3 CF.
 
I carry a g10 caly3 at work and then at night i carry the sage2 or caly3 cf(if i'm not carrying a bm940). I think for me it is pretty much a tie. The sage 2 I think may have the edge because the frame lock makes it easier to manipulate one handed, open construction w/screws. I've been considering picking up the sage1 because I like the 2 so much(same reason why i have both caly3s) and its a good price right now.
 
I used to own a G-10 Caly3 and now own a Sage II. I can say with confidence that I like the Caly3 quite a bit more, it's just so slim and such a great cutter.
 
I don't like the way the cutout for the lockbar on the Sage feels when not using the choil. It just doesn't feel right in my hand.

On the other hand the Caly feels great in hand. I like it better than the sage and the ZDP is just an added bonus.
 
I'm in the minority that prefer the Caly 3 over the Sage I.

I absolutely love the way the Sage looks. The only thing that bothers me about it aesthetically is that the tail end of the knife isn't rounded like the Caly. Fit and finish are amazing; it looks far more expensive than it is.

But as much as I liked the way it looks, I just didn't care for the feel of the Sage in-hand. It was a little too tall, and a little too wide. The Caly 3 feels like it was designed to fit my hand.

I also prefer the G10 version of the Caly 3. I wasn't wild about the finish on the Carbon Fiber, and it looked brownish to me in most lights. I would've greatly preferred a peel-ply finish, or the raised weave finish on the Sage I--another really nice feature about that knife.

Yep. Definitely part of a small minority here. :D
 
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