Sage II Titanium?

powernoodle said:
The spydie hole was a little sharp for my liking and I gently smoothed it out, but thats very picky and I'm the only person I know who has raised that minor issue.
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Mine's the same way. I guess that's the difference between Taiwan and Golden. It's not a deal breaker though. I was going to fix it, but the longer I wait the tougher my thumb gets. Mine was ~$140.

 
anyone feel free to pm me on a site for $140!

luv this knife!
 
I picked on up here on the Exchange for $100.. it's a great knife. If you have the means, get one and just keep your eyes open on the for sale section. I could care less where it is made as long as the quality is there.
 
I just have been rather content with the USA and Japanese Spydercos so far.
I don't really feel I'm doing anything to myself, by not buying the Taiwan and China manufactured models. Just haven't felt the need to. Something that I have to have comes along made in Taiwan maybe I would buy it. I'm more of a collector anyway and USA and Japan models are where it's at for that.
 
jill jackson said:
Something that I have to have comes along made in Taiwan maybe I would buy it. I'm more of a collector anyway and USA and Japan models are where it's at for that.
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I'd say take a chance on the Sage, but only if you like titanium handles and frame locks. It's a nice knife, and should be very collectable if most people blow them off for the Taiwan thing. Eventually people will figure out how good it is.
 
My EDC rotation is either a CF Manix2 or a Ti Sage. I blackened the clip on my Manix, so I carry it with dark pants. I carry the Sage when I wear light ones because the wire clip is less noticeable.

I carried the same knife for five years but now my EDC has changed four times this year after getting heavily involved with Bladeforums. Since January I went from a Benchmade AFCK 806 to a WilkinsGrip to a Chuck Gedraitis custom Ti framelock to the CF S90V Manix2/Ti Sage combo I'm carrying now. I've got plenty of knives to choose from, so I wouldn't be carrying the Sage unless it impressed me greatly.

If the blade was 1/2 inch longer I would buy a dozen of them and sell almost every other folder I own.
 
Reeek said:
I consider the Sage II as one of the best Spyderco's available today. It's a fantastic knife in every respect IMHO.
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I agree, and think its one of the best knives from anyone in many years.
I have many spyderco's, my first in early 80's, and the SageII fits my hand better than any. The RIL and Ti are just a bonus.

Like Powernoodle my hole and spine was very crisp. Only took a few minutes to smooth them out to my liking.

I haven't carried my sebbies(or other spydies) since i got the sageII almost two months ago.
 
CL01 said:
Also, I believe Sal himself has said that he uses the particular Taiwain factory because of the quality knives it puts out, not the cost. In fact, IIRC, he said there isn't really a savings using them (When using higher end materials) because of the increase of shipping costs (Shipping S30V to Taiwan, then the product back to the U.S., along with customs costs, etc).
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Actually, Sal said there was 25-30% savings with using the Taiwan contractor. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=663876

You are correct that Sal attributed their decision to quality, but the savings is considerable even on limited production. Large manufacturers spend millions on improving efficiencies by 1 to 2% and most businesses would love to have a 30% profit margin. Increasing profitability by 25-30% is considerable in my opinion.
 
Sage II is very well built and no quality issues I have found. I don't normally buy any knives made in Taiwan. I got this one because of the Spyderco brand and the Calypso - ish design with the RIL. If it were from any other brand I would have passed because of country of origin.
 
nevermind
Edit:My post was over the top and would have exploded some heads....
 
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So far, I have 3 Taiwan made Spydies, a bunch Japan made ones, a few USA made ones, and 4 China made ones. I can't tell any difference in quality between the first three. The Chinese ones have a little wider tolerances in the materials used, but really, steel quality aside, very similar.

I think the Japanese Spydies come with the sharpest edges in the holes. I always have to knock the edge down a bit for comfort. Just don't overdo it. :)
 
the fit and finish of the Sage 2 is certainly better than the Lum ZDP from Japan, except for the blade finish.
 
jurisprudence said:
Actually, Sal said there was 25-30% savings with using the Taiwan contractor. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=663876

You are correct that Sal attributed their decision to quality, but the savings is considerable even on limited production. Large manufacturers spend millions on improving efficiencies by 1 to 2% and most businesses would love to have a 30% profit margin. Increasing profitability by 25-30% is considerable in my opinion.
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Reread it, Sal said there's a 25-30% savings in using the Taiwan manufacturer, but that that savings gets eaten up by shipping U.S. steel to Taiwan along with "other" small parts & the clip, then to pay shipping, duties, & brokerage fees, etc, "there really isn't much of a cost savings."

That aside, I would like to get a Sage II (Have had a Sage I) & the Terzuola slipit (Which, I believe is made in Taiwan, too). I've personally noticed what seems like a decrease in quality of Spydercos made in Japan (Rough edges, G-10's not smooth on the edges, etc). Although I have to admit the Rock Lobster I just got (Made in Japan) was excellent.
 
Shipping costs aren't an issue in the global industry anymore.
I think the transport costs are a minor factor in the production and overall costs of a product.
For example shrimps which are "catched ?" in the Northsea near Belgium are transported by air to be peeled in Asia and then they are flown right back to Belgium to be packed and sold.
 
CL01 said:
Reread it, Sal said there's a 25-30% savings in using the Taiwan manufacturer, but that that savings gets eaten up by shipping U.S. steel to Taiwan along with "other" small parts & the clip, then to pay shipping, duties, & brokerage fees, etc, "there really isn't much of a cost savings."
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I read his response differently than you. Reading it again, I do not think it is clear whether the 25-30% is before shipping or after. If he meant that savings was eroded by shipping, then shipping charges are much higher than I imagined. You may be correct, but I still find it difficult to believe that cost was not a factor in selection of the manufacturer.
 
Our margins are pretty fixed. We experiment at times with a lower margin, but never a very high margin. If the knifes costs us less to make, we charge less.

sal
 
Both Sage models are among the best Spydercos I have, in terms of design as well as overall quality. In terms of value for money, the CF Sage wins hands down.
 
5.56 said:
The Sage is a proven model, you'll find a lot of people are split on this one because of the origin of manufacture though. Plan on spending $170 for it too.
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Yep. That's what irks me the most about this knife. Looks like a nice one, but the thought of spending $170 on a TAIWAN made knife gives me some pause. I was able to buy an S90V & Carbon Fiber Manix 2 (thankfully made in Golden, CO USA EARTH) for about $180, so I have some doubts about why we still must pay so much for a production knife made in Taiwan.
 
I bought one (from the excellent folks selling it for $140) earlier this week. Overall, I'm very impressed, especially considering the price. This is a well-made knife with top-quality materials. Honestly, I think it's better made and finished than either of my Caly3 knives. It doesn't feel quite as solid because it's so light (thanks to the titanium framelock design), but I think that's mostly an illusion created by the greater weight of the Caly3. I should mention that I'm primarily a left-handed knife user, and the Sage 2 is designed in such a way that it's easy for me to open and close left-handed. (There's a thread on this topic in the Spyderco forum right now.) I'd give the Sage 2 very high marks and recommend it without reservations.

powernoodle said:
The Sage II does not have the heft or "bank vault" feel of a Sebenza. It feels much lighter in the hand. JMO. :thumbup:
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This is true - but you can buy the Sage 2 for $140. The cheapest price on a SmallSeb new is $330, more than 2x as much.

jill jackson said:
I just can't spend my cash on a Spyderco made anywhere other than the USA, Japan or the couple I have from Italy.
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Not picking on Jill, just quoting that because of the numerous Taiwan comments. Even if folks are hung up on China, we should remember that Taiwan is not "China." When I was young, "made in Japan" meant cheap. Today, it is a mark of quality. Sal's comment from another thread is worth reading:

Sal Glesser said:
Taiwan is no longer a "cheap" soure for knifemaking. Their dollar is stronger than in previous years. We can save 25%-30% with Taiwan manufacturer. When you consider that the steel is made in the US and we ship it to the maker along with the clip & other small parts we ship. Then we have to pay shipping and duties, brokerage fees, etc. There really isn't much of a cost savings. We use this maker because of his skill, not because he is in Taiwan or it might be less expensive.

In fact, most Taiwan makers are now working with China to save money. This particular maker is a good partner with us.

sal
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