Sage or Caly? Need advice....

B

BigJerk

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Jan 26, 2010
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I'm in the market for a new EDC Spydie, and think I have narrowed it down to a Sage or Caly. They both seem to be of about the same size and price, so I am wandering what are some pros and cons of each knife? My main purpose for this knife is just a good quality EDC blade, that will get moderate daily use.
Thanks for any help you can give me!
 
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All 3 are great. If you like a frame or liner lock get a Sage (II or I), if you prefer a backlock get a Caly.

The Caly is ground slightly thinner, but they are all very capable cutters.

I prefer frame and liner locks so my Sages get more carry time.
 
For me it will be Caly for lock and steel. The Sage lock access cutouts are big enough to make a difference for me even if I wasn't left handed (affects grip) and the S30V isn't my favourite, especially compared to ZDP189. Both feel about OK in hand for me although I have yet to acquire either permanently.

The Caly 3 CF has a lamination line which you may dislike.
 
Out of you choice I would go with Caly3. I prefer midlock to liner lock and like the blade shape on Caly3 much more. Did you think about Caly3.5? Great knife. I EDCed Caly3 for four years, but few month ago Caly3.5 took little sister's place in my pocket. With almost the same size and weight you are getting blade 1/2" longer, which is always helpful. Just a thought.
Good luck
 
The Sage I and II are great knives, but +1 on the Caly 3.5 You get an extra half inch of blade in a lighter and more compact package.

Paul
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The Caly 3 was my first Spyderco and EDC. Recently I picked up the Sage 1 and Sage 2. So, I have all three. :)

At this moment, I'm carrying the Sage 1.

Honestly, you really can't go wrong with any one of them. They're all VERY nice. I will say I think the Titanium frame lock of the Sage 2 is very cool from a minimalist / simplicity perspective. I also think it's the "dressiest" of the three.
 
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You sure can't pick a loser! The Sage is really nice if you like the open construction and the dual finger choils are perfect. "If" the pinned construction of the Caly may bother you that is something to think about. It's such a good knife it doesn't bother me.
 
I prefer the liner lock and flow through design of the Sages, plus you can actually disassemble them.
To me, the most important factor will be the handle ergonomics. If you have large hands or long fingers, the Sage1 fills the hand best. The Caly3 rides a little nicer in the pocket being slightly slimmer. The Sage2 is in between, not quite as thick as the Sage1 but very hard to tell the diff.
I sold my Caly3 and kept the Sages but would like to pick up another Caly3 someday even though it didn't get carried as much.
 
I had both the Sage I and Caly3 and kept the Sage I just because it fit in my hand a bit better. YMMV.
 
I really like the Caly. The carbon fiber and ZDP make it an awesome knife. Not a big fan of the Sage 1 & 2 because of the cutout for access to the lock. However when the Sage 3 comes out with the bolt lock it won't have that recess and I will probably end up buying a couple of them. Out of what is available now I would definitely pick the Caly.
 
I have both, I prefer the caly for casual carry, I also like the higher thumb ramp on the caly...hard to make a bad choice here :D
 
They're both good. I like the style and ergos of the Sage a little more. The super steel of the Caly could tip the balance if that's important to you. Or if you have a lock preference that could be the deciding factor. Both knives are smooth with great fit and finish.
 
Both great knives. I too sold my Caly3 and kept the two Sages and carry the Sage II which I think is better for bigger hands (as already mentioned). I also find the Sage pattern more appealing to the eye.
 
I prefer the Sage. Better construction, I prefer the lock, no laminated blade, and I prefer the ergos of the handle.
 
Criteria being quality EDC, well either is a fine choice. Sage offers a couple different lock and scale options. Caly can be had in ZDP-189.

For me, it comes down to ergos and I prefer the Caly. In fact, the Caly has the best ergos of any knife I currently own or have owned. The ergos on the Sage are very good, but not as good as the Caly in my opinion. Comfort in hand comes down to personal preference, so I recommend getting your hands on them before purchasing if possible.
 
Sage 1 or 2. Both are awesome. S30V is my favorite steel. I also like the ergos on the sage a lot better. That caly 3 feels nice but feels kind of small to me in my hand. I like a knife that fills my hand more. Also bath sages are flow through which are SO much easier to clean. The Caly3 is a great knife and one of my favorites but i just like the Sage better
 
The lock is the biggest difference in my book. And I prefer framelocks, so you can guess which one I'd lean towards.
 
Personally I would go with the Caly 3, IMO it doesn’t get much better particularly in the CF/ZDP variation.
 
sage, either one, i have the titanium but would love to have the cf version. s30v is awsome and i have a stretch in zdp 189, like it less every time i sharpen it. the tip chipped a little last time i did and i had to do a little more work to get a tip back. if the caly was in s30v or even vg10 id love to give one a try. i like back locks maybe a little more than frame/liner locks especially in a larger blade knife but at the 3" range either one is fine imo.
 
Caly 3 is a more streamlined knife. Both the blade and the handle are thinner.

So.. if you want a more robust knife, go with the Sage. For a smaller overall package, go for the Caly 3.

Me.. I just traded out a Sage (awesome knife still) for another gentleman's knife, knowing I had the Caly 3 CF still to rely on.
 
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