- Joined
- Jul 7, 2000
- Messages
- 1,556
Cross-posted to GlockTalk,BladeForums, and SDF
First let me get the negative stuff out of the way:
I must say that I'm pretty disappointed with the fit and the finish on this knife. The entire inside of the skeletonized handle is completely unfinished. On this inner portion of the handle, the micarta scales do not sit flush with the steel handle at all. Furthermore, they are rough and grainy, like sandpaper, and adhesive residue is visible at a couple points.
The various machining points on the blade also look rough. The edge grind itself looks choppy, as if someone took it to the grinder with a shaky hand. Still, the edge is extremely sharp. Also, the chamfering looks wavy, or rough at points.
The sheath is loose and allows a slight rattle of the knife. I tested retention by bouncing the knife up and down on its chain and other such tests and the sheath held fine. Still, it's a bit loose on the draw. I would prefer something that clicked in with more confidence. Out of the various neck knives I have owned, this one takes the least amount of force to unsheath. Not so loose that it will fall out from daily activity, it seems, but it still makes me nervous.
I don't know if this is how all of the SPOTs are leaving the factory or if I just got a lemon. I hope the latter as this certainly isn't the kind of work that Spyderco should be known for. But I am a bit worried as the last two Spydercos that I purchased new before this one also had problems. Namely, I received a Meerkat with a rounded tip, and a Chinook with a crappy factory edge. These just struck me as luck of the draw at the time but now I'm wondering if I'm seeing a dip in Spyderco's QC. Granted, these are only three specimens out of thousands that they must sell, but if this was completely chance rather than a trend, it's odd that I would get all three.
Now with all of that said, I like this knife.
The main problems that I have with it are cosmetic: not worth sending it in. I am curious, however, as to who else is seeing these issues. The sheath, while I would prefer more retention, is very slick. I really like the Snody method of attaching it to a chain. This design goes the extra mile to prevent the knife from flipping around on its chain.
Retention, is of course, spectacular. I don't know whether it was intended in the design or not, but you can actually get your pinky into the bottom of the skeletonized handle for an even more solid grip. Well, at least I can. Maybe your fingers are too thick to do so. But this grip allows me not only the most solid hold possible, but it turns the butt of the knife into a good striking point.
The SPOT fills the hand better than La Griffe, but size isn't that different as you can see in the picture. This knife is another great work in ergonomics by Spyderco. The way it rides in its sheath though does present a larger overall package than does La Griffe.
The spine is serrated from the micarta scales up to the middle of the second decorative hole. This is a nice feature but I would have rather seen that production effort go into the overall fit and finish.
The decorate holes are nice but best I can tell, the sheath doesn't utilize them. This is a big mistake in my opinion. The great thing about kydex is that it can grab on to any aspect of a knife. I would have loved to have seen tiny dimples inside the sheath that fit into the decorative holes. This would allow a better fit of the sheath and might eliminate my rattling problems.
The SPOT is ambidextrous and works in a forward or reverse grip. The inward cant of the blade allows for increased cutting efficiency and the tip really rips through stuff. I like this blade shape but for a knife this size I'm not sure it's any better (or even as good) as a good wharncliffe or slight hawksbill (such as La Griffe). A big benefit of this shape though is the fact that you have a belly to work with (however small) but still a good tip for ripping. This puts the SPOT miles ahead of La Griffe in the utility realm but that's not really what these knives were said to be designed for. Still, I can see myself using this in the future for small, around the house chores.
Like I said, I really like the knife, and it has replaced my 2002 La Griffe as my neck knife EDC (at least for now). I always thought it would be a cold day in hell, however, when an Emerson would have fit and finish miles beyond that of a Spyderco. Spyderco needs to iron out these annoyances or at least drop the price of the knife somewhat. Perhaps I'm being unrealistic, however. After all, I have no idea how much this thing would cost in raw materials, much less with production. Still, it's questionable why the Emerson La Griffe with 154CM steel and Black Oxide finish retails for $71.95 while the SPOT with AUS-6 steel and a bead blast finish retails for $69.95. I bought the Micarta model (which retails for $109.95), and I'd do so again, but given the fact that they cost about the same, you could never get me to buy the AUS-6 SPOT over La Griffe.
Here are some pics to illustrate all that I touched on in this short writeup. Please excuse Tripod's pop-up banners: that is the price I must pay for free hosting.
First let me get the negative stuff out of the way:
I must say that I'm pretty disappointed with the fit and the finish on this knife. The entire inside of the skeletonized handle is completely unfinished. On this inner portion of the handle, the micarta scales do not sit flush with the steel handle at all. Furthermore, they are rough and grainy, like sandpaper, and adhesive residue is visible at a couple points.
The various machining points on the blade also look rough. The edge grind itself looks choppy, as if someone took it to the grinder with a shaky hand. Still, the edge is extremely sharp. Also, the chamfering looks wavy, or rough at points.
The sheath is loose and allows a slight rattle of the knife. I tested retention by bouncing the knife up and down on its chain and other such tests and the sheath held fine. Still, it's a bit loose on the draw. I would prefer something that clicked in with more confidence. Out of the various neck knives I have owned, this one takes the least amount of force to unsheath. Not so loose that it will fall out from daily activity, it seems, but it still makes me nervous.
I don't know if this is how all of the SPOTs are leaving the factory or if I just got a lemon. I hope the latter as this certainly isn't the kind of work that Spyderco should be known for. But I am a bit worried as the last two Spydercos that I purchased new before this one also had problems. Namely, I received a Meerkat with a rounded tip, and a Chinook with a crappy factory edge. These just struck me as luck of the draw at the time but now I'm wondering if I'm seeing a dip in Spyderco's QC. Granted, these are only three specimens out of thousands that they must sell, but if this was completely chance rather than a trend, it's odd that I would get all three.
Now with all of that said, I like this knife.
The main problems that I have with it are cosmetic: not worth sending it in. I am curious, however, as to who else is seeing these issues. The sheath, while I would prefer more retention, is very slick. I really like the Snody method of attaching it to a chain. This design goes the extra mile to prevent the knife from flipping around on its chain.
Retention, is of course, spectacular. I don't know whether it was intended in the design or not, but you can actually get your pinky into the bottom of the skeletonized handle for an even more solid grip. Well, at least I can. Maybe your fingers are too thick to do so. But this grip allows me not only the most solid hold possible, but it turns the butt of the knife into a good striking point.
The SPOT fills the hand better than La Griffe, but size isn't that different as you can see in the picture. This knife is another great work in ergonomics by Spyderco. The way it rides in its sheath though does present a larger overall package than does La Griffe.
The spine is serrated from the micarta scales up to the middle of the second decorative hole. This is a nice feature but I would have rather seen that production effort go into the overall fit and finish.
The decorate holes are nice but best I can tell, the sheath doesn't utilize them. This is a big mistake in my opinion. The great thing about kydex is that it can grab on to any aspect of a knife. I would have loved to have seen tiny dimples inside the sheath that fit into the decorative holes. This would allow a better fit of the sheath and might eliminate my rattling problems.
The SPOT is ambidextrous and works in a forward or reverse grip. The inward cant of the blade allows for increased cutting efficiency and the tip really rips through stuff. I like this blade shape but for a knife this size I'm not sure it's any better (or even as good) as a good wharncliffe or slight hawksbill (such as La Griffe). A big benefit of this shape though is the fact that you have a belly to work with (however small) but still a good tip for ripping. This puts the SPOT miles ahead of La Griffe in the utility realm but that's not really what these knives were said to be designed for. Still, I can see myself using this in the future for small, around the house chores.
Like I said, I really like the knife, and it has replaced my 2002 La Griffe as my neck knife EDC (at least for now). I always thought it would be a cold day in hell, however, when an Emerson would have fit and finish miles beyond that of a Spyderco. Spyderco needs to iron out these annoyances or at least drop the price of the knife somewhat. Perhaps I'm being unrealistic, however. After all, I have no idea how much this thing would cost in raw materials, much less with production. Still, it's questionable why the Emerson La Griffe with 154CM steel and Black Oxide finish retails for $71.95 while the SPOT with AUS-6 steel and a bead blast finish retails for $69.95. I bought the Micarta model (which retails for $109.95), and I'd do so again, but given the fact that they cost about the same, you could never get me to buy the AUS-6 SPOT over La Griffe.
Here are some pics to illustrate all that I touched on in this short writeup. Please excuse Tripod's pop-up banners: that is the price I must pay for free hosting.
As you saw from the the posts there, the finish problem on the Micarta scales is not totally isolated. Those who have handled the SPOT, IMO, so far agree with your evaluation of its function, form, and ergonomic fit. Good view on the stability of the sheath also! 
