- Joined
- Oct 5, 2005
- Messages
- 2,400
My Tuff arrived yesterday and here are some initial impressions:
Blade: this is really why I bought the knife to begin with: a 4mm thick chunk of CPM-3V tool steel with a beautiful satin finish and massive fuller. The fuller allows for full tip thickness to remain intact while reducing weight and allowing a thinner primary grind on the blade. Jimping could be sharper (personal preference). Spyderhole is easy to access, crisp, and sharp (just like it should be). Blade profile looks extremely strange until you start using it. The generous choil allows for several methods of handling the knife and most of the cutting this knife is designed to do seems to be directed more towards the 1st half of the cutting edge (does that make since?).
If you are looking for a high speed, low drag operator knife, please look elsewhere. Want a quick / flick / deploying knife to take down that suspicious-looking sub sandwich for lunch? Also look elsewhere (although I'm sure it can handle the task!).
You want a knife that can take any amount of reasonable punishment you can throw at it? You will love the Tuff.
Sharpness: way above average for a knife this thick. Pops hair and slices standard copy paper with no drag. This is huge advantage is the partial flat (saber) grind from the bottom of the fuller to the edge, rather than a full flat grind. CPM-3V can take quite a bit of punishment (YouTube provides many fixed blades in 3V taking an enormous amount of abuse without edge failure/crumbling). Not sure of the Rockwell hardness specs, but I've only had above average experience with numerous types of steel from Spyderco so I'm sure this one is no different.
Locking mechanism: I read someone on here that the industry standard in a few years will be these stainless-inset locking tabs on a titanium locking spring - and I have to agree. You get the best of both worlds: lightweight and mechanical spring properties of titanium, with the strength and wear-resistance of a stainless-on-steel interface. Some would argue that this is an additional feature to the knife that has the possibility of failing, but I know the upsides outweigh that perceived disadvantage. Once the detent is overcome, the lockup is quick, snappy, and the sound this knife makes when locking up puts a smile on my face and confidence that the locking mechanism was designed correctly. The detent is extremely strong, but with a couple drops of Mil-Tec and working the knife open and closed, it's already loosening up. If you have little weak thumbs, this knife will seem unusually stiff for you. But guess what? Deal with it.
It's designed that way for a reason. Unlocking is not as hard as people make it out to be. DO NOT take your knife apart and tinker with the locking mechanism like some dumbass did on YouTube. Engineering drawings exist somewhere in Spyderco's document control system that outlines tension specs, lockface geometry, etc..... you think you are smarter than a mechanical design engineer?
Ergonomics: Above average. I'll have more to say once I get the knife out in the field, but using the choil is my preferred method. Balancing point is right at the unlocking point on the handle. Pretty hefty knife but it carries well in jeans.
Clip: hourglass style clip with 3 separate attachment points around either the lanyard hole or the pivot (like the Military clip). Not as strong tension as a Military clip, but it's more than acceptable. The knife felt better in the hands once I moved the clip to tip-up (it comes tip down from the factory and I just prefer tip up on most of my knives). My hand melts into the indented area of the clip in all grips and it feels great. The tip up clip placement also helps with opening the knife by allowing an anchoring points for you fingers.
Pivot: I'm blown away at the high level of machining on this knife, and all you have to do is look at both sides of the pivot to reflect this. Very cool design. I haven't taken the knife down yet, but pictures on the web confirm it is overbuilt. I might take it down once day to check out the type of threading used.
As a study in engineering and materials, this design excels in applying materials where they need to be to make the strongest, yet refined knife as possible. Stainless steel where it needs to be (full skeletonized liner, clip, all screws, standoffs housed within the G-10 backspacer, lockbar insert, pivot), titanium where it needs to be (thick handle scale with an integrated locking spring), G-10 where it needs to be: (non-lock side handle scale, full G-10 backspacer), and tool steel where it needs to be (blade).
For $230 - $250 street price, you're getting a hell of a bargain for the level of fit/finish and materials used on this one. It's at the higher end of the spectrum (price wise) in the Spyderco line up, but once you get the knife in your hands, you understand why.
I'll find some idiosyncrasies of the knife as I use it over time, but you can tell a lot of thought and time went into the development of this knife. Kudos to Mr. Schempp, Sal, the Spyderco crew, and Taichung for making the Tuff a reality! :thumbup:
Blade: this is really why I bought the knife to begin with: a 4mm thick chunk of CPM-3V tool steel with a beautiful satin finish and massive fuller. The fuller allows for full tip thickness to remain intact while reducing weight and allowing a thinner primary grind on the blade. Jimping could be sharper (personal preference). Spyderhole is easy to access, crisp, and sharp (just like it should be). Blade profile looks extremely strange until you start using it. The generous choil allows for several methods of handling the knife and most of the cutting this knife is designed to do seems to be directed more towards the 1st half of the cutting edge (does that make since?).
If you are looking for a high speed, low drag operator knife, please look elsewhere. Want a quick / flick / deploying knife to take down that suspicious-looking sub sandwich for lunch? Also look elsewhere (although I'm sure it can handle the task!).
You want a knife that can take any amount of reasonable punishment you can throw at it? You will love the Tuff.
Sharpness: way above average for a knife this thick. Pops hair and slices standard copy paper with no drag. This is huge advantage is the partial flat (saber) grind from the bottom of the fuller to the edge, rather than a full flat grind. CPM-3V can take quite a bit of punishment (YouTube provides many fixed blades in 3V taking an enormous amount of abuse without edge failure/crumbling). Not sure of the Rockwell hardness specs, but I've only had above average experience with numerous types of steel from Spyderco so I'm sure this one is no different.
Locking mechanism: I read someone on here that the industry standard in a few years will be these stainless-inset locking tabs on a titanium locking spring - and I have to agree. You get the best of both worlds: lightweight and mechanical spring properties of titanium, with the strength and wear-resistance of a stainless-on-steel interface. Some would argue that this is an additional feature to the knife that has the possibility of failing, but I know the upsides outweigh that perceived disadvantage. Once the detent is overcome, the lockup is quick, snappy, and the sound this knife makes when locking up puts a smile on my face and confidence that the locking mechanism was designed correctly. The detent is extremely strong, but with a couple drops of Mil-Tec and working the knife open and closed, it's already loosening up. If you have little weak thumbs, this knife will seem unusually stiff for you. But guess what? Deal with it.
It's designed that way for a reason. Unlocking is not as hard as people make it out to be. DO NOT take your knife apart and tinker with the locking mechanism like some dumbass did on YouTube. Engineering drawings exist somewhere in Spyderco's document control system that outlines tension specs, lockface geometry, etc..... you think you are smarter than a mechanical design engineer? Ergonomics: Above average. I'll have more to say once I get the knife out in the field, but using the choil is my preferred method. Balancing point is right at the unlocking point on the handle. Pretty hefty knife but it carries well in jeans.
Clip: hourglass style clip with 3 separate attachment points around either the lanyard hole or the pivot (like the Military clip). Not as strong tension as a Military clip, but it's more than acceptable. The knife felt better in the hands once I moved the clip to tip-up (it comes tip down from the factory and I just prefer tip up on most of my knives). My hand melts into the indented area of the clip in all grips and it feels great. The tip up clip placement also helps with opening the knife by allowing an anchoring points for you fingers.
Pivot: I'm blown away at the high level of machining on this knife, and all you have to do is look at both sides of the pivot to reflect this. Very cool design. I haven't taken the knife down yet, but pictures on the web confirm it is overbuilt. I might take it down once day to check out the type of threading used.
As a study in engineering and materials, this design excels in applying materials where they need to be to make the strongest, yet refined knife as possible. Stainless steel where it needs to be (full skeletonized liner, clip, all screws, standoffs housed within the G-10 backspacer, lockbar insert, pivot), titanium where it needs to be (thick handle scale with an integrated locking spring), G-10 where it needs to be: (non-lock side handle scale, full G-10 backspacer), and tool steel where it needs to be (blade).
For $230 - $250 street price, you're getting a hell of a bargain for the level of fit/finish and materials used on this one. It's at the higher end of the spectrum (price wise) in the Spyderco line up, but once you get the knife in your hands, you understand why.
I'll find some idiosyncrasies of the knife as I use it over time, but you can tell a lot of thought and time went into the development of this knife. Kudos to Mr. Schempp, Sal, the Spyderco crew, and Taichung for making the Tuff a reality! :thumbup:
