Spyderco advice

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WLX17

Joined
Jul 1, 2012
Messages
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Hey all, I am looking to upgrade from my current spyderco tenacious, to one a made here in the US. I like the quality of the chinese one, and the price is great, but I just think it's time to upgrade. That being said, I am not positive on exactly what I want, so I am looking for advice. The main purpose of the knife is to be a camping knife, with the occasional everyday use. I like the combo edges, and would like to have something that is on the smaller size. It will not be used for skinning, but may be used to cut up the occasional fish. Price is not a concern, but I don't want to waste money on features I wouldn't need/use. As for construction, I would be willing to pay a bit more for top notch construction, something I can pass on to my son some day. I have been thinking about getting a Randall Knife, but the fact they don't fold and go in my pocket, has me thinking I will hardly ever have a chance to even carry/use such a fine knife. That being said, I am open for any and all suggestions... Oh, and one last thing, I would also like it to be collectable, something that I wouldn't be able to repurchase at wal-mart in a couple years.

thanks for all the help....
 
Yep, Para-2 or Manix-2, if you want it to be more "collectible" go for a sprint run model:)
 
seanifred...

Do you recommend not going with a combo edge? I have never had one, and just assumed it would add to the versatility.

thanks..
 
WLX17 said:
Oh, and one last thing, I would also like it to be collectable, something that I wouldn't be able to repurchase at wal-mart in a couple years.

thanks for all the help....
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I'm not sure you have to worry about that. I don't think you can get any Spydercos at Walmart. :D

Are you opposed to Japanese blades? I can't give you any real-world experience as I haven't received one yet but I just ordered a now discontinued blue stretch in ZDP-189 (they still make it in green or with a VG-10 blade with black handle). It's got a FRN handle and FFG blade. From the reviews, this knife is very well regarded. It's not too fancy looking, although they used to have a model with slick looking carbon fiber scales. If you're familiar with the delica or endura it has the same type of FRN grip, though a different shape.

ZDP-189 is supposed to be a very good blade steel and many people compliment the handle shape and the way it feels. It's in the price range of a paramilitary 2, which I have used and do recommend if you choose to go US made.
 
The CF Stretch with a ZDP189 blade is disco'd but still available at a few places. That might fit your criteria for "collectability" and it's certainly a popular user.
 
Thallium, Wal-Mart is where I got my Tenacious. They had a lot more models available too. I think they are only online though.
 
What is the best metal available at or under $500 on a spyderco? I have a tendency to chip the tips off of cheaper knives.
 
WLX17 said:
Thallium, Wal-Mart is where I got my Tenacious. They had a lot more models available too. I think they are only online though.
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I stand corrected. It does look like they're only online sales but they'll ship to a store. It looks like they carry a lot of models and not just the low end stuff.
 
WLX17 said:
What is the best metal available at or under $500 on a spyderco? I have a tendency to chip the tips off of cheaper knives.
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In my mind the Paramilitary 2 is the model that is similar to the configuration of the Tenacious. You can compare them in my photo.

photo407b-1.jpg



As for best metal- M390 is one of the best stainless steels that Spyderco has used, I think S90V is another one. These are available in limited runs and you will pay $200+ for one on the used market. I think Spyderco has made some knives using M4 tool steel and those might be a little more resistant to chipping. If you have a problem with chipping tips then first of all you might be using the knives the wrong way and second you probably don't want one of these Spydercos. They are made for slicing and as such they have relatively thin tips, not good for prying or whatever.

If I was worried about chipping tips I would use one of these big CRKT's, or I would carry a small fixed blade knife with a reinforced tip in some steel like 1095.

DSC_6633b.jpg
 
How do you define "strongest"? Typically the harder steels aren't the toughest, but hold an edge longer. What steel properties are you referring too? With a tendancy to snap the tips off knives I assume you like tougher steels over edge retention? That's curious though, because cheaper knives typically have softer steel, hence the typical poor edge holding in cheap knives.

I can't say I know the properties of all the steels Spyderco uses myself enough to tell you which are the best for each property, but someone out there does, and if you can specify the properties important to you they'll be able to provide a better answe. Also, check out Spyderco's edge-u-cation page.
 
WLX17 said:
seanifred...

Do you recommend not going with a combo edge? I have never had one, and just assumed it would add to the versatility.

thanks..
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Here is what I think of combo edges, http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/968707-Grinding-Out-Serrations

I would not buy another one, but I am looking at a fully serrated Endura.

To your question, I would recommend a Sage 3. Sorry it is not US made, but behind my Tenacious it would be the knife I take camping. It is smaller than a Tenacious, but still has a good full size grip for most. The reason I like it, is it has S30V, it is tough, and is a great one-handed, fast, safe knife when you are doing more than one thing at a time. It is my favorite of the Sage series, but any Sage would be great for camping except the 4 (I do not have one, but I would not call it a camp knife).
 
I recommended (6 months ago), that my youngest brother try a Tenacious, to see if he liked the classic Spyderco design. Well, he's sold on Spyderco. He loves his Tenacious.

I showed him my Para 2 at our annual family reunion over the weekend. We don't get together often, because he's in WI and I'm in FL :(

His wife (a great gal, BTW), caught some of our conversation and said that he should wait, so she could buy one for him!

As for myself, the Para 2 is a lifetime blade. It's the perfect EDC knife. Spyderco is an icon, and the Para 2 is an iconic knife. The Para 2 will prove to be the most famous and popular knife they've ever produced, if it isn't already.

P.S. The S30V steel holds a great edge. I haven't had to refresh mine yet (after a year of EDC).
Get one.
 
The Para 2 is a fantastic knife. The shape is also a great one if you really do need to squeeze the knife into the role of a skinning knife. I don't know about hunting much, but it's a good shape for cleanly taking the scales off of fish in my experience. I wouldn't want to use a Manix for that. Just not the right shape for it in my opinion. The Para 2, on the other hand, has a fantastic blade shape for the vast majority of tasks.
 
For a great EDC on the Smaller side, that has a very strong lock and great quality I'd go with the Para 2, if you want absolute strongest folder Spyderco Makes with the strongest steel Spyderco has used, that probably not many people will have, wait for the Tuff to come out, it is on the larger side though
images

images
 
WLX17 said:
Does anyone know what the strongest metal offered by Spyderco is?
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Let's get some terms straight first off:
So what is the difference between these commonly confused terms? The answer can be found in a few simple definitions.
A metal is a chemical element of various opaque, fusible, ductile and lustrous substances [source: Merriam-Webster]. The elements referred to in that definition are the same ones you studied when you lear*ned about the periodic table of the elements in high school chemistry. Some common metals are titanium, copper and nickel.
Steel, on the other hand, is an alloy of iron with varying amounts of carbon content (from 0.5 to 1.5 percent) [source: Merriam-Webster]. Steel, being an alloy and therefore not a pure element, is not technically a metal but a variation on one instead. It's partially composed of a metal, iron, but because it also has non-metal carbon in its chemical make-up, it's not a pure metal.

Now that we have that out of the way. What exactly are you doing to destroy the tips of your knives?
 
Nothing as of late. But the old swiss army knife I have been lugging around for 20 years has a broken tip. Im not even sure how I did it, I am sure doing something I wouldn't do today. Either way, its annoyed me so much, I guess I am out to completely prevent it from ever happening again.
 
Get the delica although you probably shouldnt listen to me becuase the delica and the native are the only folders i have
 
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