Spyderco as a blade of choice. . .

M

mudthang

Joined
Oct 24, 2001
Messages
13
Hi there Spydie gurus

I bought a Spyderco Endura some years' back which I fell in lust with (pretty much) on first sight. The blade's totally serrated which I liked at the time as I'd bought the blade primarily for self-defence but... some buddies of mine (whom I respect deeply) did intensive field trials on many cutting edges and say, with the video to back 'em up, that...

1. Serrations are great for clean first-surface work. If you go straight to a hunk of meat, arm, aggressive blade hand, it'll cut well. Guess that's what the Civilian and Matriarch do best --> self defence.

2. But if there's any clothing in the way, like say a cotton T-shirt, or denim jacket, the serration's tend to get clogged with fibre thus limiting the cuttability and deeper edge-on-flesh slice-ability of the blade.

3. Any comment? I now carry the Endura, like a tenderly-remembered lover, as a back-up and awesome heavy-duty utility but that thought on serrations keeps me thinking.

4. (a) Also some people say that Sypderco blades are hard-working but ugly. Is there any real aesthetic sensibility involved here? Is there something about blade shape that makes one person love the line of one design and recoil at another?

(b) Much has been made of newer locking mechanisms like Benchmade's Axis and much dissing of older-style liner locks which some say 'tend to fold' in the heat of action so to speak. Whether I'm using an Endura or a small-biting Cricket with a different lock mechanism, I want to know that when my back's against a wall both blades will keep to the task in hand.

Could someone who knows Spydercos well comment?

Just wondering
Thank you and keep well
mudthang
 
Welcome aboard. I find that after a year of accumulating cool knives, I keep trading other company's knives for spydies. Right now I have: Endura, Delica, native, Calypso Jr. ltwt., rookie, dragonfly, starmate and a deal in progress for a military. Yeah, I'd say they're my blade of choice.
 
Spyderco's lockbacks, and the endura's lock in particular, are very sound. It's been well-tested. I think the endura is a fine choice, though I personally stick with plain edge. If you want to stay with the endura, the very newest versions have a lot going for them: the endura98 handle shape, metal clip, and now VG-10 blades. This is a hell of a package.

There are other good choices here from Spyderco. My next choice might be a Chinook. It's a lockback, but stronger than the endura (but also much heavier).

Spyderco's compression lock holds some serious promise of being an industry-leading lock. I'm just waiting until Spyderco comes out with a compression lock on a hard-use knife I really like. If'n my dealer gets a temperence jr that'll qualify! But I'm hoping to someday see a compression lock in a knife that's regular production (read: lower price), and with a bigger blade.

Aesthetically speaking, the endura ain't all that purty, at least to my eyes. But 1. who cares? and 2. it functions so well, the looks have really grown on me. When a knife consistently exceeds expectations like the endura does, I don't care much about aesthetics. I carry an Apogee when I want to carry something that's aesthetically pleasing :)

Joe
 
I find nothing ugly about Spyderco knives. In my opinion, Spyderco is at the top when it comes to custom collaborations as well as new exiting models. The Endura is the first model I ever bought and is now a classic. It's their number one seller for a reason. While I own and carry knives by several makers, Spyderco is one of the brands that wins me over time after time. I
love.gif
Spyderco!
 
I don't think most Spyderco knives are ugly at all, it depends on the eye of the beholder. At first I used to think Spyderco's looked a bit weird because I wasn't used to seeing them. Just like people whose idea of a good-looking folder is a Buck 110-style lockback, or old-fashioned pocketknife because that is what they are used to. But me being a Spyderco fan, not all Spydie knives appeal to me, from a looks standpoint or desire to own. But IMO knives like the Calypso, Police, Delica, Endura, Rookie, Dragonfly, Military, etc., have that distinctive pelican or pterodactyl look that can grow on you very well, not to mention their great utility.

Jim
 
I think anything functional has a harsh, hardline kind of beauty all it's own. The only spydies I find beautiful in the classical sense of the word are the calypso Jr., lum chinese, and lum tanto (new fixed blade version). But they all have that functional beauty that says "every line, corner, and bump does something."
 
I own four Spydercos

copilot
shabaria
calypso jr lw
cricket

I think they look sweet and the quality backs it up nicely. IMO the aesthetics are very pleasing and the hole is the best opening system around.
 
I look at all the recent offerings from other knife companies and I always go back to Spyderco. Their knives are some of the most aesthetically pleasing knives around... They have quality craftmanship and great designs. In fact out of the 10 knives i own, 7 of them are Spyderco....
 
I used to find Spyderco knives ugly and strange looking. Like anything, I think you become more used to them with time. These days I just view them as a different knife shape among many. I think they're attractive in the same rugged and practical way as a Busse.

For that matter, while the Spyderco Hole does give them some similarities I think the Spyderco line covers an amazing range of different looks. The classics like the Endura/Delica/Dragonfly/Ladybug series have a common aesthetic which is not really all that similar to the Lum Chinese, the Chinook, the Native, the Jot Singh Khalsa, or even the Military.

Some Spydercos strike me as quite pretty. I love my shell inlaid Native and my green Lum Chinese. It's all just a matter of different tastes, plus familiarity. :)

--Bob Q
 
I received a Calypso Jr (plain blade and micarta scales) as a gift a few years ago. Since then, I've picked up a Centofante and CF Dragonfly. As much as I appreciate the quality of Spydies, There's a certain look that appeals to me. Not only are they users, they're lookers as well.

I've got a few on the shopping list for next year, a plain edge Zowada for beginners.
 
Spydies do have a tendency to grow on you. I am a traditionalist when it comes to knives. I like slipjoints with carbon steel blades and jigged bone scales, and my favorite hunting knives are made by Marbles. But I kept hearing about the awesome cutting performance of the Calypso Jr., so I eventually swallowed my distaste for Zytel and the unusual design and bought one.

Now my typical carry is Calypso jr. in my right pocket, Stockman or Trapper in my left pocket. I bow to performance. And the old saying, "Pretty is as pretty does" has a lot of truth in it. I don't find Spyderco knives nearly as strange looking as I used to. As a matter of fact, the Lum Chinese and the Viele are downright good looking, IMO.

Another happy convert speaks out.
 
4. (a) Also some people say that Sypderco blades are hard-working but ugly. Is there any real aesthetic sensibility involved here? Is there something about blade shape that makes one person love the line of one design and recoil at another?
Click to expand...

Personal preference. I like the looks of the Endura because it looks like a "classic" Spyderco, and that means quality to me.

(b) Much has been made of newer locking mechanisms like Benchmade's Axis and much dissing of older-style liner locks which some say 'tend to fold' in the heat of action so to speak. Whether I'm using an Endura or a small-biting Cricket with a different lock mechanism, I want to know that when my back's against a wall both blades will keep to the task in hand.
Click to expand...

I would trust the lock on an Endura; it is a heavy-duty utility knife. I would not trust the lock on a Cricket; it is a light duty knife, and the lock serves more to keep the blade open than to prevent it from folding. Try this: Hold each knife so that you have one hand on the handle and one hand on the blade. Try to close it (!!!keeping your fingers out of the way!!!), starting with gentle force and increasing the pressure. Be very careful! If it wobbles or folds, the lock is a pretty light-duty one. If not, I would say go ahead and trust it.
 
Thanks people.

Great feedback on why Spydies are great blades.

I really like my Endura, great classic-looking Spydie and feels good in the hand. But blades are very personal - some speak to you in honeyed tones, others are strangely silent.

The woman I love carries a Cricket. What a babe - it's great for close-work, back-up protection.

Stay well
 
I have about 10 spyderco knives, from CF dragonfly(which my wife carries) to Gunting.

The thing that strikes me most abt spydies is that they are all made for a certain job that they do very well. Most of them are not "tactical" knives. They are "working" knives.

When I want to cut plants, boxes, fibre, I immediately think....serrated endura. You cannot get any knife that performs so well and is so reliable for that price.

You want to think "tactical"...then Spyderco has the models for that, BUT the other brands NOW can give Spyderco a run for its money.

But when it was "working", then the other brands couldn't touch the BIG BUG.
As for the endura, IMHO it is a classic working knife. There must be a million pieces out there. Just the right size, handle curved, flat and grippy, serrated blade cuts like ziiiiiip, blade shape just right for everything...strong lock...snaps open with a wave of the wrist....
Of all my spydies, the endura is the one that gets used the most. The rest you just wear them and play with them.
 
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