Spyderco becomes boring knife company....

Canadians with big hands like BIG KNIVES :) :)

delica is the smallest I love... and even that is a little small, my favorite spyderco is a 93mm rescue.

my other favorite knife is a ralph 5.5 :)
 
Right on time, Mr. Glesser.

Seems like you and I are posting at the same time.

Great to hear from you.

I'd like to irritate you some more about my quams.
Would it be possible to offer holes in "chamferred" and "non-chamferred," as other knives are offered in tip-up/tip-down?

And what are the exact benefits, in your opinion, of wire clips? Look? Concealability? Function? And how do those fit the format of a "working" knife? In other words, why move over to wires instead of the traditional??





BTW, I'm bitten. I *JUST, preordered my CF delica.
I'm excited. :):):):):):)
 
High Midget. regarding chamferred holes, we learned through 20+ years of making Clipits that if a hole is chamferred, the thumb tends to more easily "slide" out of the hole when opening the blade. This is not true of knives that open very easily (unsafe detent?), but it is certainly true of lockbacks. The "trick" is to buff the sharp corner of the hole "just enough" so it grabs but doesn't cut the thumb. Far more difficult than a chamfer.

We are still pretty new on this wire clip thing, but wire clips "give" like an airplane wing. They are less likely to scratch furniture and autos, and they are less likely to "spin" in an FRN handle. It will take us a while to refine the wire clip (it took many years to refine the current steel clip (which everyone seems to copy), but we'll get there. FYI, we're also working on two other clip concepts.

sal
 
Thank you all for this thread, I love reading the opinions of everyone. I especially want to thank Mr. Glesser for his contributions and thoughts. What I appreciate so much in the knife industry is the variety. If you like the Axis lock, get a BM. Don't have quite the money, get a CRKT or Cold Steel. IMO, Spyderco caters to a certain kind of person. Someone who looks for raw quality in anything they own and to hell with the bells and whistles. Guys who own and use Spydeco seem to be the type that do their own home improvements, car work, etc. rather than pay someone else. In short, the "do-it-yourselfer."

I don't like everything that Spyderco does, but I try to understand that it's not my company either. I love the "Gents series" as I call them, the Calypso, Calypso Jr. micarta, Jot Khalsa, Goddard, Viele, etc. I have a thing for polished micarta. On the other hand, I love the Lil' Temperance. I can't think of a better EDC for myself. On a purely personal level, I look forward to trying out the Dodo. It's a practical kind of knife. The ATR doesn't really appeal to me that much and neither does the Maddox. I don't really care for the Delica either, but it seems to still be selling over 10 years after it's introduction. I'm fine with that. To each his own.

Everyone please remember something. While Sal and Spyderco ask us for our opinions on which models, materials, steels, etc., we still do our real voting from the wallet. Spyderco is a business and if you really want to say something, say it with your cash.

If everyone thinks that Spyderco is going in the wrong direction this year, profits will drop and you can bet that Spyderco will do an about-face in 2004.

I want to thank Spyderco for producing 3 of the 4 knives that I carry on a daily basis. The 4th is an old AFCK that even has the Spyderco hole. Somehow, they ought to thank me for owning another 13 beyond what I carry. :D
 
Sal, FWIW, I think the wire clips are going in a good direction. Primarilily because they are wider. My best experiences with clips are those that start thin at the top and get wider as they lengthen. In particular, the old Elishewitz BugWing clip is my favorite, followed closely by Larry Davidson's clips on his older Scorpion model. The STRIDER SnG has a wide short clip that works well. In fact, its profile is fairly similar to the Ti Salsa wire clip. The wider the contact point where the clip "clips" against fabric, the less likely the knife is to spin in your pocket or waistband.
 
I'd just like to point out a misconception, a lot of us in the UK DO like large knives, it's our police and politicians who don't :D

BTW - I'm a big fan of the new wire clips. I'll reserve judgement on their use on larger knives until I've handled one, but on the smaller knives like the Ti-Salsa they are brilliant.

BTW2 - I'm thinking of changing my name to "The Ti-Salsa Man", as I seem to mention it an awful lot :D
 
Boring??Sal gave the Gunting a chance,no-one else did,Bram also acknowledges this on his tapes Gunting,not very inovative! HA!!Allow me to enlighten some,how many of you all would travel & spend $$ cause you believed in the knife,& the inventor! Rex came from Texas(HE Drove),Mike came from NY(he flew in)I drove up from Miami we paid full $$$ at the G Seminar & would & will do it again!!Others came from all over FL!More & more are discovering the G & liking it! Bram has another design Sal will prob. go with the Tusok!!Never heard of it??? You will!!Does this sound like Spydie Co. falling behind!! Oh yeah, the G is "SO" specialized,it's my EDC!I even have a leather sheath being made for it!
jim
 
Following up on chamferred holes:

This is slightly off the topic. The last spyderco I bought was an FRN Native (S30V). The first thing I noticed, from my experience with Spyderco knives, was that this Native's pivot has a lot more slack than most "virgin" spydercos. In other words, the pivot does not feel like it is hindered as much, like the rivets are not as tight, and it will need less breaking in than the spydercos I'm used to. Also, I notice the lockbar is CONSIDERABLY easier to press down, suggesting the lock spring is more elastic that what the lock springs used to be like.

Nonetheless, the pivot is tight enough, with no left/right/up/down blade play, the lockup is very solid.


Is this done on purpose, or did I get a fluke? And if it IS done on purpose, would it be justified to chamfer holes on the "looser" knives?

I chamfer the holes on all the newer spydercos I pick up, and have never experienced my fingers slipping. What I do experience, is sore thumbs, worn away skin, degradation to my thumbnail. I open/close my knife A LOT throughout a given day.

I guess I don't have a problem with chamferring holes on my own, other than it's a pain in the ass, and sometimes the blade gets scratched up when I miss with my dremel, or I drag my sharpmaker stone across the surface by accident (I use the corner of the medium grit to smooth finish a chamfer after I run a dremel grinding wheel through).
 
What a great thread, lots of interesting discussions and alot of great thoughts.

I can only say that I am a fan of Spyderco as well as many of the other knife companies mentioned here. I have many knives from each of them and enjoy each of them on their own merits.

There is one thing that I really like about Spyderco over all the other companies and that is the fact that Sal personally gets involved in the forums, actively participates and IMHO really listens to his customers.

GJ Spyderco, as far as I am concerned your doing everything right.
 
hmm... this thread is pretty interesting, a lot of good discussion going on without a whole lot of flaming.

Spyderco has always been the leader of the pack, they start a lot of trends and come up with a lot of new ideas. Although I don't like a lot of the newer designs I still think spyderco makes solid knives, imo BM makes nicer looking knives and crkt makes cheaper knives but spyderco makes working knives.
 
Can't take that from Spyderco, Sal and the other staff are always happy to hear and react to their customers - this is a quality not always seen in the industry.

We all learned alot from this thread - thanks for all who contributed.

I guess I should have rephrased the title to : "Spyderco becomes boring FOR ME" - after reading what Sal and others had to say I look into Spyderco's future with greater hope now.

Take Care!
 
Yog and richardallen,
Denmark DOES allow locking folders, onehand openers are illigal!!
All,
It looks like it all comes down to what kind of flawor you like! Calling Spyderco boring, is unfair! Calling BM low quality, is insane! Claiming CRKT is a leading edge, is... strange!! However you must consider that all have something to give the ELU, just not the same ELU everytime...
Take care,
Vox.
 
As I got some flack for my comments, to me leading edge companies are the inovators...

Who started the trend for the super steels and materials? BM have just made such things more affordable and lower quality IMHO.
 
I have a lot of spydercos, mostly because I like weird designs and good cutting performance. I do believe that in the last 5 years, Spyderco has become a more cost concious and this is reflected in the variety of their selection (less) and the type of new models (niche market knives with short runs.) This is a sign of the economy.

I do not like the big handle short blade concept. I like the handle on the Lil Temperance, but why have such a big knife in my pocket with such a small blade? I'd go delica, similar blade size, but smaller in the pocket. DODO, a big handle and such a tiny blade doesn't make it for me. The Mouse, small knife and handle but with all the cutting power of a big handled small knife. The David Boye Companion is a good example of a 3" blade, with a small handle that does it all; you don't need a big handle with a small blade.

I hate the MBC line. I don't think knives, particularly folders, should be marketed as weapons. I believe Bram is full of it with his "non-leathal" patter. You pull a knife, you've crossed a legal barrier into armed combat irrespective if the knife can be used as a non-leathal weapon. With the MBC line, I think Spyderco could be opening themselves to a losing lawsuit given the right county and jury. I think Spyderco has made mistake with purpose built martial arts knives. I think it does the knife collecting community a disservice. I think their past practice of having knives that can be used for defense (or offense) in their line but not marketed directly as weapons (e.g. Civilian, Endura, Perrin) is the best approach. The last thing in the post 911 world, knife collectors need, is direct marketing of folders, particularly small folders, as "martial blades" i.e. weapons.

Where is the Spyderco BIG folder? I believe the Police is the only one over 4" and not by much. This is a hole in the line that needs to be filled with at least two new choices. The Police design has gray hair.

I laugh when people say how good Benchmade fit and finish is. At the recent NRA convention, the Benchmade booth had every knife in every configuration. At least 25% of them had fit and finish problems that would annoy a knife nut...but then not the general public. A few had loose lockups. Remember this is at the Benchmade booth.

CRKT designs are neat, but their execution uses cheap materials and construction practices. At knife shows, you need to search through about 2-4 knives to get one sharp, with good fit, finish and lockup. AUS6, CRKT standard cannot hold a candle to Spyderco's standard of VG-10. CRKT premium steel, AUS8 can be gotten in a Dozier factory made $18 blade. You can't touch a VG-10 blade any cheaper than Spyderco. CRKT knives usually come "sharp", but are dull compared to a Spyderco.

General...don't call people trolls just becuase you don't like their opinion. Using your definition of a troll, you are a troll. You're very much like a dog with a bone on certain subjects (e.g. sebenza, ATS55).
 
Originally posted by brownshoe


General...don't call people trolls just becuase you don't like their opinion. Using your definition of a troll, you are a troll. You're very much like a dog with a bone on certain subjects (e.g. sebenza, ATS55).
Click to expand...

Yeh thanks for that.

Oh and I implied he was a troll in a joking manner, I did not say he was one.
 
Were I find Spyderco differntiates itself from other manufacturers, and keeps me buying, is in the odd ball designs that work. This would include the Jot Sing Khlasa, the Lum Folder, the Shabiria, the S-curve of Matriarch/Civilian/SPOT and in many ways the triangle blades of the Endura/Delica and its sisters. They also match their sharpening syste to the knives, something that is unique among manufacturers. Finally, the Spyderco serrations are really the best. Good control for the kitchen knives, Kevlar ripping for the Matriarch. Hard to beat, copied by many, never surpassed.

One thing I'd like to see is a spyderco similar to the Boye companion/prophet design. A 4" handle, slightly less than 3" blade, spearpoint, abidextrous opening, lockback, clip, spyderhole, and VG10. Similar to the delica but w/o the triangular shape.
 
Troll?

Yeah, I remember when the General was asking makers for free knives for his "tests" :footinmou

Bill
 
BROWNSHOE,
Before shooting your mouth off about Bram & "his MBC knife",why don't you do some research on what Bram teaches! Real simple,come to one of his seminars,& see & hear what he teaches!!Tell you what!!I'm not rich ,but I will pay for you to attend,no cost to you! I get tired of hearing people shoot their mouth off about Bram & the G!! So ,YOU made your statement about Bram & I made mine!! When & where do you want to attend,I'll send Bram the $$!!
jim
 
Brownshoe, if you knew a few things about about how a Civilian is supposed to be used, you may not hate the MBC line so much. As for using a knife for "less lethal" force, there is nothing new about that either. I purchased an Al Mar SERE folder back in the 80's when the things were huge and heavy compared to the ones today. The reason? Impact weapon! There is sometimes not enough time at the beginning of a confrontation to open a knife. The Spyderco hole, thumb studs and discs, and the wave have made opening a knife quicker, but the principle still stands. As for marketing a weapon, there are knife companies whose entire line is marketed as weapons, not to mention firearms companies. Lawsuits have only rarely succeeded. In most states of the USA, weapons and defense are legal. I believe Spyderco has done a good job of justifying its MBC line, and promoting the ideas behind MBC. Bram, BTW, can provide information on legal precedents that support his ideas, and why "less lethal" force is a good goal in self defense. Of course a closed Gunting is still a deadly weapon. What counts in the legal aftermath of an incident is the reasonableness of the defender's actions. And, there is a difference between holding a weapon and using deadly force. If one's actions are found unreasonable by a grand jury or trial jury, there is trouble ahead, regardless. It may take some skillful explanation, either by the defender or a defense attorney, to prevail in the legal system. I am not an armchair expert; I am a big-city police officer with 19+ years of service, and I still patrol the streets at night. I have used deadly force, I have been before grand juries, and I have NO sustained allegations of excessive force against me. Bram's teachings are not BS. He is not here to defend himself, since he is in Europe to teach his methods to police there. Back to the MBC concept: what makes a knife suitable for MBC is largely the strength of the lock. This has been discussed on this forum before, so I will not plow that ground again. If I lived in Utopia, where there was no crime, I would still carry the Gunting as my EDC folder, and the Ronin is still my favorite small FB for all tasks except food preparation and skinning, where a little belly to the blade shape is useful.
 
Hi,so, im not part of american knife community, but my humble opinion i can post, no ? :)
I agree 100% with Rex and Kukri, about Gunting...
But i live in Czech and my opinion is not important ...

What i show somewhere, here in the Prague, Gunting, its really "rodeo", peoples are in BIG interest, what its and etc. ...i gave to known peoples few links to online shops and who have international ccard, can buy online from America...7 Guntings my known peoples bought via online shops from US ...,(btw.,+ 9 Police, 3 Enduras and 4 Military)

Im really,hehe,small virtual dealer .... :):):)


But yes, i agree also,that Gunting NEED advertisements, its necessary,peoples are in interest, but they dont know, what its and etc...
------------
"Spyderco becomes boring knife company" -in the title, this thread ...
Ugh, its really big kibosh ...who wrote it ...
Design of Spydercos is super and unique, its all, but not boredom :)..


Versace becomes boring fashion company.
Its truth. :p
 
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