- Joined
- Mar 19, 2007
- Messages
- 7,443
Initial Review and Feelings HERE
Specs:
Blade (Grind): 3.976
Blade (From handle to tip): 4.079
Handle (Butt to Ricasso): 4.691
Blade Height (top to bottom) 1.092
Blade Width: 0.137
Handle Height (top to bottom - Palm Swell): 1.190
Handle Width: 0.968
Balance Point: Right at the front handle pin
01 Steel, Brass Pins (2), Brass lanyard tube. Spyderco logo on one side - Bushcraft U.K. Logo on the other.
Pictures of my Second Spyderco:
Back Story:
After my initial review, I packaged up the knife, per Kristi Hunter's instructions, and mailed it off. She had it in two days and in two more I had an answer:
They are not going to release any more Bushcraft Blades at this time due to handle issues.
What? My knife is in lock up? Yup. Spyderco has had enough handle issues with the first 800 knives released that they are unwilling to make more, or release more, without first addressing the handle issue.
At the time I talked to her, they had no E.T.A. on when they would release the knife again, what they were going to do about the handle issue, or whether the knife was going to be released at all again! Spyderco is a small company and they have a LOT of bread and butter projects - this one took over three years to come to fruition, so I, and they, do not know when this will be rectified.
What is Spyderco doing about it? Well, they have been just great. I could tell it was tearing Kristi up that she could not give me what I wanted. She gave me full MSRP in credit at Spyderco and turned me over to Charlynn in Returns and Repairs. Charlynn has been wonderful. She cares, she communicates and she is funny as hell. We will work something out. I can always get another knife and turn it to get my money back.
I understand where Spyderco is coming from, and appreciate their attention to detail.
Here is the problem - I love the damned knife (more on this below). So, I called Derrick at KSF - paid more for personal attention (THANKS WENDY AND DERRICK) as KSF isn't the cheapest - but they have GREAT customer attention and got another one in on Monday of this week. I made sure that it was crack free before it left KSF's place and when it got to me it was good!
So - this is the new knife you see above.
Sharpening the Spyderco Bushcraft:
I got some new Japenese Waterstones in (as I was amassing knives that do not need diamond) and put them to use (800, 1200, 6000 grits) I had just sharpened both my Kosters (01 and CPM 154) - and I had something to compare it to.
The grind on the Spyderco was convexed slightly. When I started (Brand new side on the stones) it was taking away material in the middle of the grind only. It was not a total zero grind. The metal seemed harder than the 01, CPM 154, and A2 I had sharpened previously. I really had to put some time in on this steel to get it to take material away. The bevel on the blade was a bit larger and less steep than on the Koster that I owned - this made for more material to remove as well - so I had to be patient and simply put the time in on the stones.
After about two hours on the stones - I had a zero grind, that was georgeous. I stopped the knife on a JRE Strop Bat (three colors of compound Black, Green, Pink - and bare leather) - and had an edge that is quite possibly the sharpest I have had.
I took it out for a spin!
First uses:
This knife is simply perfect in my hand. It is super comfortable, the handles are filling, tall, but not obtrusive. I can get down on the blade easily and the one inch blade height makes small cuts a dream. The grind geometry and blade profile was really thought out on this knife (of course, it is essentially the same grind as a Woodlore - so this was tried and true).
The Spydie-hole (which I don't like) does not get in the way - and in some ways anchors your thumb to the blade in the chest lever such. The spine has a nice burr so that it makes short use of a fire steel and the tip is a drilling machine.
I love the fact that the grind isn't as steep as other scandi's I own in that is slices better. Also, it is a HUNGRY knife. It cuts DEEP. You really need to control this blade or you will take too much material. I can make controlled nice curly feather sticks out of hard wood with little issue.
The only issue that I had with it is that I rolled the edge with it the first time or two that I used it. I know the zero grind is set properly, so I will be anxious to learn how this knife fares in the long run.
There is very little, thus far, I do not like about this knife.
Except:
The handle material does indeed have issues. It had shrunk before it got to me - so that the tang was exposed slightly. I could feel (so a few thousands) the ridge created by the material shrinking away from the tang.
However, after a few days in my house and in Houston (humid) it has nearly gone back to a smooth feel around the tang. This tells me the problem that Spyderco is having is in their stabilizer. The material is not properly stablized before being put on the knife and it is causing it to expand and shrink and thus, at times, crack.
I am glad they are addressing this, but I hope this does not put a year hold, or worse removal of the knife from the market. Switch stabalizers or materials - but dang it Sal - don't take this off the market - you have a winner here.
One last thing:
The sheath is growing on me. I see what Chris was trying to do here. Ambidextrous, plastic lined to it is impervious to blade wear, and DEEP - this sheath HOLDS the knife.
However - the damned grommet holes are HUGE thus making the sheath clunky. Use smaller grommets and make this bad boy a bit thinner.
I am off to make more curls with this knife...
TF
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