Spyderco Byrd Cara Cara

B

Baphomet

Joined
Jul 31, 2006
Messages
146
I bought this knife well over six months ago (can't remember the exact date) in San Fransisco, and I've been pretty pleased with it. I bought the knife for just over 30 bucks, and its held up extremely well for a cheapie. Its a great knife for EDC, and slides in and out of your pocket smoothly (I have the version with the stainless handle). The knife was also shaving sharp when I bought it. So, if you're looking for a cheap beater knife for EDC, its a good deal.
 
Yeah, Spyderco does just about everything opposite to the way I like things done. Fer one thing, I like longish blades and the Byrds tend to have longer blades (why they don't put out more 4-5-inch blades is beyond me). My Byrd says it's made out of 440C. It's got stainless grips and decent balance, but I reckon I like the Zytel handles better. So it puts me in a quandry. If I want longer blades, I have to have the stainless grip. If I want a comfortable knife, it looks like I have to get a small blade.

Too many people view the Byrds as "cheapies." It just ain't so. They compare very nicely to many showcase knives and will last just as long and do the work. They'd make excellent EDCs.
 
I have my Cara Cara in front of me, and it says that the blade steel is 8Cr13MoV. As for the handles, I like the stainless handle, but I agree that it would be nice to see more of a variety in the handle types and blade lengths. The thing I like about the stainless handles is that its not hard to clean blood off of them, which is always a plus in my book. I also like the way the knife feels in my hand, as it is quite comfortable.
 
Baphomet said:
I have my Cara Cara in front of me, and it says that the blade steel is 8Cr13MoV.
Click to expand...

Confederate's Byrd marked 440C seems to be one of the earlier Byrd knives.

Test results indicated that the steel was different from US made 440C
so the newer Byrd knives are marked with 8Cr13MoV that better comply
with the steel that is used for the Byrd knives.
 
I too have the Cara Cara, razor sharp otb, built like a tank....no complaints here!!!
 
I was actually rather surprised by how sharp the Cara Cara was out of the box, considering most of the knives I've bought for that price were dull as hell hehe.
 
Hehe, I just added a 'wave' to my Cara Cara using a Dremel, so now I can open it by pulling the knife out of my pocket.
 
xChris said:
The Byrd line is expanding handle material options...

Byrds, including the Cara Cara, can be had with FRN (http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=230) or G10 (http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=228).
Click to expand...

Just a warning: I just got my Cara Cara from Spyderco. I ordered the FRN, the invoice says FRN, but the handle is definitely stainless. (It's got the black handle and blade.) Might be a one-time screw-up, though.

I kind of like the SS, though, so I'm not going to complain. :-) It would be too much like my Endura with FRN.

And I love the hole -- I think it's easier to use than the round one.
 
No one can complain that the workmanship isn't there. The blade in my knife is tight, it's sharp, but the datgum grips are heavy and slippery. It would be a dangerous knife to drop and you would not want to use the Cara Cara in a knife fight or with sweaty hands.

My blade has "440C" on the side and the knife is made in China. Whether they've downgraded the steel or just the listing I don't know. Byrd currently equates its present steel with AUS 8A.

At first I really liked the knife, now I'm uncomfortable with it. It's like back in the 1950s-60s, when things just had a quality feel. But then things changed -- like shoes, bicycles and so forth. They became more comfortable but the quality "feel" wasn't what it was.

After handling the 4-inch blade Cara Cara, I picked up my 4-inch Voyager and it felt so much better. Stainless grips are not only heavy, they conduct electricity and, like I said, are slippery.

by03ps.jpg
 
All materials have their benefits and drawbacks...its simply a matter of deciding what's right for you.
 
I like mine too but it was so heavy and not grippy enough for me. The grip part can easily be corrected with some skid guard material like that used on running boards or skate boards though. It ain't pretty but it sure works..

STR
 
A wave on that knife is an awesome idea! I gotta try it myself.
What did you do? How'd it go, how far up the blade? Pics, diagrams?
Hook a dude up Please?
Thanks, Hop
 
I like the G10 Cara Cara so much that I've been using it as my EDC. This is coming from a guy that has a large, expensive knife collection. My previous EDC was a Benchmade 710. For some reason, I'm infatuated with these knives. I just can't believe the quality, the fit and finish for the price. Byrd is making some incredibly nice knives, and the price is ridiculously low. The is a very similar knife to the Manix, but costs what, 1/5th as much? So what if the steel isn't exotic? For the same price as a Manix, buy 5 Cara Caras, and throw them away when they get dull. I find myself doing things with my Byrd that I would never do with a nice Benchmade or Spyderco (much less a Sebenza), the lower cost makes it a much more useful tool simply because I'm not afraid to use it.
 
I'm favorably impressed with the FRN Cara Cara. It's a little heavier than many FRN-handled knives, probably due to the stainless steel liners. The grip texture is excellent, and the shape is great in a standard grip--even excellent in a reverse grip, which is sort of a novelty to me. Opening is incredibly smooth. One downside, and I wonder if anyone else has had an issue with this: I'm finding that it opens very easily (like, the spring is a little weak or something)--had it come open in a pocket after a little tangle with a sunglasses case, and I'm thinking that if it loosens up any more with use, it may not be viable. Already I've reconsidered my earlier plans to position the clip for tip-up carry; this may have to remain in tip-down mode. Anyone else run into this?

Otherwise, no complaints yet. Great opening; tight lockup; very sharp out of the box. Cliff Stamp's comments about the Byrd Meaodowlark's shape keeping you from getting all of the edge down to the cutting board when cutting food in the kitchen applies here, too--I find that the part of the edge nearest the handle is kept out of action by the fact that the handle impacts before the edge does, but I think you'd get some of that with anything but a santoku or chef's knife or parang.

I'm also curious about the weight of the G10 model--given that G10 tends to give you almost 150% of the weight of the FRN models, I imagine that'd be a pretty heavy knife--heavy enough to keep you and maybe others aware of its presence when you're carrying it. Comments?

Again, I'm also interested to hear what everybody thinks about the very light "detent" spring (or whatever it's called that keeps it folded when it's folded)--anyone else have any issues with this?

Thanks!
 
Return of the J.D.- Have you tried tightening the pivot screw? I'm not sure if this is accessible on the FRN version but it is on the G10. If you can get it at, take the screw out completely, put a drop of Loctite on the threads, then tighten it so it's exactly how you want. Let it set for a half hour or so once you get it just the way you want. You shouldn't have to worry about it any more after that. I don't think the spring would have anything to do with it. It does on a liner or framelock, not so much on a back lock like the Cara Cara.

I would strongly recommend going with the G10 over the FRN any day of the week. There is a pride of ownership that comes with a G10 knife that no FRN handled knife can ever match. G10 is such a nice material, it wears in like bone, stag or micarta, gets smoother and more beautiful with time and use. You can also polish it up or sculpt it like Micarta. The very slight weight gain over the FRN version (which has liners as well) is more than worth it. You get so you appreciate the weight, and miss it if it's not there. Nobody else can tell what it weighs, it won't drag your pocket down or anything. G10 vs. FRN for almost the same price- there's no contest.
 
Thanks, MW; I'll try it out! (I'll also try the G10, when/if opportunity arrives; am already impressed by its Meadowlark incarnation.) The pivot screw head on the Cara Cara is obscured by the clip for the moment, but that shouldn't be a problem. I'm assuming a hex wrench will do the tightening.

Thanks!
 
I have a black stainless cara cara and agree with most of the posts above. it is a heavy, slippery knife. Sometimes it is hard to hold onto when I try to flick the blade open quickly. Out of all my spyderco's this one wants to stay closed the most. If I flick it hardenough in a downward motion I can get the blade to open without even touching it, but this is much easier on my other knives. Opening the blade is smooth for the most part but then gets rough just before it locks and I am not sure why.

Anyhow, I am going to try the G10 version of this or the meadowlark (same knive but smaller) and see how it compares.
 
I recently bought the Cara-Cara with G-10 for $22.50 from Grand Prairie Knives. I was impressed with the quality. It locks up solid and opens up smooth. The G-10 gives an excellent grip and the pocket clip had just the right tension right out of the box. It was also very sharp OTB. I love this knife and nothing else comes close in this price range.:D
 
moonwilson said:
I like the G10 Cara Cara so much that I've been using it as my EDC. This is coming from a guy that has a large, expensive knife collection.... I find myself doing things with my Byrd that I would never do with a nice Benchmade or Spyderco (much less a Sebenza), the lower cost makes it a much more useful tool simply because I'm not afraid to use it.
Click to expand...
Similar feeling here, Moon.

Even after getting an FRN Cara Cara that had some problems, I appreciated it enough that I picked up a G10 version, and I'm generally not a big fan of G10. But this particular knife is a real winner .... the slightly greater thickness than the FRN seems to improve the comfort in hand, and the G10 is textured just enough for a good grip that isn't rough on the hands during hard, extended use. And the G10 is very robust, lockup and otherwise.

Couple other things .... the Cara Cara is a terrific knife if you're wearing gloves because it's one of the best inertial-opening lockbacks I've ever seen. Also my G10 has a slightly longer clip than the FRN and it not only is more comfortable in a standard hammer or saber grip but makes the hold more secure when popping it open.

To top it off Spyderco's heat treat of their 8Cr13MoV steel is excellent IMO, in my own edge retention tests it has consistently outperformed Spyderco's VG10 and shows greater edge stability.

Lots of good things I could say about this knife, it's an excellent tool and an impressive bargain.
 
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