Review Spyderco Chaparral FRN lightweight

miso2

miso2

Joined
Nov 19, 2014
Messages
2,633
Hi all,


I recently purchased Spyderco Chaparral FRN lightweight model.
It had been in my wish list, but I had not been able to pull the trigger for a long time.
Last week, I had a chance to handle one at a brick and mortar shop and could not resist to get it.
Really glad that I bought this knife!

Chap1.jpg



The specs
Code: 
  Overall length:              162 mm (6.375”)
  Closed length:               92 mm (3.625”)
  Blade Length:                71 mm (2.8”), 58 mm (2.28") edge
  Blade thickness:             1.8 mm (0.07”)
  Edge thickness:              0.3 mm (0.012”)
  Edge angle:                  18 DPS
  Blade material:              CTS-XHP
  Blade grind:                 Flat grind
  Handle thickness:            8 mm (0.32”)
  Handle material:             FRN, stainless liners
  Weight:                      56 g (1.98 oz)
  Lock type:                   Back lock
  Deployment method:           Spyderhole


It is from Taichung factory, and F&F are excellent as expected.
Overall, this is a near perfect small EDC knife for me.
 
When I first handled the knife, I was pleasantly surprised by how thin it was.
Particularly the blade.


Chap_blade.jpg



It is astonishingly thin for a modern knife.
Traditional slip joint thin.

Chap_Bullnose.jpg



The tip is also very thin and penetrates medium with minimum effort.

Chap_tip.jpg



This very-thin FFG blade works extremely well as a slicer.
It might be the best slicer in the modern variety I have and pretty damn close to Case Sod Buster Jr.
 
I love this FRN handle with the new texture pattern for Spyderco.
Very grippy yet gentle to hand.
I also like the look of the pattern as well as the color.

Chap2.jpg



I can get the four finger grip without or with using the 50/50 choil in my medium hand.

Chap_grip.jpg



The handle is thin yet comfortable, especially without the clip.
It is just small and light enough to carry in the bottom of pocket like traditional pocket knives.
 
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The only complaint I initially had was the lock.
As it has been reported many times, the spring is stiff (about 4~5 pull?) and the lock bar is too narrow to release the lock comfortably.
The lock bar is chamfered, which makes my life easier.

Chap_lock.jpg



The lock is nicely breaking in and getting easier to operate.
Or the nerve fibers in my fingers and thumb might be dying from repetitive abuse.
Anyway, I expect that this issue is going to be non issue in the near future.


Chap5.jpg



Besides that, I am really enjoying the knife.
Nice EDC size.
Very very slicey blade with a good steel.
Good fit and finish, and smooth operation.
This knife will stay in my pocket for a while to see how it fits in my need.

Thanks for reading!
 
Last edited:
miso2 said:
When I first handled the knife, I was pleasantly surprised by how thin it was.
Particularly the blade.


Chap_blade.jpg



It is astonishingly thin for a modern knife.
Traditional slip joint thin.

Chap_Bullnose.jpg



The tip is also very thin and penetrates medium with minimum effort.

Chap_tip.jpg



This very-thin FFG blade works extremely well as a slicer.
It might be the best slicer in the modern variety I have and pretty damn close to Case Sod Buster Jr.
Click to expand...

I know the kind of knife guy you are and I am telling you that you must try the Carbon Fibre Chapparel. I had no idea until I handled one.

Nice score on the FRN model!
 
I know , Lapedog Lapedog
Luckily, the brick and mortar shop I visited did not have the CF version.
Otherwise, I would have bought both of them for sure.
The knife really surprised me in a very positive way.

They did have the Ti models, which felt too expensive after experiencing the FRN model.

I am almost certain that I am getting a second one, most likely the CF model, eventually.
Thanks for the heads-up!
 
Yes, it is similar in most aspects except for the blade.
Native 5 blade is almost twice as thick (0.07" vs 0.125").
Cutting ability wise, I guess Native 5 is more similar to PM2 (0.125" stock) than to Chaparral.

The thin blade makes Chaparral unique in the modern variety in my opinion.
It made me laugh this morning when I realized how easy it cut into cardboard, as compared to other similar-sized modern knives like Feist, ZT0770, and small Sebenza.
 
I should add to my original post that Chaparral has an internal stop pin.
Because of this, the knife does not exhibit any lock rock and is rock solid in open and closed.
Very nice.

I believe that only Sage and Chaparral, but not Native 5, have this.
 
Hi Miso,
Nice review! Thanks for posting your impressions.

Out of curiosity, did you mic your Chaparral at .07?
Spyderco’s website has it closer to .08 (.079 to be exact).
I know it’s not that big of a deal in the real world, but I’m curious nonetheless.

Regardless, that’s crazy thin and it myst be super slicey with a broad FFG! Does it feel flimsy?
I have a UKPK that I thought was ultra thin, but it’s a fatty by comparison (effectively .10). ;)
 
Hi BD_01 BD_01

Yes. That was my measurement.
It is as thin as Case Sod Buster Jr. (0.07"), thinner than Vic Pioneer main blade (0.1"), but still slightly thicker than Opinel #8 (0.062").
Many modern flippers have blades at 0.14" thickness.
They look absurdly thick in comparison.

And no. The blade does not feel flimsy even near the tip.
I do not fear blade cracking when cutting cardboard and zip ties.
I am not sure about prying.....

It does slice very well and efficiently, especially in the top one third of the blade.
I had some leftover chicken salad in a plastic box and tried to cut them up with Chaparral.
I just moved the blade from left to right, and everything on the way split up.
Really amazed by it.
 
Another terrific review! I really like the blade cross-sections you do.

Like you, I choose my knives carefully -- and my next will be a Chaparral or a Sage 5. I'd love to know what you think are the most important differences between these two.
 
Thanks Q QAJAQ

I do not own Sage.
With that said, the biggest difference I perceive from their specs is the blade thickness (0.08 vs 0.12).
Chaparral is astonishingly thin compared to Stretch 2, which has the same thickness as Sage 5.
If you like slicer knives or traditional slip joint like me, you would not regret with Chaparral.
But if you chase chubby stout folders, it may feel flimsy.

Another thing for me is the lock.
I like to carry a small EDC knife at the bottom of pocket these days.
Therefore, I prefer slip joint knives because the blade is positively held closed by the spring.
Generally, the spring of back lock is much weaker than that of slip joint, particularly at the closed position.
But the spring on Chaparral is on the strong side, and I do not fear it open in pocket.

I like the compression lock, but for a knife in this size range, I would prefer thin Chaparral with the strong back lock.
 
Thanks miso2 miso2 . I also prefer thin-bladed light-weight knives that I carry clipless in my pocket -- but I was drawn to the compression lock on the Sage 5.
You've helped me re-focus.
 
Thanks for the review!!! I've had an eye on this guy and the Noble and the carbon fiber.... would love to try the hxp steel and I'm so curious about the internal stop pin in this knife... I've had bad luck with most of my lockbacks so I'd be curious to see if this was better
 
Mine does not have any blade play in any directions.
It is very solid.
I believe that it is due to the inclusion of the stop pin.
 
Miso2,
I recently purchased a Stretch V-Toku2 with very stiff back lock bar spring.

It can be adjusted to lighter pressure for unlocking by disassembly and slightly bending the flat spring which pushes the lock bar upwards.

Regards,
FK
 
FK said:
Miso2,
I recently purchased a Stretch V-Toku2 with very stiff back lock bar spring.

It can be adjusted to lighter pressure for unlocking by disassembly and slightly bending the flat spring which pushes the lock bar upwards.

Regards,
FK
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips, FK.
I also find in the Internet that you can pull out the spring from the slit a little bit to have better leverage.
I am not sure if this works for Stretch, as the spring is housed in plastic unlike Chaparral with metal.

Anyway, mine has broken in nicely, and now it is much easier to disengage the lock.
 
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