Spyderco duel: Caly 3 vs Sage

[A.P.F.]

You will want to scope out a Sage, 3G, as it surprised the heck out of me. Fit and finish as good as anything out of Seki. :thumbup:

 

[3Guardsmen]

You will want to scope out a Sage, 3G, as it surprised the heck out of me. Fit and finish as good as anything out of Seki. :thumbup:

Will definitely do, Al, though it'll be the upcoming RIL Sage, as I've got a lot more CF than I do Ti at the moment!:thumbup: As far as Taiwan's knife manufacturing goes, they are definitely on their way up, though I'm not quite convinced that they've surpassed Japan just yet. I have, however, been known to be wrong, and if the fit and finish is as good as it is on my Ti Salsa (made in Taiwan), I'll be completely satisfied!

Regards,
3G

 

[PV29]

That's true, but I think the OP was comparing the similar priced Caly3 (G-10 & VG-10 blade) vs the Sage. The CF Cay3 ZDP is a considerably more expensive knife.

Personally, when I got my 1st Caly3, I loved it & it was oh so close to being my favorite Spydie. However, I did't care for the Caly3's shallower choil, but otherwise it's a great knife. When the Sage came out, that was IT! I find the choil to be very comfortable, the handle fits my large hands very well (XXL Gloves), & of course, S30V. Admittedly, though, the difference in steel wasn't a deal breaker or maker for me.

I read about how the Caly3 rides lower in the pocket than the Sage, & it does, but I guess it's me, but it just doesn't seem to ride that much lower to make a huge difference to me.

Oh well, I don't know what the price-point will be, but I wouldn't be surprised if we read about the CF Caly3 ZDP vs the new Sage Ti frame-lock. Of course there's very different handle material, blades are different, but so are the locks. Should be interesting.

Did find your index finger being in danger of slipping forward towards the blade? Because I live in NY, I've never been able to handle a Caly3 and I'm concerned about whether the choil puts my finger in harm's way if it was necessary to use the knife in an emergency (SD or other). I've read that the Sage and the UKPK have deeper, more secure choils. Your thoughts?

 

[Dagon]

> Did find your index finger being in danger of slipping forward towards the blade?

I don't think there is any real risk of your index finger slipping onto the Caly's blade. I do think that it's pretty ergonomic and well-thought out. As I wrote in my original post, I have the impression that the new Sage is just a bit better in a few areas, but I didn't think about the choil.

 

[E-M-P-I-R-E]

I would pick the Sage just based on the looks of the knife. However, i have never owned either.

 

[enderwiggin]

The choil on the Caly 3 doesn't have the built-in guard the Sage does, but it's still pretty secure. It's also comfortable to grip further back on the handle.

The Caly 3 has very high fit and finish, but both of the Caly 3's I handled had botched rivets. You could see crescents left from where the rivet was hammered in. I've heard others say the F&F on theirs is perfect, I just seem to have bad luck when it comes to things like that!

I agree that the F&F on the Sage is very very high. The recessed screws are a really neat, custom-looking touch. I'm not wildly happy about the way the S30V was finished. It seems a little rough, especially compared to the polished blade on the Caly 3.

At an angle I can see discolored, stained-looking areas on the blade. You can see it here, next to my Native IV:

It only shows up in some light, but it is kind of annoying, considering the F&F elsewhere on the knife is so high. But then, I understand that S30V is a difficult steel to finish.

Speaking of rough, the edges of the Spyder hole are a little sharp, which can get irritating after repeated openings, and makes it downright unpleasant to try to flick open.

The Spyder hole on the Caly 3 is fully finished, not sharp at all, but still easy to open.

They're both great knives, just throwing out a little constructive criticism to help those still deciding!

 

[spikedog]

I EDC my CF Caly3 and love it. I haven't got a Sage. So far, the Caly3 is filling my 3" EDC folder role.

 

[A.P.F.]

Did find your index finger being in danger of slipping forward towards the blade? Because I live in NY, I've never been able to handle a Caly3 and I'm concerned about whether the choil puts my finger in harm's way if it was necessary to use the knife in an emergency (SD or other). I've read that the Sage and the UKPK have deeper, more secure choils. Your thoughts?

I honestly don't think the Caly3 choil presents a problem, PV. I have found that the secure grip given by the Caly3 ergonomics, pretty much precludes any forward motion of the hand, at least for me. That said, the deeper choil of the Sage is very comfortable.