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Spyderco Endura vs. BM Ascent?
- Thread starter Chang
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 20, 1999
- Messages
- 641
I was faced with the same choice about a year ago. I got the Ascent. I like the Ascent, I really do, but now that I have a couple of Spyders I regret not going with the Endura in the first place.
Every Spydie I handle seems to be SCARY sharp, whereas my Benchmade took me a lot of effort and wear on my stones to get a really nice edge. I think the grind is too thick--you have to REALLY attack the edge. The only thing the Endura lacks that I really like is the way you can take the Ascent all the way apart to clean it.
I'd definitely go with the Spyderco.
Every Spydie I handle seems to be SCARY sharp, whereas my Benchmade took me a lot of effort and wear on my stones to get a really nice edge. I think the grind is too thick--you have to REALLY attack the edge. The only thing the Endura lacks that I really like is the way you can take the Ascent all the way apart to clean it.
I'd definitely go with the Spyderco.
- Joined
- Jul 9, 1999
- Messages
- 3,316
Yep, Spyderco all the way.
IMHO, which ain't much, the Endura is the superior product of the two, especially the newer Endura '98.
Benchmade makes a good tactical folder, but this Ascent I am not too happy with. I carried it only a couple of days before it got the heave-ho! into the dusty knife drawer where it has sat ever since.
Come to think of it, I have several Benchmade Zytel folders in that drawer. You remember the Monarch series? Great Zytel folders for their time, but alas, they have gone the way of the dinosaur in my collection.
How about the Panther series? Pretty stout little Zytel folders with steel inserts on both sides of the handle. Aaahh... a blast from the not-too-distant past! Please excuse my muse.
Stick with the Spyderco Endura. It's time tested and refined and cuts bagels and string with the best of'em.
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My new bumper sticker:
Let me tell you about my SIFU!
IMHO, which ain't much, the Endura is the superior product of the two, especially the newer Endura '98.
Benchmade makes a good tactical folder, but this Ascent I am not too happy with. I carried it only a couple of days before it got the heave-ho! into the dusty knife drawer where it has sat ever since.
Come to think of it, I have several Benchmade Zytel folders in that drawer. You remember the Monarch series? Great Zytel folders for their time, but alas, they have gone the way of the dinosaur in my collection.
How about the Panther series? Pretty stout little Zytel folders with steel inserts on both sides of the handle. Aaahh... a blast from the not-too-distant past! Please excuse my muse.
Stick with the Spyderco Endura. It's time tested and refined and cuts bagels and string with the best of'em.
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My new bumper sticker:
Let me tell you about my SIFU!
- Joined
- Oct 14, 1998
- Messages
- 259
I vote endura as well. While still a good knife, I've a few peeves with the ascent. My main peeve is that the hole was actually sharp enough to slice my thumb! The locking mechanism is a little on the tight side (esp. when opening). Don't get me wrong, it's still a good folder (esp. for the price I payed for it when it was still called the "eclipse" several years ago), but the problems I saw in my ascent were not present in my old endura. I might be a little biased against the ascent, though, considering the little demon managed to cut my knuckle down to the bone when I was haphazardly closing it.
- Joined
- May 26, 1999
- Messages
- 1,964
Ditto.
I bought an Ascent about a year ago. I like the overall design of the knife, but it hasn't held up over time. The blade developed severe play, both side-to-side and up-and-down.
The pivot is adjustable, so you can cut down on the side-to-side play, but this comes at the cost of pinching the blade and making opening tight. I don't think the up/down play is correctable.
Another problem is that the knife now fails to completely close. The edge is pretty much covered, so it's not a really dangerous problem, but it is a relatively big deal.
I'm actually still grinding down the edge a year later. I was going to give the knife to a friend, but the edge is still too thick. I'll work on it a little more before I give it away.
Spyderco is really the undisputed king of the Zytel folders. Go with their stuff if you want a thermoplastic handle.
I bought an Ascent about a year ago. I like the overall design of the knife, but it hasn't held up over time. The blade developed severe play, both side-to-side and up-and-down.
The pivot is adjustable, so you can cut down on the side-to-side play, but this comes at the cost of pinching the blade and making opening tight. I don't think the up/down play is correctable.
Another problem is that the knife now fails to completely close. The edge is pretty much covered, so it's not a really dangerous problem, but it is a relatively big deal.
I'm actually still grinding down the edge a year later. I was going to give the knife to a friend, but the edge is still too thick. I'll work on it a little more before I give it away.
Spyderco is really the undisputed king of the Zytel folders. Go with their stuff if you want a thermoplastic handle.
- Joined
- Oct 3, 1998
- Messages
- 883
Endura.
David Rock
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AKTI Member # A000846
Stop when you get to bone.
David Rock
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AKTI Member # A000846
Stop when you get to bone.
- Joined
- Oct 3, 1998
- Messages
- 3,264
If your Ascent fails to close properly, take look inside the handle and try pushing the backspring all the way back into the lengthwise hole Zytel. At least in an early 830 I carried a while, it would tend to ride forward after a lot of "flip" openings.
The handle and blade shapes of the Endura and Ascent are so different that it is hard to compare them. The Spyderco Goddard is a closer match to the medium or full size Ascent.
Do you want a choice of tip-up or tip-down carry? Get an Ascent 830-35 or 840-45. Do you want "flat ground to the spine" Again, Ascent 825-35-45. Do you want a L-R reversable clip? Get a Spyderco lightweight.
My favorite in the Ascent series is the 820, for a nice slim shirt-pocket knife, which rode in mine until I indulged myself with a William Henry CF Lancet.
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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
The handle and blade shapes of the Endura and Ascent are so different that it is hard to compare them. The Spyderco Goddard is a closer match to the medium or full size Ascent.
Do you want a choice of tip-up or tip-down carry? Get an Ascent 830-35 or 840-45. Do you want "flat ground to the spine" Again, Ascent 825-35-45. Do you want a L-R reversable clip? Get a Spyderco lightweight.
My favorite in the Ascent series is the 820, for a nice slim shirt-pocket knife, which rode in mine until I indulged myself with a William Henry CF Lancet.
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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
- Joined
- Oct 3, 1998
- Messages
- 4,842
Endura!
Ascent has a big monsterous handle, but the blade is no bigger than the Endura's blade. The Endura's thin, well-sized handle makes the knife much more carryable.
For me, the large Ascent's ergonomics were a nightmare (this is subjective, you'll have to check this with your own hand). The Endura's handle feels great.
The Ascent comes with a thick edge that needs a lot of thinning to really get the performance out of it. The Endura's edge is high-performance right out of the box.
Both knives are lightweight, both knives have good functional blade shapes.
Joe
Ascent has a big monsterous handle, but the blade is no bigger than the Endura's blade. The Endura's thin, well-sized handle makes the knife much more carryable.
For me, the large Ascent's ergonomics were a nightmare (this is subjective, you'll have to check this with your own hand). The Endura's handle feels great.
The Ascent comes with a thick edge that needs a lot of thinning to really get the performance out of it. The Endura's edge is high-performance right out of the box.
Both knives are lightweight, both knives have good functional blade shapes.
Joe
If you're talking about the Endura-sized Ascent, go w/ the Endura. I have the smallest Ascent and can't say I've experienced any problems w/ it (i.e., sloppy lock, the thumbhole being sharp, etc.) except the grind. The blade is simply too thick, and like another member, I have been grinding it down for some time. However, it is my daily carry--it's inconspicuous, non-threatening, and yes, when the edge is properly ground down, it is very sharp and maintains its edge. Maybe I got a rare Ascent since so many people bash this model. On the other hand, I also carry it b/c I find that my fully serrated Delica isn't appropriate for most of the stuff I use my knife for. So, that's a roundabout way of saying go w/ Spyderco--I just wanted to defend my Ascent.
If you're talking about the Endura-sized Ascent, go w/ the Endura. I have the smallest Ascent and can't say I've experienced any problems w/ it (i.e., sloppy lock, the thumbhole being sharp, etc.) except the grind. The blade is simply too thick, and like another member, I have been grinding it down for some time. However, it is my daily carry--it's inconspicuous, non-threatening, and yes, when the edge is properly ground down, it is very sharp and maintains its edge. Maybe I got a rare Ascent since so many people bash this model. On the other hand, I also carry it b/c I find that my fully serrated Delica isn't appropriate for most of the stuff I use my knife for. So, that's a roundabout way of saying go w/ Spyderco--I just wanted to defend my Ascent.
- Joined
- Oct 9, 1998
- Messages
- 1,767
Hmm... looks like I'll probably be getting the Endura then. I was looking on Discount Knives, seems to cost like 45 dollars. Also I found a groovy looking neck sheath. Anyone have experience with it? I'm afraid it might not be secure and if I run, the knife might fall out and that could be bad....
-Chang the Asian Janitorial Apparatus
-Chang the Asian Janitorial Apparatus
- Joined
- Oct 9, 1998
- Messages
- 1,767
How's the Cold Steel Voyager (tanto blade with size comparable to the larger Ascent and the Endura) compare to the above two? If I had to get a good folder for under 65 dollars, which would it be? (how's the Boker Brend folder anyway? I've never seen one in person)
-chang the asian janitorial apparatus
-chang the asian janitorial apparatus
- Joined
- Nov 24, 1999
- Messages
- 4,981
I vote for the endura. I don't know much about CS knives, but the tanto blade will never perform as well for everyday stuff as the blade in the endura.
I handled an ascent once, long time ago when they were called the eclipse. It was a nice enough knife, but had some problems that won't be present in the endura. They may not show up in all of the ascents either but this one had them. The pocket clip ws either made out of a steel with a cvery poor mempry or it wasn't spring tempered properly. It lost its hold quickly and caused my friend to go retracing his steps quite a bit. The torx screws that held the clip onb were to small too. He couldn't find anyhitng to use on them, and the heads stripped out on him. That may not be a problem if you have the right sized torx driver, but I'd rather be able to adjust it all with a phillips or flat blade screwdriver (Endura 98 clip uses 2 flat balde screwdrivers, its held on with a chicago screw). Then if you carry a multi tool you can move, remove, or tighten the clip whenever you want.
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Fix it right the first time, use Baling Wire !
I handled an ascent once, long time ago when they were called the eclipse. It was a nice enough knife, but had some problems that won't be present in the endura. They may not show up in all of the ascents either but this one had them. The pocket clip ws either made out of a steel with a cvery poor mempry or it wasn't spring tempered properly. It lost its hold quickly and caused my friend to go retracing his steps quite a bit. The torx screws that held the clip onb were to small too. He couldn't find anyhitng to use on them, and the heads stripped out on him. That may not be a problem if you have the right sized torx driver, but I'd rather be able to adjust it all with a phillips or flat blade screwdriver (Endura 98 clip uses 2 flat balde screwdrivers, its held on with a chicago screw). Then if you carry a multi tool you can move, remove, or tighten the clip whenever you want.
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Fix it right the first time, use Baling Wire !
The Ascent, especially in the nice flat grind drop point. Although I love the hole in the saber ground style too. Even finding a non-serrated Spyderco is a bit of work and there is the hollow grind to boot, at least on most styles.
I am completely unimpressed with Spyderco handle and pocket ride. They are always bulky because of the hump blade and the counter curving handle.
Phil
I am completely unimpressed with Spyderco handle and pocket ride. They are always bulky because of the hump blade and the counter curving handle.
Phil
The Endura has the Ascent beat in almost every area.Handle is more ergromatic,the hole more comfortable,blade sharper,better clip.The benchmades are famous for their over hardened ats34 blades.The Endura's lock even seems stronger.The Ascent is just a poor copy of the Endura
- Joined
- May 19, 1999
- Messages
- 223
Chang go with the spyderco its a really good knife.Also what do they charge for the neck sheath? I have a lot of concealex and a press if you can make it up to Bloomington I can press you out a neck sheath for it no charge.I just made one today out of .060" black for my benchmade cqc7 folder and it turned out great.Either way let us know what you get.
troy
[This message has been edited by Ben E Hana (edited 03-01-2000).]
troy
[This message has been edited by Ben E Hana (edited 03-01-2000).]
