Spyderco knives are really ugly

Oh the horror!

spydercos.jpg
 
Hi Sharpenit,

Welcome to the Spyderco forum. We've been told that the term "fugly" was created for our knives. I guess that's ok.

In answer to your question;

First look at the edge. You will note that the steel is probablly excellent, the thickness at the edge is thin and consistent, and it is probably very sharp. Certainly not an "ugly" edge. If you have a chance to sharpenit, you will also appreciate what is there.

Close your eyes and hold it, various grips, cut with it and see if it's comfortable for you. The ergos aren't "ugly" to hold and the balance and control are likewise not an "ugly" experience.

The fit and finish aren't "ugly" nor are the very high quality materials that we use.

Perhaps the appearance is not something to which your eye is accustomed? I guess my response would be too much "eye" and not enough "head and heart". The more you learn about knives, the better Spyderco looks. ;)

sal
 
Yes, in my very honest opinion Spydercos are some of the ugliest knives on the market. That being said I know they are some of the most efficient cutting tools on the market as well; sharp out of the box edge, thin and useful blade grinds, decent ergonomics, functional gimping, and overall good quality.

I hate the way they look but I love and respect the way they perform.
 
I honestly never found them ugly, just "odd" or unique. Now that I've been buying them for a while, I think they are some of the best looking knives in existence. The way form and function are so intertwined, and the many different beautiful handle and blade shapes really are pleasing to the eye IMO.


As far TS's opinion, I hear this type of thing all the time from people who have never used a Spyderco. Sal said it perfectly, there is nothing ugly about the ergonomics, the edge, the grind, etc. And like I said, I even find the blade shapes and overall lines to be gorgeous.

All I can say, is don't knock it 'till you try it.
 
Sharpenit, I for one think your thread is worth preserving and reading. Spydercos are ugly (to some) because as Spyderco's founder and chief designer has stated, "they are designed in the dark." Their knives, at least the best of them, are tools that place performance and ergonomics above all other considerations. Many of the features we pretty much take for granted on folders these days, like the pocket clip or the thumb hole, originated on Spyderco knives, but I guess that's beside the point. I have great fondness (ok, love) for my Sebenza and great respect for the designer of that fine knife, but if I have to do some serious cutting, or carry a knife comfortably for a long time, I'm going to reach for a Spyderco every time.
 
sharpenit said:
Spyderco knives strike me as really ugly. That big ol' thumbhole making the blade look like the head of a duck or something. The blades look totally out of sync with their handles. And the handles, by and large, are ugly, too.

Most knives are seductively lovely. Not these babies.

Not trying to start a flamewar about this. I recognize that the design must appeal to a lot of you, because you buy boatloads of them and proudly display photos here in the forums.

So tell me why you DON'T think they're ugly. Or maybe you DO think they're ugly, but you like them for that reason. I'd be interested in hearing.

Again, not trying to start a flamewar. I'm genuinely interested in why such an ugly duckling has such appeal.
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Thats because you are seeing them with your eyes. Try viewing them with your hands and you'll find they are very beautiful indeed! Lots of knives are good looking but Spyderco's pass the hug test...where others fail to do much other than look good. Spyderco's are not appreciated until you put one in your hand and use it.


STR
 
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I'm assuming the hang up people have is often the hole in the blade and the bump often found on the blade to accomodate the hold/act as a thumb ramp.

The knives I find ugly are the ones that some would find most beautiful. These are the knives with overly ornate paintings on the handle of sunsets and mountains and have tons of gold plating on them.
 
When I look at a knife, I'm not viewing it as a piece of art or how pretty it would be to photograph. I look at the curves and angles on things and how they would fit and I see how I would cut and hold the knife, how it would flow in my hand and perform.

I have written off people who say spyderco is ugly before BUT I sat here on this thread and tried doing something, I tried looking at the pictures of the spyderco knives with the preconceived concept of what a plain or "slick" pocketknife would look like, completely ignoring how it would actually fit in my hand and be used, and I saw all the strange humps and distortions that spyderco has as opposed to knives that are just made to look like what people think of as a regular knife... and you know what I found? A lot of spydercos are ugly, they don't look how they "should" I completely agree.

If you view knives that way... I'm sorry for you, I guess you just can't see the function and beauty that I see in spyderco. I think you're just not looking at them properly, you don't see the right things that people who appreciate spyderco's looks see. But hey... to each his own.
 
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Wow Sharpenit, you garnered a response from Sal! I don't think Spyderco's in general are ugly, but they make some models I don't find attractive in pictures, and then I handle said "ugly model" and I'm usually quite surprised at how good it feels and how much more I like it. The Navaja is a good example, so is the Dodo, and the Barong.
 
I don't think they're ugly...maybe the design looks a bit too similar in every knife, but I don't think they're necessarily ugly.
 
ugly,,naw
do you use your knives i mean hard use,the flat grinds cut well,the hole will deploy the blade fast for times when you need a knife,the g-10 is grippy,spy makes small knives to big ones like the millitary for when the SHTF...
 
I don't know what it is , I want to try one , I buy knives like crazy ,but can't get myself to buy one of these . If anyone has something like a military or paramilitary for me to try I'm willing to pay for the time that I have it . I keep seeing them posted on here and and just can't get myself to pull the trigger on one .
 
Sal Glesser said:
The more you learn about knives, the better Spyderco looks. ;)

sal
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There is a profound amount of truth in this statement. While my absolute favorite knives are not Spyderco's, 3/4 of my top 10 are. Until recently, that wasn't the case. I purchased a Tenacious on a whim, just to see what the interest in Spyderco was all about. I've always liked the "Spyder Hole" type opening, but could never get beyond the asthetics that differed so greatly from "conventional" knives. That one purchase was the beginning of the end for me, and my bank account quickly depleted as my Spyderco collection quickly grew. Buy one and try it. You won't regret it. After a short time in hand, you'll realize that it just plain makes sense.

That said, that new TI Fluted Millie is just a gorgeous knife...I don't care who you are. I NEED one of those....not just want, but physically need.
 
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