Spyderco Native or Centofante

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nairb_trebor

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Jun 24, 2010
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Alright everybody, I have $60 to spend on a knife. Only $60. As of now im looking at the spyderco native and centofante maybe even a tasman salt. Feel free to give me your opinions. Or if anybody has other recommendations for knifes at any price point under $60 feel free, any offers are welcome.

By the way, I work on a ranch most days of the week other than that im a normal guy, keep that in mind :)
 
Centofante. Its lightweight, perfect EDC knife. You could also think Spyderco Delica FFG, they go under $60 too. Regular Delica 4 would probably be very fine too, as saber ground gives it sturdy tip, which might be good in ranch.
 
Centofante 3 - Good EDC knife, thin, comfortable in the pocket, not that great grip. Very elegant-looking. VG-10 steel keeps an excellent edge and is relatively easy to sharpen.

Native - Heavier duty blade, thicker handle, better grip. Can look like somewhat of an "aggressive" blade to the non-knife friendly, however. S30V is harder to sharpen, but holds on to an edge for a VERY long time.

Tasman Salt - Purpose built draw cutting blade. Tough to recommend for general EDC usage, but a great choice if you're cutting rope or leather a lot. If you live or work on a ranch, this might be good for you.
H-1 steel never rusts. Plain edge will not have the edge holding capability of either VG-10 or S30V, but the serrated edge version will actually be on par with or exceed the edge-holding capability of VG-10 or S30V due to the work-hardening properties of the steel.
 
I have both the S30V Native, and the Centofante 4.

Probably comes down to personal preference, I love them both. The Native is my go to "little big knife" it carries very lightweight and thin, yet has a great grip because of the substantial choil. I wear gloves all day at work and the grip is great, and secure. However the opening hole is partially obstructed by the scales when closed, and can slightly hinder opening it. But not much. The S30V holds a great working edge.

The centofante handle is even thinner, but quite longer, so I find they carry about equally. Depending on how you carry it (IWB, clipped to pocket, loose in pocket...) one might be better than the other. The blade is also thinner, leading to a super thin edge which slices for days, which I love. However the edge is slightly weaker if it comes into heavy contact because of this. It's also a very classy looking knife. However the grip in hand leaves some to be desired, the handle is both thin and "narrow", though I do have long fingers. The thumb ramp over the hole helps, but the rest of my hand chokes way down towards the butt of the handle to get a solid working grip, hard to describe. The VG10 is also great, easier for me to sharpen, holds a great edge, but gets duller noticeably quicker than the Native

If it was between the Centofante 3 and Native, I'd say Native hands down. However, I've grown very fond of the Wharncliffe blade on the Centofante 4, the tip is just so useful for my EDC tasks. So between the 4 and Native it's a toss up between what I'm using it for. The Native is more well rounded, but the thin, laser sharp Wharncliffe can be a real treat.

one negative on the Cento, when the clip is set up for tip down carry, the screws seem to tighten the scales on the pivot, making it not the smoothest opening/closing. it's not terrible, but does add noticeable resistance. If you switch the clip, or just remove it, it goes away. If you like tip up or no clip, this shouldn't affect your decision. (This may be rare, but I do know other people experienced this, not sure how common it is, though)

I would highly recommend both knives.

DSC_0023-1.jpg


Native in middle, Cento on right. Notice the Centofante has an overall shorter blade, yet more cutting edge because of the Native's choil.
DSC_0025-1.jpg


Blade:Handle ratio... Shortest blade, yet longest handle on the Centofante
DSC_0027-1.jpg
 
I just have the native and its a sweet little knife. Perfect for edc and light cutting tasks.
 
Buck Vantage Pro. Paul Bos heat treated S30V, high hollow ground, G-10 handle scales and liner lock. ~$55.

I had the Native but sold it. It was a nice little knife but the pinned construction bothered me. I did like the ergo's on it too.
 
Native for me. I love the ergos, the blade shape and thinness. It's VERY pocket friendly.
 
I own both knives, in my opinion the Native's wider and thicker blade as well as its secure grip make it more suitable for medium to heavy usage around a ranch.


Jaime Orozco.
 
I really love the Native. It is thin and very light; a perfect little EDC. (I have the Native IIID also.) The blade shape and swedges are just plain sexy. :) And S30V is wonderful stuff! I've field-dressed a whitetail with mine... I like a drop point blade of that size for that kind of chore. (You just have to use a stiff bristle brush to clean the fat out of the handle scales afterwards.)

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
I would get the Centofante. Nothing against the Native, but the Centofante is an awesome knife. It's a little bit thinner than most Spyderco's, but that improves its cutting ability.
 
The to op. Just keep in mind that the Native clip can be placed in the left or right side of the knife. While the centefonte, the clip can only be placed on the right hand side of the knife.
 
nairb_trebor said:
Alright everybody, I have $60 to spend on a knife. Only $60. As of now im looking at the spyderco native and centofante maybe even a tasman salt. Feel free to give me your opinions. Or if anybody has other recommendations for knifes at any price point under $60 feel free, any offers are welcome.

By the way, I work on a ranch most days of the week other than that im a normal guy, keep that in mind :)
Click to expand...

Both the Native and the Centofante 4 are awesome knives (the Centofante 3 is ok, but I don't think it's on the same level as the other knives discussed here). I have, and regularly use, both of them. Of the two, I like the Centofante a little bit better, but I'm also a big fan of Wharncliffe style blades.

However, another one I'd suggest taking a look at is the Spyderco Salt 1 (or the Atlantic or Pacific Salt, if you want a slightly larger blade). It's true that the Salt series, with it's H1 steel, will require slightly more frequent sharpening, but it's also the easiest one to sharpen (compared to VG-10 and S30V). Additionally, the Salt knives have the advantage of being impervious to rust. You never have to worry about them getting stained, ruined, etc. That peace of mind, in knowing that your knife will never rust, is great.

In fact, over the past 4 years, the Salt 1 has managed to become my most frequently carried EDC. It's a great size, I love the blade shape, and there's basically no maintenance required beyond a couple quick strokes on the Sharpmaker ever few weeks.
 
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