Spyderco Persistence/Tenacious for a Purist?

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precisionshootist

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Mar 1, 2010
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I'm not sure how to phrase this question so that it makes sense but here goes. Does adding one of the China made Spyderco knives lower or dilute the overall quality of a nice collection/assortment of Spydercos? Does it lower the "expectation" of performance and quality because the price is lower? I'm mean bottom line even the most expensive Spydercos are cheap in the scheme of things with most being downright amazingly low priced considering you are getting the best of the best.

I've been carrying a Spyderco for the better part of 15 years or more. I carry them because IMO they are simply the best folding knives in existence when it comes to function bar none no matter what price you are willing to pay. I have never had a Spyderco fail on me. In an emergency situation where I needed a knife there is no other brand I would rather have.

BUT, when it comes to the Tenacious, Persistence and such, the knives are specifically made to be low cost first and performance second.

If I buy a Persistence will it LOWER the bar for me and my mindset towards the Spyderco line? OR should I just stay away and keep buying the premium or normal offerings?

Anyone else feel a little apprehensive about buying "budget" Spydercos?
 
I'm not a snob soooo....

Buy a Tenacious or Persistance and find out what a bargain they really are.
Those two knives feel and function like knives costing triple what you'll pay.
 
precisionshootist said:
I'm not sure how to phrase this question so that it makes sense but here goes. Does adding one of the China made Spyderco knives lower or dilute the overall quality of a nice collection/assortment of Spydercos? Does it lower the "expectation" of performance and quality because the price is lower? I'm mean bottom line even the most expensive Spydercos are cheap in the scheme of things with most being downright amazingly low priced considering you are getting the best of the best.

I've been carrying a Spyderco for the better part of 15 years or more. I carry them because IMO they are simply the best folding knives in existence when it comes to function bar none no matter what price you are willing to pay. I have never had a Spyderco fail on me. In an emergency situation where I needed a knife there is no other brand I would rather have.

BUT, when it comes to the Tenacious, Persistence and such, the knives are specifically made to be low cost first and performance second.

If I buy a Persistence will it LOWER the bar for me and my mindset towards the Spyderco line? OR should I just stay away and keep buying the premium or normal offerings?

Anyone else feel a little apprehensive about buying "budget" Spydercos?
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if you feel your collection is de-valued because of the ten/per, you can always give those away to "regain" the value of your collection.
 
If I didn't see such a low post count from the OP, I would be sure it was a troll. Sounds like it's chest thumping time reading that post.

Just in case it isn't...

Not every Spyderco is "the best of the best". Damn fine knives all, but the best of what? The best slicer? The best beater? Best bang for the buck? The best steel? The best design? The best handle materials? Best sprint runs?

The point is that NO knife manufacturer makes every single knife to the same standard of quality in materials, workmanship and design. Many have tailored their offerings to fit the needs and wants of their customers, and Spyderco is no exception.

You should SEARCH this site and take a look at the reviews on the Tenacious and Persistance. They are nice knives, regardless of their country of origin. There is plenty on this site concerning both knives.

BUT, when it comes to the Tenacious, Persistence and such, the knives are specifically made to be low cost first and performance second.


I am guessing Sal told you that? I hadn't heard that one before.

These are good knives. I think it would be silly to expect them to perform as well as a $200 knife, and they don't. But Spyderco did an excellent job creating a knife that had the right balance of steel, design and workmanship to make this a great knife and a tremendous value. I have used the hell out of my Tenacious and love it. No, the blade doesn't hold an edge like my knives that cost three times as much; but then I won't use them on the job site, either. The Tenacious has seen more work than my more expensive knives might ever see. When I ding it up with actual work, I just run it over my fine diamond rod a few times and it is sharp again, ready to go.

These knives are a great match up of product to market. They are certainly inexpensive enough to try one to out.

Robert
 
Don't think anyone can predict how anyone else will feel about anything. I think it's great that Spyderco offers a line of knives for budget conscious individuals and for those who tend to lose knives frequently. The Tenacious family of knives are excellent values for the money, but the materials used are not of the same quality as those on Spyderco knives made anywhere else. Whether that difference will lower your overall mindset cannot really be determined. However, the fact that you asked makes me think you've already decided that it would. I do wonder whether all the Spydercos you've owned are really "high end". I know my own collection runs the gamut from unlined FRN to things like the CF Klotzli Waker, the C27 Jess Horn, and the 25th Anniversary Delica and that owning the former does not lower my opinion of the later. I have a bolstered Stretch that was a gift from Sal, another Stretch which I had customized with Lignum Vitae scales over ti liners, a CF/ZDP-189 Stretch, and FRN Stretches in both VG-10 and ZDP-189. Each and every one of them finds its way into my pocket.
 
Troll? Chest Thumping? Snob?

I reread my post several times and still don't get any of that out of it but maybe that's just me. That being said I clearly stated I did not know how to phrase this question so that it makes sense so If it did not make sense why not give the OP (me) the benefit of the doubt instead of throwing insults.


Did Sal tell me the Tenacious and such were made to be inexpensive first then performance second? No he did not but a budget line by definition must have a lower price as a priority otherwise what's the point? This should be obvious to anyone.


Anyway, clearly I rubbed people the wrong way but I was trying to ask a legitimate question as I was about to pull the trigger on a Persistence. No hard feelings but this is not the place for me.

Precision
 
It may not be JUST you, but I can also understand how what you wrote, describing yourself as "a purist", asking if owning a Chinese Spyderco would "dilute the overall quality of a nice collection/assortment of Spydercos?", and "If I buy a Persistence will it LOWER the bar for me and my mindset towards the Spyderco line?" could be interpreted by some as snobbish and/or trollish.
 
Tenacious feel like an awesome knife to me. For reference, I also carry a Sage 2. My Tenacious feels solid and better quality than the Gerbers I carried last year. So I don't think they're sacrificing quality. My opinion is that the line takes advantage of Chinese steels and Chinese factories, and the result is an excellent knife at a much lower cost. If it is important to you that a knife be made in the US, or you think the steel is inferior, then skip it. Otherwise, it's a great knife.
 
Wait, wait, let me get this straight: you want to know if the purity of your collection will be compromised by mixing in lesser knives, and you're concerned that buying a Chinese made knife will dilute the quality of your collection overall?

You don't really strike me as a troll or a snob, but damn skippy - That might be the weirdest knife question I've heard all month. Who cares about the 'purity' of their knife collections in the first place? :confused:

SpydercoEagle.gif
 
Dorito Monk said:
Wait, wait, let me get this straight: you want to know if the purity of your collection will be compromised by mixing in lesser knives, and you're concerned that buying a Chinese made knife will dilute the quality of your collection overall?

You don't really strike me as a troll or a snob, but damn skippy - That might be the weirdest knife question I've heard all month. Who cares about the 'purity' of their knife collections in the first place? :confused:

SpydercoEagle.gif
Click to expand...

Lol! I agree though, that question does seem pretty snobbish, but it is hard to tell the tone of someone's question over the internet
 
precisionshootist said:
the knives are specifically made to be low cost first and performance second.
Click to expand...

Though I don't speak for him, I don't think that Mr. Sal would characterize it that way. He might say that Spyderco has attained the highest level of performance commensurate with value pricing.

In terms of feel, aesthetics, performance, and all of that good stuff, there is nothing "cheap" about the Tenacious lineup except the price.
 
I have old Spydercos (& other makes) in my collection that originally cost around $100 & have less build quality & performance than my Chinese Spydercos. This is impressive to me. Seriously, try one.
 
Honestly, for the price, you can't go wrong. Although I do love my U.S. and Japan made Spydies, I did buy the Tenacious to see for myself how the quality was for a line coming out of China. Boy was I actually impressed. I own two Tenacious models. Satin finish and the new all black model. My friend also owns the Resilience model (the big one) and it's kind of sad to say but all three models have really good lock-up. No vertical or horizontal blade play which is impressive coming from a knife made in China. For me, it's not really a knife to adore but to use. It makes a great beater.
 
precisionshootist said:
If I buy a Persistence will it LOWER the bar for me and my mindset towards the Spyderco line??
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Can't speak for the Persistence, but if you buy the Tenacious it will have the exact opposite effect to the one you are worried about. It will increase your mindset towards Spyderco when you realise what a fantastic knife it is at a great price point. When it comes to bang for buck, it really is hard to get much better. When I first got into Spydercos I bought a Military, Endura and Pacific Salt as well as the Tenacious. I'll let you guess which one I carry and use every. single. day.
 
Hi Precision,

thanx much for the years of support. My apologies if you question was questioned. We have a varied group here and as people are "different", reactions are as well. Try not to be overly sensitive. We have a great group of regulars and I believe you will find them exceptional.

I would also request that we all try to be less quick to judge posters. A little patience pays dividends. We get very few trolls here and they usually don't last long. I understand that the attitudes on many forums is less than friendly, but that's not the case here. Your underatnding is appreciated.

sal
 
I would think if you are purchasing knives to collect, the budget line of knives would be of little interest. However if you are like me, knives are a tool to use not only just to collect. The one thing I love about Spyderco knives in general is that they are designed to be carried and used heavily. Some of them also just happen to be pretty to look at too.
 
I think like with anything, Spyderco has and must create a price point for all knives it sells. For example: if you are new to knives and dont want to spend alot of money, then buy a Persistence for $30 and use it. Then after you like it and you are hooked, you might go buy a Sage or Manix or a Para 2 and now they got you hooked...LOL

The collection begins but started with an inexpensive knife but once you have owned it, you find that Spydie's are excellent and by that, they in turn get you to purchase others.....all business strategy and they couldnt do that if the cheaper ones sucked but they dont. I owned a Persistence and when I got it, it was flawless, dead center, no play, just great for $26.84 delivered....that is amazing!

Now I am preordering Para 2's that cost 5-6 times that or more! :D
 
I agree with your assessment, sir_mike. The twist for the OP is that he already carries Spydies but digs the designs of the China line. I can identify with that. The Resilience looks sweet to me -but I couldn't personally enjoy one, as I don't support China production when I can avoid it [please keep your heart rates down and save your fingertips from pointing out where my computer comes from; I don't have a choice]. He had a valid question and was seeking insight from Spyderco collectors in a knife forum before he was senselessly dogpiled.

OP, if it occurs to you that a knife will not sit right in your collection, may as well skip it. I don't have any Rough Riders out with the GEC knives on my dresser because there is only so much space and I want to save it for the things which bring me the most enjoyment. Same reason I bumped (sold) a perfectly great knife last week to make way for a second Spyerco Millie, which I have recently discovered as a top favorite pocket knife. It wasn't necessity that made me buy another one, just liked it more. On the other hand, if country of origin is not an issue and you are simply concerned with the price point, it seems there are plenty of people here who will vouch for the Chinese knives. Go with your gut.

Good luck, man. :thumbup:
 
A Persistence was one of my first Spydies (thank you Sal and team.)

It got me hooked on other, more expensive Spydies in much the same way that the inexpensive Sanrenmu 710 eventually led me to try a Sebenza.

Today, I'd rather carry a Sebenza than an SRM. But the Persistence remains one of my all-time favorite designs. So much so that yesterday I got a SuperLeaf, in part because of the blade similarity.
 
Ok, thanks guys and no hard feelings! I've had a bit of time to think about this a little more and I know the main problem was I did not phrase the question correctly and using the word purist was not the correct word to describe my approach. I do apologize for maybe posting a little to early and not waiting until I was at least a little more sure about what I was asking. I think the title should have said "Tenacious or Persistence for a dedicated, long time user". I collect knives to a certain limited extent as a hobby but on the serious tool side I USE Spydercos. The Persistence appealed to me on the hobby side.

And to clarify what I was trying to get at is that I have 100% confidence in Spyderco as the best tool for the job. So should I try purchasing and using a lower cost (obviously still a great design) knife simply because the price is lower and the knife is appealing design wise. I've read some of the issues with blade retention and such and I'm sure issues like that will be addressed but when you've had 100% track record with a tool you tend to not want to take chances. Also what might help to understand where I was coming from is to just take a look at my screen name. In "other" areas of interest confidence in your gear is very important so that is why I was thinking this way.



Hopefully that's a little clearer but I'm still not sure! lol

Thanks again
Precision
 
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