Spyderco Southard Flipper

elbowroom said:
There are approximately 38 different grades of titanium. If you want to be naive, that is certainly your prerogative.
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http://gmttitanium.com/english_tremeny/technical_information/grades_of_titanium/ Not 38 here. You use the proper Titanium for the application. So unless someone is lying about what they are delivering to Spyderco (not likely, with normal business practices requireing certs and all) it is what Spyderco says. I would bet that 6AL-4V is one of the cheaper alloys seeing as how it is one of the most common. Sal said himself they do use 6AL-4V.
Sal Glesser said:
It's not "full" titan. It's 6Al4V. Gotta be careful these days ;)

sal
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http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1032227-Domino-Description?p=11775517#post11775517
 
bld522 said:
+1. In fact, I'm fresh out of Sebenzas at the moment and I may not buy another one. That's how much better I like the Southard.
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Well I wanted a Southard bad before and have been saving up for one now since I lost my dang job recently but since you guys are so adamant about how good it is I am going to have to figure out a way to get one for sure now. I love everything I see and read about it and Can only imagine how nice it is in hand.
 
Grades 1-4 of titanium are pure titanium and are considered "higher end". These would make poor choices for an RIL scale because it is so damn soft and doesn't offer the same springiness that 6Al4V offers. Without the addition of Aluminum and Vanadium you would have a lock that deforms and a lockbar that wouldn't spring back to its original position upon opening. Once you get past grade 5 (6Al4V) you are talking about titanium that is produced for specific applications.

It looks like somebody decided to google Titanium and now he thinks he knows what he is talking about. To think this knife's price is directly correlated to the Ti is pretty funny, but absolutely wrong.
 
Trolls are also welcome to their opinion. I just hope nobody is influenced by such drivel.
I purchased two Southards, three TECHNOs and one Gayle Bradley. These are ALL Taiwan titanium, and everybody loves 'em except one person. Makes you wonder, huh?
 
racingfirefighter said:
..... since you guys are so adamant about how good it is I am going to have to figure out a way to get one for sure now. I love everything I see and read about it and Can only imagine how nice it is in hand.
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At first, I thought the OP was a troll trying to trash Spyderco. Now I see that it was started by Sal as a sneaky way to sell more Southards.
 
nccole said:
http://gmttitanium.com/english_tremeny/technical_information/grades_of_titanium/ Not 38 here. You use the proper Titanium for the application. So unless someone is lying about what they are delivering to Spyderco (not likely, with normal business practices requireing certs and all) it is what Spyderco says. I would bet that 6AL-4V is one of the cheaper alloys seeing as how it is one of the most common. Sal said himself they do use 6AL-4V. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1032227-Domino-Description?p=11775517#post11775517
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Titanium is expensive over all. 6AL-4V is just one of the more commonly produced and used titanium alloys in the market, thus is relatively cheap. Other alloys may have similar manufacturing costs but due to limited quantities, will be far more expensive.

You certainly do get the right alloy for the right job. Titanium allows can vary greatly just like steel.
 
What's the OP even groaning about? Sebenzas and XM18's use the same Titanium 6AL-4V. You get the Southard for a fraction of the price with excellent fit and finish. Mine is as perfect as any knife I have ever owned.

It's design mirrors Brad's customs. It's like having a custom, I feel like a winner everytime I think about how much I payed for it. $223 shipped.
 
bld522 said:
+1. In fact, I'm fresh out of Sebenzas at the moment and I may not buy another one. That's how much better I like the Southard.
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I like this guy and respect his opinions, but I prefer my Sebenzas. The Southard is a very fine folder and it's a great flipper, but I'll have to vote for the Sebbie...and Yes, a Sebbie costs a heck of a lot more money; it should be a better knife. I've had maybe twelve or so Sebbies in various flavors and sizes and they are outstanding knives.
I am carrying my Sebbie and I just shipped out my last Southard. I had two NIB. Sold one right away, no profit, and I just sold the other because I have a big credit-card bill to pay. I have two Sebbies, and will not likely sell either one. One's a Classic and the other is a Regular. Both are hard to come by, and I know that I can buy another Southard when I get some more funds.
 
Sal Glesser said:
It's not "full" titan. It's 6Al4V. Gotta be careful these days ;)

sal
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This quote was a reply from Sal to me during casual talk about Titanium. Note the obvious sarcasm. It's obvious he's grown weary of the B.S. people come up with.
 
FCM415 said:
This quote was a reply from Sal to me during casual talk about Titanium. Note the obvious sarcasm. It's obvious he's grown weary of the B.S. people come up with.
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Yeah, that is why I posted a link to the whole thread. Hopefully nobody takes it wrongly, the wink helps ;)
 
Sonnydaze said:
I like this guy and respect his opinions, but I prefer my Sebenzas. The Southard is a very fine folder and it's a great flipper, but I'll have to vote for the Sebbie...and Yes, a Sebbie costs a heck of a lot more money; it should be a better knife. I've had maybe twelve or so Sebbies in various flavors and sizes and they are outstanding knives.
I am carrying my Sebbie and I just shipped out my last Southard. I had two NIB. Sold one right away, no profit, and I just sold the other because I have a big credit-card bill to pay. I have two Sebbies, and will not likely sell either one. One's a Classic and the other is a Regular. Both are hard to come by, and I know that I can buy another Southard when I get some more funds.
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No worries, my friend. What I've lost in Sebenzas I've more than made up for in William Henrys. ;) :D

Ergonomically, the Southard is a much better fit for me than either the Large Sebenza or the Small Sebenza. The large is a little too big for me to EDC and the small is a little too small to give me a comfortable grip. But the Southard is just right. This is not to say that Sebenzas aren't great knives. They are, and we both know it. They just don't work for me. If Chris ever makes one the same size as the Ti-Lock, I'll buy it in a heartbeat.
 
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elbowroom said:
No troll here. Just expressing opinion on the outrageous price tag. You know there are many many different grades of titanium; the lower grade & less expensive being used here. As long as companies' call it "titanium" they feel it gives them license to gouge consumers.
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So, you watched nutn's review and thought you'd stir the pot?
How nice, but you could have searched and found that this topic has been covered extensively.
And they aren't gouging consumers. Knives like this are a luxury, not a necessity, and no one is forcing you to buy them.
 
bld522 said:
Hmmmm. My experience is that "Spyderco" and "gouge" don't belong together in the same sentence. And if you think the price tag is outrageous, don't buy the knife. It's really just as simple as that.

By the way, I read something you might find interesting. In order to produce quality knives in Taiwan, American manufacturers have had to invest in what amounts to brand new infrastructure. As a result, the machinery that goes into making a knife like the Southard is actually newer and in better condition than a lot of the machinery that produces American-made knives. Is it any wonder then that a knife as well-made as the Southard comes out of an assembly plant located in Taiwan?
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I am interested in reading more about this. Can you provide a link please?
 
All the Taiwan Spydercos I've bought have been flawless and the Southard is no exception. Flips easy, locks up solid has great steel. If you think it's not worth the price then I suspect you may have a problem paying the same price for any knife.

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cncpro11 said:
I am interested in reading more about this. Can you provide a link please?
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I read that some time ago on BF but I didn't save the link. I'm not sure how I'd even go about tracking it down at this point. But if you look at the quantity and quality of knives being produced in Taiwan, it's pretty clear that they're not being made on outdated equipment. The tolerances required to produce a knife like the Southard is a testament to that. And, of course, the offset for a US manufacturer's investment in infrastructure is the cost of labor in Taiwan. It shouldn't take too look to achieve breakeven even when a portion of the cost savings is passed along to consumers.

This much I'll do. If I ever find that attribution, I'll post the link here.
 
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galactorrhea said:
Someone watched TNP this morning!
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Bingo.

NF has gone full potato recently.

This, now his [deleted] knock off video. :confused:


I've only played with the Southard flipper in the store and absolutely loved it. Craftsmanship and ergos are second to none.
 
This is a silly troll thread, but it's actually been a surprise to read. The troll was dealt with without anyone going too crazy, there was some useful discussion (e.g. I didn't know what titanium alloy was used in the Southard previously) and the whole thing didn't veer off into W&C land . . . nicely done, bladeforums peeps :)

As far as the Southard goes, I fail to see how an objective person could claim it had substandard fit and finish. The knife is extremely well made. I had a pristine basic Sebenza for a while, and while I got rid of it due to it not being my thing (wasn't more pleasant to use, ergo-wise than my other options, and it wasn't pretty enough to out-pretty my pretty options), I can't say that there was some major difference in construction quality between the Sebenza and Southard.
 
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