LightGuy
Gold Member
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2010
- Messages
- 1,097
So I've been reading all the hype about the new Spyderco Southard - pretty hard to miss this one. I'll start by saying I am not a flipper lover, and never had a desire to own one.
But flipper or no flipper, when I saw the Southard I was truly intrigued. It didn't have the same old ultra-tactical look as most other flippers/folders out there, and it didn't even have one of the proto-typical designs that most of the non-tactical folders share. I didn't quite know what to think of it at first, but after a lot of looking and reviews it started to grow on me. Eventually, I had to have one. As I typically have to do with this hobby, I had to sacrifice one of my other blades to get a new one. So, up went my sprint run orange Paramilitary 2. That was hard to do, but that's how exciting the Southard was to me.
So, once I unboxed it I was ready for the let-down one usually experiences after the over-the-top hype. But it never came....
I can honestly say this knife lives up to every bit of the hype that has followed it's release. The attention to detail in every facet of the design simply fascinates me. I didn't know who Brad Southard was before this knife released, but I have a lot of respect for this talented knife maker now.
First, this is a HUGE knife in a TINY package. There is tons of blade on this one, with blade to spare. Yet when folded up, it feels like a sub 3" EDC in in the pocket. I love (for a change) how this blade has a slim profile instead of the inch to inch and half+ wide blades that so many of the tactical folders have. I like that it has a nice keen edge for slicing, but still has plenty of thickness toward the top of the blade to provide added strength IF some I'm in a pinch and harder use is needed.
The handle is, in a word - AMAZING. It is just big enough for a full grip without an inch of handle in front and in back of my fingers. The subtle curve of the handle, the thickness added by the G10 on Ti liner, the placement and shape of the finger groove, all work together to make this one of the most comfortable and secure folders I have handled. There's been a lot of discussion about the 2 sides of the handle being different sizes, and I've heard about the rough G10. I wouldn't change a thing... The design accomplishes its goal perfectly.
The framelock - perfectly done. To put my opinion in context, I have owned multiple high-end frame lock knives including Sebenzas, Umnumzaans, Striders and others. The framelock on the Southard works as well as any of these, and better than most. In addition, I have no gripes about this one while I did have some gripes about each of the others. I never liked how the CRK locks came so close to touching the opposite slab. It just never gave me confidence for lock wear down the road. Also, almost all the framelocks I've had in the past were either sticky right off the bat, or became difficult to unlock when much pressure was used when gripping the handle. None of the above are an issue with this knife. It has about 50% lockup, enough to be secure but provide for plenty of wear down the road. It is NEVER sticky, regardless of how hard I squeeze the handle. One concern I had was the cutouts on the lockbar to allow for dis-engagement being on the outside. I thought they'd be sharp and uncomfortable. What I found, is that you can't feel them when gripping the knife normally, and when deploying the blade using the flipper, they work to give your fingers a more secure grip on the knife. Again, well thought-out design.
Deployment works great. Like I said I'm not a flipper lover, but I love this knife. The flipper does it's job, and does it very well. I feel like I am in full control of the knife when deploying it, and it doesn't feel like it's on a spring and going to flip out of my hand.
Fit and finish - as I mention earlier, I've had several high end knives. This one belongs on the shelf with any of them, and above many of them. There are TONS of extra details worked into the production of this knife that make it one of the best out there. Everything is rounded, polished or beveled to make it a joy to use. Even the lockbar which has a bevel for comfort has very fine milling to give it slip resistance when disengaging. These details are everywhere if you'll look closely.
The one complaint I have is the clip. It's nice and robust and thick, plenty of tension, and it's not going to get bent out of shape. But it is raised kind of high off the handle, and I would like to see one that is a little flatter to the knife.
Brad Southard and Spyderco couldn't have done a better job on this collaboration design. And I have a new found respect for the factory in Taichung that was able to produce this highly detailed design to such exacting standards and output a knife of this impeccable quality.
I took some pics and a few macro shots to try and show the insane attention to detail given in the design and production of this amazing little folder. Sorry I couldn't decide on only a few, so you get them all.
But flipper or no flipper, when I saw the Southard I was truly intrigued. It didn't have the same old ultra-tactical look as most other flippers/folders out there, and it didn't even have one of the proto-typical designs that most of the non-tactical folders share. I didn't quite know what to think of it at first, but after a lot of looking and reviews it started to grow on me. Eventually, I had to have one. As I typically have to do with this hobby, I had to sacrifice one of my other blades to get a new one. So, up went my sprint run orange Paramilitary 2. That was hard to do, but that's how exciting the Southard was to me.
So, once I unboxed it I was ready for the let-down one usually experiences after the over-the-top hype. But it never came....
I can honestly say this knife lives up to every bit of the hype that has followed it's release. The attention to detail in every facet of the design simply fascinates me. I didn't know who Brad Southard was before this knife released, but I have a lot of respect for this talented knife maker now.
First, this is a HUGE knife in a TINY package. There is tons of blade on this one, with blade to spare. Yet when folded up, it feels like a sub 3" EDC in in the pocket. I love (for a change) how this blade has a slim profile instead of the inch to inch and half+ wide blades that so many of the tactical folders have. I like that it has a nice keen edge for slicing, but still has plenty of thickness toward the top of the blade to provide added strength IF some I'm in a pinch and harder use is needed.
The handle is, in a word - AMAZING. It is just big enough for a full grip without an inch of handle in front and in back of my fingers. The subtle curve of the handle, the thickness added by the G10 on Ti liner, the placement and shape of the finger groove, all work together to make this one of the most comfortable and secure folders I have handled. There's been a lot of discussion about the 2 sides of the handle being different sizes, and I've heard about the rough G10. I wouldn't change a thing... The design accomplishes its goal perfectly.
The framelock - perfectly done. To put my opinion in context, I have owned multiple high-end frame lock knives including Sebenzas, Umnumzaans, Striders and others. The framelock on the Southard works as well as any of these, and better than most. In addition, I have no gripes about this one while I did have some gripes about each of the others. I never liked how the CRK locks came so close to touching the opposite slab. It just never gave me confidence for lock wear down the road. Also, almost all the framelocks I've had in the past were either sticky right off the bat, or became difficult to unlock when much pressure was used when gripping the handle. None of the above are an issue with this knife. It has about 50% lockup, enough to be secure but provide for plenty of wear down the road. It is NEVER sticky, regardless of how hard I squeeze the handle. One concern I had was the cutouts on the lockbar to allow for dis-engagement being on the outside. I thought they'd be sharp and uncomfortable. What I found, is that you can't feel them when gripping the knife normally, and when deploying the blade using the flipper, they work to give your fingers a more secure grip on the knife. Again, well thought-out design.
Deployment works great. Like I said I'm not a flipper lover, but I love this knife. The flipper does it's job, and does it very well. I feel like I am in full control of the knife when deploying it, and it doesn't feel like it's on a spring and going to flip out of my hand.
Fit and finish - as I mention earlier, I've had several high end knives. This one belongs on the shelf with any of them, and above many of them. There are TONS of extra details worked into the production of this knife that make it one of the best out there. Everything is rounded, polished or beveled to make it a joy to use. Even the lockbar which has a bevel for comfort has very fine milling to give it slip resistance when disengaging. These details are everywhere if you'll look closely.
The one complaint I have is the clip. It's nice and robust and thick, plenty of tension, and it's not going to get bent out of shape. But it is raised kind of high off the handle, and I would like to see one that is a little flatter to the knife.
Brad Southard and Spyderco couldn't have done a better job on this collaboration design. And I have a new found respect for the factory in Taichung that was able to produce this highly detailed design to such exacting standards and output a knife of this impeccable quality.
I took some pics and a few macro shots to try and show the insane attention to detail given in the design and production of this amazing little folder. Sorry I couldn't decide on only a few, so you get them all.
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