Spyderco Starmate...what a beast!!!

Surfingringo

Surfingringo

Joined
May 25, 2013
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So i was in the US last week visiting a buddy and his brother in law (who is only 18) is into knives. Knowing that I'm into knives, the three of us sat down and had a talk about what might work for him. He wanted something big, strong and burly that could take a bit of hard use and abuse. We talked about the Manix and the Gayle Bradley and some of the frn models. Well, later that evening, my buddy and I were in town and he said "hey, I want to buy my brother in law a Spyderco and surprise him. Ace hardware has a few, lets go see if they have that Manix or Gayle Bradley".

Turned out they had the GB but before I bought it I asked the guy if I could take a look at the Starmate because I have never handled one. Holy Macaroni!!! What a beast of a knife!! It's really nothing like I imagined. The blade is a saber grind on really thick stock and the liner lock is thick and heavy. We ended up walking out with it and the BIL was beside himself with excitement. Anyway, this is a model that I don't hear talked about much on here and I was pretty impressed so I thought I would start a thread on it. Anyone else have one of these?
 
A few days ago I posted the story of my first Spyderco. It is the old version of the knife you have bought.
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I made a vid of mine earlier this year -
[youtube]Icz3ndqt2rw[/youtube]
 
I've got an original in 440V.
They have a single sunken locking liner only, and a nicely fitted backspacer.
Love the lighter weight of the old model, but if I hadn't slowed way down on my knife buying I would've gotten a newer version with full liners as well.
Glad you got to help him with his decision. Almost as fun as buying one for yourself, and you don't even have to spend any money,lol.
 
This one has been tempting me for awhile. I love the looks and design.
 
Yeah, I've often wondered myself why it isn't talked about more often. Might be a bit big for some areas/preferences, but a great classic IMO.

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I have seen a few complain of an unfinished looking ricasso on some batches of the newer rendition of the Starmate... just curious if you noticed that on the version you purchased?
 
SpeedHoles said:
I have seen a few complain of an unfinished looking ricasso on some batches of the newer rendition of the Starmate... just curious if you noticed that on the version you purchased?
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The fit, finish and action on the one we purchased was impeccable! Looked and felt like a very high end piece.
 
On paper it looks like a knife that I would really like but I've never had a chance to handle one and they seem to be very hard to find.
 
How old is the Starmate exactly? I know they used to be made from 440V at one point but are now VG10...It must sell well enough that they have continued to upgrade it and are still making them.
 
I think they haven't taken off because of the price and blade steel. They're a bit expensive for a VG10 knife. But the design is very nice.

For the going rate of $165-185, there are a LOT of very good options, and the Starmate just doesn't check enough boxes at the price point.

I'd venture to say that if it was made in Taiwan with s30v instead of Japan with VG10, it'd be a big seller.
 
seedubs1 said:
I think they haven't taken off because of the price and blade steel. They're a bit expensive for a VG10 knife. But the design is very nice.

For the going rate of $165-185, there are a LOT of very good options, and the Starmate just doesn't check enough boxes at the price point.

I'd venture to say that if it was made in Taiwan with s30v instead of Japan with VG10, it'd be a big seller.
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Not that I'm heavily concerned one way or the other, but I'm a big fan of VG-10. I'm often baffled why so many complain about it.
 
Nothing wrong with it and I'd have no problem with it. But I'm not going to drop that kind of money on a knife with VG10 when there's better steels to be had cheaper.

A Manix is $80-90 and is S30V with a very nice full flat grind, a VERY beefy and sturdy lock, and a really solid full steel liner handle with good G10 scales.
A Gayle Bradley is $130ish with a nice big chunk of M4, carbon fiber composite scales, and a really beefy liner lock.
The Starmate is $165-185 with VG10 and is still just black G10 handles and a simple liner lock...

It's just not a great price to performance ratio compared to what else is out there these days.

SpeedHoles said:
Not that I'm heavily concerned one way or the other, but I'm a big fan of VG-10. I'm often baffled why so many complain about it.
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I have one of the old 440v golden versions and it is buttery smooth and a amazingly solid knife. So glad I Was able to pick one up.
 
seedubs1 said:
Nothing wrong with it and I'd have no problem with it. But I'm not going to drop that kind of money on a knife with VG10 when there's better steels to be had cheaper.

A Manix is $80-90 and is S30V with a very nice full flat grind, a VERY beefy and sturdy lock, and a really solid full steel liner handle with good G10 scales.
A Gayle Bradley is $130ish with a nice big chunk of M4, carbon fiber composite scales, and a really beefy liner lock.
The Starmate is $165-185 with VG10 and is still just black G10 handles and a simple liner lock...

It's just not a great price to performance ratio compared to what else is out there these days.
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Agreed. As much as I love Seki City Spydercos and the look of the Starmate, I do think it is overpriced. Great knife? Definitely.
 
John_0917 said:
How old is the Starmate exactly? I know they used to be made from 440V at one point but are now VG10...It must sell well enough that they have continued to upgrade it and are still making them.
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I don't know when the first model came out but the current production is a slightly different model, sort of a re-issue. If you search you can find threads where the old and new are compared.


seedubs1 said:
I think they haven't taken off because of the price and blade steel. They're a bit expensive for a VG10 knife. But the design is very nice.

For the going rate of $165-185, there are a LOT of very good options
Click to expand...

I've said the same thing but a lot of people defend the Starmate pricing saying "but it's..." and "but it's...". The way I look at it, the Starmate has similar materials and manufacturing steps to the Military, but costs a lot more. However it is a somewhat unique knife and if you like it enough, you pay the price.
 
If I recall, there were delays on its release back in 98 due to the fact 440V was difficult to work with.
 
I like mine. It's a beast but with a great grind. A good slicer, good in the kitchen too, but thick enough to be a Beast. A better EDC than my Terzuola ACTF due to the flat grind. IIRC it is made by Moki.

I have had mine since their release and it's in great shape. Holds an edge for a long time, easy to sharpen, lockup hasn't moved and its as smooth as silk. It's as smooth as a flipper and jumps open with a variety of methods.

When it comes to S30 or S35 vs VG10, if you can tell the difference in every day use...You're a better knifeknut than I :)
 
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