Spyderco tenacious - any love here

David Mary said:
I'm guessing you mean that figuratively. :D
Click to expand...
Nope. Many rescue knives have blunt tips or blades designed so that the tip won’t harm the pt.

Gerber offered a model with a blunt tip. Not sure if it is still in production.

Hinderer design.
 
Last edited:
I have a Tenacious and I think it is a good knife, nicer than its price would indicate. I normally carry PM2 and Manix2 in steels like M4, Rex45, K390 and S110V, but I went camping last week and carried my Tenacious instead.
 
bdmicarta said:
I have a Tenacious and I think it is a good knife, nicer than its price would indicate. I normally carry PM2 and Manix2 in steels like M4, Rex45, K390 and S110V, but I went camping last week and carried my Tenacious instead.
Click to expand...
I liked mine but pocket real estate was a problem. I was also kinda rough on the edge.

I gave mine to a friend that needed a knife.

How did yours hold up to camping? I would be tempted to use it for food prep under those conditions.
 
The main thing I like about the Tenacious series is the blade geometry. Really lends itself well to slicing like no one’s business. Pair it with an upgraded steel and you’ve got a winner.
 
DangerZone98 said:
Did you turn it into a wharncliffe yourself? That looks awesome! :)
Click to expand...

Yessir, I did, and thank you for the kind words.

DangerZone98 said:
The main thing I like about the Tenacious series is the blade geometry. Really lends itself well to slicing like no one’s business. Pair it with an upgraded steel and you’ve got a winner.
Click to expand...

Would you believe I regrind all my Tenaciouses and Resiliences to half their BTE thickness or less! 8Cr can do a lot more than people think when it's nice and lean.
 
I bought one back when they were $30-Something.

It was really heavy for what it was, and really wide in the pocket so it never made it out of the house.

I gave it away here on the forums to somebody. Hope they liked it.
 
Lee D said:
Maybe so, but by buying Spyderco you’re supporting a company that has an American facility. Not that it matters to everyone.
Click to expand...

I see what your saying but here’s the issues I keep having.

It’s one thing for these Chinese companies to offer knives for lower prices and better materials, that’s hard to beat as an American company. BUT, when these Chinese companies are also offering better quality control and fit and finish, it starts to become hard not to want to purchase a civivi or similar options.

Why the heck am I having issues with blade centering on a 100$ para 3-a common issue for whatever reason. And with the several under 50$ Civivis and Sencut I haven’t had this issue, along with solid lock up and good bevels.

Why when I spend 550$ on a Spyderco Paysan it comes with a pocket clip found their 40 dollar knives, when I can buy a Kizer for under 200$ with a milled titanium pocket clip that destroys spydercos standard clip. It’s the little things.

I know this is a bit of a rant but I expect more from these established companies that I have supported and love.
 
Velitrius said:
It was really heavy for what it was, and really wide in the pocket so it never made it out of the house.
Click to expand...

Okay, now that is a great point. The size was not a huge deal for me, but as for the weight: I put the liners of just about every single Tenacious or Resilience I have ever owned on a diet.
 
Velitrius said:
I bought one back when they were $30-Something.

It was really heavy for what it was, and really wide in the pocket so it never made it out of the house.

I gave it away here on the forums to somebody. Hope they liked it.
Click to expand...


The main reason I have never bought a Spyderco yet is because they are all wide in the pocket to incorporate the spydey hole. That's pretty much Spyderco. Also most are relatively heavy.

If wide and heavy is an issue another brand might suit better.

In fact most non-traditionals ie moderns are typically characterised as unnecessarily high, over built, too thick in the stock and too heavy. That's what the majority of consumer want these days evidently.

Sharp contrast to every traditional ever in all cultures.
 
As plenty of others have said, it is a fine starter knife that has since been priced out by competition like Civivi. As a functional cutting tool, it certainly gets the job done but the reality is that a liner lock, G10 knife made in china running 8CR is no longer a good value at nearly 50$ most places. You can pick up a Civivi praxis right now for 42$ with a better steel (9CR), better action (running on bearings) and the same handle material (G10).
 
H Houlahound , a little off topic, but if you ever decide to get your feet wet with Spyderco, and you like back locks, you might like the Native Chief. I would have said the Ikuchi also, but it's not really a "typical" Spyderco like the Chief is, plus I've never handled it. But I liked the Chief, if only my hand shape and size didn't cause lock wiggle in certain grips... I digress, with a reiteration that yes, I love the Tenacious, after I put them through weight loss bootcamp.
 
Houlahound said:
The main reason I have never bought a Spyderco yet is because they are all wide in the pocket to incorporate the spydey hole. That's pretty much Spyderco. Also most are relatively heavy.
Click to expand...

I am a big boy (XXL) and carry big work knives in my construction duties. So weight has never an issue for me.

Pocket real estate though is quite valuable. I carry my work knife, a razor sharp traditional knife , a Chapstick, loose change, and my eye drops and my right hand pocket. The Tenacious was just too wide for me to be in and out of my pocket easily.

And to me, everything about that knife was average. Ok, worth the money I spent at the time, but probably went to the job site 3, maybe 4 times.

Gave it to a close friend, and he absolutely prizes that knife. Good ending for a knife that would be sitting in a box with other orphans.

Robert
 
Last edited:
Having spent decades carrying budget knives, I've carried a lot of 8Cr13Mov. It felt like a good deal back when Kershaw was still using AUS-6. It's still better than lower members of its series, such as 3Cr13 or 5Cr15. The thing is, it's never been a good steel. It's always been mediocre. It was just good relative to price within the budget market at the time. That was a long time ago.

Sure, Kershaw, CRKT, and others still use 8Cr13Mov and some of those knives have price tags up around the cost of a Tenacious. Meanwhile, the online budget market has exploded. Lots of companies offer Chinese D2 at 8Cr prices with comparable fit and finish. The worst Chinese D2 I've had easily outcuts the best 8Cr13Mov I've had. As far as more stainless options, the list keeps growing. Kizer has Acuto 440 at $20-something and N690 at $50-something. There are Sanrenmu knives in 12C27 around $20 and Ruike knives in 14C28N around $30. While your garden variety 9Cr18Mov is already a step up, Civivi has perfected the heat treatment and puts it in some really nice knives.

Given those other options in 2021, 8Cr13Mov has become increasingly hard to justify at $20-something, let alone $50-something. So unless Spyderco decides to avail themselves of one of those better budget steels, I'd say hold off on the Tenacious. If you really want to explore Spyderco, spend up to a level where the bang better matches the buck.
 
Chronovore Chronovore , a well laid out case. I do still quite like the Tenacious and Resilience platforms, and would continue to buy them at current prices if I had need for a folding knife within the niche they fill. The price, for me, is justified by the strength of the build, the great design, the user friendliness, and the broad modding canvas (more the Resilience on that last one). I have used 8Cr13MoV in my shop for some rough tasks, and it does the job well enough for me, but I resharpen daily at times.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top