Spyderco Tenacious vs Kershaw Skyline

00ChevyScott

00ChevyScott

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GF is getting me both of these knives for xmas, haven't handled either one previously, and I do not own nor have I ever owned a Spyderco knife.


What should I expect from both of these knives? Which one is a better knife? Pros/Cons of both?

I've done some research on them both and they both seem generally favorable and good quality, but just looking for some other/more recent opinions.
 
The Tenacious is thicker, heftier, and opens via the Spydie hole.

The Skyline is thinner, lighter (seems very light) and opens with the flicker thing.

I prefer the Tenacious. It subjectively seems like more knife for the money, and I have never been able to get either of my 2 Skylines to consistently flick open all of the way. Its probably user error.

Both are fine knives and value priced, but I subjectively prefer the Tenacious and its siblings.

See Nutnfancy's youtube reviews of these knives if you haven't already.

JMO. :thumbup:

Edit:

Ok, I just got out my Skylines and now I can flick 'em open consistently. I think they needed to have the pivots adjusted just right, and a drop of oil. Good stuff.
 
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00ChevyScott said:
GF is getting me both of these knives for xmas, haven't handled either one previously, and I do not own nor have I ever owned a Spyderco knife.


What should I expect from both of these knives? Which one is a better knife? Pros/Cons of both?

I've done some research on them both and they both seem generally favorable and good quality, but just looking for some other/more recent opinions.
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the skyline is better in almost all ways. weight, sharpness out of the box, materials. The flipper takes a bit getting use to and its thinness and weight really make it disappear and you forget about carrying it.

The Tenacious is thicker and im not sure why everyone likes it so much. It opens what what easier with the spider hole and is a lot thicker and heavier then the skyline. If i were to go with a spyderco I'd either go with the bug, the ladybug 3 in SS or a police. I'd never buy a Tenacious myself but thats just me. I currently carry the police in G10.
 
Owning both I find that I carry the Tenascious much, much more often. Still like the Skyline, just don't like it as much as the Tenascious which is more rugged, IMHO and I prefer the Spyderhole over the flipper. Also like the flat grind on the Tenascious better for my cutting chores.
 
i think your going to be in a first hand position to evaluate both of these yourself soon, maybe a short review with pics? i looked at the skyline once and have seen a review or 2 on them, seemed to be a decent knife for the money. i had the blur for a while and never quite warmed up to it, as a whole i am a spyderco nut now so i think you will probubly like the tenacious for its overall heavier duty appeal. blade steels on my blur and tenacious were about the same as far as edge holding. i think that point would be a wash either way. you might have a different experiance, id suggest you give them both some time in a edc role to see what you like. personally i never liked the flipper style opening and now that ive been using spyder hole opening i find a stud to be more difficult.
 
The Tenacious feels like a more substantial knife and I've used it for nearly 4 months as a full time beater. I do prefer the Skyline for edc because of how light it is and I love playing around with the flipper. So basically to me the Tenacious is a better hard use knife while the Skyline is a better overall edc knife. I call it a tie :).
 
I'd go for the skyline because of the steel and where it's made (overall better quality). Then again, the skyline excels in what it is, a light, thin (slicer profile), sharp flipper-folder. If you want something more substantial, then choose accordingly.
 
knivesandguns said:
I'd go for the skyline because of the steel and where it's made (overall better quality). Then again, the skyline excels in what it is, a light, thin (slicer profile), sharp flipper-folder. If you want something more substantial, then choose accordingly.
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I'm getting both, just wondering what to expect out of them :cool:
 
00ChevyScott said:
GF is getting me both of these knives for xmas, haven't handled either one previously, and I do not own nor have I ever owned a Spyderco knife.


What should I expect from both of these knives? Which one is a better knife? Pros/Cons of both?

I've done some research on them both and they both seem generally favorable and good quality, but just looking for some other/more recent opinions.
Click to expand...

Congratulations for having a GF who treats you so well. She even has exceptional taste in knives.
 
I have owned both knives and sold them both. The skyline just didn't fit my hands - it was too uncomfortable for me, but that's just personal preference. It was a wicked slicer, slimmer, thinner, and just generally smaller than the Tenacious, and had (imho) a much better steel (14c28) than the Tenacious. The G10 was a bit more 'grippy', if you're concerned about that sort of thing. It's also lighter, something I personally could care less about.

My Tenacious seemed like a more capable knife for work due do its larger size, but (for me) was an absolute blister factory as it had a few really sharp edges where the G10 and the liners met that dug into my hands with prolonged use. I really dislike the steel (8cr13MoV), as I found it to chip extremely easily compared to other knives I've used for work. I found it would dull so easily that I would have to sharpen it after every single day of work, while I would only have to sharpen my Cyclone (13c26 steel - similar to the Skyline's 14c28) around once or twice a week at most.

Both knives were really sharp out of the box, and although the skyline was a better all around slicer, I prefer the FFG blade of the Tenacious. The Tenacious' spyderhole is also easier to use in general than the skyline's flipper, imho.

Long story short, I don't really like either knife.
 
id say tenacious is better, but instead of getting 2 knives with 8cr13mov steel, why dont you ask for a single endura, or delica with vg10 which has superior edge holding capabilities... or warriors and wonders has a delica for around $70 that has the great zdp-189 steel... if thats too much to ask, then the tenacious and skyline are great
 
you see people buy the tenacious because of the look and the design of it apeals to others where i like the skyline but if i had the choice i would buy the damascus blade version of the skyline but the blade shape and other things a that set the two apart things like weight are too the users choice because some guys what some thing that weighs more for there choice because then they can tell where there blade is at any time just by the fell also it is for diffrent things i would enjoy caring a 4 1/2 blade and i have and will like carrying it. So some of us like the weight feel and steel on it for your own reasons and it is ok to have diffrent choices in some places the tenacious is less threatening as to the spear point blade on the skyline
 
I own both the Tenacious and Skyline, but I carry the Skyline and enjoy it more because of the profile. It is a smaller, lighter duty blade that I prefer for my EDC needs. It is just the perfect length, weight, shape and style. The Tenacious, while good, is simply too bulky for my purposes on a day-to-day basis.

I prefer the Skylines G10, pocket clip (very strong, bend it back to keep your pants from shredding), and ergonomics. But I also prefer the full flat grind, jimping, deep carry and pillar construction of the Tenacious. As for performance, I'd imagine the Tenacious, by virtue of its size, would be used harder, and therefore deteriorate faster than the Skyline would, I cannot speak for the edge retention of both steels as my Tenacious is fully-serrated while the Skyline is plain edge.

My Skyline also had inconsistent flipping action, but after disassembling, cleaning, and adjusting the pivot screw, it works perfectly now. Just a minor inconvenience, but something you may need to expect.
 
Well as of now I am EDCing a Kershaw Rake that I just bought. It will ride in my back pocket next to my wallet.

edcsmaller.jpg



So I will probably change up between the Tenacious and the Skyline for the front pocket for awhile and see how I like them both. I like both of their stylings, but am really looking forward to the Spyderco because I've never owned one. One thing I am somewhat worried about, is that the Spyderco is made in China. Will it reflect similar quality to the US models? I've read that it is of good quality even though it is a China knife.

knivesy.jpg
 
So I will probably change up between the Tenacious and the Skyline for the front pocket for awhile and see how I like them both. I like both of their stylings, but am really looking forward to the Spyderco because I've never owned one. One thing I am somewhat worried about, is that the Spyderco is made in China. Will it reflect similar quality to the US models? I've read that it is of good quality even though it is a China knife.
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If anything I'd say that the craftsmanship is slightly better with the Spyderco, even if it is made in China; they have fantastic quality control. My Skyline has a slightly off-center stop-pin and an ever-so-slight gap between the rear spacer and the scales. The Tenacious on the other hand seems to be perfectly formed in all areas of the knife. The other Skyline I received though (bought two, one's a gift) has a fit and finish on par with the Spyderco. Luck of the draw I suppose.
 
They are both excellent HIGH VALUE knives. The Skyline is a better EDC knife for food prep, opening packages, cutting cordage, etc. The Tenacious is a bit more heavy duty and could handle "harder" tasks. The Tenacious has better build quality IMO. Kershaws are excellent but the Chinese made Spyderco (and Byrd) knives are absolutely flawless.
 
00ChevyScott said:
How do they compare to the US made Spyderco's? Wouldn't notice a difference? Or are the US models an even further step up in quality?
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There is absolutely no comparison in my opinion.

US-made Spyderco knives are superior in almost every way except for the price factor. You will instantly know which one was made in the US once you hold it and compare it to Byrd or even the Tenacious line which is a step up or sorts. I know Byrds are good knives for the money, and they have good quality control, but Golden Spydercos are simply better knives.
 
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