Spyderco Urban

AF · Sep 28, 2009

Finally succumbed to my curiosity and picked up an Urban with leaf shaped blade. This thing is cool! It's not just for those with legal constraints. If you like slippies you should pick one up. It opens with a snap that is not typical of slippies. It also take more force to disengage than my traditional slipjoints from the likes of Queen and GEC. It has a half-stop. It's unlined so very light weight. Fits my hand perfectly. Edge seems about the same thickness as Stretch II - not as thin as Caly 3.

7rip13a · Sep 28, 2009

Thanks for the quick review, I still need to pick one of these Slipits up.

AF · Sep 28, 2009

Here's a pic -

D1omedes · Sep 28, 2009

I'm just curious. Why is the Urban so close in price to the UKPK? One uses VG10 and the latter S30V. Are these two steels that similar?

The Deacon · Sep 28, 2009

D1omedes said:
I'm just curious. Why is the Urban so close in price to the UKPK? One uses VG10 and the latter S30V. Are these two steels that similar?

Yes, the two steels are quite similar. Some prefer one, soe the other, but they're both high quality steels. Another factor in the price is that having a knife made in Japan costs more than making it here would. Imagine the reason for doing so has more to do with the limits of Golden's production capacity than anything else.

Paul

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Josh K · Sep 28, 2009

D1omedes said:
I'm just curious. Why is the Urban so close in price to the UKPK? One uses VG10 and the latter S30V. Are these two steels that similar?

The Urban's G-10 is shipped from here to Japan for use in the handles. Also, knife making in Japan isn't cheap.

AF · Sep 28, 2009

Josh K said:
Also, knife making in Japan isn't cheap.

I imagine it will get even more expensive as the US Dollar hits a multi-year low against the Yen.

D1omedes · Sep 28, 2009

Josh K said:
The Urban's G-10 is shipped from here to Japan for use in the handles. Also, knife making in Japan isn't cheap.

I know it isn't cheap but I would imagine that a bigger S30V blade of the UKPK would create a substantially higher price than a smaller VG10 blade of the Urban.

I see VG10 used in Spyderco's more affordable models and the S30V in their higher end models. I just found the parity in price to be a bit strange is all.

Do you know what steel the UKPK FRN will use? I heard it will be GIN1 but I am not sure.

Josh K · Sep 28, 2009

D1omedes said:
I know it isn't cheap but I would imagine that a bigger S30V blade of the UKPK would create a substantially higher price than a smaller VG10 blade of the Urban.

I see VG10 used in Spyderco's more affordable models and the S30V in their higher end models. I just found the parity in price to be a bit strange is all.

Do you know what steel the UKPK FRN will use? I heard it will be GIN1 but I am not sure.

Not sure where you heard that, but the UKPK is a USA made knife. GIN1 is a Japanese steel.

The blade on the UKPK isn't all that much bigger, and most of those "affordable" models are produced with FRN molds, which make it significantly cheaper then shipping G-10 to Japan.

D1omedes · Sep 28, 2009

Josh K said:
Not sure where you heard that, but the UKPK is a USA made knife. GIN1 is a Japanese steel.

The blade on the UKPK isn't all that much bigger, and most of those "affordable" models are produced with FRN molds, which make it significantly cheaper then shipping G-10 to Japan.

Saw it here. Post #552

Are all of Spyderco's handle materials made in the U.S.? Just curious because I know a lot of their blades are made in Seki City. Wouldn't having the FRN/G-10 molds made there cut transportation costs?