Spyderco Captain and Volpe passaround
I received both knives earlier this week and had some fun playing with them.
Frank, thank you for organizing this passaround!
Size comparison
From left to right:
Emerson CQC-8 (framelock mod)
Benchmade Ritter Griptilian
Spyderco Volpe
Spyderco Captain
Boker CLB Trance
Spyderco Yojimbo
Spyderco P'kal
My profile:
I use knives either very lightly (food prep, office work) or fairly roughly (gardening, batoning, digging, prying). I don't whittle or hunt/skin. I emphasize ergonomics, safety, slicing. I have a passing knowledge of martial bladecraft. I downplay push cutting, chopping, appearance,
Captain
This is an odd knife. I'm used to more traditional profiles: drop points, spear points -- the limit of my "weird knife experience" are Japanese proper chisel grinds and Americanized geometric tantos. The Captain pushes my envelope WAY out there, with the combination of an axe profile in the tip and the hawkbill in the body of the blade.
The fit and finish is excellent -- easily in the top 90% of all production tactical-grade knives -- as appropriate to one made in Seki-City. The stainless lockbar and G10 are very reminiscent of other Seki-City Spydercos, or the Al Mar SERE 2000. This means the action is extremely smooth for a linerlock. Speaking of the linerlock, the lockbar is a little narrow and thin for what I prefer, but the lock was stable and I was unable to make it fail in both spine presses and spine knocks. I suspect this is due to the very excellent Spyderco radiused tang. The action is fantastically smooth, with the usual strong closing detent.
I found that for what I carry an EDC for, the Captain fails miserably. The absence of a tip makes it hard to make fine cuts, and the secondary "point" is not nearly as effective as the one in an Americanized tanto. I absolutely could not do any food prep, due to most of the usable edge in these tasks limited to a 1/2" segment directly behind the secondary tip, and only for pull cuts. The ulu-like profile on the front grind is too curved and too short to be of much use in slicing. I could not cut paper or break down cardboard boxes effectively with the hawkbill portion, as push-slicing only works with the 1" proximate to the finger choil.
Food prep on a cutting board is only exacerbated by the negative included angle of the blade -- the butt of the handle hits the cutting board before the hawkbill even gets within 1/4" of the board!
Don't even get me started on how hard the primary edge is to sharpen on a benchstone or an EdgePro.
In terms of ergonomics, I found that the Captain feels very good to hold when the index finger is in the finger choil, but very uncomfortable when held with the index behind the choil (on the handle). However, keeping the index finger in the choil brings up the same problem that I had with the Caly 3 -- it's just too damn easy to slip forward onto the edge. Also, I have small fingers, and the choil was almost too small for my finger to fit comfortably.
I suspect that everything that I use a knife for is everything that the Captain specifically has weaknesses in, sadly.
It was a good experience, but definitely not a knife I would use for EDC.
Volpe
I wanted to like the Volpe.
I really did.
I tried damn hard to like it.
Small, elegant folder with wood over/inlays. Check.
Framelock. Check
Index spine scoop. Check.
Wharncliffe with high flat grind, sharp point, and mild belly. Check.
Spyderco (with hole). Check.
But at the end of the day, all the little flaws combined to make it something I just wasn't comfortable carrying and using.
The fit and finish on the Volpe is, like all higher-end Spydercos, beyond reproach, even if it is made by an affiliate factory. This points at Spyderco quality control and strategic direction. The grinds are completely symmetrical. The handle slabs are finished impeccably, with mirror polished edges. The high flat grind cuts very well, as is expected, and the tip is plenty pokey. The action is smoooooooth, and yet the closing detent is strong and grabby. Really very well made.
So, what's the big deal? I start getting into problems as I use it. The most irritating problem is the handle. My middle finger just happens to land on the hump. If I push my middle finger forward of the hump, my index finger is pushed up against the front of the handle, and due to the mirror finish and shallow "speed bump", prone to falling onto the edge. If I pull my middle finger behind the hump, I feel like I'm holding a 3-finger knife, with the start of the blade edge a good 1.5" in front of my finger.
The handle is passably comfortable in index-on-spine grip, which seems to be what this knife was designed for. I say "seems" because, sadly, because the Spyderhole with the hump in the blade makes the index scoop basically an exercise in pain.
Index scoops are designed for placing the index finger on the spine, kitchen-grip style, for control of the blade tip and comfort. Basically, the tip goes where you point. Simple, with maximal control. The scoop on the Volpe is in front of the hump, which makes you bend your index finger, so you're no longer indexing the tip, but rather about 1" behind the tip. Second, the swedge, although attractive, thins out the blade stock right where the depth pushes up under my fingernail. Not the most comfortable situation.
I did a decent amount of cardboard cutting (making cardboard models, heh) but didn't have a chance to do food prep. I think it would probably be decently good at that.
It feels like this is one of the few Spydercos that was designed for appearance, and not exactly in a "pitch black room", as Sal is so fond of saying. It's a shame, since it has so many design features that would make it a perfect EDC for me.
I hope this has been helpful to people reading it.
I hope I didn't come across as negative, since Spyderco is one of my favourite (no bias, honest) production knife companies. I carry a Yojimbo fairly regularly, and carried a Delica4 for many months. These two are some of the lesser-known models, and I wanted to really be brutally honest about them. Also, I want to reiterate that I carry and use my knives for very specific purposes -- certain classes of utility -- and your experience may be different.
Please don't hesitate to ask questions.
Frank, thanks again for including me in this passaround!
I'll drop them in the mail to the next fellow on the list.
-j
PS:
My cat gets high off the Volpe.
That has to be worth something, yesno?!
I received both knives earlier this week and had some fun playing with them.
Frank, thank you for organizing this passaround!
Size comparison
From left to right:
Emerson CQC-8 (framelock mod)
Benchmade Ritter Griptilian
Spyderco Volpe
Spyderco Captain
Boker CLB Trance
Spyderco Yojimbo
Spyderco P'kal
My profile:
I use knives either very lightly (food prep, office work) or fairly roughly (gardening, batoning, digging, prying). I don't whittle or hunt/skin. I emphasize ergonomics, safety, slicing. I have a passing knowledge of martial bladecraft. I downplay push cutting, chopping, appearance,
Captain
This is an odd knife. I'm used to more traditional profiles: drop points, spear points -- the limit of my "weird knife experience" are Japanese proper chisel grinds and Americanized geometric tantos. The Captain pushes my envelope WAY out there, with the combination of an axe profile in the tip and the hawkbill in the body of the blade.
The fit and finish is excellent -- easily in the top 90% of all production tactical-grade knives -- as appropriate to one made in Seki-City. The stainless lockbar and G10 are very reminiscent of other Seki-City Spydercos, or the Al Mar SERE 2000. This means the action is extremely smooth for a linerlock. Speaking of the linerlock, the lockbar is a little narrow and thin for what I prefer, but the lock was stable and I was unable to make it fail in both spine presses and spine knocks. I suspect this is due to the very excellent Spyderco radiused tang. The action is fantastically smooth, with the usual strong closing detent.
I found that for what I carry an EDC for, the Captain fails miserably. The absence of a tip makes it hard to make fine cuts, and the secondary "point" is not nearly as effective as the one in an Americanized tanto. I absolutely could not do any food prep, due to most of the usable edge in these tasks limited to a 1/2" segment directly behind the secondary tip, and only for pull cuts. The ulu-like profile on the front grind is too curved and too short to be of much use in slicing. I could not cut paper or break down cardboard boxes effectively with the hawkbill portion, as push-slicing only works with the 1" proximate to the finger choil.
Food prep on a cutting board is only exacerbated by the negative included angle of the blade -- the butt of the handle hits the cutting board before the hawkbill even gets within 1/4" of the board!
Don't even get me started on how hard the primary edge is to sharpen on a benchstone or an EdgePro.
In terms of ergonomics, I found that the Captain feels very good to hold when the index finger is in the finger choil, but very uncomfortable when held with the index behind the choil (on the handle). However, keeping the index finger in the choil brings up the same problem that I had with the Caly 3 -- it's just too damn easy to slip forward onto the edge. Also, I have small fingers, and the choil was almost too small for my finger to fit comfortably.
I suspect that everything that I use a knife for is everything that the Captain specifically has weaknesses in, sadly.
It was a good experience, but definitely not a knife I would use for EDC.
Volpe
I wanted to like the Volpe.
I really did.
I tried damn hard to like it.
Small, elegant folder with wood over/inlays. Check.
Framelock. Check
Index spine scoop. Check.
Wharncliffe with high flat grind, sharp point, and mild belly. Check.
Spyderco (with hole). Check.
But at the end of the day, all the little flaws combined to make it something I just wasn't comfortable carrying and using.
The fit and finish on the Volpe is, like all higher-end Spydercos, beyond reproach, even if it is made by an affiliate factory. This points at Spyderco quality control and strategic direction. The grinds are completely symmetrical. The handle slabs are finished impeccably, with mirror polished edges. The high flat grind cuts very well, as is expected, and the tip is plenty pokey. The action is smoooooooth, and yet the closing detent is strong and grabby. Really very well made.
So, what's the big deal? I start getting into problems as I use it. The most irritating problem is the handle. My middle finger just happens to land on the hump. If I push my middle finger forward of the hump, my index finger is pushed up against the front of the handle, and due to the mirror finish and shallow "speed bump", prone to falling onto the edge. If I pull my middle finger behind the hump, I feel like I'm holding a 3-finger knife, with the start of the blade edge a good 1.5" in front of my finger.
The handle is passably comfortable in index-on-spine grip, which seems to be what this knife was designed for. I say "seems" because, sadly, because the Spyderhole with the hump in the blade makes the index scoop basically an exercise in pain.
Index scoops are designed for placing the index finger on the spine, kitchen-grip style, for control of the blade tip and comfort. Basically, the tip goes where you point. Simple, with maximal control. The scoop on the Volpe is in front of the hump, which makes you bend your index finger, so you're no longer indexing the tip, but rather about 1" behind the tip. Second, the swedge, although attractive, thins out the blade stock right where the depth pushes up under my fingernail. Not the most comfortable situation.
I did a decent amount of cardboard cutting (making cardboard models, heh) but didn't have a chance to do food prep. I think it would probably be decently good at that.
It feels like this is one of the few Spydercos that was designed for appearance, and not exactly in a "pitch black room", as Sal is so fond of saying. It's a shame, since it has so many design features that would make it a perfect EDC for me.
I hope this has been helpful to people reading it.
I hope I didn't come across as negative, since Spyderco is one of my favourite (no bias, honest) production knife companies. I carry a Yojimbo fairly regularly, and carried a Delica4 for many months. These two are some of the lesser-known models, and I wanted to really be brutally honest about them. Also, I want to reiterate that I carry and use my knives for very specific purposes -- certain classes of utility -- and your experience may be different.
Please don't hesitate to ask questions.
Frank, thanks again for including me in this passaround!
I'll drop them in the mail to the next fellow on the list.
-j
PS:
My cat gets high off the Volpe.
That has to be worth something, yesno?!
