Spyderco's ~$100 Knives

J

JNieporte

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I wanted to take a look at some of Spyderco's knives that are in the $100 range, with a brief description of each. At the end, I'd like to know which one you'd recommend for an EDC blade, and why. Thanks all.

Delica 4 ZDP C11PGRE. Costs about $75. The blade is ZDP-189 and 3" long. Green FRN handles, four-way pocket clip. Steel liners. Lockback. Is the ZDP that much better than VG-10 to justify the $25 price jump?

Sage C123CFP. Costs about $93. The blade is S30V and 3" long. Carbon fiber handles, reversible tip-up wire clip. Steel liners. Linerlock. Is the carbon fiber worth the extra $50 over a Native (same blade steel and length)?

Caly 3 C113GP. Costs about $95. The blade is VG-10 and 3" long. G-10 handles, reversible tip-up wire clip. Steel liners. Lockback. Is this so much better than the VG-10 Delica that it justifies the high price (twice as much)?

Para Military C81GP. Costs about $125. The blade is S30V and 3-3/32" long. G-10 handles, right hand tip down clip. No liners. Compression lock. I know this gets high acclaim everywhere, but I can't justify spending this much money on a knife with only one clip position. I love everything else about it though, so I'm on the fence.
EDIT: I just realized the Para Military has liners.

Any thoughts?
 
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Well, not to sound like a broken record but... my paramilitary is with me everyday. It'd be my choice (and was, actually). Oh, forgot to mention... that compression lock whips serious ass. Believe that.
 
I have first three knives out of your list. Caly3 is one of my favorite knives, I carry it every day, since they come out. IMHO, it is almost perfect. It is a work horse, which also look good.

JNieporte said:
I wanted to take a look at some of Spyderco's knives that are in the $100 range, with a brief description of each. At the end, I'd like to know which one you'd recommend for an EDC blade, and why. Thanks all.

Delica 4 ZDP C11PGRE. Costs about $75. The blade is ZDP-189 and 3" long. Green FRN handles, four-way pocket clip. Steel liners. Lockback. Is the ZDP that much better than VG-10 to justify the $25 price jump?
Click to expand...

Not for me. :thumbdn:VG10 is good enough for me.

JNieporte said:
Sage C123CFP. Costs about $93. The blade is S30V and 3" long. Carbon fiber handles, reversible tip-up wire clip. Steel liners. Linerlock. Is the carbon fiber worth the extra $50 over a Native (same blade steel and length)?
Click to expand...
Sage is a great knife. Extra $50 is not for CF only, but the most of the cost increase comming from CF. (By the way it is best looking CF out of all my CF knives. It is looks good and grippy.) In addition to CF you are getting: low ridding wire clip, liners, full flat grind blade and knife which look great and if you need suit for office or dress-up events. Also non-knife people will react on Sage much better than aggressively looking Native. :thumbup:

JNieporte said:
Caly 3 C113GP. Costs about $95. The blade is VG-10 and 3" long. G-10 handles, reversible tip-up wire clip. Steel liners. Lockback. Is this so much better than the Vg-10 Delica that it justifies the high price (twice as much)?
Click to expand...

For me price is justified. Absolutely. IMHO, Caly3 and Delica are two totally different knives. Caly3 certainly level up. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
1. Handle is G10 vs FRN.
2. FFG leaf shaped blade vs saber ground
3 Finger choil
4.Low ridding wire clip
5.Much better ergos, at least for my hand
6. Caly3 is beautiful

JNieporte said:
Para Military C81GP. Costs about $125. The blade is S30V and 3-3/32" long. G-10 handles, right hand tip down clip. No liners. Compression lock. I know this gets high acclaim everywhere, but I can't justify spending this much money on a knife with only one clip position. I love everything else about it though, so I'm on the fence.

Any thoughts?
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I never was attracted to para. I do not like this small blade with big handle.
The friend of mine has few of them. Steel is great, ergos are good, blade is too short for this handle, at least for me. Also I have strong preferences to tip up carry. Sorry:thumbdn:(at least for me)
 
Caly 3 is one of my favorite EDC knives. I like it a teeny bit more than the small Sebenza
 
JNieporte said:
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

I carry a ZDP Delica at work. It will stay sharp for a month doing the same work that causes my VG-10 knives to go dull in a week. That doesn't mean I don't like VG-10. It's one of my favorite steels. Keeps a good edge and easy to sharpen. Doesn't hold it as long as ZDP but ZDP is a bit more difficult to sharpen, but not so difficult that I mind.

I've been thinking of acquiring a Caly 3 in VG-10/G10, the reason being that I think it's a beautiful knife and I really like the feel of the knife in my hand. Will it do a better job than my Delica? Probably not. Do I really need more than one knife? Probably not, but just as I don't like wearing the same style shirt and pants every day, I like the luxury of having a choice of more than one knife to carry around.

In a nutshell, I believe all the knives mentioned above are good values at their respective price points. I think it's more a matter of your taste and needs than it is deciding whether a knife is worth the asking price. They ARE worth the price, in fit, finish and materials, but are they worth it to you?
 
Well, you're the only one that can determine whether one knife is worth more than another to you. I have all 4 knives in your list. The only one that has an NIB backup is the VG10 Caly 3. I use that as my work EDC and I want another one ready to go "just in case". It's a perfect size for my work needs, the G10 scales are nice and grippy (sometimes I have some kinda slick goo on my hands), and I like VG10 as much as S30V in a 3" folder, maybe more for a knife that's going to get rough use at work. This is the one I carry at work and it's done a fine job since I replaced my D4s with one.

My ZDP D4 is in my M1 bag in the Jeep. It doesn't get a lot of use but it's there if I need it. ZDP189 is just too much of a PITA for me to work with regularly. That's surely due to my level of sharpening skill rather than any problem with the steel, but I do fine with other steels so I'll stick with them.

My Sage gets a lot of carry time when I'm not at work. It's a great knife and I plan to get each variation that come out. The CF is very nicely done and gives a different feel to the handle, but I'll still take G10 or FRN over CF for a real work knife.

The Para is my fav Spyderco, it's just a bit big for what I need at work. I have 4 of them right now (three were traded for in used condition... they aren't "backups") and they get carried when we're hiking or camping or out with the dogs or whatever.
 
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between those: Caly III FTW! (mostly for the ergonomics)

you could look at the UKPK too:
- no lock (no problem for most people's use though)
- lighter (no liner)
- different steel (S30V - I have a slight preference for VG-10 over it, but some people prefer S30V)
- different colors (foliage green or orange, instead of black)
- Same handle and blade shapes, so the ergos are just as good.

Disclaimer: I have a Delica (VG-10/wave. I don't like its ergonomics compared to the others), a Caly III (SE), and have handled the Paramilitary at knife shows multiple times (didn't really like it), but have never touched a Sage. Consider my reply as my opinion on the 3 former knives.
 
The ZDP CF Caly is one of the finest Spydercos out there.
It can be tough to find but its a great knife.

The Para is always a good choice too. The compact size, lock and steels make it a winner IMO.
 
Sage,

S30V, perfect Carbon Fiber, full flat grind, wire clip, super light, great ergos (well that's most all Spydies), I could write a thread on how blown away I was with mine.

Wait I did :D It might be on page two now. :cool:

I have handled almost every Spydie model except some of the really old ones, and this is probably in the top 5 best Spydies ever IMO. Honestly it feels like a $200 knife, if it didnt have that Taiwan stamp on it. :cool:
 
I've had them all (on your list) and the only one I have left is the Sage. The best CF scales ever released by Spyderco. The only thing to perfect the Sage would be a ball lock. For the money, the Sage is the best deal listed. I doubt you would regret the choice.
 
I used a ZDP delica every day for more than six months, most of that use as a kitchen knife. It finally needs to be sharpened. i was surprised how long it stayed sharp. I haven't had much luck sharpening it though, guess I have to read up on that. No permanent discoloration either
 
It's really hard to beat the Delica if there can only be one .. You want be afraid to give it some hard use, and the price is right...

Razz
 
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