Stretch?

Sal Glesser said:
I'm thinking of changing the Stretch pattern. Make a deper finger choil like the Caly and straighten the spine line the Endura. Thoughts?

sal
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I'll be honest Sal, I have thought the Stretch a 'perfect' knife ever since I bought my first one.
 
Finally picked up an FRN Stretch, all i can say is wow! the ergos are amazing, slices like a lightsaber, what a great knife. a deeper choil would be nice and while a blade shape change would make it more photogenic, the current blade shape is awesome for using the choil and putting your index finger over the spine for precision cuts, and it looks cool in person. the knife is simply just designed very well. its my new second favorite knife (after the PM2), even better than my beloved Sages, Endura and Caly3...that is saying a lot. I would really love to buy a g10 or cf Stretch!!
 
The Stretch is one of Spyderco's best designs, hands down. I finally got a BRG version and I am loving it.
 
shady A.M. said:
The Stretch is one of Spyderco's best designs, hands down. I finally got a BRG version and I am loving it.
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Have to agree with you, I must have some 60 spydies, the only ones I actually carry are the Stretch and Caly 3.5 SB
 
I missed this thread. The Stretch is one of my favorite Spyderco designs. I have the CF ZDP189 version. Sal - I truly would not change a thing.
 
I have long decided that a 3.25-3.5" blade is optimal for 95% of my cutting purposes. I too have owned and carried well over 60 different Spyderco's throughout my lifetime. The top three that I've always come back to are the Stretch II, Para II and GB.

In terms of size, weight, price, ergos and grind the Stretch II fits the bill. I'll be looking forward to the SB version when it becomes available.
 
Oh yeah... Definitely do not change this model, at all. I always found it to be one of the better looking designs. Not sure why so many people don't care for the blade profile.
 
I love the Stretch, it's a personal favorite but I'd like to see different versions also. It's Sal's design after all and any variation will be his doing as well and I trust his judgement when it comes to designing knives ;)

I don't see the problem in releasing other versions and updates. Some of Spyderco's most popular knives have gone through different generations. In fact , The Stretch2 has a lineage going back to the 80's as well.
 
one thing that might be nice to see on a new/updated version would be the new "lockback" lock that I think is on the Chaparral and Native 5, assuming there is no strength loss. advancing the lock to eliminate blade play would be awesome, might even put the Stretch over the PM 2!! Please o please make this with G10 or CF again! :-)

...strangely enough the blade shape that once turned me off now looks awesome to me and is incredibly functional.
 
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The new Mike Draper folder has a blade shape that makes me think of a stretched Stretch, if you will :D. I prefer the Draper's pointier profile.
 
If Sal reads this, I have to say that, IMHO, the Stretch II was made for FRN. Not saying it can't be offered in other materials, but I have owned two CF Stretches and I always chose the FRN over the CF for EDC. The handle of the FRN model just seemed to "fit" better.
 
Not trying to hijack the thread but can anybody tell me why a frn ffg stretch costs $10 to $15 dollarsore than a frn ffg endura?
 
Well, I finally got my first stretch, an absolutely perfect blue ZDP-189 version out of somebody's collection. I have to say that I'm really impressed with the ergos of this knife. It fits my hand better than any of my Enduras or Delicas do. I'll tell you, it took me a while to get over the odd hump on the spine enough to buy one, but I'm sure glad that I did. It fills the size gap between the Delica and Endura very nicely. I like the actual finger choil that it has and the other two lack, but I do wish that it was slightly deeper.

I just wish that Spyderco had other color options available like the Delica and Endura have. I'll definitely be getting a Super Blue when it's available.
 
shady A.M. said:
If Sal reads this, I have to say that, IMHO, the Stretch II was made for FRN. Not saying it can't be offered in other materials, but I have owned two CF Stretches and I always chose the FRN over the CF for EDC. The handle of the FRN model just seemed to "fit" better.
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Interesting, did you find the action on the FRN for opening & closing to be comparable to the CF? similar durability?

Have to agree on FRN comfort, if I put my hand in an open/lose fist and slide my FRN Stretch in there is fits perfectly, like it was made to be there. most comfortable knife I've ever held.
The Caly 3 is very comfortable too, but it feels like the steel liners pinch my hand a bit, the Stretch's FRN is just more comfortable. perhaps sometimes cheaper IS better?
 
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I wouldn't say that there was noticeable difference in the durability or action of the CF or FRN models. However, the CF model was noticeably heavier and thinner. While those are minor observations, I could definitely feel a distinct difference in handling and deployment of the knife.

It's my opinion that for the design and purpose of the Stretch II there is no real benefit to CF over FRN in terms of strength and robustness. The CF just looks better. I also think that the nested steel liners of the FRN model offer just as much strength as the full steel liners of the CF one.

Also, there's a lot of talk about giving the Stretch a deeper choil. Please don't change it. It's perfect. The jimping is just right and changing it would ruin the aesthetic portion of the knife. For reference, the Para I is a perfect example of a knife that desperately needed a deeper choil.
 
The1trueBeavis said:
Not trying to hijack the thread but can anybody tell me why a frn ffg stretch costs $10 to $15 dollarsore than a frn ffg endura?
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Most likely because the Endura is one of Spyderco's best sellers, so Spyderco orders more of them at a time from the maker, and pays less per unit.
 
The Deacon said:
Most likely because the Endura is one of Spyderco's best sellers, so Spyderco orders more of them at a time from the maker, and pays less per unit.
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Just guessing here, but in addition to economies of scale, the Stretch is also more refined in its design than the endura/delica (choil and the spine smoothly transitions to the handle when closed). the Stretch is a tremendous knife and a great value, IMHO.
 
shady A.M. said:
I wouldn't say that there was noticeable difference in the durability or action of the CF or FRN models. However, the CF model was noticeably heavier and thinner. While those are minor observations, I could definitely feel a distinct difference in handling and deployment of the knife.

It's my opinion that for the design and purpose of the Stretch II there is no real benefit to CF over FRN in terms of strength and robustness. The CF just looks better. I also think that the nested steel liners of the FRN model offer just as much strength as the full steel liners of the CF one.

Also, there's a lot of talk about giving the Stretch a deeper choil. Please don't change it. It's perfect. The jimping is just right and changing it would ruin the aesthetic portion of the knife. For reference, the Para I is a perfect example of a knife that desperately needed a deeper choil.
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SHady A.M. - You just saved me about a $100 by talking me into an FRN zdp Stretch instead of hunting down a CF version to compliment my VG10 Stretch..........thanks!? haha
 
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