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suggestions on model

W

wesessiah

Joined
Feb 23, 2012
Messages
299
i'm looking for one that maybe i've overlooked, but the features i'd like are

1. vg10 blade. really other steels that i may not have experience with but are very similar in characteristics are fine, but i'd like to keep it in the teir below s30v. so vg10, 154cm territory, because as insignificant as it may be to other people, i can get a finer edge and sharpen them easier than s30v. i like s30v, just not for this particular instance. a lot of people seem to say bd1 is similar to vg10, but i disagree, and am not interested in it.

2. blade length somewhere in the neighborhood of 3" to 3.5" but not interested in weird blade shapes.

3. not a lock back... i bought an endura4 about a year and a half ago, and i just never could get used to the lock back. i like the knife, no actual complaints, i'd just prefer another lock mechanism. i know how durable they are, just not my preferred lock.

4. less than $150.

i tend to be off the beaten path with about everything, so i sometimes have trouble finding exactly what i want, lol... thanks for any input.
 
EDIT: I read your post but somehow missed the part about not wanting bd-1... Damn allergies and allergy meds have me loopy so disregard this LOL

Spyderco Manix 2 Knife Translucent Dusk Blue (3.39" Satin Plain) C101PBL2

Its one of my favorites and bd-1 takes a screaming sharp edge with ease

I believe most vg10 models if not all are lock back (don't quote me on that I don't know all the models)
 
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Just off the top of my head there are the Junior and SuperLeaf in VG-10. Both compression locks.
For just a few dollars more than your limit is the Starmate with a liner lock.
All good from my experience with them.
 
I suggest the Caly 3.5 if you can deal with the mid-lock or a Superleaf if you can find one.
 
bh49 said:
What are weird blade shapes?
Click to expand...

Double bevel? Captain? Balance?

My mind jumps to the superleaf as well, although I hate to recommend a discontinued model. To the OP, you can go on spydercos website and sort by blade steel if you must have VG10. However, if you must have VG10, you're limited to Japanese models and the great majority of those are lockbacks. So given your criteria, there may not be anything that you "overlooked."
 
In a strange twist of fate, a superleaf just popped up in the for sale section for right about what you mentioned. Pop over there if you're interested.
 
thanks for the suggestions everyone. the superleaf does seem to fit the bill.
as far as using spydercos site, i wasn't sure how well that option worked for selecting blade steel because i get different amounts of results sometimes. one time i did it and it only showed two results, and no long list of discontinued knives.

the ones tvenuto listed are what i consider weird, the yojimbo is another one i can think of.
 
By what you described, it sounds like you might really like the Terzuola Starmate! It is a little bigger and a little more expensive, but its one of the easiest knives to use, is VG-10, has a fantastic shape and edge geometry, and it carries really well. They made a mini way back when (called Starmate Junior IIRC) in the 440V/ATS-34 days, but I do not believe it has been made since. I think it's one of the nicest and most useful blades to come from Spyderco (and they've made a lot of useful blades!!!)

If you weren't opposed to S30V, I'd say try a ParaMilitary as every knife owner should have at least one! I find that blade type to be very useful, and I actually find it in particular to be the easiest knife to sharpen that I own in any of the common decent steels even though I do not find S30V to usually be easy to sharpen.

Does the Lum fall into weird blade shape?
 
the lum looks fine to me on blade shape. i may end up getting something with s30v anyway, my last purchases have all been s30v and d2 (more recent, so no long term use with d2) so i've kinda wanted to get something a little more user friendly. not that i think s30v is bad to shapen, but i have a much easier time with getting a perfect edge on the steels in the next step down. thanks.
 
A Para may be worth trying? It's one of my favorite usage knife. I find S30V blades with bad edge geometries and weird grinds to be a nightmare, but the S30V on the Para is a simple blade with good geometry. IMO at around 17-19 degrees it performs well and has a very strong edge. The ergos on it are great, as is the compression lock. If you want a useful blade shape, its hard to beat. The only real downer is the handle is pretty large, but that lends to how well it fits the hand. I do find that I can get S30V sharpest when I finish with a cheap strop or polish, and while I do that with all steels, I find it to make a big difference on S30.

The Lum is a really nice knife. The blade is pretty easy to maintain and is very useful for general usage. It also carries really well.
 
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