- Joined
- Apr 4, 2009
- Messages
- 69
Back in August, I picked up a Stretch CF at TREXPO as posted here. I have EDCed it ever since, replacing my Endura 4 FRN Black Blade CE in that role. Last weekend I bit during the fire sale that accompanied the announcement of discontinued models for 2011, picking up a Stretch FRN ZDP-189 on the cheap. My original thought was to pick up a backup Stretch CF on the cheap, but they went too quickly. Since I now have both ZDP-189 Stretches, I thought that I'd write about them.
[Please excuse the poor lighting in the pictures. The blades pristine blades appear tarnished in some of the pictures, but are not in real life.]
For me, the Stretch CF represents the ideal EDC knife. The ergonomics fit my hand perfectly. The Stretch CF is the perfect size for me to open quickly and then use it immediately without shifting it around to position it properly in my hand. Plus, although the knife is light, it has a solid balance and feel to it. The Stainless Steel liners probably help that quite a bit. Also, the blade-to-handle ratio for the Stretch 2 is closer than most folders. The handle is less than an inch longer than the blade, making very efficient use of the available handle space.
The fit and finish are exemplary. I have a number of Spydercos and all are excellent, but this one sets the pace for quality. The stainless backing and liner fit so tightly together at the back of the handle that they look like one piece to the unaided eye! There's only a very tiny space near the lock towards the front to hint that you're looking joined pieces of SS. The CF scales fit perfectly and sport beveled edges that make it difficult if not impossible to feel where the CF ands and the SS begins.
The finish on the Carbon Fiber scales is excellent for use with dry or wet hands. It's peel-ply, which gives the surface a fine-patterned grippy texture, one that's very comfortable for routine use yet won't slip. It's not polished, which generally produces pretty smooth surfaces. And being CF, it's tough as well and has that "cool factor". The CF scales can be thin because of their strength, making this Stretch CF version somewhat thinner than the FRN version as you can see from the above picture.
The FRN version provides the same excellent ZDP-189 blade in a lighter, less expensive package. The FRN sports the same grippy volcano pattern as the Endura 4 and Delica 4 FRN models and a host of others. The other difference in the FRN version can be found on the opposite side of the blade from the Spydie logo. The FRN model has Sal's signature engraving:
I find that the action on the FRN model isn't as smooth as the CF one. That may be due to the stability of the heavier SS frame on the CF vs. the thin liners in the FRN. I finally "washed out" the blade and lock pivots with Gunzilla and it still hasn't approached the fluid operation of the Stretch CF. It opens easy enough, but "catches" just coming out of the locked position when attempting to "flick" it closed. Could be a ledge on that part of the pivot region just short of the lock, but it's getting better. As my knuckle can tell you, it cuts like crazy. Ouch.
I had trouble capturing the exact blue of the FRN in the pictures due to lighting limitations. It is a subdued blue and an excellent match for jeans or blue dockers. Here are the two Stretches together:
Both knives use Hitachi's ZDP-189, the primo knife blade steel this year. It's very hard and wear resistant, so holds an edge through a lot of use. It also has Vanadium, Molybdenum, and Tungsten in it, so can be sharpened to very fine edge angles and not chip. It's by far the sharpest knife with the longest-lasting edge I've ever seen. And the blade length of 3.5" is perfect for most all common pocket knife jobs. It's easily long enough to cut bagels, cakes, steaks, boxes, nearly-indestructible plastic ties holding products in packaging, etc. Shorter knives often aren't long enough for some common tasks. The Boyd Dent-style back lock has positive lockup on both knives. No blade play anywhere on either. If ZDP-189 has a shortcoming, it's that it isn't as stainless as, say, VG-10 or S30v, so wipe it off after cutting fruit, veggies, or anything else that can stain it. Any stains that you do get can be polished out with common metal polishes like Flitz, but a little prevention goes a long way.
Here are some comparison pics with the Delica 4 and Endura 4 Black Blade. Again, please pardon the lighting. First, open with the blade pivots lined up:
Next closed with the right sides mostly lined up (ignore the ruler). BTW, this pic has the best rendition of the Stretch FRN's color:
So, I now have a spare Stretch in ZDP-189. I like the FRN version, but the CF remains my favorite and my EDC.
[Please excuse the poor lighting in the pictures. The blades pristine blades appear tarnished in some of the pictures, but are not in real life.]
For me, the Stretch CF represents the ideal EDC knife. The ergonomics fit my hand perfectly. The Stretch CF is the perfect size for me to open quickly and then use it immediately without shifting it around to position it properly in my hand. Plus, although the knife is light, it has a solid balance and feel to it. The Stainless Steel liners probably help that quite a bit. Also, the blade-to-handle ratio for the Stretch 2 is closer than most folders. The handle is less than an inch longer than the blade, making very efficient use of the available handle space.
The fit and finish are exemplary. I have a number of Spydercos and all are excellent, but this one sets the pace for quality. The stainless backing and liner fit so tightly together at the back of the handle that they look like one piece to the unaided eye! There's only a very tiny space near the lock towards the front to hint that you're looking joined pieces of SS. The CF scales fit perfectly and sport beveled edges that make it difficult if not impossible to feel where the CF ands and the SS begins.
The finish on the Carbon Fiber scales is excellent for use with dry or wet hands. It's peel-ply, which gives the surface a fine-patterned grippy texture, one that's very comfortable for routine use yet won't slip. It's not polished, which generally produces pretty smooth surfaces. And being CF, it's tough as well and has that "cool factor". The CF scales can be thin because of their strength, making this Stretch CF version somewhat thinner than the FRN version as you can see from the above picture.
The FRN version provides the same excellent ZDP-189 blade in a lighter, less expensive package. The FRN sports the same grippy volcano pattern as the Endura 4 and Delica 4 FRN models and a host of others. The other difference in the FRN version can be found on the opposite side of the blade from the Spydie logo. The FRN model has Sal's signature engraving:
I find that the action on the FRN model isn't as smooth as the CF one. That may be due to the stability of the heavier SS frame on the CF vs. the thin liners in the FRN. I finally "washed out" the blade and lock pivots with Gunzilla and it still hasn't approached the fluid operation of the Stretch CF. It opens easy enough, but "catches" just coming out of the locked position when attempting to "flick" it closed. Could be a ledge on that part of the pivot region just short of the lock, but it's getting better. As my knuckle can tell you, it cuts like crazy. Ouch.
I had trouble capturing the exact blue of the FRN in the pictures due to lighting limitations. It is a subdued blue and an excellent match for jeans or blue dockers. Here are the two Stretches together:
Both knives use Hitachi's ZDP-189, the primo knife blade steel this year. It's very hard and wear resistant, so holds an edge through a lot of use. It also has Vanadium, Molybdenum, and Tungsten in it, so can be sharpened to very fine edge angles and not chip. It's by far the sharpest knife with the longest-lasting edge I've ever seen. And the blade length of 3.5" is perfect for most all common pocket knife jobs. It's easily long enough to cut bagels, cakes, steaks, boxes, nearly-indestructible plastic ties holding products in packaging, etc. Shorter knives often aren't long enough for some common tasks. The Boyd Dent-style back lock has positive lockup on both knives. No blade play anywhere on either. If ZDP-189 has a shortcoming, it's that it isn't as stainless as, say, VG-10 or S30v, so wipe it off after cutting fruit, veggies, or anything else that can stain it. Any stains that you do get can be polished out with common metal polishes like Flitz, but a little prevention goes a long way.
Here are some comparison pics with the Delica 4 and Endura 4 Black Blade. Again, please pardon the lighting. First, open with the blade pivots lined up:
Next closed with the right sides mostly lined up (ignore the ruler). BTW, this pic has the best rendition of the Stretch FRN's color:
So, I now have a spare Stretch in ZDP-189. I like the FRN version, but the CF remains my favorite and my EDC.
I should have skipped this thread. 
