Jim March
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Oct 7, 1998
- Messages
- 3,018
So I was at a gun show yesterday, shopping for a gift knife for my roommate.
Raymond isn't a "tactical sort" - he's on the small side, and despite doing high-end car audio installations on-site in nasty areas, he's never worried about defense.
So the goal was to get him a modest little folder that he'd be likely to carry, that would be good at general moderate use with a bit of abuse, and could fight in a pinch.
With a budget in the $40 - $50 range.
I thought I was going to buy a CRKT, probably a point guard but maybe a KFF. The Point Guard was going for between $37 and $40. But in shopping around a particularly well-equipped table, I came across the Spyderco Wayne Goddard lightweight model, priced at $45.
Guess what? It's a better deal.
(from the Spydie website at: http://www.spyderco.com/displayproduct.cfm?typeid=68 )
First, the lock is stronger than the CRKT system *without* the safety engaged; once you flip the safety, the CRKTs pull equal or maybe slightly ahead but in a high-speed mess, you might not have time to think about the safety. And without the safety, that's a lousy lock.
Second, ATS55 is far better steel than AUS6...under daily use, it's far more likely that the edge will still be there if he really needs it.
Third, the Goddard grip ergonomics are better for combat use than the Point Guard. Not quite at the KFF's level but the Goddard isn't half bad either - the grip shape prevents a "slip-up" accident on a hard target stab.
The only place the Goddard falls behind is in opening smoothness. Out of four the dealer had (two plain, two combo-edge) only one plainedge felt really good on the open stroke. The other three had slight gritty-ness towards the last inch or so of blade opening stroke. That grittyness would probably have faded fairly soon but I got Raymond that one dead-smooth plainedge.
In comparison to the KFF, the Goddard "didn't look too tactical" - Raymond will be able to open boxes or whatever right near a customer without a guaranteed freakout reaction.
One more advantage to the Spydie: the grip shape gives it a functional 3/4ths inch or so reach increase...so you've got slashing reach equal to a 4" or better blade. This is one time when a particularly large grip to blade length ratio actually pays off.
Upshot: good steel, good design, an adequate lock and basic technology proven in the Delica/Endura series pays off over top ergos, gimicky locks and bad steel. Even if what you want is a "pure combat monster", that two-stage lock on the CRKTs is more likely to get you killed than a basic proven design is...
We need to re-think support of the CRKTs, until they switch to a real lock and/or improve the steel to at least AUS8.
Jim
Raymond isn't a "tactical sort" - he's on the small side, and despite doing high-end car audio installations on-site in nasty areas, he's never worried about defense.
So the goal was to get him a modest little folder that he'd be likely to carry, that would be good at general moderate use with a bit of abuse, and could fight in a pinch.
With a budget in the $40 - $50 range.
I thought I was going to buy a CRKT, probably a point guard but maybe a KFF. The Point Guard was going for between $37 and $40. But in shopping around a particularly well-equipped table, I came across the Spyderco Wayne Goddard lightweight model, priced at $45.
Guess what? It's a better deal.
First, the lock is stronger than the CRKT system *without* the safety engaged; once you flip the safety, the CRKTs pull equal or maybe slightly ahead but in a high-speed mess, you might not have time to think about the safety. And without the safety, that's a lousy lock.
Second, ATS55 is far better steel than AUS6...under daily use, it's far more likely that the edge will still be there if he really needs it.
Third, the Goddard grip ergonomics are better for combat use than the Point Guard. Not quite at the KFF's level but the Goddard isn't half bad either - the grip shape prevents a "slip-up" accident on a hard target stab.
The only place the Goddard falls behind is in opening smoothness. Out of four the dealer had (two plain, two combo-edge) only one plainedge felt really good on the open stroke. The other three had slight gritty-ness towards the last inch or so of blade opening stroke. That grittyness would probably have faded fairly soon but I got Raymond that one dead-smooth plainedge.
In comparison to the KFF, the Goddard "didn't look too tactical" - Raymond will be able to open boxes or whatever right near a customer without a guaranteed freakout reaction.
One more advantage to the Spydie: the grip shape gives it a functional 3/4ths inch or so reach increase...so you've got slashing reach equal to a 4" or better blade. This is one time when a particularly large grip to blade length ratio actually pays off.
Upshot: good steel, good design, an adequate lock and basic technology proven in the Delica/Endura series pays off over top ergos, gimicky locks and bad steel. Even if what you want is a "pure combat monster", that two-stage lock on the CRKTs is more likely to get you killed than a basic proven design is...
We need to re-think support of the CRKTs, until they switch to a real lock and/or improve the steel to at least AUS8.
Jim
