The Incredible Delica 4

A.P.F. said:
I have never played with a Delica before. As I have smalish hands, would I be able to get a full 4 finger grip with the Delica? My Native is pretty much perfect.
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Even with "not-so-smallish" hands you should be able to get a 4-finger grip on the D4 handle. The elongated shape of the butt end of the handle allows for more gripping space. The D4 handle is narrower top-to-bottom than the Native handle so it won't have the same feel in your hand that your Native has, but you should be able to get a secure grip on the Delica.

MVF...

To me, the Caly is a different knife. The handle materials and construction techniques are different, the blade grind and profile is different, even the locks are different even though both are backlocks.

The Caly 3 has full steel liners and pinned G10 scales. It is a very rigid knife with first-class machining and fitting of parts. The Delica has nested liners with FRN scales that are screwed on rather than pinned together. The pin vs screw attachment is no concern either way to me, it's just a difference. FRN is easier to work and less expensive to use than G10, but just as tough (or maybe even tougher, as far as impacts are concerned). But Spyderco's G10 "feels and looks" like higher quality to a lot of people, me included.

The lock spring on the Delica seems to be slightly stiffer and the lock bar drops a little deeper on my Delicas than on my Calys. It may not really translate into a stronger lock, but then again, it might.

The Delica blade is a flat saber-ground blade of VG10. It's extremely strong in that material and profile. It sacrifices some slicing ability for added strength from the saber ground part. The Caly 3 blade is a wide, flat-ground VG10 blade that starts out as thick or a little thicker than the Delica, but immediately tapers to the edge of the blade. That make for a blade that is a phenomenal slicer because it's thin at the edge and has smooth sides compared to the saber grind on the Delica. The Caly 3 blade probably won't take as much lateral stress (prying) as the Delica, but a 3" folding knife's not a prybar, anyway.

IMAO, all of that adds up to the Caly 3 and Delica series just being different knives.

Sorry to be long-winded, but you didn't say whether you'd ever seen or held the knives before, so I thought I'd try to give a brief :o description of them in case you hadn't.
 
Thanks for your explanation, Dale, it helps alot! Now I'll have to get a Caly3 as well. ;)
 
About the only improvement I wouldn't mind to the Delica 4 might be a slightly higher grind. I believe it's lower due to the larger hole diameter. It might be cool to have the grind start at the same height it did with the D3. Even with the bigger hole, it probably wouldn't weaken the blade at all...perhaps the upper part of the grind could start about 1/16" above the bottom of the hole(?).

But it's still the greatest incarnation of this classic knife as is, IMO.
James
 
Thanks Dale! Actually I've got what I think is the first model Delica that I bought new when nobody had ever heard of Spyderco- I think I may have even bought it from Sal, but that was a long time ago. It's in amazing condition considering how long it was carried.

I also have the Delica 4, a Native and a Native III, and I think a few others laying around. Thanks for the detailed explanation. I would love to try the flat grind, but that sure is a big price difference- I might go for something in ZDP instead for that much.
 
MVF said:
I would love to try the flat grind, but that sure is a big price difference- I might go for something in ZDP instead for that much.
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The Caly 3 carbon fiber handle version has a ZDP-189 blade. The best of everything! :D (or so it seems. . . I sadly don't own one yet:()

Getting back to the topic of the OP, I love my D4W! I don't really carry for SD, but the wave is still a nice feature in a work knife IMO. I can pop it out of my pocket, open a box or cut some plastic straps or whatever then close and re-pocket the knife, all one handed and quick as lightning. Yeah, I could probably do it almost as fast without the Wave, but it wouldn't be as much fun. And believe me, at my job I need to add all the fun I possibly can or I'll die of boredom!
 
I love the Delica 4. Especially with all the variations that keep coming out. I wouldn't call it a 'perfect' knife yet; if it came fully flat ground, it just might be.

delica4.jpg


Wouter
 
MVF and James Y...

If you read the Matt Spider thread, you'll see a modified D4 that is flat ground. It's really a good looking blade.

I don't know who did that one, but I do know that Tom Krein has done quite a few flat grinds on Delicas and Enduras for folks. It would probably cost less to get him to flat grind your Delica than to buy a Caly 3.
 
Is there an upcoming G10 Delica 4 coming out? I know there are a couple of new G10 models coming out in 2008 but I was not sure if this is one of them.
 
what do you guys think of the salt 1 ? its awesome, even though it doesnt have steel liners. i like the blade shape of the salt 1 SE more than the delica 4 SE.

spyderco-salt-C88sbk.jpg
 
dblagent said:
Is there an upcoming G10 Delica 4 coming out? I know there are a couple of new G10 models coming out in 2008 but I was not sure if this is one of them.
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There are G10 Delicas and Enduras coming in 2008. IIRC, it's a foliage green G10 with full liners. Don't know about the blade steel.
 
Are those pink D4s still available? My daughter would love one of those. :thumbup:
 
dalefuller said:
There are G10 Delicas and Enduras coming in 2008. IIRC, it's a foliage green G10 with full liners. Don't know about the blade steel.
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Thank you sir, I thought there was a FG G10 version coming out but was not positive I was remembering correctly. I own no Spyderco knives yet and thought the G10 Delica would be a nice start, and a Native because I like the way they look.

Then I will be stuck getting more I bet, but that is the plan for my first two at least!
 
I really like the improved D4 though I'm more of a Endura guy. My big paws fit quite comfortably on the handle of the D4 much better than the D3, it might be because the handle is slightly longer on the D4. My only gripes (not that there big enough for me not to buy another E4), is that I prefer a hollow grind blade, and a smaller SpyderHole, which makes me a minority here...but that's OK I forgive you all.;) The E4 BRG SE is the only Spydie, besides the UKPK, that I've bought this year, mostly because of the improvements.

Cheers,
Rob
 
They need to fix the plastic spring holder. Although, I do like the idea of replacement kits that they sell.
 
brianL said:
A Delica was my first "real" knife about 15 years ago, and about a dozen knives later, the D4 is my most carried piece. I sometimes wish it didn't do everything so well so I could "upgrade" to a Caly3 or Para or something similar. (Who am I kidding, I'm probably buyin' those ones anyway.) For now, I carry the D4 to the office or when I'm home in sweat pants and the Endura 4 when I'm wearing jeans or just feel like having a little louder click when I open 'er up.
BTW, is it pronounced DEL-i-ca or De-LI-ca?
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i may not have a delica, but i've got a couple of endura's and the paramilitary is a perfect companion because its such a different knife, not really better necessarily, just different.....in so many ways
 
Anyone know if they will be adding the liners etc to the waved version of the Delica? That is one of my EDC's, really like it, it's plenty strong for general use (really if a knife breaks isn't it the tip usually? How often does a handle break?) but some "overengineering" is always good. Would be pretty awesome.
 
MassMatt said:
Anyone know if they will be adding the liners etc to the waved version of the Delica? That is one of my EDC's, really like it, it's plenty strong for general use (really if a knife breaks isn't it the tip usually? How often does a handle break?) but some "overengineering" is always good. Would be pretty awesome.
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i would like to see one broken handle.....unless you use it for target practice the thickness of this frn handle will exceed blade strength
 
The D4 Wave has exactly the same dual skeletonized stainless steel liners as rest of the D4 models.

spyderco.com - D4 Wave



from post #13

There were a number of reasons to go with a steel liner:

1. Fastening the clip screws to the steel liner allowed a 4 way clip.
2. The skeletonized liners permit a more rigid handle.
3. Stronger anchor points for pivots and clip screws.
4. Being skeletonized, added very little weight.
5. Necessary for a screw constructon model.

sal



Merry Christmas :)
 
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