The Sage Is Here!

If you've never owned a knife made in Taiwan, start with this one.
If it was not marked "Taiwan" you'd swear it was US-made.

I especially like the slightly "textured" carbon fiber--perfect for EDC. The super smooth carbon fiber used on the Delica, Police, and Dragonfly models is gorgeous to look at but too slippery for an EDC, and I'm always afraid the slightest scratch will ruin the whole thing. These make for great "safe queens" though, and if you lucked into a CF Civilian I think they're worth quite a bit of money now.

The Sage models include a nice bit of literature describing how this knife came about and Michael Walker's history with the liner lock. Kudos to Spyderco for creating some unique product literature rather than the standard "Thank you for purchasing a Spyderco knife..." etc.
 
Just got mine today. This thing is absolutely amazing. I don't think I've every been so excited about a new knife. I agree with every positive remark about this knife. Those that refuse to buy it because it wasn't made in the U.S. are really missing out. The blade is made in the U.S., and its an American company, get over the fact that its assembled in Taiwan and just get it.
 
Does anyone have any feedback on how the Sage fits in the hand and the pocket vs. the Caly3?
 
Fits good in my big hands and I can't tell it's in the pocket of my baggy shorts. :)
 
Great! I just got a Caly3 & love it, & now the Sage comes out & looks like a "must have", lol.

The choil looks like it'll fit most hands (Especially my large meat hooks) better, & although the liner lock gets a great deal of flak, it does "usually" allow for a smoother opening/closing blade. From what I understand, the blade material was obtained from the U.S., but the knife is made & assembled in Taiwan. Is that correct?

I can understand why that might "bother" some people, but that's how Spyderco can do a knife with such "high-end" components for such a great price.

Great looking knife.
 
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I believe the steel is sent to Taiwan and cut, ground, and heat treated there, hence "Taiwan" on the blade. Were the blade made in the US it would be labeled as such as per the current regulations.
 
I want to get this knife. one thing I can't figure out.
S30v + FRN + USA = $40 Native
8CR13MOV + G-10 + China = $32 Tenacious
S30V + Carbon fiber + Taiwan = $95 Sage
I'm not saying it's not worth $95 but I would think it more around $50.
 
LG&M said:
I want to get this knife. one thing I can't figure out.
S30v + FRN + USA = $40 Native
8CR13MOV + G-10 + China = $32 Tenacious
S30V + Carbon fiber + Taiwan = $95 Sage
I'm not saying it's not worth $95 but I would think it more around $50.
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A knife or any product for that matter is more than a sum of it's parts.
 
Hi LG&M,

The MSRP as well as sales prices will be directionally proportional to the costs involved in making the model. Our margins are relatively fixed.

Cost of materials: Some steels as well as other materials can be far more expensive to purchase and process than others. Sometimes 5-10 times more.

Cost of labor: Here county of origin can make a big difference in cost.

If it were just one scale, you might have a shot at guessing, but if you want to really understand, you will need to understand mfg methods as well as dollar values in each country.

All material and quality being equal: (which they aren't)

Knife "A" made in Europe would cost 50% more to make (in US dollars) because of the value of the Euro, than if it were made in the US.

The same knife "A" would cost 25% less (in US dollars) if it were made in Taiwan.

etc. for each country. Taxes & duties also have impact.

In materials; Carbon fiber is far more expensive to purchase and process than G-10. G-10 is far more expensive to purchase and process than FRN.

Hope than helps.

sal
 
And the newbie speaks!
have only ever owned one knife as an EDC at a time, and it has always been a Spyderco Police model (first one I had was a Gin-2). If I lost one, I would go out and get a new one (my current EDC is a Police model ATS-55). I was a little bit annoyed when I got a police model with the word "Police" stamped on the blade (I'm not a cop), but at the end of the day, I realized I just didn't care what the blade had written on it, just that it suited my needs.

It is not what is on the blade, but what is in the blade (and in the person who carries it).

p.s. Am waiting with baited breath for my (after 10 year wait EDC upgrade) S90V CF Military. At least now I will have a Spydie in the drawer that is not on me!
 
coop1957 said:
A knife or any product for that matter is more than a sum of it's parts.
Click to expand...

Very true I didnt think of that. Also you get what you pay for( At lest you should)
Sal thanks for the response. I have 10 spyders from the last 20 years and have a Tenacious on back order so I do appreciate your work. I do understand manufacturing costs but I know little of world economics.
Like I said before I'm not saying it's not worth $95. I just am having trouble putting down the cash.
 
My Sage showed up on Thursday, and I'm thrilled with it! Excellent fit and finish, extremely sharp grind on the S30V, the carbon fiber is sweet, and lock up is very good:thumbup:

Very glad that I picked this one up and will most likely get the rest of 'em as well.

Cheers,
Jon
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I just ordered one of these. One of my all-time favorite Spydercos was the Walker. I've never managed to score one of the uber-sweet Klotzli models, but I got one of the FRN models back in the day and carried it for a couple years. I still have it, but it's gone into the safe, I couldn't bear to lose it.

I usually don't care for liner locks at all, but the lock on the FRN Walker model was/is amazing. It's by far the best liner lock on any of my knives, including several that cost several times as much. It's as smoooooth as can be, while locking up and centering perfectly. If the lock on the Sage is as well done as the Walker was, it will be a wonderful knife indeed!

PS- the only other liner-locking Spydie I own (IIRC) is the Military, which isn't exactly a Walker-locking knife. I believe the lock on the Millie has been tweaked to make it adjustable to compensate for wear, and so isn't quite as smooth right out of the box. The Millie lock feels like an SD lock, whereas the Walker lock feels like a "gentleman's knife" lock.
 
I like everything but the choil. I will skip this one. It is too bad because everything else looks good.

Why is putting your finger right next to the edge a good thing again?
 
kgriggs8 said:
I like everything but the choil. I will skip this one. It is too bad because everything else looks good.

Why is putting your finger right next to the edge a good thing again?
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The grip is quite secure, and the only motions I could think of where my hand would get cut is if I was stabbing something or vigorously sawing back and forth. If these actions are what you need in a knife, then I agree the Sage isn't for you.
 
kgriggs8 said:
I like everything but the choil. I will skip this one. It is too bad because everything else looks good.

Why is putting your finger right next to the edge a good thing again?
Click to expand...

I prefer knives where you can put your finger next to the edge.
But always be carefull, knives aren't toys
 
kgriggs8 said:
I like everything but the choil. I will skip this one. It is too bad because everything else looks good.

Why is putting your finger right next to the edge a good thing again?
Click to expand...

I like the close up control I have with a choil and that when I close the blade with one hand, the choil hits my thumb nail then I put my thumb on the top of the blade and finish closing. On knives without a choil, the blade hits my thumb!
 
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