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Thinking about buying my first spyderco

J

jec88

Joined
Mar 6, 2012
Messages
833
I'm a 45 year traditional knife guy owning mostly case slip joints, swiss army knives and my favorite are Bucks. But I like all kinds of knives and have been playing around with a younger buddy's spyderco at work and I can see the fascination to them. So I'm thinking about picking one up this weekend and would like suggestions on where to start, good websites and any suggestions etc.
From what little I know on Spyderco's, I'm leaning toward an Endura or Delica? I've read where they are the classic Spyderco, and being a traditional knife guy, I kind of like that. I'm into hiking, fishing, camping, canoeing, hunting and would like one spyderco that would fit in for all my needs and interests and take abuse. My current edc is a Buck 110 paperstone.
I'm thinking since the endura and delica are classics and being around so long, if I misplaced it or broke it there would be sites out there to get mine back up and running if I got attached to it? I like the looks of the Tenacious and Native as well.


I'm open to any suggestions.
 
I have a handful of spydercos. Started with the cheaper models and they are nice but it wasn't until I bought a paramiltary 2 that I really fell in love. Long story short : The japense offerings are fine but the Golden and Taichung models rock socks. My reccomendation would be a PM2, Military, or Manix. But really it's impossible to go wrong with any spyderco.
 
It is hard to beat a Delica. I had one in G10, and I have started to miss it recently. The Endura is a little too large for me to EDC (so is the Buck 110 I prefer the 112). I do EDC a para 2 which is a great knife. Also look at the Police 3. It is a long knife, even longer than the 110. As for the where to buy, I would check the exchange here on the forums. It will be the best price, but you have to wait a little bit until one comes up for sale.
 
Endura and Delica in FFG are both outstanding knives. I don't own an Endura because it's a little big for EDC, but it would make a great lightweight knife for camping, fishing, hunting, etc. I do have 3 Delicas and for me they are just about the perfect EDC blade. Paramilitary 2 and Manix 2 are also outstanding. Good luck!
 
the Endura carries very nicely. It is light and slim - you will not notice it after a bit. ZDP189 ffg will give you a taste of Spydercos use of high end steels. The Para and the Military are my most edc'ed models. I also like the Stretch, Manix, and more recently the Caly 3.5. You will have a hard time finding one you do not like.
 
stevewest said:
the Endura carries very nicely. It is light and slim - you will not notice it after a bit. ZDP189 ffg will give you a taste of Spydercos use of high end steels. The Para and the Military are my most edc'ed models. I also like the Stretch, Manix, and more recently the Caly 3.5. You will have a hard time finding one you do not like.
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Pretty much everything Steve just said. The endura and delica are classics and either would be a worthy choice. The caly 3.5 is an amazing knife. It carries very slim in the pocket and has ergonomics that are superior to...well...to just about anything.
 
If you can afford it and can find one, get a ParaMilitary 2 (And buy from a reputable supplier as there's lots of fakes floating around). Otherwise, I'd say buy a Delica or Endura (Or both :D) to start yourself off.
 
I'm gonna go a different route. You say you enjoy fishing, so I recommend one of the salt series of knives. H1 stainproof steel. I'm thinking of picking one up myself.
 
K.O.D. said:
I'm gonna go a different route. You say you enjoy fishing, so I recommend one of the salt series of knives. H1 stainproof steel. I'm thinking of picking one up myself.
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+1

Check out the salt 1 if you like the delica. If you wanna get something that fills the hand more, or works better with gloves, check out the manix 2, personally, it's my favorite user.
 
I've tried a lot of Spydercos, owned them for a while then sold them when they ended up sitting in a drawer instead of getting carried and used. The models I keep coming back to are the Para 2 (can't seem to carry anything else for long), the Salt 1 SE, and the Caly 3.5.
 
Personally I just love my Tenacious in green. Feels great in my hand and looks amazing in that color
 
K.O.D. said:
I'm gonna go a different route. You say you enjoy fishing, so I recommend one of the salt series of knives. H1 stainproof steel. I'm thinking of picking one up myself.
Click to expand...

This. I love my salt knife, mine is serrated and cuts like a machine, but from what I hear the plain version doesn't hold that great an edge. Still love this knife.

K.O.D. I definitely recommend getting it!
 
My advice is to NOT BUY A SPYDERCO! You'll fall in love want want to keep buying more and more!





On a serious note, you really can't go wrong with the endura or delica... if you want to stick with lockbacks the native and stretch are also good choices.

Honestly though, anything spyderco puts out is going to b a good knife.
 
I'd recommend one of the "big 3" made in the USA knives.
Native 5
Manix 2
Paramilitary 2
Not saying they are better than the foreign made Spydercos but they represent the key features Spyderco has to offer to the market.
 
Got a friend into Spydies, sourced him a Tenacious, then an Endura, Pacific Salt and Dragonfly H1 for fishing, then a Lightweight Manix. Finally convinced him to get a Paramilitary 2 and now I never see him without that Para 2 clipped into his boot.
Form follows function, and a Para 2 (I have 3) is just so darn functional and versatile and usable. You really wont go wrong with any of the knives recommended here, and my recommendation is the Para 2.
 
Either the Endura or the Delica would be a nice introduction to Spyderco knives although I'm not familiar with the current generation's features. I have an original Endura from 1990 and earlier generation Endura and Delica, all good knives. Over the years, there have been changes and improvements.

Alternatives? Well, the one I would offer is the Stretch. I recently bought a current Stretch FRN model and it is pretty darn impressive...ergonomically I like it better than either the Endura or Delica. Spyderco is all about ergonomics, I've found. The Stretch is sorta between the Endura and Delica in size, if I'm remembering dimensions correctly. Sal, the owner of Spyderco, has indicated the Stretch design is special to him and the one he carries. I can't argue with the man who is the company.
 
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