Thinking about entering the world of spyderco

stonproject

stonproject

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Nov 22, 2013
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Ive been looking into getting a nicer folder for a while, and am leaning towards benchmade, but wanted to get some spyderco suggestions. My max price is 150ish, looking for a large blade, with a comfortable grip, quick (enough) opening, and very reliable. Id be using it primarily for light utility, and as a last resort defensive tool. I really like the vallhotten (or however is spelled) but the price seems super steep for being imported. I also really like the looks of the resilience for the price, and the endura seems great with the vg10 steel for the price, but again, a little steep for an import.

Should I steer away from the spyderco imports, or are they solid? What do you guys think of those 3 knives, and do you have any suggestions for better options? thanks in advance everyone.
 
I was going to suggest you forget the whole import=bad talk before I read your last paragraph so.... Yes forget it.

The stuff that comes out of the Taichung plant in my and many others opinions are the best Spyderco is offering.

As for suggestions???

There are so many, what size are you looking for? I love the Vallotton but it is large, just depends.
 
The quality of the Taichung knives are slightly better overall than the Golden made ones, so I wouldn't not get the Valloton for that reason. Their Japanese knives I would call overpriced once you get towards $100 and up, but they're good quality, and the Endura is worth its cost. (Of course this is all my opinion.)

I am not a fan of the knife, but you might look at the Paramilitary 2. The Valloton is a bit big for a light duty knife. The Resilience is fine for the price, but if your budget is up to $150, you can do better. The Para2 will function fine in light duty tasks and would serve well enough as a last resort defensive tool.
 
Spyderco imports are solid at least that I have found, but it also depends on which factory import it is coming from. The Enduras come from Seki City Japan which produces some very fine cutlery and in general has good quality control from that city. I would really recommend the Endura and you can even pick which steel you want, mine is in VG-10 and does great, but the also have model in ZDP-189. The resilience is good for the price, but if you are trying to step up into nicer folders then go with something a little higher end. Look at the Para 2 and the regular military. I really enjoy my Spydercos and the quality matches the price. I prefer made in the USA, but some companies' imports are solid due to quality control. I do not know much about the Vallotton though just because it is not quite my style and I have not had the chance to pick one up.
 
The Taiwan Spydercos are some of the best production knives on the planet. I think the Gayle Bradley is probably the best $150 knife you can buy and meets all the criteria you mentioned above.
 
senorsquare said:
The Taiwan Spydercos are some of the best production knives on the planet. I think the Gayle Bradley is probably the best $150 knife you can buy and meets all the criteria you mentioned above.
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The Gayle Bradley is great. You get a beautiful knife in M-4 and a rugged liner lock. The handle is a bit uncomfortable to me bit that's nothing a trip to the dremel can't fix
 
i really, really like the valottan design. I am not a manual folder fan, but attractive as this folder is to me, im willing to go for it. I really like benchmades Bedlam, and Rift, both because they have large blades, and phenominal grips. All suggestions welcome, thanks guys a bunch.

PS i like the benchmades axis lock because you can disengage it and just flick it open. does spyderco have anything similar?
 
stonproject said:
i really, really like the valottan design. I am not a manual folder fan, but attractive as this folder is to me, im willing to go for it. I really like benchmades Bedlam, and Rift, both because they have large blades, and phenominal grips. All suggestions welcome, thanks guys a bunch.

PS i like the benchmades axis lock because you can disengage it and just flick it open. does spyderco have anything similar?
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Ball lock is like that (Manix 2, Manix 2 XL). You might say the compression lock is like that, but it's in an awkward place to hold down (Paramilitary 2, Junior, Szabo).
 
In that price range it's the Military all day, IMO. Very solid and easily flicks open with the large blade. I absolutely love mine.
 
BuzzInTx said:
In that price range it's the Military all day, IMO. Very solid and easily flicks open with the large blade. I absolutely love mine.
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I agree. In a slightly smaller desdign, the PM2 is a good sized blade in an easy to carry package.
 
Gayle bradley is my favorite spydie. M4 steel and a super smooth and solid lockup. Great value!
 
stonproject said:
i really, really like the valottan design. I am not a manual folder fan, but attractive as this folder is to me, im willing to go for it. I really like benchmades Bedlam, and Rift, both because they have large blades, and phenominal grips. All suggestions welcome, thanks guys a bunch.

PS i like the benchmades axis lock because you can disengage it and just flick it open. does spyderco have anything similar?
Click to expand...

The vallotton design never really appealed to me, but if that one is calling you then go for it. Everything I have ever seen from the Taichung factory is of stellar quality!

Vallotton, paramilitary, military, endura, caly 3.5...draw straws if you want. You really can't go wrong. :)
 
You said you were looking for a big blade. That would dictate that you need to look at the Military. Big knife that is extremely comfortable to carry - it will disappear in your pocket. Build quality is excellant, does a great job for what it is designed for - cutting. You might also want to look at the Endura - specifically the FFG ZDP189. The Gayle Bradley is a great knife - significantly thicker and not quite as comfortable to carry as the Military, but is more robust - M4 is a great steel. The Caly 3.5 is another great choice - you have some excellant recommendations and I have to agree that there is no need to worry about the build quality on the import Spydercos. I love the Taiwan products - as noted above, their F&F is very very good. Spyderco knives are kind of like potato chips, you can't stop at one. I do have to say that I am very partial to the Military.
 
The Vallotton is a great knife, and absolutely perfect fit/finish on my example. I love the design, and the function is flawless. However i have found the edge geometry to be a bit thick for EDC or light duty. It isn't the best slicer in that capacity, and the tip can be a bit difficult to sharpen, as it is an unusual (but incredibly strong) design.

The Gayle Bradley, as others have suggested, is an amazing knife for the price. It is my favorite EDC in my collection, hands down. Great slicer. The handle is a bit sharp on the edges as neverdie said above, but it can be easily remedied. M4 is great steel, but it is not stainless, and can stain or even rust if not cared for. In my experience it takes very little forethought to keep it in great shape, just wipe it down after use and/or coat with tuf cloth or mineral oil occasionally. My $.02
 
I find myself carrying my Delica more than any other knife I own (some of which cost much more and technically much higher quality). Its great for edc and seems plenty tough for normal cutting, probably not big enough for a defensive blade though. Spydercos are great knives, I was very hesitant to buy one at first, mainly because I wasn't sure how I would like the Spdy-hole (thumb deployment hole in the blade), but once I pulled the trigger I haven't looked back. They live up to the praise they get.
 
so i think ive narrowed it down to the endura, vallotten, and the military. what types of locking mechanisms do each of these have? im partial to the simplicity, and reliability (atleast for me) of the liner lock. Do these use liner locks? if not, what do they have, and hows it compare to a liner? thanks again for bearing with me guys, super helpful , and youre giving me a lot to think about.

PS. Endura with the emerson wave, anyone?
 
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