VG-10 Cricket broken blade.

[beeperboy]

I've been carrying Spyderco knives daily for about 15 years. I've owned about 10-15 over the years, and friends have bought another 10 or so on my recommendation. I carried a Almite handled Cricket for about 10 years. I believe it has a ATS55 blade. It has been an unbelievably awesome knife over the years, and I've asked it to perform tasks that no little folder should never have to.

I recently decided to treat myself to a new pocket knife (to carry in addition to the old beat-up Police model I still carry as well). I bought a new SS serrated VG-10 Cricket. My first impression was one of utter amasement. I couldn't believe that they took the old style Cricket and made it thinner without compromise.

The first cardboard box I cut with it, about 1/8" of the blade tip snapped off. Is VG-10 too brittle, or did I get one that wasn't properly heat treated? The next day I notice that one of the machine screws holding the pocket clip is missing. Why don't they put Loctite on the threads? Anyone know what size thread this is so I can buy another screw?

I just bought a couple of Spydercards which I'm pretty impressed with, but this Cricket might be my last Spyderco purchase for a while. I'm not so sure I'll recommend Spyderco to my friends anymore either.

BB

 

[Yester5]

It may have been a little brittle from the heat treat. I have broken the point off of two Delicas, one while removing a staple from a stack of copy paper, the other while scraping a lock cut-out hole in my front door. After re-profiling the blades, they have performed very well. I learned quickely that many Spidies have very thin tips- made for cutting and slicing parallel to the blade edge. You can't treat them like a Buck 110 or Emerson CQC7.
If your blade did indeed break while simply slicing cardboard, I'd send it back along with a letter of explaination. What have you got to loose? I'd bet Sal would replace it. They are a stand-up outfit.

 

[madhaha]

My general impression is that VG-10 holds a much nicer edge but is brittler than most people are used to. I'm very surprised it snapped cutting cardboard though.

 

[beeperboy]

If your blade did indeed break while simply slicing cardboard, I'd send it back along with a letter of explaination. What have you got to loose? I'd bet Sal would replace it. They are a stand-up outfit.

I live in Canada and the cost/hassle to ship it back to the factory are more that it's worth, unfortunately.

BB

 

[Sal Glesser]

Hi BB. We'd really like to get it back. Yours is the first broken Cricket we've heard about. With several thousand in the field, we would be most curious to see what happened.

sal