What do you guys think of the Spyderco Impala?

[shootist16]

As many of you guys know, I was a Wegnerholic. The Spyderco Wegner was my favorite production knife of all time. Sadly, it has been discontinued. Since it was discontinued I have been looking for a suitable replacement. Spyderco now has the Impala.

C73 Impala (Ed Scott Design)
Weight: 3.9 oz 109g
Blade Length: 3 -11/16” 94mm
Blade Steel: VG-10

The guthook version does nothing for me, but the standard version appeals to me. I was amazed at whet an excellent "tactical" edc the Wegner made, and it was marketed as a folding hunter. The Impala is also being sold as a folding hunter. I wonder if it will make for a good edc?

Another feature I like is that the clip is slightly inlaid clip. That should add to the comfort of the knife in use.

 

[shootist16]

Wanted to add that the Impala reminds me of what you would get if you crossed a Wegner and Starmate with the Military.

 

[NGK-Webmaster]

When you pick one of these up i think you will be impressed I was. The knife has about 5 different comfortable holding positions, the handles are thick and strong, and the blade has a nice cant to it that points it well when holding it. And the design of the blade and knife overall makes the tip very useable/pointable for exact positioning work. Overall the knife is extremely well built and should become one of Spyderco’s best sellers I suspect. The model with the gut hook is everything the standard model is but has the hook for those wanting a skinner, it has no appeal to me since I no longer hunt but if I was looking for something to use when hunting this knife would be at the top of the list.

 

[Dr.Lathe]

Dennis,

I always liked the Wegner myself. The Impala looks even more ergonomic. Its shape looks like it would provide more than one grip. I like the choil cutout for "choking up" on the blade.


Neil

 

[shootist16]

The postman dropped off my Impala today. I opted for the plain edge non-guthook model. I haven't had a lot of familiarization time with it yet, but wanted to share my initial impressions.

One thing that I never picked up on from the pics is how the blade, in the closed position, follows the lines of the handles. In other words the top of the blade closely matches the bottom of the scales.

The g-10 scales are nice and thick. They are also champhered, which adds to the comfort. NGK-webmaster was right when he stated that this knife was comfortable in a variety of grips. I am happy to report he is right. The knife is comfortable. Seems as though it would be comfortable for periods of extended cutting.

The blade shape is very versatile and should lend itself to a myriad of cutting tasks.

One feature that I really like is the inlaid pocket clip. I would like to see Spyderco incorporate this feature in other knives.It seems to help the knife hold better to ones pocket. It also adds to the comfort of the knife because the clip isn't sticking out so far. This is a very nice touch and I applaud Spyderco for taking the extra step and adding this feature.

Fit and finish are typical Spyderco, excellent. No play in any direction, smooth opening, and Spyderco sharp!

The only thing that I would change about this knife is the liner. It sticks out slightly below both scales. I am sure that Spyderco did this for a reason, maybe to make it easier to close with gloves on? I would prefer to see the liner a little more recessed to guard against accidentally disengaging the lock. I am not saying that this is prone to happen with the Impala. I haven't used it enough to draw that conclusion.

I am looking forward to spending more time with the Impala.

 

[RattlerXX]

I like the looks of the Impala, and I think I will try one of these out. I too love the Wegner, and I would really like to put it up since I got rid of my extra. Maybe the Impala will be a good user this hunting season.