What makes you a Spyderco fan?

I like the diversity in steel, and styles, lock styles, and ergonomics.

 

Steel styles, design (especially the spydie hole!), weight (Delica, endura) and ergonomics.

 

Spyderco is the "Baskin Robbins" of knives... so many flavors. And, so many of them are irresistible.

A few years ago, I decided I needed an "EDC" knife. I did a bit of online research and the Spyderco Caly 3 was the winner. I immediately loved the way it felt in my hand AND the way it looked. It was "just a pocket knife," but it was GORGEOUS.

And then, for reasons I cannot fully explain, I got HOOKED. I bought "just one more"... and then "just one more"... and the rest is history. I'm up to about 50 of them, with the Domino being my latest acquisition. The Domino may be THE "perfect" Spyderco knife.

Why do I like them? I'm a big fan of "form follows function." Spyderco has found a way to marry the "form follows function" concept to FUN. Who knew that "FFF" could come in so many forms? Think about it... to most people, a "pocket knife is a pocket knife," right? How distinctive can they be?? To the average person, maybe they would concede that there could be different sizes of blades, but that's about it.

Spyderco has found seemingly INFINITE distinctions from one model to the next. It seems they never run out of ideas to come up with a NEW iteration of a rather simple cutting implement that resides in your pocket. There's blade shapes and lengths.... locking mechanisms.... handle materials..... blade steels.... colors....

Those of us who have come to appreciate these distinctive knives, eagerly anticipate, "What's next???"

Add in a consistency of quality control that is remarkable and affordability, and you've got a product that really has no competition (that I can think of).

It's brilliant, really. I've never been a "collector" of anything. And, they got me. Boy, did they get me.

 

You, me, and at least one or two others.

 

Just bought my first spyderco, the techno, about 2 months ago. I've had boker, kershaw, crkt, kabar and all the other production knife brands. Spyderco seems to have sharpness and quality control on lock down. I've got a little byrd knife as well, and it is stupidly sharp. They keep evolving. They keep it fresh. They put out models that people want and they make them with great care. I will be a returning cutomer for certain.

 

I got my first Spyderco in August 2000 and it was a Native II in AUS-10. My next one was not until the Military in 2005. I got a few more until 2008.

I got bored with Spyderco! Then, about a year ago I started looking again and the Taichung folders were a revelation. Now, I have almost every single high-quality folder from that factory. Greater variety with all the collaborations and in some cases even smaller less obtrusive Spydie holes.

I like the unobtrusive Spydie holes like on the Southard, Techno, Air Bradley and Des Horn. In between Spydie holes are fine too. On the extreme, proportion-wise, with bigger almost tumor-like Spydie holes, you have the Khalsa Sprint and Vallotton.

That's just one person's opinion.

 

Variety is the spice of life and Spyderco has the variety to keep me interested.
And speaking of spice I don't own a Salsa yet.

 

Many things, but what got me hooked to start was the overall quality versus price. LOVE that bi-directional texturing they use like on the now discontinued Citadel.

 

Collaborations with designers that end up being at top notch, if not better, than custom offerings. And not just popular designers, but ones who few people have heard of even in their native countries.

Spyderco likes new things, they like working with new people and new materials and new designs and will do anything differently and try to do it better than anyone else has. This includes themselves - if they invented it, they will find a way to reinvent it. Whoever said you shouldn't reinvent the wheel obviously didn't make a living doing it, as here you have a whole forum of people chatting about the pros and cons of every steel known to man in any given Spyderco model.

It's pretty unreal, these guys must feel like kids at a candy store where they are being paid to create their own flavors. And at the end of every year they publish a catalog, and immediately everyone else spends the first half of the next year arguing about why a particular model looks crappy or weird or impractical. Then when it is (finally) released everyone raves about how awesome it is. It's like everyone is "spy-curious" and can't help but spend their money on something that looks weird because some part of them knows having one will be worth it. And you know what? They always are.

Basically, I think their ability to push even the most die-hard fans to scratch their heads at ideas they come up with, then make them buy every last one of them from every dealer on the planet, is downright awesome.

 

Variety
Quality
Innovation

In any particular order that sums it up for me

 

At first design ergonomics, high level of quality in regards to my current specimens, and as others have said, diversity in blade and handle materials. What made me a lifelong customer was witnessing how sal and co. communicate and respond to Spydie owners questions and feedback.

 

One thing that really attracts me to spyderco is Sal. How often do you see a founder of a company, chatting it up on a public forum?

 

When I was first buying knifes I thought the same as you. When I got my first spyderco it's now all I want to buy!

 

What SlippyShayne said, also opening the blade with ease with the hole. Gary

 

Another thing that really attracts to spyderco, is their constant goal of improving. They can have a knife we all love, and they'll still be reviewing and tweaking it till it's perfect. Another thing is their value. I find you get a lot for your dollar with spyderco, especially with all their different plants.

 

The Para Military 2 .

 

The Spyderhole opener - it's simple and 100% reliable even for someone with limited manual dexterity. The ergonomics - none of my favorites require textured handles, handle jimping, or a "death grip" to feel totally secure in my hand. The Spydercrew, especially Sal Glesser and other crew members who moderate and participate in their forums - you'd have to look long and hard to find their equal when it comes to honesty, candor, politeness, and the willingness to listen to, and occasionally act upon, even the most far out ideas we forumites come up with.

 

Overall quality , design , materials used and fit & finish are all fantastic in Spyderco knives IMO. I bought my first Spyderco back in October 2010 (Manix2) and I immediately became a fan. Now 35 Spydercos later I still have an insatiable appetite for more.

I carry some and a couple I keep as safe queens. Some of the ones that have really impressed me are :
-Manix2
-Yojimbo2
-Sage Series (esp Sages 3 and 4)
-Native5

I tend to favor Golden and a Tai Chung blades.

 

Full Flat Ground! No one else makes knives that cut as well, and that's what knives are made to do.

And quality for a low price has also been good. The new 2014 knives might be getting away from this.:grumpy: