Which Spike Should I get?

The problem I see with the Double Agent is that the holes have to be just the right size and spacing to fit an individual grip. From experience with that sort of knife, I find they don't generally fit me real well.

You can draw the knife to scale, say on cardboard, cut it out, and see how the model fits your hand.
 
Ya know, I have two of the spikes, the original standard and the scimitar. And you know what, they're not meant to be utility knives or survival knives or to slice through three hundred bodies. They're just a really really basic cheap hideout knife/shiv. And for that they probably are overpriced at full MSRP. I got mine at about half price.

And the handles do suck if you aren't smart enough to know how to modify them. I have really small hands and the grips as they come from CS are too small even for me. But the funny thing is that the grips are really well shaped, so I wrapped them with tennis racket grip and they fit just fine.

Like so many people have said, get a Mora if you want a cheap user knife, I have one or two of those myself. But for a down and dirty quick stab and slash with an extremely low profile I'll keep my Scimitar Spike thanx.
 
i would get the scimitar, although that's on your "heck no" list, second place is the standard.

if you like a knife, get it, too many cooks spoil the soup, or something like that.
 
Sure a Spike can get sharp. Pretty easily, too. Treat them like a Scandi grind Mora. Unfortunately, they get thick over the course of a very short width. The edge goes from zero to 1/4" over the span of about a half inch. As a result, while they may be sharp, they'll still be clumsy slicers.

I agree the K4 necker should be a fantastic slicer. In contrast to the Spike, the profile tapers from the edge to about 1/16" over the span of about 1.5". Not only is the blade much thinner, the primary grind is much more acute. FWIW, the steel is better, too. But with it's geometry, just about any steel would work OK.
 
+1 With Shecky and the the K4 Neck Knife. I like carrying both a serrated and a plain edge because they fulfill different cutting functions, so I'm thinking about getting one each of these. I have a couple of friends with decades of experience who both really really really like the Cold Steel knives. One has had several of their kitchen knives (both serrated and plain) for years and loves them. The other is a custom knife maker who has done a lot of river rafting and feels that the CS serrations are much better for cutting rope and fibrous materials than the those of Spyderco. I'd have ordered the K4's by now except that getting a couple of the discontinued Kobun and a Bad Axe were just a little bit higher priority.
 
Some thoughts on the Cold Steel Spike...

As a utilitarian tool, it's pitifully ineffective. I purchased mine (a standard model) on a whim several years ago at a gun show for about ten dollars, and have since put it in a small webbed nylon pouch in the bottom of my shaving kit after fully wrapping the handle with 550 lb test parachute cord. While this solved the problem of an aesthetically/ergonomically unpleasing handle, the blade still does terminate in a very short span, making its slicing performance less than impressive.

As to the ease of sharpening, I've found my Spike to be easier than most. Using only a Spyderco SharpMaker #501, it is incredibly easy to maintain a razor-sharp edge. Though not very adept at slicing, it has excelled in the two things I've used it for; yes, I know, only two.

It can cut parachute cord very well---I used it to cuts the cord for its own handle. Also, it pops blisters well. A friend of mine, the assistant crew leader for my Philmont Scout Ranch Expedition, found a blister on the bottom of his foot on the way home. Not wanting to use his Police for such an unsanitary chore (and there was no way in hell I was going to let him use my Military), I pulled the Spike from my dop kit and let him have at it. Pack a Spike and some mole skin and your feet will thank you. ;)

In regards to a good all-around use fixed blade, I will go in the way of my fellow forumites and recommend the Mora, or Martiini. They are less expensive, worth the money, and will effectively slice your boxes and do anything else you ask them to.

God bless.
 
I have the standard spike.

I use it as a steak knife.


You can get it pretty sharp rather quickly. I throw it in my pack as a little backup FB.

But if i was looking for a cheap worker, i'd get a Mora.
 
If you have already made up your mind about the cold steal spike, then get it. Or you will aways wonder what it would be like to have one. Once you get it you`ll know. Then you can share your findings here.
 
Cannon916 said:
I had a Mora knife when I was younger. It cut very well, but my friend back then stabbed a telephone pole and the last inch of the blade bent at a 90 degree angle. Don't know if I would trust them, even if they are low priced.
Click to expand...

I saw a woman try to stab a telephone pole with a Chevy Malibu last week. That piece of junk just broke apart, plastic and junk everywhere. I don't think I'd trust it as a reliable mode of transportation.

Anyway, Hessian, would you consider an A.G. Russell Woodswalker? A.G.'s site is acting up right now, and I'm having trouble finding a decent picture of one, but it's a quality knife made for cutting in Aus 8, in a variety of sheath choices, for under $30.00.

It also looks decidedly more friendly. If pressed, you could always call it a "pocket paring knife" or "pocket steak knife" and not be bending the truth, even a little. It's definitely not a telephone pole stabber, though.
 
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http://www.agrussell.com/knives/by_...woodswalker_in_leather_hip_pocket_sheath.html
There is the Woodswalker
phpoYnEPx.jpg

Also check out the Buck Hartsook
hartsook-mainc300.jpg
 
The Spike is for stabbing people and/or animals. That's it. It's not a utility knife, nor is it made for slicing. It has one purpose -- maybe you'll be able to use it for other things, but if I were going to get a Spike (the bowie one) I would use it only for combat. Either assassinations or self-defense when a human or non-human was coming at me.

Personally I carry my Ti Lite for self defense. I never use it for any "utility".. just for defense.
 
Man, I just got the Scimitar Spike, and I love it. The ball end and the curved handle really make this thing feel good in the hand. I don't think it's too thin, for what it is. I do the IWB carry, and I like that little ball to feel, to check and make sure it's there. And the ball doesn't / won't dig into your stomach, like an exposed tang, IWB.

This spike was about the sharpest I've gotten straight out the box. This one isn't so "thick" - the stock is thick - for a nice thick handle, but the "false" swedge at the top, really thins out the performance of slicing. The belly is awesome, for utility tasks. I really like curved handles for the palm. Feels really secure. I really like how small it is for in the waist band carry as well.

I'm gonna give it a go as my fixed EDC, I see it really useful, as a concealed quick draw letter opener, and packages, like those blister packs, etc. I see the edc usefulness of this thing. I really like it a lot. FFG as well.

I say for the price, you can't go wrong, except that it doesn't come with a clip. I just used a piece of paracord through one hole, and around my belt.

But seeing "THE SPIKE" on the side, every time I draw it out, reminds me that this is a shiv. A weapon. I want to remove that lettering, and replace it with something that sounds Japanese.
 
The spikes are very thick in the spine, so they may not cut very well. a Mora on the other hand would be far more comfortable to use and cut far better, i strongly suggest the mora, good luck!
 
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