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Why do you like the Native so much?
- Thread starter AR15fan
- Start date
I liked that knife before I ever held it. It was I think a matter of the blade shape and size. And the name, frankly. Once I held it, tho, I loved the feel. In my book it's the best, particularly the BF Blue Natives that came with the Mike Sastre neck sheath.
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2000
- Messages
- 274
I've posted several times about why I consider the Native the best Spyderco knife and my favorite. Here's what I said on one of them:
"Why? Simple. Native has a comfortable Zytel handle which has a web-pattern that eliminates slippery conditions. It has an easy to remove clip which is fully reversible for left or right hand carry. It has a CPM-440V blade, which is top quality, for an unbelievably low price. The blade shape is hollow-ground and has a beautiful spear-point shape, which gives it a solid tactical feel, and is great for cutting or thrusting. It can be gripped comfortably in two ways at least: choke on the handle and there appears a natural steel finger groove just below the blade, or use the lower handle groove to grip long. It is discreet enough to carry in most jurisdictions without worrying about LEO's busting you, with a 3" blade. It can handle almost any cutting task you throw at it, and weight is also ideal for comfortable carry. It can be drawn lightning fast from pocket with its tip-up carry. It fits and draws great from a River City Mike Sastre neck sheath."
To this I'll add that, IMNSHO, it achieves a perfect balance between tactical and utility purposes. I can think of no other Spyderco knife, from pure observation (and some from handling) that can obtain such a perfect balance.
Just my $.02
-Flood
"Why? Simple. Native has a comfortable Zytel handle which has a web-pattern that eliminates slippery conditions. It has an easy to remove clip which is fully reversible for left or right hand carry. It has a CPM-440V blade, which is top quality, for an unbelievably low price. The blade shape is hollow-ground and has a beautiful spear-point shape, which gives it a solid tactical feel, and is great for cutting or thrusting. It can be gripped comfortably in two ways at least: choke on the handle and there appears a natural steel finger groove just below the blade, or use the lower handle groove to grip long. It is discreet enough to carry in most jurisdictions without worrying about LEO's busting you, with a 3" blade. It can handle almost any cutting task you throw at it, and weight is also ideal for comfortable carry. It can be drawn lightning fast from pocket with its tip-up carry. It fits and draws great from a River City Mike Sastre neck sheath."
To this I'll add that, IMNSHO, it achieves a perfect balance between tactical and utility purposes. I can think of no other Spyderco knife, from pure observation (and some from handling) that can obtain such a perfect balance.
Just my $.02
-Flood
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2000
- Messages
- 3,625
The shape, the steel AUS-10 is good! The fit and finish... The edge it will take Whew! Nice all round knife! Gota get me a BFN though!
W.A.
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"To strive to seek to find and not to yield"
Tenneson
Ranger motto
W.A.
------------------
"To strive to seek to find and not to yield"
Tenneson
Ranger motto
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2000
- Messages
- 274
The General:
I thought it was going to be impossible to get a BF Native, but I decided to try anyway. I let my craving for that knife be known in this Spyderco forum and in the "Knives: Wanted to buy" forum in the "Exchange" section. As luck would have it, after a week I got three different people offering me a deal. I made the deal with Fred Krow, who wanted to sell his two plain models to get a Sebenza. I was so lucky, since one of them was not even taken out of the package, and the other has minimal handling and not been used for cutting!
I suggest you do the same if you are really interested in getting one. As far as pricing goes, I got a really sweet deal for both, and Fred even threw a Mike Sastre neck sheath and steel clip for both (to avoid wearing of the blue clip that comes with the knife) for a small increment in price. My advice is...be patient! Someone will eventually come up and offer you a good deal.
Good luck!
-Flood
I thought it was going to be impossible to get a BF Native, but I decided to try anyway. I let my craving for that knife be known in this Spyderco forum and in the "Knives: Wanted to buy" forum in the "Exchange" section. As luck would have it, after a week I got three different people offering me a deal. I made the deal with Fred Krow, who wanted to sell his two plain models to get a Sebenza. I was so lucky, since one of them was not even taken out of the package, and the other has minimal handling and not been used for cutting!
I suggest you do the same if you are really interested in getting one. As far as pricing goes, I got a really sweet deal for both, and Fred even threw a Mike Sastre neck sheath and steel clip for both (to avoid wearing of the blue clip that comes with the knife) for a small increment in price. My advice is...be patient! Someone will eventually come up and offer you a good deal.
Good luck!
-Flood
- Joined
- Aug 8, 1999
- Messages
- 5,094
Like one the earlier posters, I wanted a Native based on sight alone. That spearpoint blade is beautiful to me. The knife really fills my hand and is a great everyday carry. I know its a tad over 3" but I doubt if it would ever get any one in trouble unless they were working real hard to get a cop's attention. I loved them when they were GIN-1 as well. To me, the Native, the Calypso lt. wt. jr., and the Delica are all perfect 3" folders in their own way.
One word, function. Where else can you get a CPM 440V cutter, in a convenient size, that won't break the bank to buy and have Spyderco standing behind you? It's really ideal. You can take a Native out into the field (street, boat, war zone, you name it) and not be afraid to use/abuse it. And if it breaks, or more likely you lose it, about 40 bucks gets you a new one. Lose a Starmate or a Military (both of which I love) and you take a much bigger hit. That's why all those threads on SEALs, et al. always conclude that they carry what they're given because they don't want to lose expensive, personally purchased blades. A Native is a tool with the same high performance "business end" as the heavy hitters that you can really use without worry.
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2000
- Messages
- 188
After hearing all the talk about the Native I went and examined one the other day. I liked it a lot, the knife just has the right "feel". I'm geting two one Native and one NativeII. The knife grows on you.
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2000
- Messages
- 274
AR15fan:
CPM440V is considered these days to be a premium quality steel, and is increasingly being adopted as the steel of choice for many custom knives, not to mention most of Spyderco's premium (and most expensive)quality knives. I believe all of their new custom collaborations carry this steel exclusively, including the Gunting, Chinook, Bob Lum Chinese folder, etc. So much so that lately Spyderco has abandoned making knives out of ATS-34.
Although CPM 440V has certain different properties than ATS-34, its quality has been considered to be at least on a par with that popular steel. Both are being cited increasingly to be two of the top steels favored on more expensive quality knives. For more info. on the great qualities of this steel, and criticisms about it, do a search in this forum and the "Blade Discussion" forum. I'm sure you will find much useful information, as I have.
-Flood
CPM440V is considered these days to be a premium quality steel, and is increasingly being adopted as the steel of choice for many custom knives, not to mention most of Spyderco's premium (and most expensive)quality knives. I believe all of their new custom collaborations carry this steel exclusively, including the Gunting, Chinook, Bob Lum Chinese folder, etc. So much so that lately Spyderco has abandoned making knives out of ATS-34.
Although CPM 440V has certain different properties than ATS-34, its quality has been considered to be at least on a par with that popular steel. Both are being cited increasingly to be two of the top steels favored on more expensive quality knives. For more info. on the great qualities of this steel, and criticisms about it, do a search in this forum and the "Blade Discussion" forum. I'm sure you will find much useful information, as I have.
-Flood
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2000
- Messages
- 30
Let me first state that I'm been convinced to have a Native right after have seen the review of Fred Perrin on Nemo's website, and he says a lot of good things about it, and all true. But there is also another reason for me: Native has a large, thick and sharp blade that you can really trust! As far as the other points, I also agree with Flood.
EX ALTO FULGOR
EX ALTO FULGOR