Why isnt the Starmate more popular?

K

K man

Joined
Nov 26, 2000
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515
I was reading through the favorite spyderco knife post and only a few voted for the starmate. Why? The favorite of the modern G10 handled ones seem to be the military or wegner, and the Starmate seems like it is similar to these knives. Is it uncomfy in the hand, a bad cutter, too heavy, ect.? Or am I wrong?
Knifeman==>-----
 
bigger as in the width of the handle? because it is 1/2 of an in shorter than the military (on of the most popular knives. While I am on the topic, why is the military so popular? not trying to put any down, they are both great knives.
Knifeman==>-----
 
This debate usually ends in the wish for a smaller starmate.
I'd gladly order one.

:D

Greetings

red mag

Hi Sal, I din't start this. :)
 
Well, I like the my Starmate. The Military and the Wegner are pretty good. The Military, of course, needs a more robust tip, something that will surely be corrected soon, at which point I can then buy the improved knife. But the Starmate is better. Not everybody appreciates it's superior design, but then, they're not as good looking as me. And, a shorter Starmate, in addition to the current model, would be a good idea too. That and the upcoming spear-point Chinook and the flat-ground Native.
 
I find the Starmate design is a very good one. While not as comfy initially as the Wegner, I actually feel the knife is more comfortable during use than the Wegner and more versatile. It is nowhere near as stout or smooth as the Wegner however. The nested liner leaves only the G-10 slabs and spacer for lateral strength and these are easily overcome to induce flex. One flaw in otherwise superb design. This knife just begs for a dual liner system (heck, throw in the full length steel spacer like the Wegner while your at it). The 440V steel is very good. Holds a great edge and sharpens easily. The knife is also a very good cutter, although not up to the Military in this regard. I find the size to be about right as I like my blades 3 1/2" - 4" in length. It is a light knife for it's size and carries well.
 
I remember when they first came out. You couldn't find one anywhere. Seemed like everyone wanted one very badly. There was a lot of anticipation for this knife.

I like it quite abit, but I like my Wegner better. ;)

Now, If I could get a Wegner constructed like the Starmate I would be very happy.
 
Well, I don't want dual liners in the Starmate, nor a steel spacer. Adding those would make the handle thicker and the knife heavier, so forget about it. Those things have a place in other knives but not in the Starmate. The current construction is plenty strong and stiff. It's fine just the way it is, no changes needed, case closed, hey - where's my beer!
I recently considered buying a Benchmade 730 Ares. The 730 is, to me, somewhat in the same category of design as the Starmate, what with it's blade shape, length, and grind, and also it's handle. Plus, it has the Axis lock. All in all, a very nice knife. But in the end I decided not to buy it because the knife is somewhat bulkier than the Starmate, and I already have a Starmate, so no sale.
Conclusion: Anybody with half a brain,(that's all I have), knows that the Starmate is the best, no voting necessary. Anyway, Spyderco has other things to concentrate on, like bringing back the Wayne Goddard folder, with it's very usefull blade pattern, in VG-10.
 
The three large Spydies are always stacked up to each other. The blade shape of the Wegner is almost identical in profile and grind. The lightness of the Starmate handle makes the balance seem a little blade heavy (its not) while the Wegner hunkers down in your palm. The Wegner has more rounded and smooth feeling edges. The Starmate is definitely more tactical in appearance.

The Military is quite different in blade profile and grind and is a consummate slicer with a handle that allows a variety of grips and invites choking up with its choil. I do real work with this knife.

Having all three, I seem to end up choosing either the Military or the Wegner depending on my activities planned for the day. I love the look and feel of the Starmate, butt I never seem to be planning a tactital situation for that day. :) Although I feel it could serve me well in place of either of the others.

Another difference not always addressed and one that can loom very large for some people is that the Wegner is tip-up carry only while the other two are tip-down only.
 
When I am not going into Washington, DC, with its silly 3" blade limit, I use my StarMate as my EDC, and I LOVE it. I don't see it as "tactical", I see it a extremely comfortable and easy to use as well as very stylish to look upon.
 
The Starmate's handle is a little too squared off for me. I also like the Wegner's greater heft. My Starmate was also my first experience with 440V's brittle side, with a snapped tip (that was expertly mended at Chez Spyder).

I had Corduroy (anybody heard from him in a while?) do a customize job on my Starmate, adding a backside finger cutout, some texturing on the lock, and chamfering on the Spyderhole, all of which, I think, were exceptional improvements.
 
Brian Turner: How did you snap the tip on your Starmate? Was it prying, dropping it, cutting with it, or what? And when did you get your Starmate? I have the impression that some of the earlier 440v knives were left harder, and more brittle, than the current ones. Could that have been a factor? And if your Starmate tip snapped, what about the considerably thinner tip of the Military? Hmmm.
Also, what was Spyderco's response to your broken tip? Did they say "Your fault", and grind a new tip on the old blade? Or did they say "Defect", and give you a new blade? Or what? Details please.
 
Well I have been doing some research and the chinook is also in the range of the wegner, starmate, and millitary. The military is too big for me (length closed) and I dont know why but I hate the apperance of the wegner. So that leaves my hanging between the chinook and starmate. does the chinook cut anywhere as well as the military? Is it too heavy for an EDC?
Knifeman==>-----
 
I like the starmate. It opens very smoothly. Mine does not seem that sharp, however. I like the Wegner, also. Do not have experience with Military. You can't go wrong with any of these in my opinion.
 
K-man, the Chinook is a tank. It has full liners on both sides and a very heavy blade, and the result is an extremely well-made and durable knife that is also very heavy. I doubt that you would find it suitable for EDC without some sort of a belt holster. As I said before, I reall love my StarMate; I replaced it with my Gunting only because the blade is too long for carry where I work 5 days a week.
 
I really like the Starmate, it is light and strong. It is also quite compact when folded. It is an intimidating knife in my opinion and has the tactical look down. That said, it could be improved. I find 440V to brittle for my taste and I get some micro chipping of the edge to a greater extent than I do with ATS34. What I would really like to see is slightly thicker scales with a rounded profile...

grant
 
Originally posted by marty123
Brian Turner: How did you snap the tip on your Starmate? Was it prying, dropping it, cutting with it, or what? And when did you get your Starmate? I have the impression that some of the earlier 440v knives were left harder, and more brittle, than the current ones. Could that have been a factor? And if your Starmate tip snapped, what about the considerably thinner tip of the Military? Hmmm.
Also, what was Spyderco's response to your broken tip? Did they say "Your fault", and grind a new tip on the old blade? Or did they say "Defect", and give you a new blade? Or what? Details please.
Click to expand...

Totally guilty of misuse. I was lifting a datacenter floor tile (Morons used carpeted tiles that the suction cups can't lift - Sure are pretty for the execs, though :rolleyes: ). Same misuse that my Wegner did endure, and continues to endure. And it is a very early model Starmate, number 330. I know that it was re-done, per my request, rather than replaced, because the number and custom hole chamfering were still there when it got home. Beautifully re-done, too, with the grind lines preserved and/or adjusted to where it's an undetectable thing without a ruler. It was done no questions asked, for the price of postage - the same way that they're now fixing the chip at the tip (on the edge, not the tip itself) of my blue Native. That one was a defect - no hard use at all. Also an early release, number 68.

My inlay Native has no such problems, being a later produced model, and my Forum Military and Chinook are holding up just fine, although my ATS-34 Military did have the tip snap off in a piece of wood. Since then I don't subject my needle-tipped knives to much stress, regardless of the steel, and it limits the amount of carry they get. Can't speak much to my Gunting, as it hasn't been carried. Also 440V, my Kershaw Boa hasn't run into any chipping problems.

I'd say that Spyderco has learned, through experience, to heat treat 440V about as well as it can be done to ensure maximum usability. I'd also say, whoever's fault the problem is, Spyderco steps up and fixes it quickly, happily, and expertly.

Any other questions? Hmmm?
 
Guys, I have used the daylights out of three 440V knives, and never had a problem with chipping, resharpening, perhaps, but never chipping. I have used my BF Native, my StarMate, and now, my Gunting, all of them enough to have dulled the edge to the point that they have needed to be resharpened. As those of you with 440V knives know, that takes some use. I have never had a problem with chipping on any of them. I have not used my Military that much as, honestly, it felt uncomfortable to me and the tip looked awfully delicate when compared to the StarMate. My Chinook is almost unused as it is just so darned big and heavy for carry where I go. Now, if I were a hunter or camped a lot, I would likely use it a lot more, but I would get a belt holster for it.

The one lesson that I did finally learn is that you shoould just give up and buy a Spyderco SharpMaker to go with your 440V knives. I have always prided myself on my ability to use whetstones, as taught by my Dad, but no way did they work on 440V, nor did anything else that I tried really work until I got the SharpMaker. It works like a charm.
 
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