Why no love for the Centofante 4 (and 3)?

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kgriggs8

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I have carrying my Cent 4 for a while now and I continue to be impressed. It seems that it always finds itself being the one I grab or have at hand. I have a shelf full of Spydercos and most have never been used but the Cent 4 gets a real workout.

I have used it for every from opening mail to cutting small saplings down. It has worked well for everything and I have never felt that I was in danger of breaking it. It is a light and slim knife but it does have a nested liner. Mine locks up solid and opens very smoothly.

The only mods I have done is change the clip to tip up and added the sip tie mod. It now goes from my around the house knife clipped to my thin lounge pants to my outdoors knife when I am hiking or camping.

In my opinion it is a Delica beater. I have Delicas as well but since the D-4 came out, I find that I don't use them as much. I loved my D-3s but the newer D-4 is just heavy enough that if I am going to carry that, I will probably carry something a little larger like a Military.

The Cent 4 and 3 are two of the best knives Spyderco has produced in this size and price range ever. I am just suprised that more people don't choose these models over the Delica when they are looking for something small. IMHO, the Cent 3-4 are underrated and deserve a little love.:thumbup:
 
IMO they are both great knives. I gave a friend a cento 3 and have been wanting a cento 4 because I love the warnie blade. The problem is I some how keep passing over it when it comes time to feed the addiction. They are both gems and need to be treated as such. They are slim knives that disappear in your pocket and look classy as hell for under $50.
 
I have the 3 for years, but it look so darn nice thant I hardly ever used it. Mine don't have a liner cuz it's older, but seems to be ok for straight cutting purpose.

I've been using it more and more now that my native is retired, but it's hard to compete with the manix.
 
The C3 is a great cutter for sure.
The only thing that I don't care for is the sharp thumb-ramp peak above the thumb-hole.
This is a problem on a few different Spyderco models.
I had a C3 and I filed the peak down so that it was not sharp.
 
I love my C4. I tend to carry it when I am wearing a suit or thin slacks at work. The Lava gets some pants time too.
The C4 is a great knife for the money. I am a big warnie fan.
 
I had a Yojimbo that i carried and loved the [modified] wharncliffe blade shape. However the tip is relatively delicate and the knife is relatively expensive. I picked up the Centofante 4 as an alternative and haven't carried anything else since. It's a very "friendly" looking knife, slices just as good, and is a bunch smaller and less expensive than the Yojimbo. If it ever gets mangled or lost it won't be much of a burden to replace. :D
 
The Centofante 3 is great. I have four of them. I carry a C3 everyday. And a few other knives as well.
Right now, in addition to the C3, I'm carrying a Buck Odyssey 181, a Spyderco Cricket (FRN,PE), an Endura 4, and a Camillus Electrician's slipjoint.
If I ever run across the C4 in a store around here, at a reasonable price, I'll buy a few of those.
 
Wow, 4 knifes at a time, I don't want to be your pants!! :)


C3 is great for dress pants for sure, but I work in a factory and I don't have to wear them all too often.
 
The Centofante 3 & 4 are pure cutters. Some believe it takes a certain knife enthusiast to appreciate the designs.

Depending on which side of the fence you're on, these knoves' characteristics are either advantages or disadvantages:

- FRN scales
- lightweight
- 2.5mm thick blade

Not everyone likes a particular Spyderco (fugly?). Luckily, they're continually innovating and exploring new designs, so everyone does win.
 
Sometimes I just need to pry/scrap/ dig at work, and the cento is just too skinny. The native held out valiantly for 3 years! Can't imaging prying open a crate with this little guy.

Hoever little I use it for, I still love looking at it when watching TV or something cuz to me it looks like a nice modern knife with classic lines.
 
sherlockbonez said:
I have the 3 for years, but it look so darn nice thant I hardly ever used it. Mine don't have a liner cuz it's older, but seems to be ok for straight cutting purpose.

I've been using it more and more now that my native is retired, but it's hard to compete with the manix.
Click to expand...

You know, I had a Cent 3 when they first came out and I didn't remember it having a liner either. I thought I just didn't notice it. I also didn't like that sharp thumb ramp because it scraped my hand everytime I put my hand into my pocket. It really hurt in winter when my hands were dry and cold. That is the reason I got rid of it. Now, I just mount it tip up and do the zip tie mod. That high thumb ramp acts like a Wave helper and it opens every time with just a small zip tie attached.

I guess it took me a while to grow to love the Cent 3-4 but now that I do, I will always own at least one. Now I can retire my two Centofante IIs. I have loved every Centofante that Spyderco has made. If I ever buy another custom knife, I will probably check out Frank Centofante first.
 
The Centofante III that I have is the most impeccably finished knife I own. The grinds are dead on, no blade blade play whatsoever and a beautiful ergonomic handle that fits even my big mitts. I consider it the best of Spydoco's offerings. The knife is a masterpiece. I sometime hear it referred to as a "gents" type knife. It's light, has a thin blade but it's much more rugged than it looks. It's really a dressed up workhorse.

Wait, --theres more. If you order now, you'll get a free silver Spyderco inlay at no extra cost. All this for the unbelievable price of around 40 bucks.
 
If the Centofante 4 was a little more 'MBC'-oriented, I think I would be carrying it instead of my Delica 4. I really loved the C4, but it was not as secure in the hand as the D4 (in shape and texture), and I was concerned about my hand riding up on the handle. I'd love to see a Warncliffe D4...LOVE TO!!!

-John
 
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