Why the Native 5?

My Native 5 is my one and only Spyderco (for the time being). I'm not exactly in love with its looks, but it's danged hard to argue with its function. It's lightweight, takes a good edge (CPM S30V), and locks up solid. The downside to the Native is that it makes it harder to justify other knives.
 
Spats McGee said:
My Native 5 is my one and only Spyderco (for the time being). I'm not exactly in love with its looks, but it's danged hard to argue with its function. It's lightweight, takes a good edge (CPM S30V), and locks up solid. The downside to the Native is that it makes it harder to justify other knives.
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No downside here, as I was really supposed to be DONE buying for a while, other than some SAKs and stuff... This is surely it, my last knife that costs more than $40 in a long time. Got myself the recent Rex 45 sprint :)
 
because its one of spydercos older folders, besides that they offer a lot of different steels on the native 5 and its vary popular lock back .
 
I have several spyderco but I carry the native 5 lw in spy27 when I don’t want much weight on me.
I feel like it is the sig p365(x) size in folders. Very light, but just big enough to be used for whatever you need a knife for.
 
I want a native 5 lw with black dlc cruwear blade and a od green frn handles. Kinda like the dlt delica. That might be my ultimate native 5 right there.
 
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Got my Native 5 today - the thwack is real! This is very interesting, I have had a great experience with each and every Japanese backlock Spyderco I have, and the one Taiching backlock I have (Chapparal), but this seems even more steady and rock solid than the others. It does not, for example, "drop shut", as my Matriarch 2 is doing, as all my Seki backlocks do. This may do something to convince those feeling wary of the "old fashioned" backlock to give it the old college try.

Got the mint/M4 combo with the Sage 5 at BHQ because I LOVE my compression locks - but got the GP Stormtrooper treatment for this'n. You guys have it, though, you guys have it... maybe this is the knife I would bring to extreme conditions/gloved hand usage, over a comp lock, but luckily I do not have to do extreme Arctic Circle survivalism (As one member here has!), and the comp lock is good for me on a day-to-day, but I never scoff at a backlock. Pics coming, having trouble with a phone cam right now.
 
Hashishiin said:
I am just curious as to people's specific reasons. Seeing a lot of Native 5 love, and it seems like a good knife, I went for a Sage 5 though, because of the comp lock. They seem to be very similar knives minus the lock. I'm waffling on it, but part of me is definitely curious.

So, you Native 5 carriers, why do you carry that knife? If you know why, why would you keep carrying it instead of a Sage 5, for example?
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I think a backlock is superior. There are other reasons I avoid comp locks, although I have three knives with it, I decided that's enough (PM2, Para3, Caribbean). Other plus is the humpless blade, I also love the swedge and the Native comes in more permutations. So it is mainly the ergos, the locking mechanism and the looks that I feel are better with the Native. FWIW my favorite Sage is The Sage 1 Maxamet and my only wish is a Sage 2 some day.
 
The green LC200N LW Native 5 is available for preorder in some places! Kinda wish I waited instead of getting the spy27 version
 
kobold said:
I think a backlock is superior. There are other reasons I avoid comp locks, although I have three knives with it, I decided that's enough (PM2, Para3, Caribbean). Other plus is the humpless blade, I also love the swedge and the Native comes in more permutations. So it is mainly the ergos, the locking mechanism and the looks that I feel are better with the Native. FWIW my favorite Sage is The Sage 1 Maxamet and my only wish is a Sage 2 some day.
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I like the swedge on knives like the Buck 110 and Native 5 because of the wood-cutting ability, a big, obtuse, sharpish edge. The ergos are great, I love the hand-feel but I haven't had a chance to do a lot of cutting yet. I love the solid backlock, for sure, but I also love the comp lock. Got the white GP Knives Rex 45 Shaman run, seems like a good choice.

I have a PM2 in Maxamet and a Sage 5 in M4, can't wait to try them both, haha. Need a KME though.

stillshot2 said:
The green LC200N LW Native 5 is available for preorder in some places! Kinda wish I waited instead of getting the spy27 version
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That one looks good, especially serrated... I got the Rex 45 though, so will have to wait a bit on that.
 
Because there is not yet a Native 6? I had an N5, and sent it along because it didn't have a selling point on it's own at that time for me. That changed with the LC200n, as it was going to get a lot of use around salt water. It's worth noting that I cannot EDC a locker, otherwise the N5 would have fit that role quite well, though it is large for what I like in a casual EDC. A lil' native is on the way to me in slipit, so that should really be the ticket for most days. As for the design and egros, I have small hands and it works very well, which considering how many guys with big paws say it fits them well, tells me that there is something very neutral about the handle shape. I find the blade shape to be very useful, with the tip and belly being very intuitive to use, while getting a good edge-to-material angle. It's not a specialist, and for most edc tasks it does exactly what I need it to do. I wouldn't fillet with it, but if I'm down on the beach needing to cut line, bait, or lunch, it gets things done.
 
I guess the only reason not to go Native 5 is for rapid deployment at the moment you need it (it's quite a stiff lock and mine takes a little dexterity to use) and arguably to double as a self defense knife yet in trained hands could probably still accel at that because its edge can get so sharp
 
Hashishiin said:
I like the swedge on knives like the Buck 110 and Native 5 because of the wood-cutting ability, a big, obtuse, sharpish edge. The ergos are great, I love the hand-feel but I haven't had a chance to do a lot of cutting yet. I love the solid backlock, for sure, but I also love the comp lock. Got the white GP Knives Rex 45 Shaman run, seems like a good choice.

I have a PM2 in Maxamet and a Sage 5 in M4, can't wait to try them both, haha. Need a KME though.
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My top 3" folders are the Fluted CF Native, the CRK PJ small Sebenza 21 and the Buck Mayo/TNT. Just recently I used the Fluted CF Native for a three week hospital stay, opening food packaging and a bit of food prep and before that I used it for a month at home. And the factory edge is still pretty sharp.
 
The ergos on the Native 5 are just so spot on for me. I personally prefer the FRN Native models. I sold most of my other Spydercos except for the Centofante 3 and the Techno 2. I split time between the Rex45 and SPY27, along side either a GEC #29, #56, or a Vic Cadet. That's the rotation I don't see changing until I can get my hands on Native 5 Salt.
 
Pjake said:
The ergos on the Native 5 are just so spot on for me. I personally prefer the FRN Native models. I sold most of my other Spydercos except for the Centofante 3 and the Techno 2. I split time between the Rex45 and SPY27, along side either a GEC #29, #56, or a Vic Cadet. That's the rotation I don't see changing until I can get my hands on Native 5 Salt.
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You know what's weird, I've really been meaning to get a Centofante 3 since I first looked at Spyderco. 27 knives later, I still haven't got one. I wonder why that is. Got used to the other models, I guess? But I like some weird Spydercos, dude... I heard Janich praise the C3 because of it's amazing slicability, how do you like yours?

Ever since I bought the Native 5, I have carried it multiple times and enjoyed the heck out of it, and even though I bought a second Sage 5 for me after admiring the one I bought for my girl, it sees no pocket time. 100% happy that I got the white FRN lightweight, and the REX 45, as opposed to the G-10. Still need to post a pic of it. Always carry my white SAK Camper or Huntsman, but I really want one of those red micarta GECs, they are a nightmare to look for though!!
 
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