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Your opinion...What are the top 5 "must own" spydercos?

"Must haves" should be affordable.

1. Stretch
2. Tenacious
3. Pacific salt
4. Endura
5. Manix
 
These are the absolute top 5 that I think anyone that collects/uses Spyderco MUST OWN.

  • Delica 4 - It's a staple. Gotta have it.
  • Dragonfly - It is the quintessential little big knife.
  • Military - until you have held and used one, you will not understand.
  • Harpy - So you have a Spyderco that was released back in 1987 and is still sold today. It will make you love and/or respect the hawkbill.
  • Sage I - It's just that good. It is about as close to perfect as you can get with a knife.
 
Five is too many to get a meaningful answer.

Para 2
Dragonfly

I will say my Meerkat has allowed me to appreciate an ergonomic little big knife.
 
Southard - Pick of the litter, silky smooth precision made piece of gear. Don't see this one going anywhere.
Manix 2 XL - Everyone should have at least one big Brutus folder.
Superleaf - Big, thick leaf shaped blade with a compression lock, perfect!
Leafstorm - Love the Wilkins design, the materials, fit and finish, and while its not the most useful blade I can't convince myself to part with it.
Persistence - Great value knife, light weight, easy to sharpen, and the Limited Edition with blue G10 looks handsome. My beater blade and the one that sees the most use.
 
In no particular order:

1. Gayle Bradley - An unassuming-looking knife you have to hold it to understand. My personal favorite.

2. Delica - EDC knives don't get much better or high-value.

3. Millie - Perfect in its simplicity

4. Yojimbo 2 - To get a taste of the funkier side of Spyderco. Their "ethnic" line has produced some fun blades.

5. Harpy - Despite its aggressive shape, it's great for everyday tasks and is an excellent vehicle for the famous SpyderEdge. Carried one for years.
 
Since I've only owned a Delica 4 and now own a Caly I can't speak with authority to the topic of this thread.

But my Top 5 most wanted are:

1. Dragonfly 2
2. Sage 2
3. PM2
4. Stretch ZDP
5. Massad Ayoob
 
Of the ones I've owned:

Military - Just an absolutely classic big light folder design.
Police - An all time classic lockback Spyderco
Paramilitary (or PM2) - Probably my favorite compression lock knife
Dodo - Love the ball-bearing lock implementation and despite the funky appearance it's a great useable knife
Waved Endura - the best implementation of Emerson's wave I've experienced. Wish Spyderco would do some more waved knives and the Endura is a classic design in and of itself.

Some of these are kind of redundant (Police, Military, PM2 could all be pressed into the same roles) but they all feature different locks and are from different eras of Spyderco design and have stellar reputations and history in their own ways. I've owned lots more Spydercos (and lusted after even more) but these all speak to me as being representative of Spyderco's design, history, and innovation.

Interesting to see so many Southards making people's lists...is it because it's the "new hotness" or is it because it's really an amazing knife?
 
Burke said:
Interesting to see so many Southards making people's lists...is it because it's the "new hotness" or is it because it's really an amazing knife?
Click to expand...

Not sure why it is making so many people's list either. I can say why I left it off mine. I love the Southard, more than most on my list, but do not feel that it embodies the Spyderco "it" factor like a classic Military. It is too new, but maybe in a few years, it could have that status. Also, it is an outlier in price amongst all Spyderco's and I wouldn't call it a must own partly because of that. I was kind of thinking what knives I would recommend to someone to buy to get a taste of Spyderco, and the Southard would not be there. A Delica would possibly be the number one for a new to knives type of person, and a PM2 or Sage 2 for someone who has a few decent knives but is looking to get something a little nicer.
 
If my wife said I had to sell all my Spyderco knives except 5...

Ti Fluted Millie
CF M390 Millie
CF S90V Millie
CF S90V Paramilitary 2
G-10 D2 Millie

(heck... probably keep the knives and get a divorce)
 
Pharmagator said:
If my wife said I had to sell all my Spyderco knives except 5...

Ti Fluted Millie
CF M390 Millie
CF S90V Millie
CF S90V Paramilitary 2
G-10 D2 Millie

(heck... probably keep the knives and get a divorce)
Click to expand...

My wife smiles and shakes her head...
 
This was my list from 10 months ago:

1) Damascus Caly ~ C113CFPD--- Very recent acquisition, but quickly to the top of my list
2) Salt I ~ C88YL --- My most used blade, easy to sharpen, great in the worst environments
3) Caly 3 ZDP ~ C113CF --- Was at the top until the Damascus Caly
4) Ti or G10 UKPK ~ C94Ti/C94GFG--- My go to knife when I’ll be around NKP
5) Lava ~ C110 --- Love the unique shape. Want one in carbon or G10

I'd put the Southard above all of these, and rather than drop the Lava, I'd remove one of the Calys. No need to duplicate...
 
Well, I've got 4 now...
1. Dragonfly 2 Salt
2. Paramilitary 2
3. Pacific Salt (serrated)
4. Manix 2 lightweight

I consider the first three "must own" knives. The manix is a nice knife but I could live without it. So I'm still working on my list of five, but I'm pretty content with my top ree and not feeling any hunger for now. Thank God! :-). If I add a fifth down the road it will probably be the Gayle Bradley.
 
Easy!

In order from favorite to least favorite:

1.Manix 2 (Spyderco's best folder IMO)
2.Citadel (Best Spyderco auto and possibly best side opening auto period, but discontinued (for whatever stupid reason and they kept the Embassy instead), luckily I am a proud owner of that that bad ass (large version) Citadel!...but seriously..why the hell did they keep the Embassy over the Citadel?...big mistake)
3.para 2 (...)
4.Techno (Best Spyderco's "Little big knife")
5.Delica (Spyerco's flagship knife..it's just one of those Spydies you have to own... even if you don't like it's damn frn handles..seriously..can we have G10 instead?, but that's just my opinion..some people love the frn handles..I don't know why, but they do, even though G10 is where its at...IMO of course)

I'm going to add a sixth one that's not a "must own" but is one that I really dig..The Southerd..awesome flipper and not to mention it's Spydercos first flipper none the less. But I know it's a sixth one so you can replace it with any of the aforementioned 5 "must own", except the Manix 2, that is IMO Spyderco's best folder ever made. I don't know why people are so obsessed with the para 2 and not the Manix 2. But to each their own I suppose.
 
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