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

LOL, you read my mind about the lack of Delica/Endura's! You just have not had the full experience of Spyderco until you have one or the other! I vote for both now that I finally got an Endura to go with my years of owning Delicas.

Surfingringo said:
Interesting so far. I'm seeing more Southards than I expected...and less delica s and enduras.

I want to revise my original question. I want to know the five knives that everybody should own. In other words, "no spyderco collection is complete without _______! I know everyone has their favorite spydercos as do I, but my favorites arent necessarily "must haves". For example, just because I really dig the Dodo doesn't make it a "must own".

Ok, let me shut up and get out of the way before I make it too complicated and suck all the fun out of it! :-). Fug it! List any 5 knives ya like!
Click to expand...
 
para. 2 blue sprint
para. 2 orange sprint
manix 2 blue sprint
manix 2 orange sprint
military sprint with titanium and frame lock!!!!!!!!!!!
dudes i would these knives and day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
CF stretch
CF Gayle Bradley
CF sage 1
CF caly 3
Southard flipper
I do like carbon fiber, my carbon fiber sebenza is probably my favorite knife. Russ
 
1. Spyderco Native 5
2. Spyderco Para-military 2
3. Spyderco Sage 2
4. Spyderco Dragonfly 2 G10
5. Spyderco Delica 4
 
The southard is a tad on the fug side wouldn't you say yet it gets much love from bf, please illuminate me on its virtues.
 
I'm not a HUGE Spyderco fan, so maybe that is why my choices seem to vary pretty significantly from the rest of the posters in this thread, but here are mine:

1. Valloton Sub Hilt -- just a beautiful knife, great blade shape, feels good in the hand, s30v
2. Stretch CF ZDP-189 -- I love ZDP-189, and of all the Spydies that use it, this one is the best -- best slicer you can find
3. Temperance 2 -- one of the best all around small fixed blade knives I have ever handled - wish they would do a "super steel" sprint
4. Lil Temp -- cpm-440v steel, great leaf shaped blade -- and one of the most ergonomically designed handles ever
5. Manix 2 CPM-M4 -- great knife in a great steel

Honorable mention -- the early Titanium Millie with the lockbar insert and smooth Ti handle slabs..........not that fluted stuff.
 
1. Techno
2. GB
3. Resilience
4. Original Catcherman
5. Techno ( again, cuz I REALLY like it! And I only own 4 Spydies! ) ;)
 
In no particular order

- Paramilitary 2
- Manix 2 (standard G-10 version - it's a beast!)
- Caly 3.5
- Delica or Endura
- Gayle Bradley folder
 
PM2 (as many variations as you can lay your hands on)
Dragonfly (esp. ZDP-189 & G10 versions)
Sage 1
Delica (preferably with ZDP-189, but they're all good)
Endura (great all-rounder)
 
Top five? Only five? Shirley you jest. ;)

Largest to smallest:

- Military: IMHO, THE best liner lock design
- Endura and/or Delica, any generation, edge type: one of the best knife designs ever to come off a drawing board.
- Superleaf: compression lock, 4mm thick blade. 'Nough said.
- Native: best ergonomics (for me anyway)
- Grasshopper, preferably H1

But, what I like about Spyderco the most is all the innovation we see every year. In my stable right now:

- Navaja: I had the Military, and liked it, but I like the Navaja more. (Had one, sold it out of necessity, and just got another one.)
- Endura 1 serrated: gotta have the first generation Endura in there
- Delica 4: just because
- Gayle Bradley: carbon fiber, amazing steel
- Assist: ergonomics, utility (pry-tip, whistle, glass breaker, serrated edge)
- Manix II: ergonomics, hard use, cool lock
- Spyderfly: if you like Bali's, flip one and you'll be hooked.
- Tenacious: great example of what an outfit like Spyderco can do with an "economy" line.
- Meerkat: just plain fun to show off
- Grasshopper H1 Salt: cute and useful
- Bug: cuter and useful-er (so says a friend's daughter)
- Ladybug: so your wife will think it's the cutest, swipe it for her own, and leave the rest of your Spydercos alone. :D

~Chris
 
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- Paramilitary 1-2 or Military .... ANY 1 is awesome
- Caly 3.5 Super Blue
- Delica or Endura or Stretch in ZDP-189 , the FRN is lightweight and a fantastic steel at a great price..
- Manix-2 FFG or S30v
- Sage 1 ......Deep pocket clip ..
 
Interesting that in 8 pages we have many lists that are so similar, but not exactly the same. Mine is:

Millie
PM2
Manix 2
Delicate/Endura
Gayle Bradley

For me, that covers a few classics, and some "new school" flair.
 
I think any of the Taichung made folders are must-owns. That and a few of the Seki city knives like the Lum Tanto Sprint and the Barong.
 
There are some GREAT suggestions in this thread. If I were to choose only 5 that everyone MUST own I would have to choose some Spydie staples:

Manix 2 (Favorite)
Paramilitary 2 (So perfect)
Military (Love these)
Delica/Endura (Classics that just keep getting better!)
Tenacious (Proves you don't have to spend a lot to get a great blade)

There are many more that I want in my personal list... however, these are my go to's whenever someone wants to get into Spydies.
 
Ok, I'm going to list mine now. I'm not sure i had even held 5 different spyderco knives when I started this thread, but I recently visited the kw store in Louisiana and got to play with EVERYTHING! Here's my list which I reserve the right to change on a daily basis. :)

1. Dragonfly- my first and still one of my favorites!
2. Paramilitary 2- I like to be a contrarian, but everybody was right! This is just a great knife!
3. Military- dont own it yet, but got to handle one last week and I have to have one!
4. Anything from the salt line- amazing steel, amazing knives, amazing value!
5. Caly 3 or 3.5- Some of the most comfortable edc knives I've ever laid hands on!
 
Late to this, but here is my list:

1. Southard
2. Southard
3. Southard
4. Southard
5. Southard*

*NOTE: The ridiculously pretty damascus/cf version of the Caly 3.5 almost made it onto the list but was narrowly edged out of the five position by the Southard.
 
1. Endura--This knife pretty much defines the Spyderco brand, and it is still a great knife after many years in production.
2. Native--Completely unique profile=outstanding ergonomics and utility.
3. Manix 2 XL--All of the things you need in a large-ish knife, nothing you don't.
4. Q--How many skeletonized blades do you see out there?
5. Dodo--strange blade shape and handle that perform way above how a short knife "should."
 
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