I just had to do this.

Discuss Spyderco's byrd knives.
Doebringer
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Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2012 3:29 pm

I just had to do this.

#1

Post by Doebringer »

Hello there knife enthusiasts.

My name is Adam Sharp, from California. I have just now registered to these forums because I'd like to let you all know (as most of you probably already know) how impressed I am with the quality of my Byrd knife. It's an old-school CaraCara with a g10 handle. The kind that has a saber grind on it as opposed to the new flat ground blades(i like the older style better anyway).

I had reservations about it, as it wasn't fully a 'spyderco' knife, just their chinese made cheap line. But...

I have literally put this knife through things that a folder should NEVER have to endure. I've dug holes with it. I've cut everything from leather, to paper, to cardboard, to cloth. I've scraped dirt and stuff from concrete blocks with it. I've opened canned goods with it.

One year, I even used it to carve a thanksgiving turkey.

I mean, this knife performs admirably at every day-to-day task I have for it. It's my go-to tool for most every situation.

Most recently, I had an excursion to a junkyard to obtain a timing chain cover for my '96 saturn sl2. We found one, removed all the bolts holding it, and to our chagrin, it was still stuck on there.

We tried everything to pry that puppy off - screwdrivers were too long to be able to get in where we needed them(to where it was stuck) and for almost an hour we worked at it.

Eventually, hands covered in grease, oil, sweat, and a little blood, I reach for my trusty CaraCara.

Even as dirty and greasy as I was, it felt secure and comfortable in my hand.

I buried the tip of it between the chain cover and the engine block, and slowly wiggled it in, and began to pry with it. Laterally, mind you, as in at a 90 degree angle from the alignment of the edge.

I pulled on that puppy and yanked it around and in less than a minute I had that timing-chain-cover removed. Here's a picture for proof, with the knife resting victoriously atop the spoils:

Image

Honestly - this knife is the best ~$40 investment I've ever made. It's still working perfectly like a champ, and it's never been hard at all to sharpen or touch up, and takes a fine edge. Sure it's not made of some super steel alloy, and perhaps some poor chinese man was paid less than an american worker in its assembly, but he was paid, the knife was made, and to me, it's A-Grade.

That's right, I registered on these forums just to tell you all how awesome your knives are.

-Adam
zunedog31
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Posts: 198
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2011 1:00 am
Location: Virginia

#2

Post by zunedog31 »

Sounds like you have a great connection with your knife. Thanks for sharing and welcome to the forums!
Own or have owned: Manix2, Dragonfly G10, Sage 1, Tasman Salt, Delica 4 waved, Kiwi, SS Police, Orange PM2, Pacific Salt, Gayle Bradley, Tenacious, Harpy, Military, Salsa, ZDP-189 Ladybug

Come chat with us on IRC at #Spyderco!
http://www.spyderco.com/forums/showthread.php?
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Jim Malone
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Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2005 5:31 pm
Location: Absurdistan E.U.

#3

Post by Jim Malone »

Cringe!
It's better to be judged by 12 than to be carried by 6
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Pockets
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Posts: 1162
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2012 5:28 pm
Location: Iron Islands

#4

Post by Pockets »

Awesome, and welcome!
I've never been able to make myself use a knife quite that hard.
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defenestrate
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Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
Location: RTP NC area
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#5

Post by defenestrate »

That's very cool. While it may be a warranty-breaker I have been shocked at the ability of some of these models to take abuse.
-
Happy, Happy, Happy! Peel, Peel, Peel!
BigBill5953
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Posts: 393
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2012 11:51 pm
Location: Georgia, USA

#6

Post by BigBill5953 »

Welcome! Wait till you get some Spydies and then you'll be blown away again!
-Billy

Centofante 3|Brown FFG Delica 4|Persistence|Sharpmaker & UF rods|SS Kiwi|Manbug SE|Blue UKPK SE Leaf|Calypso Jr. FRN|Blue Dodo SE|Centofante 3|Grasshopper|Tan Ladybug Salt|Rookie Sprint|

bammann45 wrote:In Los Angeles we have roaming packs of carnivorous tortoises. I am glad we finally have a folder that can punch through their shells.
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goodbloke
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Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 12:26 pm
Location: East England

#7

Post by goodbloke »

cool story and pics,I have the cara cara 2 and love it,wish I had the gen 1 though as it is more meaty.get some spydies you won't regret it. ;)
when your back is against the wall sometimes you have to turn around and fight.
Commendatore
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Posts: 275
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2012 1:39 pm
Location: Austria

#8

Post by Commendatore »

Great work with a great knife!
I got to learn the advantages of Byrd`s first generation almost too late. My CaraCara is FFG but Meadowlark and Robin are HG-a joy to cut with while the flat ground ones are a little thick right behind the edge and at the tip.
G10 and Byrd is a fabulous combination, btw. It seems to smoothen faster than Spyderco peel ply G10.
That said I have to put my Byrds throug **** yet. Garden work and hunting chores simply don`t challenge them ;)
As most G10 Byrds don`t price as high as shipping to Austria I am not concerned about warranty, just about discontinued models and ease of replacement.
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