Cara 2 Rescue

Discuss Spyderco's byrd knives.
skeeg11
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Cara 2 Rescue

#1

Post by skeeg11 »

In the past I've been getting CO2 refills for my soda maker from Dick's Sporting goods. Since I've recently moved, I've found this 100% all American Mom & Pop small business army surplus store that is roughly the same distance as Dick's and started getting my refills from them. Easy choice for me. They carry a lot of stabby looking knives so I didn't pay too much attention to what they carry. On my last trip I did notice that they did have a Spyderco Warrior in stock but it was missing the sheath. At half a pound it was not my cup of tea. Had it been a Pygmy Warrior, it would have warranted a second glance, tho.

This past Labor day I ran out of CO2 and stopped by for a refill. As I was waiting I spied some Byrd knives. I have a Byrd Hawkbill and it is a great little knife with tremendous bang for the buck. No blade play whatsoever. Still, for what I do as a surf fisherman, I wanted a longer serrated blade. I've been campaigning for a serrated Siren to match my PE version hoping for a response from Sal. Not knowing when or if a serrated Siren would become a reality I decided a closer examination of the Byrd Cara Cara 2 Rescue buried in the display case would be prudent. (prime display real estate in an army surplus store is at a premium. They are also not known for exemplary merchandising skills, either. <g>) $39.98 plus tax. Now I know that the MAP price is $32.20. Still, I had this thing in my hand and there was absolutely no blade play. Even with 4" of leverage. 100% lockup. True, I have only two Byrd back locks to go by, but can Seki back locks say the same? (you may know where I'm going here) Not gonna say it's as silky smooth as my Siren, but when I depress the lock bar, the choil/ricasso freely drops on my forefinger. No shaking necessary. How can they do this at this price point? There's a lot of prejudice and bashing of Chinese knife makers going on, but whichever Chinese plant Sal has partnered with here deserves a heck of a lot of praise in my book.

Now here we are two whole days later and what comes out in the new Reveal? Why none other than a FFG serrated Pac Salt 2 in LC200N. Do I regret paying an elevated price for the Rescue from a local Mom & Pop? Of course not. Still, this goes a ways towards possibly explaining why there has been no response to my Serrated Siren inquiry.

Over a year ago, Sal made mention of a prototype Pac Salt in LC200N that he was carrying around in his pocket for testing. Since then he's pretty much kept things mum with the exception of a hint of a possibility that Eric may discuss a limited use of LC200N with some of their Japanese manufacturers and that was relatively recently. Can Sal keep a secret or what? Well, except for the occasional tease now and again. :)

If there is such a thing, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the serrated FFG LC200N Pac Salt turned out to be the knife of the year. Hope there are no supply issues as I am recommending it to all my surf fishing buddies. Hopefully the lockup on these Seki back locks will be as tight as my Byrds.

BTW, as I was waiting for a salesman to get my Byrd Rescue out of the display case, another salesman was wiping off the sticker residue on an honest to goodness full size C44 Dyad for the customer ahead of me. I tried throwing my wallet at him but he was having none of it. There was also a Worker with green slabs buried in the case.

I love Mom & Pops and don't mind paying a small premium for the hands on experience.
carrot
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Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 1:38 pm

Re: Cara 2 Rescue

#2

Post by carrot »

Great story. I have had similar experiences exploring the dusty cases of a mom & pop. Sadly, where I live, m&p's are getting forced out and replaced with more crappy chains nobody asked for, particularly fast casual dining which is a craze here.

I think that the Cara Cara 2 Rescue is an unjustly underrated knife. The long, tough blade and solid lockup make it a wonderful beater and the hollow grind makes it cut way better than it looks.

The Pacific Salt 2 LC200N is sure to be a hit. I'm not super fond of the color, but RIT dye can change that. Can't wait to hear some user experience!
Bemo
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Joined: Sat Jul 27, 2019 6:00 pm
Location: Boise Idaho

Re: Cara 2 Rescue

#3

Post by Bemo »

Great story! I'm really impressed with my Hawkbill and Harrier, next will be a Cara Cara. But darned if I didn't pre-order those new Salts in that great LC200N and toxic green.
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sal
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Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 12:00 pm
Location: Golden, Colorado USA

Re: Cara 2 Rescue

#4

Post by sal »

Hi Skeeg,

Thanx for sharing the story.

Regarding serrated Siren, it's not out of the question, we're just watching demand and sales.

On the price of Chinese knives; The Chinese Government has artificially devalued their Yuan (dollar) as part of a long term plan to dominate the Globe. Spyderco operates on relatively fixed margins, so the cost is low for the ELU (End Line User). We could probably charge more and make more profit, but the plan and purpose for the byrd line was affordable. I do believe that the Chinese Government will be forced to raise the value of their currency in the future, as it should be.

sal
skeeg11
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Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2020 11:45 pm

Re: Cara 2 Rescue

#5

Post by skeeg11 »

Thanx for the update. Looking forward to the Byrd serrated wharnies, too.
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