I switched to raven2 for the business/ ranch

Discuss Spyderco's byrd knives.
S-3 ranch
Member
Posts: 385
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2021 5:24 pm
Location: Sisterdale tx

I switched to raven2 for the business/ ranch

#1

Post by S-3 ranch »

I am pulling the trigger on making the raven2 our new S-3 ranch knives, hopefully BD1 will be a little stouter workhorse then the 8cr , I love the cara cara and meadowlark for size and ergonomic, however I felt that it was time for a steel upgrade, and my dealer got the ranch a Discount :) I originally was going with a spyderco UKPK drop tip because the love I have for the stretch
Please chime in on the good, the bad and the ugly of raven2! As the steel snobs on the bladeforums.com aren’t very enthusiastic unless it’s super steel and a working person steel draws some ire’s
YouTube reviews are positive
Last edited by S-3 ranch on Sun May 09, 2021 5:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
“”Think of an edge as a living thing that comes and goes, born, get's old, is reborn.””
SAL :spyder:

“ The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men” :bug-white-red :bug-white-red
Bemo
Member
Posts: 1298
Joined: Sat Jul 27, 2019 6:00 pm
Location: Boise Idaho

Re: I switched to raven2

#2

Post by Bemo »

I think it's a really good knife. I think you'll find it feels very familiar to your Stretch2. However, on my example at least, I can really tell it's not riding on phosphor bronze washers. I'm really curious to hear your thoughts once you've worked it hard.
S-3 ranch
Member
Posts: 385
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2021 5:24 pm
Location: Sisterdale tx

Re: I switched to raven2

#3

Post by S-3 ranch »

Bemo wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 5:47 pm
I think it's a really good knife. I think you'll find it feels very familiar to your Stretch2. However, on my example at least, I can really tell it's not riding on phosphor bronze washers. I'm really curious to hear your thoughts once you've worked it hard.
Well crude, I didn’t research the washers and didn’t know they were a problem :confused: mainly was focusing on the blade material, geometry and ergonomics , and made a mistake once before on our multi tools that had a tungsten carbide insert that would break when cutting wire . Spyderco and buck were basically only companies not using 8cr , and the raven2 has a pocket clip and a lanyard hole ( lanyard is nice with nomex coveralls ) , does the polestar use better washers? Both raven2 and polestar look classy, price and finger chard where the tipping point. I am sure they will be fine ! I know the K390 stretch and K390 delica I ordered for my self without a doubt will
“”Think of an edge as a living thing that comes and goes, born, get's old, is reborn.””
SAL :spyder:

“ The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men” :bug-white-red :bug-white-red
User avatar
sal
Member
Posts: 16964
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 12:00 pm
Location: Golden, Colorado USA

Re: I switched to raven2 for the business/ ranch

#4

Post by sal »

Hi S-3 ranch,

I think it was a good call. But I'm biased. The Raven 2 is, in my opinion, one of my better working designs, especially for ranch work.. And also in my opinion, the maker is one of the better makers in China. Let us know how it works out?

I don't know of any problems with the washers on the model. I'm sure if you have any issues, I'm sure we'll take care of you. As my wife, Gail,says, when you buy a Spyderco, you are investing in a company.

sal
Bemo
Member
Posts: 1298
Joined: Sat Jul 27, 2019 6:00 pm
Location: Boise Idaho

Re: I switched to raven2

#5

Post by Bemo »

S-3 ranch wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 9:20 pm
Well crude, I didn’t research the washers and didn’t know they were a problem :confused: mainly was focusing on the blade material, geometry and ergonomics , and made a mistake once before on our multi tools that had a tungsten carbide insert that would break when cutting wire . Spyderco and buck were basically only companies not using 8cr , and the raven2 has a pocket clip and a lanyard hole ( lanyard is nice with nomex coveralls ) , does the polestar use better washers? Both raven2 and polestar look classy, price and finger chard where the tipping point. I am sure they will be fine ! I know the K390 stretch and K390 delica I ordered for my self without a doubt will
I'm not saying they're a problem. They are certainly serviceable. But they are definitely not as smooth as bronze phosphor. I think you'll enjoy your knife.
Edited to add my experience is a sample size of one.
S-3 ranch
Member
Posts: 385
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2021 5:24 pm
Location: Sisterdale tx

Re: I switched to raven2 for the business/ ranch

#6

Post by S-3 ranch »

Well we took delivery of our raven2 knives first impressions
Very stout, well constructed, easy one hand open and close, opened with a crisp snap
Liner lock crisp , blade true and centered, zero play very tight
Straight out of the box they were pretty darn dull in comparison to my USA made spydercos
So since it was raining, we did a little bit of sharpening, taking them to 17* and found the sweet spot!

You don't need any special stones for bd1n.

It is one of the Hallmarks of the steel, it's incredibly easy to sharpen and has excellent edge stability and is not brittle at 61hrc so it has a unique blend of properties.

I'd recommend a alumina based stones since they polish better.

The idea with a knife is to have a blend of polish and tooth

A medium grit edge seems most ideal so you can get very clean cuts

Look at stones in the 800-1500 range as a stopping place
I strop mine 10 time on green loaded cow leather after cutting some polyester rope and para cord , very interesting razor edge
Last edited by S-3 ranch on Mon May 10, 2021 3:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.
“”Think of an edge as a living thing that comes and goes, born, get's old, is reborn.””
SAL :spyder:

“ The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men” :bug-white-red :bug-white-red
Pokey
Member
Posts: 1209
Joined: Fri May 08, 2020 1:11 pm
Location: Thornton, Colorado

Re: I switched to raven2 for the business/ ranch

#7

Post by Pokey »

I’m carrying my Raven 2 today. (along with that other one)

When I got my Raven 2 I took it apart, cleaned it, and lubed it up with a dab of lithium grease on the plastic washers. I thought of looking for phosphor bronze washers for it, but since I put it back together it’s fine with the OEM washers.
Attachments
5E0CA53E-61B4-402A-BDCF-C05437690D3F.jpeg
S-3 ranch
Member
Posts: 385
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2021 5:24 pm
Location: Sisterdale tx

Re: I switched to raven2 for the business/ ranch

#8

Post by S-3 ranch »

S-3 ranch wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 11:56 pm
Well we took delivery of our raven2 knives first impressions
Very stout, well constructed, easy one hand open and close, opened with a crisp snap
Liner lock crisp , blade true and centered, zero play very tight
Straight out of the box they were pretty darn dull in comparison to my USA made spydercos
So since it was raining, we did a little bit of sharpening, taking them to 17* and found the sweet spot!

You don't need any special stones for bd1n.

It is one of the Hallmarks of the steel, it's incredibly easy to sharpen and has excellent edge stability and is not brittle at 61hrc so it has a unique blend of properties.

I'd recommend a alumina based stones since they polish better.

The idea with a knife is to have a blend of polish and tooth

A medium grit edge seems most ideal so you can get very clean cuts

Look at stones in the 800-1500 range as a stopping place
I strop mine 10 time on green loaded cow leather after cutting some polyester rope and para cord , very interesting razor edge
Wow !
We switched to a new compound formax grey and white , it brought a new level to BD1 and 8cr
Even 440C , I wish I had found this earlier
“”Think of an edge as a living thing that comes and goes, born, get's old, is reborn.””
SAL :spyder:

“ The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men” :bug-white-red :bug-white-red
Post Reply