Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

Discuss Spyderco's products and history.
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Pete1977
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#21

Post by Pete1977 »

JD- In the last week I have seen a Persistence or Tenacious (just saw the clip) in the pocket of a natural resource officer, an old black bladed Assist on a work boat during a movie shoot detail and a black bladed Endura on a harbor patrol officer.
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#22

Post by JD Spydo »

Pete1977 wrote:
Tue Aug 03, 2021 11:09 am
JD- In the last week I have seen a Persistence or Tenacious (just saw the clip) in the pocket of a natural resource officer, an old black bladed Assist on a work boat during a movie shoot detail and a black bladed Endura on a harbor patrol officer.
Well Pete1977 I can't tell you how great it is to see you back posting again. And as far as the C-44 Dyad goes>> we've just got to start seriously lobbying for a possible SALT DYAD. And I would want a full sized model too. I can certainly see how the big Dyad C-44 would be a splendid tool for those in the fishing industry.

The C-44 Dyad is truly a hard working man's dream folder IMO.. I still get mine out and use it about once a month or so.

I wanted this thread to reveal the best "Working Mans Knives" and for sure you have brought one model for many to consider. I also want to see Spyderco get back to the drawing board and do another double bladed folder ( SE & PE). It is great to have two premium blades in one knife.
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#23

Post by JD Spydo »

Rab wrote:
Mon Aug 02, 2021 11:19 am
Salt 2 H1 SE wharncliffe- i have my own brewery. Gets used for opening malt sacks, cutting rubber tubing and breaking down cardboard and packaging. Works a treat at all those tasks.
We have a lot of "micro-breweries" here in the Kansas City, Missouri area and I've been to a few of them. I can see how there is a lot of different types of work that must be done in that type of work environment. That is another workplace where a C-44 Dyad would come in extremely handy IMO.

And I can also see how any of Spyderco's Wharncliffe knives would do well in that type of workplace. If nothing else I bet it's handy to have a good blade to open all of those sacks of grain that a guy has to constantly open just to keep things moving and to keep all those beverages constantly being made. I would love to come a work a day for you just to see what all has to be done in that environment. And believe me I would have at least 3 Spyderco folders with me at all times.
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#24

Post by R100 »

Great thread JD. Work uses give me endless rationalisations for new Spydercos :thinking .

I am a botanist who has worked for a major scientific institution for over 20 years and spend 2-3 months every year doing fieldwork in very remote areas. I use a knife for collecting plant specimens, preparing food, basic bushcraft and as a potential survival tool. Models I find excellent include: Endura, Pacific Salt, Military, Gayle Bradley 1 and 2. Models I find good but with some compromises include: Manix 2, Li'l Temperance 3, PM2 standard and wharncliffe, Pattada and Native Chief. Key criteria for me are that a knife slices well without being fragile, has sufficient cutting edge, can be sharpened in the field and carries well. I love tool steels but usually go stainless in hot or humid weather.

I finally took a few photos this year of knives in use:
Image
Li'l Temperance 3 with specimens it collected.



Image
This is taking a bark sample with a PM2 wharncliffe.

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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#25

Post by Rab »

cabfrank wrote:
Mon Aug 02, 2021 1:36 pm
Off topic, but it would be great to hear more about your brewery.
Its a fairly traditional style brew kit, but I have 2 of them.
One big hot liquid tank, 2x mash tuns and 2x coppers with open fermentors.

I mostly brew cask ales in traditional and modern styles. A couple of our best sellers are an Oatmeal Stout and a farmhouse Saison. My favourite though is probably our sixty shilling. Cheers 🍻
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#26

Post by JD Spydo »

R100 wrote:
Tue Aug 03, 2021 8:20 pm
Great thread JD. Work uses give me endless rationalisations for new Spydercos :thinking .

I am a botanist who has worked for a major scientific institution for over 20 years and spend 2-3 months every year doing fieldwork in very remote areas. I use a knife for collecting plant specimens, preparing food, basic bushcraft and as a potential survival tool. Models I find excellent include: Endura, Pacific Salt, Military, Gayle Bradley 1 and 2. Models I find good but with some compromises include: Manix 2, Li'l Temperance 3, PM2 standard and wharncliffe, Pattada and Native Chief. Key criteria for me are that a knife slices well without being fragile, has sufficient cutting edge, can be sharpened in the field and carries well. I love tool steels but usually go stainless in hot or humid weather.

Dan
This post has made my day!! With my discovery of serrated Spyderco Hawkbill blades being great tools for the garden and for landscaping jobs this post has reinforced what I've tried to communicate to several people who are into those types of hobbies and studies.

I do encourage you to check out Spyderco's serrated Hawkbill and serrated Reverse S blades. You and your fellow botanists will soon discover the virtues and usefull properties of these fine edged tools.
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#27

Post by cabfrank »

Thanks, Rab. I wish you the best of luck. Where is your facility?
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#28

Post by Pete1977 »

JD Spydo wrote:
Tue Aug 03, 2021 2:58 pm
Pete1977 wrote:
Tue Aug 03, 2021 11:09 am
JD- In the last week I have seen a Persistence or Tenacious (just saw the clip) in the pocket of a natural resource officer, an old black bladed Assist on a work boat during a movie shoot detail and a black bladed Endura on a harbor patrol officer.
Well Pete1977 I can't tell you how great it is to see you back posting again. And as far as the C-44 Dyad goes>> we've just got to start seriously lobbying for a possible SALT DYAD. And I would want a full sized model too. I can certainly see how the big Dyad C-44 would be a splendid tool for those in the fishing industry.

The C-44 Dyad is truly a hard working man's dream folder IMO.. I still get mine out and use it about once a month or so.

I wanted this thread to reveal the best "Working Mans Knives" and for sure you have brought one model for many to consider. I also want to see Spyderco get back to the drawing board and do another double bladed folder ( SE & PE). It is great to have two premium blades in one knife.
Thanks JD- it is good to be back posting but i am trying to limit my time here so I dont start buying knives i wont use. In the last 6 or so years since I last was here, I have used one knife or a couple until they wore out and then got a new one. It really shows what a folding knife is capable of.
You are right that the large Dyad is an exceptional work knife, it offered two knives for the price of one in a Delica sized package- a plain flat ground blade for slicing and a saber ground serrated blade for heavy duty cutting. I retired mine when the Salt 1 came out partially because i was working in the perfect environment to test out H-1 and the price of the Dyad made finding a replacement if I lost it a virtual impossibility.
Ultimately I came to the conclusion that the steel type didnt really matter to me because i was cutting things that dulled S30V as quickly as 8CR, the 8CR or H1 was easier to resharpen in the field without specialized stones or equipment and the price point was more working-man friendly.
In my new line of work I am in an office half of my day and in a cruiser or patrol boat the rest so a heavy duty work knife is not a necessity. I have gotten by with a Byrd Rescue and Buck Bantam for the last decade. I ultimately retired the rescue when the clip broke and the serrations were all but sharpened away.
I still carry a SE yellow Atlantic Salt that a member here gave me but it is primarily as an emergency or rescue knife and the little buck does most of the cutting chores. I have just started carrying a PE SS Police again which I just picked up but primarily as a backup weapon.
Most of the Spyderco’s I see are Rescues, Enduras, an Atlantic Salt, the Assist (which was the first one I had ever seen in person) and the Tenacious or Persistence carried by the Environmental Police Officer. As much as I love Spyderco, the majority of the models are niche knives that are priced out of the realm of affordability for a police officer, firefighter or EMT who risks losing or damaging the knife daily and probably doesn’t make enough for a $100+ knife unless they are knife enthusiasts. Most i see are plain edge or at most half serrated as a full serrated knife tends to be intimidating to guys who most likely just buy a new knife when it dulls or know someone like me who will sharpen it for them.
While I would love to try out a high end Spyderco and get back into doing long term reviews I cant afford them nor do I work in a hard use environment anymore.
All of that being said- i have given non-knife people Spyderco knives in the past and both they and I still swear by them.
I have not found a more efficient and user friendly knife than a Spyderco with its hole, clip and back lock for anyone that needs a knife for their job, regardless of how hard-use their cutting chores may be.
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#29

Post by bjz »

I’ll give this a stab!

Pre-Covid I was an engineer who split his time between a downtown fed office building and the field (construction oversight and inspection, operation of remediation sites and stormwater treatment facilities, levee inspections, habitat improvement planning and construction, wetland/wotus delineation, asbestos surveys and remediation planning, etc). Early early on I mostly had a small Vic or some sort of annoying but very affordable US made kershaw assisted open (I lived in portland). The federal office building dictated sub-3” non-locking folder…I chose the Byrd tern because the price combated the overly curious security guards and the deep carry wire pocket clip kept things discrete. It was my first “spyderco” model and to this day is still one of my favorites! It also frequently served field duty when I forgot to stash away an old kershaw CE for poking/prying/digging in the dirt and cutting back blackberry etc.

Post-Covid I worked construction inspection…most of what I asked of my knives was general edc/lunch tasks and occasionally handing off to a contractor who lost or couldn’t reach their own knife. I upgraded and treated myself to a lil native as well as a harrier 2 frn. Really, any spyderco would have worked! By this point I’d ditched all non-spyderco/Byrd knives except a few toolbox beaters and my kershaw skyline as I prefer the ergos and the opening hole.

This summer I transitioned again and now manage the sanitary treatment plant for two smallish communities. There are only two of us, so that means I do all of the office/planning work as well as any/all of the operations and maintenance work. Boxes are opened/broken down, any manner of tubing is cut/scraped as needed, very basic light electrical work performed, vehicle maintenance, building upkeep etc and lots of grounds keeping. For this job I currently carry a leatherman skeletool and SE tenacious lw. While there is always the correct tool for the task at hand, that tool is often across the grounds in the shop or even just far enough out of reach that either the multi tool or, more often, the tenacious gets used!

This tenacious has absolutely blown me away. I certainly don’t intentionally misuse it, but it’s always being used to cut dirty gritty things and often accidentally grated along concrete, steel and asphalt. In three months of daily use, it’s needed sharpening once, and just yesterday I ever so slightly bent a couple tooth tips. Today, I used it like a saw to cut branches and roots from some equipment that had been allowed to become overgrown for the last 20 years…it was covered in sap, grit and less clean substances when I called it quits for the day yet somehow, after cleaning it up with some soap, it was no worse for the wear then when I put it away yesterday.

In short, it’s been one of the best tools I’ve ever owned/used, and is only $46 usd. In hind sight it would be my #1 pick for ANY “heavy” work situation that isn’t dictated by size/lock restrictions, the need for extreme corrosion resistance, or all day long cutting of tough abrasive material.

Thanks Sal, Eric and crew for making most of my work days that much easier, better and at a value point that most can afford!
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#30

Post by bjz »

I’d like to follow up my last post by stating that most of my field/work use was in and around bodies of water, tanks etc etc where if a knife is set down or dropped, it is likely lost to the ages.

As such, I really appreciate the Byrd and Spyderco value line knives. Many of the designs are as good or better (for me) than the main line spyderco options and offered at prices that most folks working a living wage can tolerate to have to replace every now and again if lost or broken.

Sure, there has been a lot of criticism of the use of 8cr steel in these knives but frankly, it fits the bill perfectly in so many cases and keeps the prices manageable at a time when everything seems to be skyrocketing in price and availability. And as I am learning day by day, it seems to be a great option for SE blades!

Thats all…
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#31

Post by JD Spydo »

I'm still just a bit puzzled that we don't see many Law Enforcement and First Responders replying to this thread. Because in the early going Spyderco really appealed to those sectors of the market.

I would like to hear more from our military brethren as well.

There has just got to be more professions that use Spyderco cutlery than we are aware of.
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#32

Post by aicolainen »

JD Spydo wrote:
Fri Aug 06, 2021 6:58 am
I'm still just a bit puzzled that we don't see many Law Enforcement and First Responders replying to this thread. Because in the early going Spyderco really appealed to those sectors of the market.

I would like to hear more from our military brethren as well.

There has just got to be more professions that use Spyderco cutlery than we are aware of.
I'm not too puzzled. I mean, certainly there is probably quite a few Spyderco's carried by many workers in many professions, but percentage vise, probably not a lot. And of that percentage, only a tiny minority would be interested enough to be a regular on this forum.

Knives are incredibly useful tools, but unless you're a chef or something, they're rarely your main tool, or main focus for the successful execution of your work.
Anecdotally, when I worked in the military as a dog handler, I was good at my work because I focused most of my efforts on my main tool; the dog. They also gave me some good tools to be able to sustain my function, like a Glock 17, a HK 416, state of the art uniforms, tents, backpacks, sleepingbags etc. produced by leading domestic outdoor brands.... but the knife(s) we were issued were generic, affordable, uninspiring run of the mill Mora/Hultafors/Bacho type of knife. Don't remember exactly the brand. I wasn't particularly into knives at time, but had been introduced to Fällkniven through my interest in hunting, and of course Leathermans, so I carried my Fällkniven fixed blade and my Leatherman multi tool instead of my issued knife.
I had never heard of Spyderco at the time (early 2000's) and the only folding knife brands I would recognize to some extent was probably just Gerber, Buck and Victorinox.

It might have worked out differently today. Enlisted personnel are offered and exposed to a lot more sanctioned material through specialized web shops and such, there's also a whole lot more info available and marketing directed toward these occupations. However.. my main gig would still be the dog, and putting in the hours to train and acquire knowledge about new and different ways to improve our capacity would still be where I'd be spending my time, and probably not knife forums.

As a side note: In my corner of the world, Benchmade has much more presence and is much more known and used in the military and SAR communities that I used to be a part of (and still is to some degree).
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#33

Post by Bolster »

During the Iraq War my job put me in contact with a lot of soldiers, and I was of course curious about their knife choices, and would typically ask to see what they were carrying. It seemed to me that Spyderco was more of an officer's brand, while the noncomms preferred thick, prybar-like "scary looking knives" of questionable practicality (to me at least).

But many didn't seem to pay much mind to knives at all. For me, a knife is first-line defense. For a soldier, it's an afterthought. They have so many other tools at their disposal that a knife is rather a formality.

I surmise a hidden purpose in JD's question: to showcase serrated edges for working knives. But for the life of me I can't recall the frequency of seeing serrated vs. plain amongst the military.
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#34

Post by zuludelta »

I've actually been planning on writing a super-detailed post on what works best for me as a warehouse work knife after spending the past 18 months doing extensive real-world use comparisons of several Spyderco models (I'm a forklift operator but spend at least half of my shift off my forklift, manually breaking down stacks of various palletized products). But I might as well just post it here.

Before I list the five models that I've found work best in my context, here are the characteristics that are common to all of them:
  • S30V or better in terms of edge retention: I am perfectly fine with VG-10, BD1N, LC200N, or even 8Cr13MoV for an EDC knife as far as edge retention. For a warehouse work knife, however, I prefer a steel with more wear resistance. I process anywhere between 50 to 120 linear feet of cardboard a day, and anything below properly heat-treated S30V, I find, struggles to maintain a working edge through a typical workweek (in an ideal world, I'd have the time and the energy to touch up the edge on my work knife every day, but I just don't have that luxury).
  • Stainless steel: I cut a lot of damp, wet & frozen cardboard at work, often in subzero temperatures (–18°C & below). Additionally, a lot of adhesive residue builds up on my blade over the course of a shift, and this residue can induce rusting over time. Knives in non-stainless or semi-stainless tool steels can be used in such a context, of course, so long as one performs the bare minimum of rust-preventative maintenance. But a lot of the time, it just isn't convenient for me to do that (a recurring theme in this exercise).
  • Flow-through construction: Cutting as much material as I do, all sorts of debris work their way into my work knife. I've had backlocks fail to engage securely (open or closed) due to this accumulation of cardboard slivers, bits of netting, grit, and strips of packing tape in the nooks and crannies of the knife. This can also happen in folders with flow-through construction, but significantly less so, in my experience. Again, one can clean the knife to mitigate this issue, but in a very busy work environment, sometimes there just isn't any time to realistically do this.
  • Compression Lock: Related to the previous point about flow-through construction, all the knives in my warehouse work knife top 5 list are compression locks. I'm lock-agnostic in my EDC knife use (I frequently carry a backlock like a Delica, Endura, or Native outside of work), but at the warehouse, I just find the compression lock to be a better option for a number of reasons I won't go into here to avoid derailing the thread—discussions about "which lock is best" can sometimes get contentious, and I want to avoid that particular minefield. So let's just say that ergonomics can be very subjective & personal, and that the compression lock is what works best for me in my warehouse duties.
  • PlainEdge, ComboEdge, SpyderEdge—they're all good: I used to prefer PlainEdge or ComboEdge blades over SpyderEdge blades in my work knives primarily because they accumulate less grime and debris over the course of a shift, but in a knife with flow-through construction (see bullet-point no. 3 above), this advantage becomes less relevant. In fact, I find a SpyderEdge blade to be a bit more versatile for warehouse work than a PlainEdge blade in the same steel, as the former is less likely to slide off when cutting heavy-duty pallet straps and synthetic rope (the ComboEdge has this advantage over the PlainEdge as well). On balance however, I find that PlainEdge, ComboEdge, and SpyderEdge all work more-or-less equally well for my purposes, and no one edge configuration vastly outpaces the others.
  • 2.75 inches to 3.75 inches of blade length: The "Goldilocks zone" for me in terms of blade length is 2.75 to 3.75 inches—shorter than that and I find myself not having enough reach for cutting things at a distance (such as when reaching up to cut straps, netting, or plastic wrap on a very tall stack of palletized product). Longer than that, however, and the knife becomes difficult (or even impossible) to use in confined spaces.
Anyway, without further preamble, here are my favourite warehouse work knives:
  • Yojimbo 2 (S30V): A clear-cut number one option for me. Slicey, robust, a perfect fit for my hand, with a number of features that I find very useful in a number of warehouse tasks. I go into a very detailed discussion of the Yojimbo 2's merits as a work knife in this post from early last year.
  • Shaman (S30V, SpyderEdge): with its contoured handle, generous finger choil, and neutral horizontal profile, it's all about ergos for me with this model. The Shaman's blade stock is much, much thicker than I find necessary for a warehouse work knife, but the serrated variant counteracts any performance disadvantages conferred by its blade thickness. The Native 5 is among my favourite EDC knives, so it only makes sense that its bigger, more robust, Compression Lock-sporting brother ranks near the top of my favourite work knife list.
  • Li'l Temperance 3 (S30V): Compact and efficient. A full inch shorter than the Shaman overall, but with only slightly less cutting edge. I love how this model feels in hand. I would use this more at work if it weren't a discontinued model—looking online, it would be exceedingly difficult (and expensive) to replace it if I were to lose it at work.
  • Para Military 2 (S110V): Not quite the ergonomic fit for me the way the Yojimbo 2, Shaman, and Li'l Temperance 3 are, but it comes pretty close. In S110V, the PM2 just cuts and cuts and cuts—its ability to hold a working edge is nothing short of phenomenal.
  • Sage 5 Lightweight (S30V): One of the best values in Spyderco's production folder line-up. The handle is at the very lower limit of how thin I want it to be in a serious work knife, but the slicey blade makes easy work of cardboard and pallet straps, and it is the knife I reach for when I want to go light & discreet at work.
20210807_192007.jpg
To further flesh out the context, here is a list of the other Spyderco models I have used as work folders over the past several years: Delica 4 PE (VG-10), Delica 4 CE (VG-10), Delica 4 Wharncliffe PE (VG-10), Endura 4 PE (VG-10), Endura 4 CE (VG-10), Endura 4 Wharncliffe PE (VG-10), Salt 2 SE (H-1), Tasman Salt 2 SE (H-1), Dragonfly 2 (ZDP-189), Dragonfly 2 Salt Hawkbill (H-1), Dragonfly 2 Salt SE (H-1), Manix 2 PE (S30V), Manix 2 CE (S30V), Para Military 2 PE (S30V), Para 3 PE (S30V), Para 3 SE (S30V), Para 3 Lightweight PE (BD1N), Karahawk (VG-10), Native 5 Lightweight PE (S110V), Native 5 Lightweight PE (S35VN), Native 5 Lightweight PE (S30V), Native 5 Lightweight CE (S35VN), Native 5 Salt PE (LC200N), Li'l Native Mid-backlock PE (S30V), Li'l Native Compression Lock SE (S30V), Chaparral (XHP), Introvert (VG-10), Polestar (BD1), Alcyone (BD1), UKPK (BD1N), UKPK (S110V), Cat (BD1), Yojumbo (S30V), Siren (LC200N), Caribbean Leaf-shaped blade PE (LC200N), RockJumper PE (VG-10), Tenacious Lightweight PE (S35VN), P'kal (S30V), Byrd Knives Crow (BD1), Byrd Knives Hawkbill (8Cr13MoV). All these knives served me well in the warehouse (none of these are bad knives unfit for work use, and I would recommend them to anyone looking for a warehouse knife), but my top five just served me better in one way or another.

I'll also try to address the "first responder" aspect of OP's original post. I am one of the Level 2 OFAs at the warehouse I work. I personally don't consider myself a first responder in a strict sense although in my province, regulations allow for EMA First Responders (Schedule 2 qualified) to cross-qualify as Level 2 OFAs (there is a lot of crossover in our training). What I've found in my experience attending to injuries & medical emergencies in an industrial setting is that having a well-designed folding knife (and knowing how to use one safely) is a very useful thing. I've used everything from the serrated Manbug on my keychain to a Karahawk to a Yojimbo in a medical emergency, for cutting a patient's clothing to cutting open sealed bags of sterile equipment.

Edited for formatting
Last edited by zuludelta on Sat Aug 07, 2021 11:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#35

Post by NCC-2893 »

LE for 18 years. 14 patrol and 4 investigations. PM2 is on my duty gear. Police 4 creeps up on our policy of a 4 inch limit to duty folders, so don’t carry that one as much. The Assist might be the perfect emergency tool though. The blunt tip can be used without consequence to jimmy open apartment entry doors. Window punch and SE rounds out the package nicely. A folding knife as a last ditch weapon is unlikely in most scenarios, so having no sharp tip on the Assist isn’t a crutch. You’re 100 times more likely to need to cut someone safely from a car crash, than to need it as a last ditch weapon to stab an attacker. (Backup snub nose is main last ditch close quarters fighting tool).

However, my days are behind a desk more these days. Chaparral, Sage, and PM3 LW tend to see most pocket time. I carry an Ikuchi when dressed for court. But sometimes…just sometimes, I carry that Police 4 for my pocket sword.
“I get on my bike and I ride off…on the grass.”
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#36

Post by Bolster »

zuludelta wrote:
Sat Aug 07, 2021 8:53 pm
I've actually been planning on writing a super-detailed post ...
A truly righteous post, Zuludelta, thanks!
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#37

Post by Abyss_Fish »

I'm a chef and use my PE Caribbean religiously. Not for food processing of course, but for all my other cutting tasks. I needed a knife that was resistant to corrosion, easy to keep clean, easily one hand closable, and grippy. The Caribbean fits the bill! I've considered trying out an SE sheepsfoot Caribbean though since I often end up having to tear through the walls of uncooperative boxes. I've got a whole post worth of thoughts about the Caribbean, just gotta get more time off...
Lightly insane.

Current spydie collection: Watu, Rhino, UKPK Salt G10 bladeswap, Yojimbo 2 Smooth G10 Cru-Wear, Manix lw “mystic” 20cv, SmallFly 2, Waterway, Ladybug k390, Caribbean
Current favorite steels: sg2/R2, lc200n/Z-FiNit, 3v
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#38

Post by zuludelta »

Bolster wrote:
Sat Aug 07, 2021 10:44 pm
zuludelta wrote:
Sat Aug 07, 2021 8:53 pm
I've actually been planning on writing a super-detailed post ...
A truly righteous post, Zuludelta, thanks!
Thanks! Glad you appreciate it :) (I spend waaaaay too much time thinking about folding knives though to be fair, I do use folding knives a whole lot more than even your typical knife AFI)
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Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#39

Post by JD Spydo »

NCC-2893 wrote:
Sat Aug 07, 2021 9:35 pm
LE for 18 years. 14 patrol and 4 investigations. PM2 is on my duty gear. Police 4 creeps up on our policy of a 4 inch limit to duty folders, so don’t carry that one as much. The Assist might be the perfect emergency tool though. The blunt tip can be used without consequence to jimmy open apartment entry doors. Window punch and SE rounds out the package nicely. A folding knife as a last ditch weapon is unlikely in most scenarios, so having no sharp tip on the Assist isn’t a crutch. You’re 100 times more likely to need to cut someone safely from a car crash, than to need it as a last ditch weapon to stab an attacker. (Backup snub nose is main last ditch close quarters fighting tool).

However, my days are behind a desk more these days. Chaparral, Sage, and PM3 LW tend to see most pocket time. I carry an Ikuchi when dressed for court. But sometimes…just sometimes, I carry that Police 4 for my pocket sword.
Thank you for sharing that with us "NCC-2893". I've been itching to know which Spyderco models that many first responders really like to use on the job. The Police and Firemen that I know that work here in my home town do like serrated blades on the job. The guys that work here locally as first responders that I have gotten to try out Spyderco's full SE models all really liked them. The ASSIST with the carbide window breaker I think would be a superb tool to add to your arsenal of tools for your demanding job. You also might want to check out one of Spyderco's serrated Hawkbill blades for emergency cutting ( like seatbelts for instance) because with pull cutting in emergency situations ( which serrated Hawkbill blades are really good for) can give you a lot of advantages in hurried and stressful situations. Pull cutting can be safer for everyone involved.

I think the reason that the POLICE model in full Spyderedge became such an iconic model for that line of work is that when they released the POLICE model it was the only premium full serrated blade out there at that time designed for that type of work. When you need to go through a seatbelt or any other rough/fibrous material fast you just can't beat the Spyderedge IMO. And I do believe that pull cutting like you can do with Hawkbill blades would give you guys doing Police, Fire and Military work as well as other first responders a great advantage. I'm hoping that Spyderco will eventually look into something like the Spyderhawk model with a rounded/blunt tip similar to what they did on the ASSIST model. Because when you have to work fast "SAFETY" is high on the priority list. Thanks again for sharing that with us.
JD Spydo
Member
Posts: 23532
Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2004 7:53 pm
Location: Blue Springs, Missouri

Re: Spyders For Work: What Specific Uses For Each Model?

#40

Post by JD Spydo »

zuludelta wrote:
Sat Aug 07, 2021 8:53 pm
I've actually been planning on writing a super-detailed post on what works best for me as a warehouse work knife after spending the past 18 months doing extensive real-world use comparisons of several Spyderco models (I'm a forklift operator but spend at least half of my shift off my forklift, manually breaking down stacks of various palletized products). But I might as well just post it here.

[*]PlainEdge, ComboEdge, SpyderEdge—they're all good: I used to prefer PlainEdge or ComboEdge blades over SpyderEdge blades in my work knives primarily because they accumulate less grime and debris over the course of a shift, but in a knife with flow-through construction (see bullet-point no. 3 above), this advantage becomes less relevant. In fact, I find a SpyderEdge blade to be a bit more versatile for warehouse work than a PlainEdge blade in the same steel, as the former is less likely to slide off when cutting heavy-duty pallet straps and synthetic rope (the ComboEdge has this advantage over the PlainEdge as well). On balance however, I find that PlainEdge, ComboEdge, and SpyderEdge all work more-or-less equally well for my purposes, and no one edge configuration vastly outpaces the ot

Edited for formatting
Well "zuludelta" I can't thank you enough for that extremely detailed reply. I do believe you covered about every base a guy could cover with that response. ;)

I truly think that post should be a "sticky" for everyone to read over the next few months. I can't think of a base you didn't cover. I love the fact that you went into detail in such a wide array of jobs you encounter. I'll be reading this one over a few times I can assure you.

I'm not even about to ask you what you use Spyderco knives off the job for :smlling-eyes
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