Shouldn’t love it but do

[wheats]

What is the knife that you shouldn’t love, but do? Not necessarily your favorite or go-to. I’m talking about the one that goes against what you’ve always looked for or had use for, something that at first glance checks off none of the typical boxes, but for whatever reason just works for you? For me, the McBee is the one. Too small, not something I would have ever expected to work. Bought it on a bit of a whim, collectors piece just for the quality and materials but is now for the last month my absolute office edc and find a use for it every day.

[ladybug93]

the only spydercos that fit this description for me are my smaller knives also. the roadie a smaller knife than i want to carry generally, but it's such a great little knife. i really like it. the squarehead lw is a knife i don't really even use as a knife. i carry more as a worry stone kind of a thing for the texture and tactile joy of a well-designed little liner lock knife. both of these are really amazing designs.

[Coastal]

Mine are near the opposite ends of the size spectrum: The Rhino and the Hundred Pacer. Both feature trailing-point blades, and neither is very useful to me. Honorable mention to the Techno 2.

[JRinFL]

Techno 1 and Techno 2. Both have a charm that outweighs their shortcomings.

[JoviAl]

K390 Dragonfly Wharncliffe - it’s a constant vigil to keep it rust free (I’m in the tropics), it’s tiny and it has no belly. My gosh though - it is a fantastic little knife for IWB carry, you can dig splinters out with the tip, tune your chainsaw carb with it, clean out your guide bar rails with the back of the tip, graft fruit trees, cut fruit for the kids and it patinas up beautifully.

[Bolster]

Dialex Junior. Big belly blade that's difficult to use for many tasks, ingot VG10 steel, but an excellent feel in the hand and a shockingly large blade packed into the handle. Disappears into the pocket so very stealthy.

[vivi]

Some days I guess I feel a little silly preferring the Resilience to the Manix XL, Police or Military. All very fine designs. But the more I use it the more I appreciate having the edge come all the eay to the handle.

[CDEP]

For me it's the Big Girls - Po Po 4, Stretch 2 XL, Manix 2XL, Native Chief, Tropen, and the Vallotton Sub-Hilt.

The Native 5 is the perfect knife for my needs, and I can legally carry it here in LA. The PM2 is about as large a blade as I can claim to *need* at home. I have many versions of both, as well as Para 3s, Sage 5s, Yo 2s, and Chaparrals. I love them all. I find the DFly 2 in K390 getting a lot of my everyday use. Smaller knives make more sense for me.

The Chief in XHP from Cutlery Shoppe was the first to break me out on a longer blade. I just have to take it out and show it to a cardboard box and the box falls to pieces. Same with the Police 4 in K390 & the Stretch 2 XL. Complete overkill, but very satisfying to use.

The Manix 2XL gets more love than the LW 2 that I've had for awhile. This is a perfect design for a slicey beast. And the Tropen is just pure insane fun. I pretty much use it when nobody is looking, with a big smile on my face.

The Sub-Hilt probably surprised me the most. No way I can claim to need it, but I love it. She's a chonky gal, but feels so solid in hand - and that blade with the compound hollow grind is ready for anything. Now that I think of it, a couple of decades of carrying a Buck 110 probably has something to do with why I love this one so much - 3.75" blades and a lot of junk in the trunk.

[Wartstein]

What is the knife that you shouldn’t love, but do? Not necessarily your favorite or go-to. I’m talking about the one that goes against what you’ve always looked for or had use for, something that at first glance checks off none of the typical boxes, but for whatever reason just works for you? For me, the McBee is the one. Too small, not something I would have ever expected to work. Bought it on a bit of a whim, collectors piece just for the quality and materials but is now for the last month my absolute office edc and find a use for it every day.

Good question, but for me it is... none.

I guess I am too much of a practical guy for actually loving a Spydie/folder that "checks none (or even too few) of the typical boxes".

I love and (still) own all of my Spydies mostly (though sure not exclusively) for rational reasons and right because they do check most boxes I came to like at this point of my "knife journey".

From the top of my head some of these boxes are: Thinner blade, SE if I can have it, FRN (or Micarta or wood), lighter weight, preferably backlock, not a comp.lock, and for a main EDC (!): Larger size, long blade/edge.

So just somewhat related to your "shouldn´t love but do" question

- Stainless steel Endura:

Cons: It is really heavy, the handle is very slick, and mine is not in SE.
BUT: On the flipside it is (aside from the weight) a dream to carry (very thin, hand slides by the slick handle in pocket extremely easy). And, being an older one, it has a nice hollow ground blade (not the sabre grind of the current versions)

Manix 2 LW

Also not in SE, not a backlock, and pretty short edge for the overall size.
BUT: Amazing REX 45 steel, perfect for what it is and for days when I don´t need a long cutting edge, great ergos, CBBL is almost as good as a backlock (and in some ways better) for me.

Chaparral FRN

Very small, no SE, and a bit "heavy" for the overall size
BUT: Great for whenever one WANTS to carry a small footprint, great lock, "heavy" in a good way as in extremely solid hard use small folder.

One that I don´t actually own:

Shaman

Cons: Heavy, short edge for the overall size and weight, too thick blade, comp.lock
BUT: Still a very nice knife (could handle one once), great handle, just a very cool design. I know that I´ll certainly have a Shaman eventually, but will not carry it a lot or have real use for that particular design.

[RugerNurse]

All this talk of dragonfly’s in K390 is making me want some. I’ve always liked the dragonfly but never tried that steel. The amount I use it day to day it would probably last 10 years before it would need to be sharpened haha.

[aicolainen]

All this talk of dragonfly’s in K390 is making me want some. I’ve always liked the dragonfly but never tried that steel. The amount I use it day to day it would probably last 10 years before it would need to be sharpened haha.

I gave away my first k390 wharnie DF before I got to use it much, but after getting my replacement in April last year, it has hardly left my pocket. For work / day to day EDC it's the best I've ever tried, and can't really imagine how to improve upon it.
Mostly due to the blade shape and form factor, as I'd easily get the same knife in VG-10 if the k390 didn't exist, but k390 is just the icing on the cake.

[JoviAl]

All this talk of dragonfly’s in K390 is making me want some. I’ve always liked the dragonfly but never tried that steel. The amount I use it day to day it would probably last 10 years before it would need to be sharpened haha.

It is a surprisingly excellent little knife. In between it and my SE H1 Dragonfly they’ve pretty much got all the small knife bases covered (although as a Brit the UKPK holds a special place in my heart in the small knife category). The only thing more ferocious a cutter than that SE H1 DF is a chainsaw!

[SaltyCaribbeanDfly]

Dragonfly Salt and Chaparral lw for me…little BIG knives that are perfect for edc, definitely need the k390 wharnie tho as I’ve come to appreciate that blade shape

[yablanowitz]

Farid K2. I'm not a fan of metal handles in general, titanium really doesn't thrill me, and RIL/framelocks annoy me to the point that I actively avoid them. Yet somehow the K2 finds its way into my pocket, and I find myself looking for excuses to use it. Go figure.

[RugerNurse]

All this talk of dragonfly’s in K390 is making me want some. I’ve always liked the dragonfly but never tried that steel. The amount I use it day to day it would probably last 10 years before it would need to be sharpened haha.

The only thing more ferocious a cutter than that SE H1 DF is a chainsaw!

How do serrations do with everyday tasks? I’ve been curious about trying them but haven’t pulled the trigger on one

[cabfrank]

They do very well. You really need to.

[JoviAl]

How do serrations do with everyday tasks? I’ve been curious about trying them but haven’t pulled the trigger on one

They make a bit of a messy cut compared to a plain edge, but they make it with extreme prejudice. I use SE knives for dirty jobs generally, like cutting old rope that’s covered in mud.

[Wartstein]

All this talk of dragonfly’s in K390 is making me want some. I’ve always liked the dragonfly but never tried that steel. The amount I use it day to day it would probably last 10 years before it would need to be sharpened haha.

The only thing more ferocious a cutter than that SE H1 DF is a chainsaw!

How do serrations do with everyday tasks? I’ve been curious about trying them but haven’t pulled the trigger on one

I´ve replied already to your question concerning Stretch XL SE vs Pac Salt H1 SE in the "Serrations" thread.

But generally: For me properly sharpened SE (easy to do with for example a Sharpmaker) SE does better in pretty much any "everyday task" than PE. You really should give it a try!

And if your goal is to experience that "SE is the better PE" thing: Go with not too "aggressive" serrations. My recommendation always is the Endela SE, the Stretch XL SE is also very good and the Caribbean SE must be amazing anyway from what I read (never tried one myself though).

[cabfrank]

Well said, and the Delica Wharncliffe SE, at least the one I have, is great also.

[RugerNurse]

All this talk of dragonfly’s in K390 is making me want some. I’ve always liked the dragonfly but never tried that steel. The amount I use it day to day it would probably last 10 years before it would need to be sharpened haha.

The only thing more ferocious a cutter than that SE H1 DF is a chainsaw!

How do serrations do with everyday tasks? I’ve been curious about trying them but haven’t pulled the trigger on one

I´ve replied already to your question concerning Stretch XL SE vs Pac Salt H1 SE in the "Serrations" thread.

But generally: For me properly sharpened SE (easy to do with for example a Sharpmaker) SE does better in pretty much any "everyday task" than PE. You really should give it a try!

And if your goal is to experience that "SE is the better PE" thing: Go with not too "aggressive" serrations. My recommendation always is the Endela SE, the Stretch XL SE is also very good and the Caribbean SE must be amazing anyway from what I read (never tried one myself though).

I have some points with DLT so the stretch 2 would only be $55 haha. The stretch as an almost 4” blade which is really nice. I’ll grab one and give it a try.