A Leftie's Intro & Questions (w/Pic)

[MGK]

Hello to all:
First time posting here so I thought I would just jump in with both feet. I am a 34 year old leftie with an affinity for precision engineering and metal. (You're nodding so I know I've come to the right place.)

I had no idea about Spyderco until I was trying to find a fully left handed folder. Enter my first knife....a Carbon Fiber VG-10 Left Handed Delica. **** of a way to get introduced. Shortly thereafter followed the Temperance, SS Cricket and a SS Delica 4, all for no apparent reason, I don't have that much stuff to cut (You're nodding again). I have found in the SS Cricket the thinnest, most perfect gentlemen's knife and just a great piece to turn over in your hand any time of day. The Temperance is to me the most utilitarian of any knife I have come across. From sashimi to steaks, cardboard to camping it does it all.

The heft of the SS Delica 4 is awesome. The machining is extremely precise and the lock engages with such a satisfying "CLICK" that you just want to do it again. A question for the experts though: Has anyone done something other than engraving to improve grip? I was wondering if checkering is possible on steel or perhaps some sort of knurling? Any thoughts appreciated.

As you can see I also grabbed a few Kershaws. The Ken Onion design worked well for me as a leftie until I found Spyderco making actually left handed ones. (The Cricket was going to go on the keychain until I realized that I want in my pocket all the time.)

A final question to the experts: do you know how often Spyderco will make a left handed production run or did I just get lucky?!

I look forward to your thoughts and picking your brains in the future.

Regards,
-Melik (mgk)

[Axlis]

Howdy MGK, and welcome to the forum! Left handed huh? Don't know many of them round here :rolleyes: :p . Seriously, we've got quite a few southpaws(myself not included) and they can answer those Q's.
The Deacon might can answer your SS engraving question, I think he's had that done before.

BTW- Nice Pics :D

[smcfalls13]

First off, welcome to the forum from another left hander, southpaw, sinister individual, whatever you choose to call us

Great way to start off with Spyderco, a LH CF Delica is a pretty rare find. Not impossible, but not common. There's not a whole lot of lefty only knives produced very often, so I'd say you got pretty lucky :cool: Don't really need them though, Spyderco has several ambi options.

You followed up with even cooler knives. The Temperance is a staple in my household, because it can handle just about anything I throw at it, short of wood chopping(probably could, but I'm not gonna try it). And the Delica 4 is an excellent knife, especially for it's cost. You get a knife that performs like a knife three times it's price. For imprived grip, you could try engraving, as you mentioned, but most of us simply use grip tape slapped to the side of the handles. It's cheap, and half the time it looks like G-10. I'm pretty sure some kind of checkering is possible, but don't know who to point you to.

Stick around, enjoy your stay. :D

[MGK]

Thanks for the welcome and the info! (After going through some past threads I realize now that I may be the last leftie on the planet to find Spyderco!) :)

[smcfalls13]

Thanks for the welcome and the info! (After going through some past threads I realize now that I may be the last leftie on the planet to find Spyderco!) :)

Spyderco tends to attract lefties .

Probably because they're one of the only manufacturers that acknowledge the existence of the left hand, and build designs that allow for lefty friendlyness.

You're not the last, I'm sure there will be more. :cool:

[The Deacon]

Not too many "dedicated" left hand models anymore, but there is talk of a run of LH Kopas. The good news is that the new Delicas and Enduras follow a trend of late to have at least some models offer the full range of carry options. In some ways this is better, because the truth is that the serrations offered on RH models "look better" right handed, but "work better" left handed, and visa-versa. More precisely, either stlye work equally well when cutting thin material, and even some thick material, but "wrong handed" work better when slicing thick food items.

If you like the ss Delica 4, but want more in the way of traction, give serious consideration to the Stretch. Half an inch more blade, but only 1/6" longer in your pocket. Kraton inserts on both sides for traction. Four way mountable clip.

[Tank]

Not too many "dedicated" left hand models anymore, but there is talk of a run of LH Kopas.

I hope the talk becomes reality cuz I want one..

Welcome to the Forum MGK from yet another lefty. You will definatly find lots of lefty options here. The FRN byrds are suposed to be left hand friendly as well.
Talk to ya later.

John

[mikewww]

Hello MGK and welcome ! As you already have a few :spyder: , you have already caught the wallet-depleting Spydie disease. Hope you enjoy your stay here.

Mike

[zenheretic]

Welcome MGK

I know you are not exaggerating when you say you hold an affinity for precision engineering when you say some of your first Spydercos were the Cricket and Temperence. I really appreciate all the engineering in the cricket when looking at the older generations of this design. I'll enclose two older models with the modern version in the middle...the pictures speak for themselves to illustrate the evolution of genius in this design.
The temperence has several fans here...I can't think of another production knife that stepped outside of the traditions of a fixed blade to deliver quality ergos in so many knife holds.
1st pic starting from top we have a tufram, SS and finally FRN model crickets:

same knifes different angle:

and finally an older pic of most of my examples of different crickets. We have starting L to R carbon fiber, tuffram, SS SE, FRN, Santa Fe custom, and SS PE:

[zenheretic]

some Temperence pics:

[zenheretic]

and some last:

[vampyrewolf]

welcome aboard, always good to have another leftie to drive our numbers and requests up.

the LH kopa will be my 2nd spydie ordered from sfo directly... the rest have come from my local shop or other users. But they force us to keep SFO busy for a few days when they release. Wonder if Joyce or Kristi have an advance purchase list for us? You know, pay now and have a wonderful surprise when it shows up at the door. :confused: :rolleyes: :D

[224477]

Welcome MGK,

another lefty in the club :p
You took a really good starter, as Scott already said - VG10 and CF :cool:
Enjoy your stay here!

[smcfalls13]

welcome aboard, always good to have another leftie to drive our numbers and requests up.

Almost enough of us to execute my diabolical plan for a not so hostile takeover... :cool:

[spydutch]

Welcome to the forums MGK :cool:

Enjoy your stay

[MGK]

Thanks guys for a warm welcome.

Deacon pointed something out that I had never thought about. Right handed serrated blades do allow for very better balance when cutting certain things from the opposite side.

Zenheretic thanks for the great pics. I didn't realize how they had improved their design over the years. I like to see a company who takes pride in making the necessary improvements to an already stellar product.

Wow, those are some aggressive serrations on the Temperance SE. That was a much need pic. Thanks.

[zenheretic]

Thanks guys for a warm welcome.

Deacon pointed something out that I had never thought about. Right handed serrated blades do allow for very better balance when cutting certain things from the opposite side.

Zenheretic thanks for the great pics. I didn't realize how they had improved their design over the years. I like to see a company who takes pride in making the necessary improvements to an already stellar product.

Wow, those are some aggressive serrations on the Temperance SE. That was a much need pic. Thanks.

All long running models are continually improved, sadly many improvements are not noticed as easily as the Cricket example provided. Obviously the Delica is on its fourth major improvement, but even within a series many adjustments were likely made without fanfair from Spydie Central.

I will have to take more pics of the serrated Temperence..nothing like a fully serrated fixed blade to really capture attention.

[spygent]

I have found in the SS Cricket the thinnest, most perfect gentlemen's knife and just a great piece to turn over in your hand any time of day.

The heft of the SS Delica 4 is awesome. The machining is extremely precise and the lock engages with such a satisfying "CLICK" that you just want to do it again.

Hi MGK, I'm also new here, 34 y.o., AND lefty!

And with similar taste in knives too. :)

I love my new Delica 4 SS, and I always wanted Cricket SS. Unfortunately it's not lefty-friendly.

Tell me, why the clip on that Delica SS on the picture isn't on the lefty side?

And how do you carry that Cricket SS, which is also right-handed version?

[smcfalls13]

[quote="spygent"]Hi MGK, I'm also new here, 34 y.o., AND lefty!

And with similar taste in knives too. :)

I love my new Delica 4 SS, and I always wanted Cricket SS. Unfortunately it's not lefty-friendly.

Tell me, why the clip on that Delica SS on the picture isn't on the lefty side? ]

Welcome to the forums spygent. Cricket can be carried on the left side, it just won't extract naturally, and you have to learn how to work a framelock backwards As a lefty you'll get used to it though.

[gordonk]

Welcome :D I'm a very strong left when it comes to cutting, but quasi ambidextrous as well (I cut left, shoot rifle/bow left, play pool left, write right but can write left, use my Wave & Inova right, with my oriental heritage, I can use chopsticks right, but not left, equally comfortable left or right with knife & fork at the dinner table). I do prefer lefty where ever possible, but at the same time, I do find other ways to open if I can't buy one that way. I actually find, for instance that a paramilitary's compression lock pretty easy to open/close with my left. I'm not a hard user per se, so the clips don't usually bother me. What I've done, with something the the Centofante III, is it is usually clipped on my right side cargo pant pocket, I deploy right and then switch to left to cut. Yes, I could clip it to my left side, but I already have a Caly Jr, BM 530, and Al Mar SERE 2K there, plus a Delica loose and a BM556 Mini-grip clipped in my left pocket :)

For me, for the most part, I'm one of those that can get by if there isn't a lefty or left adaptable out there

Love my Spydies as well - I have a Delica 4 on order (FRN/PE/VG-10) and just committed to an Endura 4 (yeah - all of you managed to talk me into it :) ) and a ZDP Delica if I can get one. Actually, for this year, so far, those are the only ones on the plate that I've been interested in immediately - funny how that works :p

- gord