Which folder for EDC?

Discuss Spyderco's products and history.
JeffD
Member
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
Location: North Carolina USA

Which folder for EDC?

#1

Post by JeffD »

I'm planning to purchase a new Spyderco for EDC sometime in the near future. I'm not hard on my knives, but I want something tough and dependable. I'm thinking either the new Delica 4 FRN or the Native C41BK. Overall, which knife is tougher, more dependable, etc? I know this is probably a tough question, since they both look nice and utilitarian. I have an older PE Delica with an ATS-55 blade and it's quite nice. Don't know if I should get another Delica or go Native???
User avatar
Irish Lager
Member
Posts: 1532
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2005 1:00 pm
Location: MI, United States

#2

Post by Irish Lager »

The Delica a Native are among Spydercos top knives. As to which one is more dependable is hard to say. The Delica 4 has had from what i can see all known kinks worked out of it. It has SS liners and the 4 way adjustable clip. Not to mention the new grip patern on the FRN scales and a more sturdy tip. It is still made from VG-10 which is among the best of production steels today in both its performance and ability to take and hold an edge. For its price it may very well be the best built knife in its class.

The Native has FRN Scales on a very ergonomic handle, and its blade is CPMS30V which has great edge retention and is extremely durable. It is however typically harder to sharpen than VG-10. But if you have a Wall Mart in the area you can most likely get a PE one for $40.

Overall,
Both are a great choice and i dont believe there is a definate anwser as to which is better. What ever you decide to go w/ will certainly serve you well. Hope this helps some.
J
Say what you mean, Mean what you say! :spyder:

Avatar provided by Dialex
User avatar
4077th
Member
Posts: 395
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
Location: Seki City, Virginia, USA Earth

#3

Post by 4077th »

Don't overlook the D'Allara drop point model. I've been carrying mine lately and it becomes more impressive every day. Brute strength mixed with hungry cutting power. I wish it was FULLY serrated instead of combo but the plainedge portion has come in handy at times. And don't let the ball lock scare you. This'un can be unlocked with gloves on. A serious step up from the Dodo lock.

I must admit. I'm looking for weaknesses in this knife. Maybe I'm even a little hard on it from time to time. Okay, so I've ABUSED it a time or three (each day for the past three months). So far it outshines any other hard-use folder I've ever carried, including my darling C36 Militaries and my Chinook II. Outshines them by a country mile as a matter of fact. (Don't tell James Keating). :p

This folder may not be for you, but do yourself a favor and give it a serious look. The only thing it lacks is a decent choil and a splinter-picking tip. But that's okay, I punish it daily for these shortcomings. :D

I plan to post a detailed "torture test" review in a few more months. May even make it a year long project.
User avatar
4077th
Member
Posts: 395
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
Location: Seki City, Virginia, USA Earth

#4

Post by 4077th »

I suppose I should add: I've only been carrying the D'Allara DP at work. Days off it's been the Ayoob and the Jess Horn LWT.
User avatar
smcfalls13
Member
Posts: 7218
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 12:09 pm
Location: Reisterstown, MD, USA, Earth

#5

Post by smcfalls13 »

I'd recommend a new Delica 4. You say you already have an older Delica, so you'll already be familiar with the model, and the upgrades in it are significantly better, while maintaining the same feel.

You'll think you have the same knife, but you'll really have a better knife.
:spyder: Scott :spyder:

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."
-Sir Winston Churchill-
Axlis
Member
Posts: 3315
Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2005 6:28 am
Location: Georgia, U.S.A.

#6

Post by Axlis »

I don't have the Delica 4, so I can't help your there. But I can however strongly recommend the Native. S30v steel is just awesome, and the ergos are top notch. The $40 price tag at Walmart makes for an unbeatable deal too. Good luck in your decision, I can't wait to hear what you get :)
Tbirdjoe
Member
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
Location: Dannemora, NY USA

#7

Post by Tbirdjoe »

My vote is on the D4. I have both it and the Native and love using them as EDC's. If you like your old Delica the new D4 will really blow your mind! It's like a new more "manly" Delica. I stopped carrying my old one because I found it too "girly" :o and replaced it with the Native. Now I carry the D4!Well that's my two cents...Really you cant go wrong with either one! :)
"What you do does not matter...What matters is doing it or not"
User avatar
raven
Member
Posts: 1947
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2005 10:03 pm
Location: South Carolina

#8

Post by raven »

Hey JeffD, All mentioned above are very good choices. I don't have any experience with the D'Allara yet, but appears to be an awsome knife from every review I've read on it. With that being said I'll have to vote on the Delica 4 . It is a Great Knife. The improvements made are awsome. This knife is very strudy, solid lock-up, crazy sharp (VG-10), nested SS liners, 4 way position (Tip-Up/Tip-Down, Right Hand/Left Hand) and the all torx construction make it much more maintenance friendly. Like Our Brother Irish Lager stated, the Wal-Mart Native is also a Steal. It boils down to a Matter of Preference. If you have a chance and availability at your local knife shop handle them, and pick what is comfortable for you. What we pick, isn't necessarily what you would pick. These are merely our opinions, and more often then not, we all happen to love the same knives and share the same opinions of them. With all the choices mentioned you can't go wrong. Take Care and Happy Hunting.

God Bless :)


-raven-
ISAIAH 40:31 But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; They will mount up on wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

No-one can choose your mountain or tell you when to climb... It's yours alone to challenge at your own pace and time.
User avatar
Slvgx
Member
Posts: 1289
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 3:49 am
Location: Chicago

#9

Post by Slvgx »

I don't own a new D4, but the Native is great. Either way they're both good. The new Delica is 4-way carry and screw constructed, so it may have the edge there.
ASA NISI MASA
User avatar
DAYWALKER
Member
Posts: 6954
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
Location: Hawaii USA

#10

Post by DAYWALKER »

Aloha and welcome JeffD,

Odd as this may sound, I say try the Native. Only reason I say this is because you mentioned having a Delica, so try something in the flavor of a wider blade, humpless, and a front choil. ;) (Hey UK KEN, don;t pat me on the back TOO hard...I already got some bruised ribs! :D )

However, either the Native or Delica, you cannot go wrong.

God bless and enjoy your stay! :cool:
Proverbs 16:3...Commit YOUR works to the LORD, and YOUR plans WILL succeed!

"Where's the best little big knife not designed by Sal or Eric?" ~ thombrogan, WSM

Avatar by my KnifeBrother, DiAlex...C102 Adventura designer, 2005 Spyderco Forum Knife! ;)
spydutch
Member
Posts: 6277
Joined: Sun May 22, 2005 2:57 am
Location: Assen (Drenthe) the Netherlands

#11

Post by spydutch »

I would go with 4077 and try the D'Allara DP. I too wish it was fully serrated, but the serrated part comes rather close for my liking. Great handful of a knife. Very sturdy and adjustable.

Don't know about the Delica 4 for I haven't got one yet.

The Native is a good choice too.
Arend(old school Spydie lover)

MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORDER OF THE SPYDEREDGE!!!

VERY PROUD OWNER OF A CALY III/SE #043 :D

....AND A FG(PARA) MILITARY/SE IN CPMD2(thanx Sal):cool:

...I would love to have one in full SpyderEdge:p
spygent
Member
Posts: 37
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2006 4:12 pm
Location: Zagreb, Croatia

#12

Post by spygent »

My new Delica 4 SS is slim and tough - simply brilliant :spyder: ! Disappears it the pocket.

P.S. Just discovered - you can see edge of a PB washer through the screw holes! :cool:
JeffD
Member
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
Location: North Carolina USA

#13

Post by JeffD »

Thanks for all the replies folks! I'll spend more time looking at the 3 models mentioned and make a decision. I won't rush it. I do believe for the money (and then some) that Spyderco is hard to beat.
deeker
Member
Posts: 743
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2005 2:00 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

#14

Post by deeker »

JeffD,
Take you time looking at them and then you'll buy all three! :D

It's going to happen anyway. Admitting it is the first step toward recovery!
User avatar
Irish Lager
Member
Posts: 1532
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2005 1:00 pm
Location: MI, United States

#15

Post by Irish Lager »

deeker wrote:It's going to happen anyway. Admitting it is the first step toward recovery!
:eek: there's a recovery? why didnt anyone tell me this? sorry to say i think deeker is full of lies (j/k). There is no recovery but admitting to your problem will help you to prioritize (sp?) and spend your money on what maters :spyder: 's.
J
Say what you mean, Mean what you say! :spyder:

Avatar provided by Dialex
User avatar
Gibsoniam
Member
Posts: 527
Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2004 12:00 pm
Location: The Lone Star State

#16

Post by Gibsoniam »

Well, I just got my Delica 4 today, and I've been carrying a Native, so here's my $.02 for you:

The handle of the Delica 4 is the same gripping length as the handle+choil of the Native. Both knives weigh about the same. Both edges are about the same length, however the Native has more of an upswept curve in its edge. Both knives carry about as deep in the pocket. The biggest differences I think are thickness (the Native is marginally thicker), size of the clip (the Native has a much wider nad more noticeable clip), the spyderhole is a tad larger on the Delica 4, and the Delica 4 offers left/right/tip-up/tip-down, whereas the Native only offiers left/right tip-up. Also, the Native is made in Golden, CO of S30V and the Delica is Seki City VG-10. I find both steels to be good.

I think you would like either knife. Personally, I think I prefer the Native, but I'll let the Delica ride in my pocket before I make any final judgements. It is an improvement over the Delica III.

That's all!
Mike :cool:

<><
1 Peter 3:15


"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity;
an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
Winston Churchill


EDC
Spyderco Meerkat Sprint
HDS Systems EDC Executive 140W
Fisher Space Pen
User avatar
uhiforgot
Member
Posts: 1295
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2005 11:48 pm
Location: The Litigation State, USA, Earth

Two formidable knives...

#17

Post by uhiforgot »

Delica vs. Native

Well, I have owned and used both a great long while. Unfortunately, my Delica is at the bottom of the Colorado river somewhere between Bullhead City and Needles. :mad:

In any case, you are used to an ATS-55 Delica, so either one you choose is going to be a step up so far as blade steel goes.

The more recent Delicas (D3 in FRN, and all D4's) use VG-10 which is one of the real nice Japanese steels available at the moment (along with ATS-34 and the highly coveted but extremely elusive ZDP-189), and takes a VERY nice edge relatively easily, and seems to hold that edge quite well. The Delica itself has been a :spyder: staple since day-one. It has always been reasonably priced, high quality, ergonomically sound, and the perfect size to get big jobs done without causing a stir among the squeamish. Delica was my first :spyder: and I have been a believer ever since.

The Native is one of the latest additions to my army of :spyder: work knives. Very comfortable to hold and use, opens extremely naturally and easily (many think that the round hole not being entirely exposed when folded will impede this, but such speculation is based on simply seeing pictures). The blade steel on the C41 is CPM-S30V, which is one of the most highly praised (and most KICK-***) American steels currently available. It's a bit more time-intensive to sharpen, but well worth it once you have a razor edge on it cause you know it's gonna hold there for a while (the Native III, C78, is a Japanese VG-10). I've found that the shape of the overall knife actually helps offer a bit more control over cutting force and accuracy.

This is not absolute gospel, though. You know by now how a Delica will handle. You have only yet to handle a Native and decide from there what is best for you because it's YOU carrying this, not me. Your preference rules. I'm not going to tell you to wear briefs if you're a boxer guy... your preference is THAT important.

-Jeff

A very wise man once told me "Eat to live; don't live to eat." ...To my knowledge that's the only stupid thing he's ever said.
JeffD
Member
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
Location: North Carolina USA

#18

Post by JeffD »

Thanks again for all the info folks. I may go for the Delica 4 because of the VG-10 steel and the familiar fit. I've heard it takes a killer edge. I don't really care for knives that are too difficult to maintain. I have a Spyderco Sharpmaker with the course and light stones and it works really well. I'll try to get ahold of a Native before I buy anything though.
User avatar
smcfalls13
Member
Posts: 7218
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 12:09 pm
Location: Reisterstown, MD, USA, Earth

#19

Post by smcfalls13 »

JeffD wrote:I don't really care for knives that are too difficult to maintain.
You can't get much easier than the Delica. Even I can keep it sharp, and I'm the world's worst sharpener ;)
:spyder: Scott :spyder:

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."
-Sir Winston Churchill-
stonyman
Member
Posts: 1425
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2005 6:05 pm

#20

Post by stonyman »

I tell you what, the Native should not be overlooked for WalMart price for s30v blade. This little blade can definitely hang with the big dogs. I am personally just use to having a big folder to count on for edc chores. The native is a good little knife that can do big things. I do not have a Delica, but I am sure it is a great Spyder also. You cannot go wrong either way!
Post Reply