Got a Tenacious today...

RobC2 · #1

Actually, I received it a few days ago, it was on sale from Howe's and meant to be a gift. I decided that another gift would actually be more suitable for that person, so I added it to my collection.

I have to say, that it is a great knife. For what I paid, it was an absolute steal. I have a Persistence as well and really like the "value" line. The Tenacious is very sharp, well balanced, and just feels great. The materials are high quality as well. All in all a great value and highly recommended.

I have become as fascinated with exotic steels and tough to get sprints as much as the next guy on this forum (I have two carbon fiber Millies in M390 on order), but sometimes it is nice to just sit back and appreciate a good value.

Steffen · #2

it was my first and only spyderco, and its a fantastic knife.
i can't really see how it can be improved upon.

chuck_roxas45 · #3

Steffen wrote:it was my first and only spyderco, and its a fantastic knife.
i can't really see how it can be improved upon.

Make it a para,

MIL-DOT · #4

RobC2 wrote: The materials are high quality as well.....

Steffen wrote:it was my first and only spyderco, and its a fantastic knife.
i can't really see how it can be improved upon.

Though these are widely regarded as pretty decent deals for the money ( I have a Persistence & Ambitious), but as I understand, the blade steel quality is only "fair", and a bit corrosion prone. Also,from what I've been reading, the little screws holding it together are of very poor quality, are very soft, and are very easily stripped. Again, going by what I've read,even foks aware of this and trying hard to go slow and carefully, have still stripped them. Of course, we should own these for years without the need to disassemble them, but I plan to clean with a toothbrush and compressed air, rather than ever taking it apart.

-F1 · #5

I love my Tenacious as well. But I find it easy to find ways to improve it (better lock, better steel, better G-10 like the Manix2, etc.).

I've completely disassembled and reassembled a Tenacious, and removed several scale screws and many clip screws here and there on various Tenacious units, and never stripped one. And I'm prone to overtightening. (I always tell myself "This doesn't hold the world together" before tightening a fastener. Yes, I'm nuts.)

It helps to use L-type hex wrenches, rather than the type that come in one huge set. It also helps to hold the hex wrench with the short part of the "L" on your thumb, rather than using it in the opposite configuration, which would make it extremely easy to overtighten the screw.

Another problem is that many people seem to think the Tenacious uses Torx screws--it does not. Yet another point is that the clip screws call for a 1/16" hex wrench, not a 1.5-mm hex wrench, for whatever bizarre reason. Use a 1.5-mm wrench on the clip screws of a Tenacious and you could strip the female hex fitting.

chuck_roxas45 · #6

-F1 wrote:Another problem is that many people seem to think the Tenacious uses Torx screws--it does not. .

Tenacious(es) can come with hex or torx. Mine come with torx head screws.

-F1 · #7

Have you seen them with hex? I've had four different Tenacious units in hand--all hex. I don't put it past them to mix up the screws used during production, but sometimes it's hard to tell Torx from hex, especially on such tiny screws. I use magnification when doing this kind of thing.

Blerv · #8

MIL-DOT wrote:Though these are widely regarded as pretty decent deals for the money ( I have a Persistence & Ambitious), but as I understand, the blade steel quality is only "fair", and a bit corrosion prone. Also,from what I've been reading, the little screws holding it together are of very poor quality, are very soft, and are very easily stripped. Again, going by what I've read,even foks aware of this and trying hard to go slow and carefully, have still stripped them. Of course, we should own these for years without the need to disassemble them, but I plan to clean with a toothbrush and compressed air, rather than ever taking it apart.

Not really.

8Cr13Mov is by most accounts is somewhere between AUS8 and VG10 for edge holding. Corrosion resistance it's normal compared to many SS blades, extremely resistant compared to traditional "carbon blade" knives, and approximately 100% more rust-prone than H1.

It's a $30 knife that blows away competitors twice the price. It's not a Para2 and doesn't pretend to be.

Edit: also screws strip when the wrong tool is used.

chuck_roxas45 · #9

-F1 wrote:Have you seen them with hex? I've had four different Tenacious units in hand--all hex. I don't put it past them to mix up the screws used during production, but sometimes it's hard to tell Torx from hex, especially on such tiny screws. I use magnification when doing this kind of thing.

Nope, but I've read posts in the forums saying that the manufacturer uses what is available. And yes, I can tell hex from torx.

Azwaiian · #10

Gonna buy three of these bad boys and give them away as Christmas presents. Love em!

Resist · #11

The only down side to the Tenacious line, is the blade doesn't hold an edge very well. I can get mine razor sharp and does well with the paper test. But then it seems to lose that sharpness if I do to many paper tests, odd.

But it's still a good knife for the price point.

-F1 · #12

Resist wrote:I can get mine razor sharp and does well with the paper test. But then it seems to lose that sharpness if I do to many paper tests, odd.

Are you serious? 8Cr13Mov loses its edge on paper? I can almost believe that!

MIL-DOT · #13

Well, I'm happy to hear that the screws are more resillient than I've been hearing, hopefully I won't find the need to test this out.
As to its edge retention, my personal experience is limited, but my brother uses his Tenacious regularly cutting into cardboard boxes at a local music store,and has been for some time. I was playing with it this past weekend, and was surprised when he told me he'd never sharpened it, because its edge wasn't that bad at all, considering.

Blerv · #14

That's pretty impressive. Cardboard is one of the most abrasive things people generally cut.

It's definitely not the best for holding an edge but ain't bad. I don't think the serrations are nearly as good as Amercan or Japanese Spydercos, so my biggest problem if a serrated Tenacious is the pick.

-F1 · #15

I wonder if the names of the "Value Folders" were intentionally chosen in different parts of speech:

Ambitious - adjective
Tenacious - adjective
Persistence - noun
Resilience - noun

Deep thoughts! :)

bartvdb · #16

great :spyder: . (thx for the tip saying to the wife it is a gift and enlarging the own collection :) :) :) me like .)greeeetzzzzzz

chuck_roxas45 · #17

-F1 wrote:I wonder if the names of the "Value Folders" were intentionally chosen in different parts of speech:

Ambitious - adjective
Tenacious - adjective
Persistence - noun
Resilience - noun

Deep thoughts! :)

Nope, as Sal mentioned in a previous thread asking about these names, they just picked what sounded good.

Deal4 · #18

I've been holding off on the Persistence, but it is getting harder and harder.
I would like to know how it compares to the Bryd line in terms of quality.
I'm sure there are many here that have both. What would you get?
This will be my first spyderco.
Thanks!
Shad

BAL · #19

Deal4 wrote:I've been holding off on the Persistence, but it is getting harder and harder.
I would like to know how it compares to the Bryd line in terms of quality.
I'm sure there are many here that have both. What would you get?
This will be my first spyderco.
Thanks!
Shad

Welcome Deal4. You will get different opinionsfrom different people, but I like the Value line and use them quite a bit. The Tenacious is one of the best deals that you can get with the Persistence similar but a bit smaller. The Resilience is simply a beast.

BAL · #20

RobC2 wrote:Actually, I received it a few days ago, it was on sale from Howe's and meant to be a gift. I decided that another gift would actually be more suitable for that person, so I added it to my collection.

I have to say, that it is a great knife. For what I paid, it was an absolute steal. I have a Persistence as well and really like the "value" line. The Tenacious is very sharp, well balanced, and just feels great. The materials are high quality as well. All in all a great value and highly recommended.

I have become as fascinated with exotic steels and tough to get sprints as much as the next guy on this forum (I have two carbon fiber Millies in M390 on order), but sometimes it is nice to just sit back and appreciate a good value.

Welcome RobC2 and congrats on the Tenacious. I carry various Spyderco knives at different times that vary in price and quality. To me the Military and Paramilitary are as good as it gets, but they obviously cost more. I may actually use the Tenacious more than any knife,at least it gets the really rough cutting chores that I don't want to subject a "nicer" knife to and it cuts like a champ. I do have to sharpen it more than others, but it's probably a combination of steel and what I use it to cut.