spyderco folding knives

tpg · #1

im on a budget and looking for a good folding knife for 30$ any suggestions?

The Deacon · #2

In Spyderco branded folders, your choices would be pretty much limited to the Persistence or Ambitious, if you want a new knife. The alternatives would be almost any knife of Spyderco's Byrd branded models or keeping your eyes on eBay auctions and the sales sections of forums like BladeForums which have them for a used specimen of a Spyderco model with better steel. Most of them fetch more, even used, but you might get lucky and find a Delica or Native for that.

tpg · #3

are those spyderco tenacious good knifes they have good reviews on amazon.com but i heard the steel blade was junk

The Deacon · #4

There are folks who consider anything less than the latest high end exotic steels junk and there are folks who still consider 440A and AUS-6 to be excellent steels. From what I understand, 8Cr13MoV compares to 440C and AUS-8 in terms of edge holding, etc. So, if you consider those steels junk, then it's junk, otherwise it's not.

tpg · #5

how good does the 8cr13mov hold an edge is it easy to sharpen also is the tenacious a good edc knife

KardinalSyn · #6

Sometimes I have seen Spydies on eBay for very low buy it now prices. These are used but the photos seem okay. Just an idea. Also, there are some sellers with whom you could make a down payment and then Have the knife shipped once the full payment is done.

The Deacon · #7

tpg wrote:how good does the 8cr13mov hold an edge is it easy to sharpen also is the tenacious a good edc knife

As I said earlier, it holds an edge about as well as 440C and AUS-8 and ease of sharpening would be comparable as well. Whether the Tenacious is a good EDC is a matter of both needs and opinion. Personally, I prefer knives with hand-neutral or left handed locks and usable 50/50 choils or at least a guard, so the Tenacious just doesn't suit me, but that doesn't mean it might not suit you. Is a blade over 3" long legal to carry where you live? Are you right handed? Do you like a knife with an "all edge" blade? If you answered yes to all three, then the Tenacious could be a good EDC. If not, then it wouldn't be.

tpg · #8

spyderco tenacious vs the paramilitary 2 what grade of steel is on the paramilitary is it worth the extra money

Blerv · #9

Another understated knife is the Ladybug. I probably cut more with it than any of my other knives.

You can probably find bad reviews for air on Amazon. That doesn't mean we should all stop breathing

. It's a very...cough...diverse crowd and people appreciate Amazon for the number of reviews so they can draw balanced conclusions not cherry pick the peaks and lows. The Tenacious seems to have about a 90% "love" percentage relative to its hate on various forums. Maybe more. That's better than most.

As for 8Cr? It's a great steel. Great in that it holds an edge almost as good as vg10 while being slightly less corrosion resistant (like AUS8). That's the result of high carbon and a reasonable amount of chromium mostly.

It's tough to get an objective review of a tool. Hands are different as are expectations. If you assume the Tenacious shouldn't be $27-30 given its finish and materials the value IMHO is terrific. For me it's a bit bulky and I would prefer to get a Manix2. Most of my budget work knives have been culled out for slightly more pricey work knives though.

Welcome to the forums!

jackknifeh · #10

tpg wrote:im on a budget and looking for a good folding knife for 30$ any suggestions?

There have been comments on the quality of the steel used in Spyderco knives. 8Cr13MoV is a fine steel for everyday carry knives. It won't hold the sharpness as long as most of the other steels used by Spyderco but that doesn't mean it is junk. In fact, IMO it's far from junk. I've carried pocket knives all my life (so far :) ) and none were better than 3Cr13MoV until I decided to spend more money for better quality. Personally, I'd try to add a couple bucks and get a Manbug FRN with VG-10 steel. Better steel, very sturdy knife and not much more money. If you want something larger there are the value and byrd Spyderco models. I'd also like to add that those knives as a whole are better quality than the knives I carried all my life. FYI, those knives were between $8 and $20 and usually bought at Wal Mart or similar stores who have good but not great knives. Only my opinion of course. Spyderco makes quality knives that are all well up to the task they were designed for.

There is a recent thread asking if a Manbug could be used to dress a deer. Several people have said they think it would do the job quite well. I think it is a good recommendation that a 2" blade folder is STRONG enough to handle a job that is normally thought of as needing a larger knife.

Good luck in your search and decision.

tpg · #11

just ordered a spyderco tenacious off of amazon so i will see how it works out if it doesnt i will save up and get a higher end spyderco ive had other knifes like kershaw gerber case etc but the design of the spyderco looks different than any knife ive had in the past i like the ergonomics and the thumbhole is nice thats the only brand that ive seen that has that so im looking forward to putting it to work

vaisforlovers · #12

I think you made a good choice. I don't think you'll regret it. But if for whatever reason you don't like it, you should be able to get most of your money back on it.

Congrats on your first Spyderco!

billy blade · #13

I also believe you made a good choice! You can work your way up from there. You'll be impressed with the bang for buck factor of your purchase. Let us know what you think after you get it!

jackknifeh · #14

Great choic. Great knife. I know you will enjoy.

RedRunner · #15

Agreed - with your price constraint you have gotten an amazing knife that I suspect you will enjoy greatly. There are many Spyderco knives to choose from and you will find each better for certain purposes. As far as steel goes, I believe you always get the most for your money with Spyderco. Spyderco doesn't produce a knife with a low-end steel like you might see in some cheap knives. And when you take that into consideration that you bought your knife for $30, it's pretty amazing. But yes there are exotic steels that are better, but you jump in price to $200+ to obtain some of them and the advantages could be completely undermined if you chip those blades. I'd much rather chip the blade of a $30 knife than a $200 knife. That's the best way to think of it.

araneae · #16

tpg wrote:just ordered a spyderco tenacious off of amazon so i will see how it works out if it doesnt i will save up and get a higher end spyderco ive had other knifes like kershaw gerber case etc but the design of the spyderco looks different than any knife ive had in the past i like the ergonomics and the thumbhole is nice thats the only brand that ive seen that has that so im looking forward to putting it to work

Its a great knife and a decent steel. It will certainly be better than most of the companies you mentioned. Kershaw uses decent steels too on their higher end models, but the 8Cr will be better than most Gerber mystery surgical stainless steel or Case tru-sharp.

Welcome aboard and let us know what you think.

tobii3 · #17

araneae wrote:most Gerber mystery surgical stainless steel

Oh lord, there's a headache and a half right there. Changing the blade steel three times in 28 months...not good for business.

Something else to consider, tpg - how good are you at knife sharpening? Reason I ask this is based on years of being downrange...we called it the "titanium butterknife" theory based on someone's MPK that was, quite literally, duller than a butterknife.

We can discuss blade steels, blade grinds, blade designs, even edge geometry for hours on end....all of which goes out the window once your knife is dull and ends up thrown in a drawer somewhere.

Best bang for the buck is your Tenacious. You're gonna love it!

racer88 · #18

I agree with all the above comments. The Tenacious is a great value.... crazy good value. I've got about 50 Spydercos, including many rather pricey models. And, the quality of the Tenacious is amazing. Good choice and welcome!

kbrouwer · #19

Get the Tenacious I think it's about $33 unless you're looking for something smaller, go with the resistance which is cheaper. If you can't afford three more dollars, there's always Spyderco's Byrd line, check out the Byrd catalog on Spyderco['s website. If you have questions, you can post on the Byrd Knife sub forum, not to say you can just post here but the Byrd subforum has more people who primarily focus their collection on Byrd knives.

Half Sack · #20

tpg wrote:spyderco tenacious vs the paramilitary 2 what grade of steel is on the paramilitary is it worth the extra money

Short answer no.
Long answer, depends on what you'll use it for, etc.
Longest answer the Paramilitary 2 is worth the extra money but not "just" for the steel.

You ordered a Tenacious and I think you'll enjoy it, I bought one as a gift and wanted to keep it. Great knife and since you mentioned sharpening it, your already prepared to maintain the knife and keep it in good working order so you'll be fine.
Tenacious is a great start & all around knife with no serious compromises in any one area. The ladybug like Blerv mentioned is excellent, but you trade size for better steels, Dragonfly increases price but better steels larger size, Delica/Native are great middle grounds into the 'higher' end, Paramilitary 2 is getting pricy but worth it (some may not agree, its opinion not fact), Byrd knives should not be overlooked either.

Make sure you let us know how you find your Tenacious once you get it!

Edit: For your next purchase, if there is one, consider waiting longer and researching your next choice, I'd rather wait 2 months and buy a $60 spydie than settle for a $30. Not that less expensive isn't a good knife but because you should get what you want/need instead of rushing a purchase.