Spyderco Forums

I'm very happy Spyderco has brought back the Fred Perrin FB04. It's one of my favorite lightweight fixed blades. But in the 2013 Product Guide copy, it says "the new version is paired with a redesigned...sheath". What, actually, has been changed or refined besides the sheath? Or am I just mistakenly reading "new version" to mean "updated"?

Guess it depends on what you think constitutes a "new version". Steel and handle materials are the same, but the original Perrin FB04 and FB04BB lacked both the :spyder: engraving and the "trademark protection" hole while the black bladed Sprint version that had them also had a green FRN handle.

As far as the knife goes, the only differences are the addition of the trademark Spyderco Round Hole and the addition of a black ceramic blade coating to make it non-reflective for military applications.

The sheath was redesigned from the ground up (I know, I did it) to provide better retention while still allowing a full grip on the draw. The corners of the index finger choil have also been radiused to allow a smoother draw from the sheath and the addition of a G-Clip instead of a small Tek-Lok means the knife can be carried IWB, not just on the belt.

For military applications, the narrow sheath tucks very nicely behind double mag pouches (for M-4 mags) and can be lashed in place with a short section of 550 cord. This makes a very efficient "layered" carry that leaves both knife and magazines easily accessible.

I hope this helps.

Stay safe,

Mike

I know this is a spyderco site but what are the differences on Fred perrins own version of this knife you can see it on courteuxberthier.com thanks.
I'm considering a yojimbo 2 mike but can't get hold here the blade and handle ergos seem very functional having looked at a few reviews including yours from a shot video.

Michael Janich wrote:As far as the knife goes, the only differences are the addition of the trademark Spyderco Round Hole and the addition of a black ceramic blade coating to make it non-reflective for military applications.

Stay safe,

Mike

Mike, does that mean the coating is different from the two earlier black bladed versions?

Thanks

Bladekeeper wrote:I know this is a spyderco site but what are the differences on Fred perrins own version of this knife you can see it on courteuxberthier.com thanks.
I'm considering a yojimbo 2 mike but can't get hold here the blade and handle ergos seem very functional having looked at a few reviews including yours from a shot video.

Impossible to say, since the site you named does not exist when I copy and paste it into my browser. Spelling error perhaps? I'd guess a Perrin custom Street Bowie would be a different steel, have a full tang, and use a different scale material but that's just a guess.

http://WWW.COUTEAUX-BERTHIER.COM my bad probably no cap locks either some fantastic blades bastinelli under the Fred Perrin section plus Elsa fantino also worth a look.
Some great laguoile and theirs classic styles at reasonable shipping rates too I belive at least for eu prices.

Thanks for the explanation, Mike. You addressed the only minor thing I never liked about the FB04: the edges of the choil, which on my knife are relatively sharp and take away from the comfort of use. Now that the choil has radiused edges, it looks like I may be "forced" to upgrade...

Nice job on the sheath, MIke! Big improvement over the older one, but then again, that was Spyderco's first effort with thermoplastic sheaths.

Waiting for this knife is terrible , one of my top 3 for the year . Regards MG2

Paul, I'm not sure if the current coating differs significantly from the previous black-bladed ones. I was primarily contrasting the new, black-only version with the satin-finished VG-10 blades of the original. Sorry I can't provide any more information on that.

The Perrin knives on http://WWW.COUTEAUX-BERTHIER.COM are Fred's mid-tech blades, which he has produced in France. They are very nicely done (I have several in my personal collection and have been selling some for Fred at my seminars) and a great value for the price. All the sheaths for those are also handmade by Fred and Elsa.

The radiusing of the finger choil is a subtle but important change. To be clear, the radiused edge does not track the entire arc of the finger choil, but is focused primarily on the forward portion of the choil where it meets the ricasso near the heel of the edge. When the knife is withdrawn from the sheath, this area acts as a wedge to spread the two halves of the sheath. If it is too sharp, the knife hangs up and the blade shaves plastic. A slight polish and radius to th edge makes a big difference. This improvement has also been incorporated into the current production of the Street Beat.

Mike, thanks for the kind words on the sheath design. Coming from you that's high praise indeed!!!

Thank you all for your enthusiasm for this design. I am very excited to have it back in the line!

Stay safe,

Mike

Mike,

You hit the important things that a lot of the sheath makers ignore. Lock-up is tight and no rattle, while still having a smooth easy draw. Most don't get the tension/release dynamic. Sheath mouth is chamfered and smoothed, an important "little subtle thing" often ignored. I'd say you pretty much nailed it, and there probably isn't a big need for me to offer a sheath for the new Perrin Street Bowie, but I will just for grins. Good on ya' for getting the choil modifications on both Perrins (we've talked about that before) - makes a big difference.

Does the knife have a full tang?

I am so very excited to see this knife make a comeback.

The fact that the sheath has been considered with the knife as a carry system is a major functional measure that so many other excellent fixed blades lack. It is also impressive that Spyderco has made those subtle adjustments to the finishing process to better aid that function.

Mike Sastre put a bug in my ear a few years ago about the importance of these refinements and they have become as crucial to my fixed knife carry as the sharpness of the blade itself.

Anyone care to post some pictures and/or write up a small review?

HighDesertSpyder wrote:Anyone care to post some pictures and/or write up a small review?

Wouter has some excellent pictures of the black blade Perrin Street Bowie in the Amsterdam Meet 2013 Report thread.
There probably won't be anyone with a review of it until they are actually being delivered to end users.

rodloos wrote:

HighDesertSpyder wrote:Anyone care to post some pictures and/or write up a small review?

Wouter has some excellent pictures of the black blade Perrin Street Bowie in the Amsterdam Meet 2013 Report thread.
There probably won't be anyone with a review of it until they are actually being delivered to end users.

Plus, there were two earlier black bladed versions. One was identical to the new one except for the absence of the trademark protection hole, the other was a Sprint/Exclusive with a green handle. I don't recall if that one had the hole or not. There was also the original plain bladed version. Reviews and photos of all of them should be fairly easy to dig up and the only thing that might not be valid in them would be complaints about the sheath.