What's your Spyderco beater knife?

[gaj999]

My most beat on knife surprised me a bit when I thought about it. It's my ZDP-189 Mule. I refused to return it when they were recalled. I've gotten in the habit of expecting it to break anyway, so why not use that one? But to be fair, I don't abuse my knives. They're cutting tools, not crowbars. Probably the hardest use it's seen from a likely to snap viewpoint is batoning firewood into kindling. So far, so good.

Gordon

[Chopping Broccoli]

My most used knife is a Para 1. My most abused knife is my CE Stretch FRN.

[razorsharp]

What ever I carry is a beater. I use all my knives, currently the Southard. Have a strider Zwear sng coming for the real ' fun stiff '

[oldgoat]

had to retire my worker. lets see how this paramilitary holds up.

[JD Spydo]

My most beat on knife surprised me a bit when I thought about it. It's my ZDP-189 Mule. I refused to return it when they were recalled. I've gotten in the habit of expecting it to break anyway, so why not use that one? But to be fair, I don't abuse my knives. They're cutting tools, not crowbars. Probably the hardest use it's seen from a likely to snap viewpoint is batoning firewood into kindling. So far, so good.

Gordon

I can see how that ZDP-189 Mule would be a great knife for a "beater" but I do believe that the XHP Mule will even be a bit more durable. I"m looking for all the XHP models to be excellent beaters the way my XHP Military is holding up.

[bt148]

My Manix 2 with dremeled out liners has taken everything I've thrown at it with ease.

The green Delica was my first Spyderco and it has also seen it's fare share of abuse.

[gaj999]

I can see how that ZDP-189 Mule would be a great knife for a "beater" but I do believe that the XHP Mule will even be a bit more durable. I"m looking for all the XHP models to be excellent beaters the way my XHP Military is holding up.

Actually, they were hardened wrong and ended up being fragile. Folks were breaking them just putting on handles. That's why they were recalled. I threw mine onto the garage floor a few times and then put a handle on it. It's still going strong. I must have gotten an outlier. Lucky, I guess.

Gordon

[gbelleh]

I don't really beat on anything I have, but if I have a hard or messy cutting task, I'll probably use my Byrd Cara Cara or a Tenacious. But my S90V Para 2 has seen some relatively hard use too.

[hollar44]

native 4 and it is very durable and does almost anything..

[Humint]

The most perfect knife in the world...The Spyderco Military plain jane G10 S30V

[BAL]

The most perfect knife in the world...The Spyderco Military plain jane G10 S30V

Welcome Humint and I agree.

[Commendatore]

Maybe an unusual one: UKPK Rescue G10!
It has cut a lot of saplings and branches to get a way or sight when hunting and broken down even more cardboard boxes, handled quite some lateral force and gets used every time the plain edged secondary knife has to stay sharp for precision cutting. As ergonomic as a knife can get (for my hands) and it doesn`t scare anyone when drawn at work.

[The Mastiff]

I have a user FFG gray Endura that is getting sharpened down to a point where I have to thin it out to sharpen it. That's about all the beating my knives take. I have tools for other stuff and use them when needed. If I was going to use one pretty hard it would be the Cruwear mule. That can take it. One would pretty much have to try to break it.

RE: The ZDP mules breaking when grips were put on. Imagine a knife blade in a vice, grip up. On the grip are slabs that need to be filed down. Now imagine some guy being in a hurry as he makes money doing it. Do you think a twisting torque of twenty pounds on the blade from the file is achievable? Now look at some of the values of stainless steels strength numbers put out by the foundry s. I doubt you will find anything on ZDP but I doubt it's greater by much than, say, 440C.

Yep, It's not difficult imagining a very hard blade at rc 67 or so breaking under loads at the thinner stress points.

[lbwheat]

I use a Spyderco worker bought in 1998 for beater. I carry it in my lawn mowing jeans.It really comes in handy when the string trimmer jams up. Although I think of it as a beater, I don't abuse it and I keep it oiled and polished. I keep it in my pocket rather than use the clip because I don't want to loose it the grass.I can't imagine the damage to the mower if it fell in the yard and became caught up in the mower.Wasting an expensive Snapper mower as well as A Spyderco worker in one day would be trauma I'm not ready to endure

[wquiles]

My beater knife is my ZDP-189 DragonFly. It is small, it is very sharp, and I would not get upset if I loose it break it, etc., which is why many times I carry it as my backup/second knife (the Millie CF M390 being the main one). This Dragonfly would be the one I would hand over if anyone needs to borrow a knife.

[nccole]

My "beater" knife would not be a Spyderco. The Tenacious would be a possible candidate, just because it is cheap. If I ever damaged it beyond use, I wouldn't replace it probably. My hard use knife would be my Sage 3. It is a great one-handed opening and closing knife even with gloves. Very fast, and thoughtless to use when in the middle of work. I also have absolute confidence in the lock. The only problem I have had with the lock is once it got stuck locked open, and required a light tap on the spine to release it, but I wouldn't worry about it closing on me. If and when I pick up a Manix, I am sure it would also fill this role.

[gaj999]

My "beater" knife would not be a Spyderco.

True for me as well, I have two cheap fixed blades that I use for digging in the yard. A $10 Mora and a Hori knife. But that wasn't the question.

Gordon

[ChapmanPreferred]

My most recent "beater" addition to the family is this little Dragonfly Lightweight in VG10. It is shown with a ZDP 189 brother who also sees a fair amount of use!

[Brisket]

Delica Sabre Grind ZDP-189 CE - I got this one in a trade and came with a rounded tip and half the serrations worn down. I have 2 other Delica ZDP's, both FFG, so this one gets the most abuse. If someone wants to borrow a knife, this is my designated loaner.
Tasman Salt PE - I picked up this one as a modded user in a lot purchase. The original owner ground the spine to make an Emerson style opener. I think it looks ridiculous so I treat it like a rented mule.
Mule Elmax - I picked this one up lightly used with Halpern Titanium Option 4 grips cheap and I have another Elmax Mule BNIB, so I push this one more than most of my user Mules.
Mule 9CR18MO - I'm not fond of this steel nor the original style Halpern grips that ride on it so it is my most expendable fixed Spydie.

[JD Spydo]

Any of the SaLT Series that I've used I usually regard them as hard use/Beater knives. And I've had superb luck with them holding up well not only from a standpoint of using in harsh environments but they usually take a lot of punishment on the blades, handles and clips.

Currently I'm using my H-1 SE Spyderhawk as my companion Hawkbill. I prefer to EDC a smaller Hawkbill about the size of the Harpy which is perfect for what I use most of the time. But my H-1 Spyderhawk still looks virtually new and I've put it through some very harsh treatment in the past 2 months especially.

I truly think the H-1 Salt Series is your designated BEATER Series IMO.