Spyderco Sage1 ~ C123CF vs Spyderco Chaparral ~ C152CF

wheelin · #1

Which one would you recommend? High on priority is SD. But the chance of that happening is near zero(<0.01% :D ). The common chore I foresee is slicing fruits and eating , most likely at steaks & ribs house. No whittling definitely, nor cutting boxes. I would prefer to buy only one and not the other. :confused:

Blerv · #2

I don't own a Chap but the Sage offers a full four-finger grip for most. For me it's more secure and comfortable in hand than a Delica or Caly3 which are more than adequate for EDC or other things :) .

The Deacon · #3

If SD is a priority, and you are right handed, then the Sage I would be the logical choice as it has a slightly longer and 1mm thicker blade. For everything else, I'd go with the Chaparral.

eric m. · #4

If all I was going to do was light cutting and wanted a small, light, elegant knife to do it, the Chaparral would be my only knife! Definitely smaller, lighter, and thinner than the Sage! :)

this_is_nascar · #5

I can't comment on the Sage-1, however I just received a Chaparral and really like it so far. It fits my larger hands just fine if I use the choil. Although I don't see myself ever needing it this way, I'd have no problem engaging my Chaparral in a SD situation if that's all I had with me. The blade is certainly long enough to slice someone's throat and/or penetrate into the skull, etc.

wheelin · #6

Thanks for bringing up strong points. Pls keep them coming. :)
just read http://www.spyderco.com/forums/showthre ... -chapparal and I'm swaying towards the Sage1. Pls lead me the other way.

Syncharmony · #7

Have you considered a Caly 3.5 in G-10?

eric m. · #8

wheelin wrote:Thanks for bringing up strong points. Pls keep them coming. :)
just read //http://www.spyderco.com/forums/showthre ... -chapparal and I'm swaying towards the Sage1. Pls lead me the other way.

The only reason I mentioned the Chaparral over the Sage was the very light cutting requirements you stated. I absolutely love the Sage series of knives and would not want to talk you out of one of those jewels! I always believe, in any given circumstance, you should carry a little more knife than you think you're going to need! Get what you desire!!! Love the carbon fiber scales on the Chap1 and Sage1! As with most posts of choices between 2 knives, Get Both! :) :spyder:

dgebler · #9

In addition to being slightly longer and wider, I prefer the liner lock of the Sage 1 to the back lock of the Chap.
I do love my Sage 1, but I would second the suggestion to at least consider a Caly 3 or 3.5.

wheelin · #10

Syncharmony wrote:Have you considered a Caly 3.5 in G-10?

Yes. That would be my EDC. The folder in question would be for social purpose (discreet).

A-Ro · #11

The Chap would definitely fair better in social situations without losing a whole of blade. I currently have a Sage and have a Chap on the way for that very reason. Not saying the Sage is crazy big...it's not. I prefer the Sage for non-work time in jeans and, I'll use the Chaparral when I'm working (suit).

The Deacon · #12

Both are excellent knives and are comparable in terms of build quality, fit, and finish. Blade shape is very similar. Sage 1's blade is 5mm longer and 1mm thicker. Sage 1 is also slightly larger and thicker overall. Thicker knives are generally more comfortable for prolonged use but more bulky/noticeable in the pocket. Sage 1 has a handed lock, although it's one of the easiest of Spyderco right handed Walker lock knives to operate left handed, something which even right handed people can occasionally be forced to do by circumstance while the Chaparral is fully ambidextrous. Both use the same CF laminate scale material over steel liners. Sage 1, and older specimens of the CF Chaparral are CPM S30V. Current production CF Chaparrals are CTS XHP which some folks consider "better". Really comes down to personal needs, tastes, and preferences. For me, the superior slicing ability of the Chaparral's thinner blade, and it's hand-neutral lock make it the winner.

VeloWeave · #13

Ok, I will try and sway you towards the Chaparral but I see your conundrum, as it's tough to pick between that and the Sage 1. If you are ok with having two backlocks (Caly and Chaparral) then by all means the Chaparral. It is light as a feather, discreet, and carries like it's not even there. It would be more socially accepted due to it's smaller size and is the perfect Gents folder in my opinion. I have all sorts of knives with all sorts of locking mechanisms and I if I were pressed to pick a favorite I would probably choose Chaparral, even over my small Sebenza. The only thing for your purposes that could sway you to the Sage 1 is the blade length if you wanted a bigger blade and the liner lock which is oh so fun to play with. If those two things don't matter much to you then this is a "fait accompli", Chaparral is your knife!

For me I bought the Chaparral first, and when it came time to get a Sage I totally was not interested in the Sage 1 due to the similarities between the two. For me it will be Sage 2. Lately the two knives that I carry most are the Caly 3 CF and the Chaparral. EDC combo perfection if you ask me.

wheelin · #14

VeloWeave wrote:Ok, I will try and sway you towards the Chaparral but I see your conundrum, as it's tough to pick between that and the Sage 1. If you are ok with having two backlocks (Caly and Chaparral) then by all means the Chaparral. It is light as a feather, discreet, and carries like it's not even there. It would be more socially accepted due to it's smaller size and is the perfect Gents folder in my opinion. I have all sorts of knives with all sorts of locking mechanisms and I if I were pressed to pick a favorite I would probably choose Chaparral, even over my small Sebenza. The only thing for your purposes that could sway you to the Sage 1 is the blade length if you wanted a bigger blade and the liner lock which is oh so fun to play with. If those two things don't matter much to you then this is a "fait accompli", Chaparral is your knife!

For me I bought the Chaparral first, and when it came time to get a Sage I totally was not interested in the Sage 1 due to the similarities between the two. For me it will be Sage 2. Lately the two knives that I carry most are the Caly 3 CF and the Chaparral. EDC combo perfection if you ask me.

Damned! So convincing. Now I need to get over with "I would prefer to buy only one and not the other.", and buy both the sage and Chaparral. To **** with redundancy. :p

remnar · #15

Get them all! O.K. maybe that's not realistic, but I now have all four of the available Sages and the Chap1 and Chap2. You can't possibly go wrong with any of them. The Sage 1 has been my favorite for EDC with the Chap1 a close second, until I received my Sage 2. Now I can't decide between the Sage 1 and Sage 2 as my favorite, but the Chap1 is close behind them for EDC. If you already have an EDC that you are happy with and this knife will be for more discreet carry, then I would go with the Chaparral. The back locks on the Chaps do not lend themselves to being flicked open like the Sage 1 and 2, but that is not very discreet anyway. Good luck with your decision.

eric m. · #16

remnar wrote:Get them all! O.K. maybe that's not realistic, but I now have all four of the available Sages and the Chap1 and Chap2. You can't possibly go wrong with any of them. The Sage 1 has been my favorite for EDC with the Chap1 a close second, until I received my Sage 2. Now I can't decide between the Sage 1 and Sage 2 as my favorite, but the Chap1 is close behind them for EDC. If you already have an EDC that you are happy with and this knife will be for more discreet carry, then I would go with the Chaparral. The back locks on the Chaps do not lend themselves to being flicked open like the Sage 1 and 2, but that is not very discreet anyway. Good luck with your decision.

:) :) :)

RadioactiveSpyder · #17

remnar wrote:Get them all! O.K. maybe that's not realistic, but I now have all four of the available Sages and the Chap1 and Chap2. You can't possibly go wrong with any of them. The Sage 1 has been my favorite for EDC with the Chap1 a close second, until I received my Sage 2. Now I can't decide between the Sage 1 and Sage 2 as my favorite, but the Chap1 is close behind them for EDC. If you already have an EDC that you are happy with and this knife will be for more discreet carry, then I would go with the Chaparral. The back locks on the Chaps do not lend themselves to being flicked open like the Sage 1 and 2, but that is not very discreet anyway. Good luck with your decision.

Ahem, there are now 5 available Sage variants with the new CF 3.1... :)

eric m. · #18

RadioactiveSpyder wrote:Ahem, there are now 5 available Sage variants with the new CF 3.1... :)

Yeah Remnar, you're in the same boat as me! At least 2 more Sages coming, Sage3 CF, and Sage5!

Syncharmony · #19

wheelin wrote:Damned! So convincing. Now I need to get over with "I would prefer to buy only one and not the other.", and buy both the sage and Chaparral. To **** with redundancy. :p

If I did that, I would probably go with a Chapparal and a Sage 2 to mix it up a bit. Or a Sage 1 and a Chap 2!

wheelin · #20

remnar wrote:If you already have an EDC that you are happy with and this knife will be for more discreet carry, then I would go with the Chaparral. The back locks on the Chaps do not lend themselves to being flicked open like the Sage 1 and 2, but that is not very discreet anyway. Good luck with your decision.

I actually own a delica and a dragonfly. Both are the early model with no jimping. I've come to like the leaf-shaped blade ffg with choil, and so I'm looking for a new folder. While I some time flick my Delica trainer open, I only thumb open all my knives. I also carry BM 710 M2HS, a sacrilegious on this board :D , and I like the axis lock. So now may be ditch the sage1, and embrace the sage3 CF lol. Of course, I'll get the Chaparral.
BTW I'm getting the Caly 3.5G10 for EDC.