Tenacious' best uses and edge configuration?

Discuss Spyderco's products and history.

What is the Tenacious' best use and edge option?

EDC
16
21%
Hard-use
8
11%
Utility
15
20%
Food prep
5
7%
Backpacking
8
11%
PE
16
21%
SE
5
7%
CE
2
3%
 
Total votes: 75

User avatar
Knivesinedc
Member
Posts: 737
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2013 2:38 pm
Location: USA,CA

Tenacious' best uses and edge configuration?

#1

Post by Knivesinedc »

After owning my Tenacious for several months, I have still not been able to form a solid opinion yet. So, I put together a poll so I could find out all of your guys and gals opinions on the matter! Feel free to vote and tell why you chose what you did. -Jake-
Cliff Stamp
Member
Posts: 3852
Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2005 2:23 pm
Location: Earth
Contact:

Re: Tenacious' best uses and edge configuration?

#2

Post by Cliff Stamp »

I gave my brother an Atlantic Salt (the serrated one) years ago and it became his barn knife. It just sits on a nail in the barn year round and is used by anyone there. I sharpened it a long time ago, keep asking to see it again, but it is still working. The Doug Ritter grip is his favorite knife outside of the barn use and he has carried it in S30V since they first came out and nothing has been able to replace it due to the cutting ability, edge retention, durability and ergonomics.

Recently he was given a Tenacious by a friend. I fully flat ground it to < 0.005" at the edge and sharpened it at 15 dps. It actually is threatening to retire both other knives. It has a large blade, very high cutting ability, easy to manipulate lock, ergonomic grip - no real issues. He has a smaller one as well and cracked a big piece of the blade off removing a hinge, that is regound and still working well for almost the same reasons, also near zero grind.

I don't make a lot of general must-buy type recommendations, but that line from Spyderco strikes me as having fairly high value in general and solid performance.
User avatar
DougC-3
Member
Posts: 3684
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2013 2:22 pm
Location: Southeastern USA

Re: Tenacious' best uses and edge configuration?

#3

Post by DougC-3 »

I bought the CE to use as an around the house and yard utility knife when it came out in green a year ago. I had been wanting the green PE ever since and finally bought it last week, after they became available again. Then I ordered the black SE, which came today. I have been "into" Spyderco knives for a couple of years but have used the value series very little until the last couple of weeks. I really like the design of the Tenacious, in spite of the fact that I've learned to favor choils. It feels great in hand, is a good size for general EDC, and if you could have only one knife for food prep, you could get by with the Tenacious -- small enough to peel with and barely long enough to slice & dice large potatoes, etc. Today I carried the PE in one pocket and the SE in the other. I like the SE for cutting back brush and general utility. The CE could take the place of both, but not as effectively. I like the liner locks and find them very easy to open and close left handed. I like the chunky, compact but heavy and rugged design. I even like the fact that the G-10 feels a hair less sand-paper-like than G-10 from Golden. I haven't done any blade modifications or even needed to sharpen them yet.

I also bought the Ambitious and Persistence a couple of years ago just to see what they were like. When I bought my first Spyderco, I was looking for "a knife." At that time I didn't know that some linerlocks could be closed easily left handed. If a Tenacious had been available locally, I might have bought it and stopped looking for the next couple of years instead of amassing the bunch I have now.
K-390 on hand: Mule Team 17, Police 4 G-10, Endela (burlap micarta), Endela backup, Endura (canvas micarta), Straight Stretch (now blade-swapped with G-10 Stretch), Delica Wharncliffe, Dragonfly Wharncliffe, & Dragonfly Wharncliffe shorty mod
Note to self: Less is more.
User avatar
GoldenSpydie
Member
Posts: 2136
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 8:56 am
Location: CO and WY

Re: Tenacious' best uses and edge configuration?

#4

Post by GoldenSpydie »

I wouldn't personally carry it for EDC, because I have other Spydies with steels that will hold an edge longer. When I started collecting Spydercos, I did EDC it for a while, and it worked fine in this capacity.
I would not use the Tenacious for hard use, because there are better knives for this. (fixed blades) If someone wants to prove me wrong by cross batoning it through a telephone pole, be my guest. ;)
I can't see making any folding knife a dedicated food prep knife, because, quite simply, you should use a kitchen knife for that (provided that you are in a kitchen and not camping/etc.) When preparing food with a non-kitchen knife, I would pick a small fixed blade because there are no moving parts to get food stuck in.
Unless you are taking sharpening stones, it may not keep a "sharp enough" edge for an extended trip. I would pack a lightweight fixed blade for backpacking.

With all of that in mind, my vote goes for "Utility" because it is cheap (easy to replace if you lose it/break it), and for the type of utility that I'm picturing, you would never be very far from sharpening stones if you need to touch up.
zhyla
Member
Posts: 2190
Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2010 2:12 pm

Re: Tenacious' best uses and edge configuration?

#5

Post by zhyla »

I often wear it on the weekends when I know I'll be doing yard work. In SE it's a great utility blade for dealing with plants etc.
GronK
Member
Posts: 218
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
Location: Pueblo, Colorado, USA

Re: Tenacious' best uses and edge configuration?

#6

Post by GronK »

Gave my older son this Tenacious. It gets a lot of "utility" use as a work knife maintaining some apartment complexes.

Image
GoodEyeSniper
Member
Posts: 400
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 10:32 am

Re: Tenacious' best uses and edge configuration?

#7

Post by GoodEyeSniper »

The Tenacious is a good all arounder. The ergonomics are great, blade grind is good, steel is respectable and very easy to sharpen. I would have no problem relying on it for EDC, camping, tough utility, mechanic work, etc... and I have done exactly that with it when I carried it more. Lock design might be slightly less resilient than some, blade might be a tad short to excel at food prep, but tbh none of those are huge negatives compared to most other folder, and its ergonomics alone make it a solid contender, especially with gloves.

And the fact that it cost me like $30 means I might actually use it harder than my sprint Military or other knives, not that I baby them.
User avatar
D-Roc
Member
Posts: 443
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 10:31 am
Location: Bohica

Re: Tenacious' best uses and edge configuration?

#8

Post by D-Roc »

I own one. Sits in my bedside drawer for...I'm just not sure. I like the knife, but just haven't been able work it in between my Endura, Military, and Police models.
I carry everyday in uniform, and civies a Spyderco and a Surefire. All the time.
I find for value, the Tenacious goes well with a Xeno G5 (which I've paired it with) to make a reasonably priced knife/light combo...but oddly enough like I said, I just haven't been able to work them in.
:spyder: MEMBRE DE L'ORDRE INTERNATIONALE SPYDEREDGE :spyder:
User avatar
spyderg
Member
Posts: 1041
Joined: Wed Sep 24, 2014 12:40 pm
Location: Middle of Canada

Re: Tenacious' best uses and edge configuration?

#9

Post by spyderg »

Love my Tenacious, (green g10). Bought it to use at work. Picked up 2 actually with the plan to use the first until it wore out then move on to the 2nd. The plan my change into modding the 2nd. It would make a good budget EDC, but for me I have some others for that role. Love my Tenacious at work, had 3 people comment on it the other day : ) I would actually like it if they made a premium version with a better steel...
If you're wielding the sharpest tool in the shed, who's going to say that you aren't...?
Post Reply