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It's about time we got a REAL work knife. Plain and simple, for real world work like cutting cardboard, bands, opening boxes and packaging, etc., etc., I've found a sheepsfoot or wharncliffe blade around 3" to be ideal. I'm tired of using H1 and not having edge holding for long (don't tell me to try serrated - I strongly dislike them), and also tired of using a Byrd knife with it's boxy handle edges, etc. Can we please get a 3" sheepsfoot bladed knife with a plain edge, back lock, either hollow grind or not too thin FFG, not too heavy, and with a top notch steel for edge retention (M4 or something similar?)? Am I alone in this desire? I find bellied blades will slide off the work a bit, whilst straight edges don't. Just call it "The Work Knife". I'm frustrated, and just want a good knife, and want it to be with a Spyderco hole on it.

Is it April Fools day?

Interesting post.

While you wait for Spyderco to whip you up a work knife, maybe you could give the Yojimbo 2 a try. It's close to what you're asking for.

Well that sounds like a saber grind Delica to me. The blade may not be a true sheepsfoot but the belly is so small it may as well be and the hollow grind has a very stout tip. I just sharpened one last night for a friend and I started getting nostalgic about owning one again. I think the blade shape on those knives is nearly perfect.

I also like the Manix 2 for these reasons, but you want a back lock so that rules that out.

Otherwise I think the best option might be a Yojimbo 2, but again you want a back lock. That may be the detail that holds you back from getting what you want. If they'd make the 79mm Rescue in plain edge that would be right up your alley if you're ok with VG10.

I've wished more than a few times that Spyderco would offer a PE version of the 79mm Rescue. Granted, it's "only" good old, decently stainless, VG-10, but it would probably come as close to meeting your criteria as we're likely to see.

Does the Manix 2 really have too much belly for these tasks? it may not be a back lock, but it fits all the other criteria perfectly.

Caly 3.5, they are around if you look hard. Very little belly. As an owner, I am astounded it is not on production and that it is not in everyone's pocket. It makes the Native look like Kershaw in my opinion, yet the Native gets all the love due to being a Golden design. You can't tell me that if you own both a Native and a C3.5, that the C3.5 isn't by far the superior design. Get one

Yeah, sounds like a sheepsfoot Delica is what you're after, though like D mentioned, it's already pretty close with its modest belly. And if VG-10 isn't enough, maybe find a ZDP, HAP40, or Super Blue one. You'll lose the saber grind, but you'll get your edge retention increase. You can't tell me the timeless Delica isn't a working knife!

Kiwi 4?

Checks most of your boxes...

Some feel it's not robust enough, but it'll handle box break down day with ease...slicing is what it does best!

Real work knife with a back lock and a sheepsfoot blade shape? :confused: A modified wharncliffe with a strong lock maybe, but that's another story.
Unfortunatly there is no such 3 incher in the Spyderco lineup.But I highly recommend the Mantra.Or get a small Sebenza insingo and drill a hole in the blade :D

Jazz wrote:It's about time we got a REAL work knife. Plain and simple, for real world work like cutting cardboard, bands, opening boxes and packaging, etc., etc., I've found a sheepsfoot or wharncliffe blade around 3" to be ideal. I'm tired of using H1 and not having edge holding for long (don't tell me to try serrated - I strongly dislike them), and also tired of using a Byrd knife with it's boxy handle edges, etc. Can we please get a 3" sheepsfoot bladed knife with a plain edge, back lock, either hollow grind or not too thin FFG, not too heavy, and with a top notch steel for edge retention (M4 or something similar?)? Am I alone in this desire? I find bellied blades will slide off the work a bit, whilst straight edges don't. Just call it "The Work Knife". I'm frustrated, and just want a good knife, and want it to be with a Spyderco hole on it.

Dunno, my main work knife was a Military, still have it too.

Plain S30V/Black G10.

How about the (discontinued) C139G Breeden Rescue? The blade length is 3.37" (86 mm) long and the cutting edge is 2.938" (75 mm). Obviously, it has a Liner-Lock and VG-10 steel, but even so, this design would likely work well for what you need/want in a real world work knife. Here's some additional info on the Breeden Rescue: https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/detail ... roduct=615

paladin wrote:Kiwi 4?

Checks most of your boxes...

Some feel it's not robust enough, but it'll handle box break down day with ease...slicing is what it does best!

It's a real shame how often this knife will be overlooked. People don't realize that when you make the blade slice more efficiently (make it thinner/better grind) and then you also make the height/width of the blade smaller, you end up with a blade that will move more freely through material when cutting, and that means it doesn't need to be as strong as other larger folders. I think the Kiwi 4 will do anything a person needs for EDC. It's only when you decide you need to do some bushcraft kind of stuff that you start asking a knife that small to do jobs that are beyond what it was designed to do.

I think the time has come for a Sprint of the Caly 3.5 in M4 perhaps? :)

[quote=" Or get a small Sebenza insingo and drill a hole in the blade :D[/quote]

There it is right there! "Sebenza" even means Work knife.
Be sure to drill the hole. Highly essential.......

PayneTrain wrote:Yeah, sounds like a sheepsfoot Delica is what you're after, though like D mentioned, it's already pretty close with its modest belly. And if VG-10 isn't enough, maybe find a ZDP, HAP40, or Super Blue one. You'll lose the saber grind, but you'll get your edge retention increase. You can't tell me the timeless Delica isn't a working knife!

I'm with PayneTrain!!! ZDP or HAP40 Delica 4 should meet the OP's needs nicely.

El Gato wrote:[quote=" Or get a small Sebenza insingo and drill a hole in the blade :D

There it is right there! "Sebenza" even means Work knife.
Be sure to drill the hole. Highly essential.......

True, a Sebenza is an excellent option for those who want one. :cool:

Are they making fake Worker knock-offs now, too? I think mine is real... :p


And I can't say I share your frustration as I've been super impressed with most all models I've used.
But, I wouldn't be opposed to an idea of a specific warehouse duty type knife. Although, there are plenty of current models I could ramble off that serve the purpose well!

Not sure what kind of budget you have for it, but I'm awaiting my Smock Knives SK23 with a Spyderco liscenced compression lock in 3v. No hole but at least it's got a Spyderco connection via the lock...

Jazz wrote:It's about time we got a REAL work knife. Plain and simple, for real world work like cutting cardboard, bands, opening boxes and packaging, etc., etc., I've found a sheepsfoot or wharncliffe blade around 3" to be ideal. I'm tired of using H1 and not having edge holding for long (don't tell me to try serrated - I strongly dislike them), and also tired of using a Byrd knife with it's boxy handle edges, etc. Can we please get a 3" sheepsfoot bladed knife with a plain edge, back lock, either hollow grind or not too thin FFG, not too heavy, and with a top notch steel for edge retention (M4 or something similar?)? Am I alone in this desire? I find bellied blades will slide off the work a bit, whilst straight edges don't. Just call it "The Work Knife". I'm frustrated, and just want a good knife, and want it to be with a Spyderco hole on it.

Hey JAZZ I think I know what you might like>> Spyderco back in the ATS-55 era did make a really solid built model that few fans are even aware of. I'm speaking of the C-45 Stainless handled RESCUE model>> because that sounds to me it's exactly what you might be looking for. I've been carrying mine all this week and have been doing some landscaping and other odd jobs here where I work and it's been a beast of a blade. Now they made it in SE & PE both and it used to be sold on the aftermarket by G-Sakai. I forget the URL on it but you could also get the Harpy model in PE from them too.

Another Wharnie you might consider is the Yojimbo 2 model. Sorry you don't like Spyderedges because frankly I find them to be very efficient in most jobs.