Quest for the Holy Grail

[Bdubs808]

Also known as "Discontinued items randomly in stock", this thread will focus on finding the long lost discontinued or elusive exclusive model(s) you've been searching for, beginning by pulling together information from a couple of threads.

//forum.spyderco.com/viewto ... =2&t=71687

//forum.spyderco.com/viewto ... =2&t=71632

In the "Hello and Question" thread started by jdw, The Deacon revealed to the uneducated this interesting site: http://www.countryknives.com, and man, oh man is it full of Holy Grails. Yes, they are MSRP, but how many of us have dropped dough on ebay way over MSRP?...
Also, mattman has a theory that Jeff from Cutlery Shoppe likes to hold on to BNIB models and release them years after they've been discontinued. For example, a few of our fellow knuts scored Manix 2 Cruwears for list price last week. I believe there is one more Superleaf in stock as well...

I wish you all good luck on your Quest to find the Spyderco that got away.

[Archimedes]

The problem with Grails, is after you get it there is always another. It sort of never ends. It is a good thing.

If your patient with Ebay sometimes you get a smoking deal on your Grail. I know I have.

One more site that has delivered some grails that were way low price wise, Arizona Custom Knives. I have picked up some here way below market value. I know some people use this sight to buy and then resell on Ebay for way more. I have seen it.

[LRR]

Every time I go to cutlery shoppe, it says the web site is shut down

[Larry_Mott]

It should be against the law posting links to sites like Countryknives.. granted, they were no bargains, but a grail is a grail ..well, until you find it :)

[SG89]

Every time I go to cutlery shoppe, it says the web site is shut down

It works for me if I use Firefox. Chrome and safari on my phone /iPad won't work right with their website. It's super annoying

[Doc Dan]

Sanctified Bovine! I just looked up Arizona Custom Knives. They have, or have had, a lot of desirable knives.

[SpyderNut]

Sanctified Bovine! I just looked up Arizona Custom Knives. They have, or have had, a lot of desirable knives.

Yes, yes they do. A lot of goodies, to be sure.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I have always wished for a Knife Grail. I believe it is possible but I don't want to make this an off-topic discussion (ie advanced ultra technologies). With what we currently have, Spyderco-wise, I personally believe and I am convinced, and you are all free to disagree with me, that the grail does exist. I call it the Spyderco Pacific Salt. The Pacific Salt combines the best of the original Endura and Delica as well as the Police and also balances it with the FRN handle scales, and, the H1 Stainless Steel is rust-proof. The grind lines of the Pacific Salt are nearly perfect and the Serrated and Plain Edge models give you the best of both worlds.

If the only Spyderco Knife I can ever have and use again were the Pacific Salt, this may surprise you, but, I would be satisfied and content with it 100 percent.

Now, let us come up with a "Knife Grail Verification Test". How would you know you have the grail when you have it? Would it have to appeal to all people and have zero downsides, or not? Here is my suggested "Spyderco Knife Grail Test":

The knife must be able to:

1 Withstand and resist a wide range of abrasive materials, enviroments, and corrosive things that would damage other knives.
2 The knife must have blade shape and edge grind that is universal and general purpose enough to be able to perform a wide-range of cutting tasks without much difficulty. I will give you an example of one that fails this test, actually two, and please, don't be upset at me, those of you who adore these two knives; Kiwi And Roadie. Both of them have blade shapes and designs that are too exotic and too unique to fit Number 2: The General Purpose Cutting Test. If you disagree, please feel free to tell me reasons as to why these two blades would not fail number 2.

3 Be "reasonably priced" enough to fit a wide range of budgets. I know this can be very subjective, but, the Spyderco Grail Knife must be able to be purchased by everyone from minimum wage to ultra materially wealthy individuals. The Pacific Salt fits this bill, being in the 65-80 dollar range, even a minimum wage worker can save enough money in a not too-long time span to purchase one. The higher priced knives are excellent and well-worth it for their quality and specialty niche, but, the grail must be purchasable within a wider range of budgets.

4 The grail knife must appeal to both male and female knife users and collectors. I am sure both the men and women on this forum can attest to their like for the Spyderco Pacific Salt.

Alright, enough from me on that. Disclaimers:

1 The above statements are my own personal opinion as to how I see this matter. You are all free to disagree with me and may have your own views on what constitutes a Spyderco Grail Knife.

2 I welcome other "Grail Tests" to be added to the ones I posted. For example: Do you think a true Grail Knife must be affordable by a wide range of knife users to be a grail knife or not?

3 At the end of the day what I would hope is that this information can be used by Spyderco to continue to provide excellent quality knives for people. Thank you.

[farnorthdan]

Sanctified Bovine! I just looked up Arizona Custom Knives. They have, or have had, a lot of desirable knives.

Been watching them for a while now, only ever pulled the trigger on one piece and it was a higher end custom. Shipping is really expensive from them so deals on :spyder:'s are usually blown out of the water because of it. Their prices are sometimes even higher than Country knives also

[tvenuto]

...

SEF, you misunderstand the purpose of this thread, see below.

Also known as "Discontinued items randomly in stock", this thread will focus on finding the long lost discontinued or elusive exclusive model(s) you've been searching for, beginning by pulling together information from a couple of threads.

[mattman]

Every time I go to cutlery shoppe, it says the web site is shut down

I think you need to clear your cookie from them, as they changed their site a while back...

I was having this problem, too, and that was the solution, iirc...

[clovisc]

I used to live near Country Knives. It is a wonderful shop (like a museum!), and the people there are great. Don't hesitate to get your grail from them!

[Doc Dan]

1. For me, a grail knife is the one that I absolutely cannot do without, but have yet to find. For example, if Spyderco were to make that Delica with Navy Blue G10 and Super Gold steel, and I missed out on the Sprint Run, that would become a grail knife for me until I obtained it.
2. A grail knife has to be somewhat rare.
3. It may or may not be expensive.
4. Like the grail of the stories, it needs to take some serious searching/hunting to find.
5. It should have special materials, nothing ubiquitous or humdrum.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

tv, thank you for the clarification there.

But yeah I like what you said, Doc.

I guess my grail in that sense would be the pointed Caspian Salt, serrated or plain edge.

It would be nice to see a Sprint run of them.

[Bdubs808]

Spyderco didn't bite me until about 2 years ago, so I missed out on the Super Blue runs. The Caly3 Super Blue became a Grail for me, and I recently acquired a specimen for a reasonable price. It's a pretty good feeling to obtain a Grail; however, I have to make sure my Quest is at a slow and patient pace.

[timlara]

[jalcon]

Hmm...that country knives place is only like 30 mins from me. Might have to check it out one of these days.

[wrdwrght]

I think I won't know my grail knife until I see it. And isn't it fun that my Spydies have accumulated in consequence...

Somehow I've been oblivious to Country Knives. They actually stock what they list?

[ThePeacent]

I have always wished for a Knife Grail. I believe it is possible but I don't want to make this an off-topic discussion (ie advanced ultra technologies). With what we currently have, Spyderco-wise, I personally believe and I am convinced, and you are all free to disagree with me, that the grail does exist. I call it the Spyderco Pacific Salt. The Pacific Salt combines the best of the original Endura and Delica as well as the Police and also balances it with the FRN handle scales, and, the H1 Stainless Steel is rust-proof. The grind lines of the Pacific Salt are nearly perfect and the Serrated and Plain Edge models give you the best of both worlds.

If the only Spyderco Knife I can ever have and use again were the Pacific Salt, this may surprise you, but, I would be satisfied and content with it 100 percent.

Now, let us come up with a "Knife Grail Verification Test". How would you know you have the grail when you have it? Would it have to appeal to all people and have zero downsides, or not? Here is my suggested "Spyderco Knife Grail Test":

The knife must be able to:

1 Withstand and resist a wide range of abrasive materials, enviroments, and corrosive things that would damage other knives.
2 The knife must have blade shape and edge grind that is universal and general purpose enough to be able to perform a wide-range of cutting tasks without much difficulty. I will give you an example of one that fails this test, actually two, and please, don't be upset at me, those of you who adore these two knives; Kiwi And Roadie. Both of them have blade shapes and designs that are too exotic and too unique to fit Number 2: The General Purpose Cutting Test. If you disagree, please feel free to tell me reasons as to why these two blades would not fail number 2.

3 Be "reasonably priced" enough to fit a wide range of budgets. I know this can be very subjective, but, the Spyderco Grail Knife must be able to be purchased by everyone from minimum wage to ultra materially wealthy individuals. The Pacific Salt fits this bill, being in the 65-80 dollar range, even a minimum wage worker can save enough money in a not too-long time span to purchase one. The higher priced knives are excellent and well-worth it for their quality and specialty niche, but, the grail must be purchasable within a wider range of budgets.

4 The grail knife must appeal to both male and female knife users and collectors. I am sure both the men and women on this forum can attest to their like for the Spyderco Pacific Salt.

Alright, enough from me on that. Disclaimers:

1 The above statements are my own personal opinion as to how I see this matter. You are all free to disagree with me and may have your own views on what constitutes a Spyderco Grail Knife.

2 I welcome other "Grail Tests" to be added to the ones I posted. For example: Do you think a true Grail Knife must be affordable by a wide range of knife users to be a grail knife or not?

3 At the end of the day what I would hope is that this information can be used by Spyderco to continue to provide excellent quality knives for people. Thank you.

Couldn't have said it better



No, really. If I only had the Pac Salt for the rest of days I'd be content



My grail, as a purely aesthetics/fondling blade was (and is) the Rajah I.



After some time of owning it I realised that the ugly, beat up Pacific Salt I already had fit most of the "grail's" attributes



Not as a fondling blade, or a shelf queen, but as a a working, functional, no-substitute knife



In there lays the beauty of the Pac Salt, as beautiful as the Rajah, but in a different way!

Very true words

[bh49]

1. For me, a grail knife is the one that I absolutely cannot do without, but have yet to find. For example, if Spyderco were to make that Delica with Navy Blue G10 and Super Gold steel, and I missed out on the Sprint Run, that would become a grail knife for me until I obtained it.
2. A grail knife has to be somewhat rare.
3. It may or may not be expensive.
4. Like the grail of the stories, it needs to take some serious searching/hunting to find.
5. It should have special materials, nothing ubiquitous or humdrum.

Doc,

I mostly agree with you. Not sure how it "may not be expensive" considering rarity and special materials though.
During my life of Spyderco addict I had several graials. The first was black blade CE folding Lum Tanto. no any special materials, but was dying to have it. Guess what, couple month after I really didn't care about it. More grails came after. Some of them I was chasing for a year or more. I got all what I wanted, except jess horn. I saw few of them for reasonable price, but never could bring myself up to spending that amount od cash. I sold all of them, because I stopped liking them except one: original Shabaria. Still love it. I have sprint as well and I love sprint more than original.
Roman