Changing tastes

[Bugs]

Lately I've come to like back locks. I still enjoy finger flicking compression lock knives and flippers but for actual use I am starting to lean towards the back lock variety. Have a Pac Salt and would like to try something a tad smaller. I keep looking at the Stretch, Delica and Salt 1. Would like to hear the pros and cons.

[Surfingringo]

I feel the same way about backlocks. I enjoy having other knives with other locks but the backlock is probably my favorite for my users. I am comfortable with the operation, even with wet and bloody hands, and I have confidence in the lock.

If I were you, I would give the Stretch or Delica a try. They are too of my favorite designs. The Stretch is one I overlooked for a long time but I got one this year in hap40 and pretty much fell in love with the design. It constantly battles my pm2 for pocket time and often wins. I'm not a big fan of the heavy drop point so I modify mine to give them a more acute tip. I also mod my delicas to give them a straight spine like the old delicas. I like em stabby.

[Molle Ninja]

How's that Hap40 with rust in or near the ocean? I'm about 8 blocks from the Pacific.

Really want to snag my first Manbug in this steel, but a little apprehensive.

[Surfingringo]

How's that Hap40 with rust in or near the ocean? I'm about 8 blocks from the Pacific.

Really want to snag my first Manbug in this steel, but a little apprehensive.

I live a block from the pacific here. I never oil mine and just use it like normal and haven't had any issues. I took it out on the kayak one day just to see what would happen and it showed some spots at the end of the day but that's to be expected. I would say its a bit more rust resistant than something like m4.

[dplafoll]

Most of my Spyderco knives are lockbacks. I have had no problems with the lock, and most of them are flickable. The Chaparral is somewhat flickable but not as much as the others. And they all are rock solid, with no play in them, except my oldest Dragonfly that only developed play after I messed with it.
I think the lockback is probably the best combination of functional features: reliable, simple, ambidextrous, inexpensive, safe when closing (blade is less free so unlikely to swing onto your fingers, and your fingers don't absolutely have to be in the blade's path in the first place). The comp lock is probably as good at most of those but not as ambidextrous. And the lockback is going to be a bit better at keeping the blade closed. And for some designs, I think the lockback enables the handles to be designed the way they are, and wouldn't work as well with other locks, with the exception of the comp lock.

I can also vouch for the HAP40 steel, and for all of the lockback knives I own. They're all amazing knives. For a starter lockback, I'd say Dragonfly, Delica, or Native. As for the steel, I live in humid Alabama, and I haven't had any issues. I keep them clean and occasionally treat the blades with Tuf-Glide. Being laminate blades helps.

[Surfingringo]

One note on the Native 5...though I don't like the design as much as the Stretch or Delica, the backlock on the new ones is on a completely different level. Bank vault.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Me too, Surf and Bugs, I used to see a back-lock and think "aw man that's so boring, bring on the liner locks and other exotics" but now I lean towards and favor the back lock the most. My favorite is the backlock on Spyderco Salt knives and Endura/Delica lines.

[Cujobob]

Unfortunately, back locks just have too many issues with play and it drives me crazy. Also, I find liner locks and frame locks easier to maneuver, though I can appreciate a lock that keeps your fingers out of the way of the blade. Compression locks are a fantastic alternative, for that reason. I've been carrying a Caly3 SB as an EDC for a while at work and while I like a lot about it, the lock is the worst feature.

[Tdog]

Funny, I prefer liner or frame locks over back locks because of their pillar construction, but my primary edc is a Caly 3.5....go figure??? :rolleyes: Carrying the Mantra's more, if they only had a stainless blade. :spyder:

[bh49]

Unfortunately, back locks just have too many issues with play and it drives me crazy. Also, I find liner locks and frame locks easier to maneuver, though I can appreciate a lock that keeps your fingers out of the way of the blade. Compression locks are a fantastic alternative, for that reason. I've been carrying a Caly3 SB as an EDC for a while at work and while I like a lot about it, the lock is the worst feature.

May be I am just lucky. Most of the knives, which I carry and use are back-lock and none of them developed blade-play, which I can feel.
1. My C83 Persian was in every day use for 9 years. I used it to cut anything I need: cardboard, plastic, branches, what ever.
2. Caly3 was more light duty, mostly cutting food at work. over 4 years in service.
3. Caly3.5 replaced Caly3, five years in service.
4. 2013 Forum Native5. Over 3 years in service. A lot of fiber glass reinforced tape and cardboard miles on this knife. And yard work
5. Two more N5, Kopa, Caly3 ZDP also in use, but not a lot to compare with knives above.
No blade play on any of them.
I love back-lock.

[bh49]

One note on the Native 5...though I don't like the design as much as the Stretch or Delica,

you hurt my feelings. May be I should re-evaluate, if I should consider you as my friend. :)

[tvenuto]

I personally love back locks. Although they may be a bit less sexy than the compression or frame lock, I think they work great, and have all the qualities I'd be looking for in a lock. Of the 20 or so spydies I have in a backlock, I don't have any with noticeable blade play.

[Bugs]

So where can I find a Stretch or Delica in Hap40 other than hope one shows up in the BF Exchange?

[Cujobob]

Delica you're unlikely to find unless you pay some crazy price for it. The Stretch may be available at retailers still as it's a less popular model. I see one on Amazon for about $40 more than it was going for previously.

[Bugs]

Bento Box has the Hap 40 Stretch at $138.95 plus 13 bucks for shipping and Delica at $149.50 plus shipping. Seems kinda steep? Are they reputable?

[dplafoll]

Bento Box has the Hap 40 Stretch at $138.95 plus 13 bucks for shipping and Delica at $149.50 plus shipping. Seems kinda steep? Are they reputable?

They're reputable, but they charge MSRP. Most retailers charge the MAP policy which is 40% off of the MSRP.

[Surfingringo]

One note on the Native 5...though I don't like the design as much as the Stretch or Delica,

you hurt my feelings. May be I should re-evaluate, if I should consider you as my friend. :)

hah. :D

[tvenuto]

Bento Box has the Hap 40 Stretch at $138.95 plus 13 bucks for shipping and Delica at $149.50 plus shipping. Seems kinda steep? Are they reputable?

They're reputable, but they charge MSRP. Most retailers charge the MAP policy which is 40% off of the MSRP.

Which, for the sake of clarity, is why they still have it in stock. You can consider 60% of (not "off") MSRP as the "going rate" but often retailers at this price run out of stock very quickly, especially in the case of sprints/exclusives, and popular models.

One way to look at it is that it'll probably be more costly in the future from the secondary market. I snagged an older skeletonized R from BBS for around $130 a while ago but still long after it was disco'd. Good luck finding it for anything close to that on the secondary. The higher priced online retailers are my "first stop" when looking for a discontinued model, so I'm personally glad that some of them charge more and tend to keep things in stock longer.

[Sharp Guy]

So where can I find a Stretch or Delica in Hap40 other than hope one shows up in the BF Exchange?

Sooner State Knives shows the HAP40 Stretch in stock for $123.00.

[Surfingringo]

So where can I find a Stretch or Delica in Hap40 other than hope one shows up in the BF Exchange?

Sooner State Knives shows the HAP40 Stretch in stock for $123.00.

Get one Bugs.