Native old and new thoughts / madness

[bh49]

IMHO Native5 is the cream of crop in the Native family. I prefer Ti Fluted/G10/CF variants, but I like LW as well.
Native5 is the knife. Terrific ergos, nice blade.

[tonijedi]

After 2 years of Spyderco absence (though times LOL) I just grabbed a Spyderedge Native 5. I'm very impressed with this knife, the finish is fantastic, the lock-bar is very strong and I like the ergonomics much better than the older Native 1 (I had one and sold it years ago).

[Donut]

The older one is nice in the fact that all of the corners are rounded. It's pretty easy on the hands. The texture on the flat sides of the handle aren't very aggressive.

If you can deal with the roughness of the 5's handle, I say use it, if you can't... the older style is probably going to work well for you.

David's gripe on FRN that you can't modify it without it looking really badly after... makes loving the 5 a little tougher for some people. The G-10 version isn't too much heavier than the FRN one and it can be modified.

[Jazz]

Black FRN mods okay. The colored stuff shows sandpaper color after you're done.

[JAfromMN]

Its Spring



The old one feels as right as it looks.

[Joris Mo]

That '09 forum Native is really cool! Never noticed that was a flat grind. I'm very happy with the Native 5 LW with it's FFG, the Native 1 was my first Spydie about 16 years ago and I did always hope for a FFG on the Native someday but did always prefer the old handle of the original Native.
Wish I was on the forum in '09, would have gotten 2 so I wouldn't have to worry about using it. :D

[JAfromMN]

I still say the new one may slice a bit better but this baby is a better looking knife I feel is stronger and would hold up to edc bs better in the long run :)

[JAfromMN]

I truly thouht id disliked the clip on the new 5 by its shinyness alone but its grown on me a lot ..

I'm not huge fan of shiny metal clips unless there on stainless handled knives but whatever finish is on the 5 seems sort of non reflective . I like it. Its really low profile for a metal finish clip.



The screw down clip has got to be an improvement also
I myself never had a issue with the old bolt down clip but I know many did and this clip is a much stronger design. There are little steal treaded sleeves the screws fasten into that I can see should be very strong .

The old one looked better but that seems to be my view of the old native as a whole. I think its just a better looking knife. :)

[Donut]

Both good, just different. :)

[JAfromMN]

What he donut said.

There both dam good.

I think I'm just old and stuck in my ways and a native should look like a native .. The 5 is actually the better all around knife its just not as good looking as the original

I had a busy last few days helping friends move and I got to say the new native in fully serrated is probably the best knife I've used to cut down cardboard boxes . it just slices through that cardboard like butter. A lot of the boxes I cut down were the double thick kind used for produce. Those can be a pain to work with but the 5 sliced them down with ease.

Even Hudson was impressed..



So yeah my thoughts so far .

While I think the old one still looks and feels better the 5 is the better user.

I do also think I'd break the 5 before the older one.

I prefer the original just because I trust it and it looks better. Im stuck in my ways :)

I am also so sold on the 5 I'm going to pick one up in combo edge someday. I think thats the way to go with this baby. Its a great knife.

:)

[ZrowsN1s]

JA if you're looking to expand your Native collection, I highly recommend the MAXAMET N5, it out performs everything else in my collection (except for stain/corrosion resistance)

If you want a Combo edge I recommend the LC200N N5 too if you can find one

[JAfromMN]

I am going to send these two back at the end of this review.

I dont really collect anymore I just use some more often than others and I do a lot of trading.

I so wish that maxamet came in combo edge.

[StuntZombie]

I am going to send these two back at the end of this review.

I dont really collect anymore I just use some more often than others and I do a lot of trading.

I so wish that maxamet came in combo edge.

I'd feel sorry for the machine that had to grind those serrations!

[JAfromMN]

I am going to send these two back at the end of this review.

I dont really collect anymore I just use some more often than others and I do a lot of trading.

I so wish that maxamet came in combo edge.

I'd feel sorry for the machine that had to grind those serrations!

I know lol

I can still want

[JAfromMN]

I had a thought

I hope they dont drop the old native.

I'd like to see them keep making them in H1

It would be a great knife to make totally rust free.

[Donut]

That older style Native has been in current production for many years, I think.

They say that knives are only discontinued due to poor sales, so I think only if the Native 5 becomes much more popular.

[JAfromMN]

Ticked me off I was outside all day with a lose clip

[ZrowsN1s]

I so wish that maxamet came in combo edge.

SE Maxamet could be very interesting indeed.

[Commendatore]

My opinion on the FRN Natives is I like the old one better.
I have three newer ones and one on the way, it is a Jack of all trades knife, those options we have concerning blade grinds and steels are awesome.
Still, maybe because of getting used to it, the old texture on the handle, its shape and the bkade grind grew on me. It feels,sorry for not having numbers to prove, the hollow ground blade is a bit thinner right behind the edge-I like it.
If I wish to slice things I will take the Manix LW or, were it too big, a Chaparral.
Maybe my hands have a weird size/shape but the newer version seems not to fill my palms the way the older did. Maybe just me...
With all those finger grooves and spine jimping I never missed that multi-directional texture on the handle.
So, for me, the release of the Native5 was a big thing, expectations were very high-and it is a great knife!-but the swedge blade ones will be the knives I take with me hunting (along with a Para2 and a Mule ). Native5s are great allround tools, I tend to compare them to my Persistence (the knife which lured me to become a spydieholic): up to every cutting task, for me too thick and short a blade to really do slicing cuts.

[JRinFL]

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who still loves the older Natives. I have both, but the old one is just a touch better for me. Nostalgia? Perhaps...