A first post regarding a first Spyderco

[jebrand]

Hello Everybody :)

A quick intro, my name's Joe but I'm also known as Jeb, call me either! I apologise for this long first post, seems to keep growing. I've always had a soft spot for knives and quality tools, but have mostly kept to cheap sak, opinel farm store knives.

Now I've fell down the rabbit (spyder?) hole, and for my first step up in knives I would like to go with spyderco, love the fully flat grinds, the leaf blade shapes, ive found there isn't another manufacturer that has such a range of knives that I admire.

So, I could do with assistance choosing my first spyderco or maybe Byrd knife! Spent so long looking my head's spinning a bit from bouncing between choices..

Use: I have a small holding (just 3.5 acres), so opening feed bags, cutting rope/baling string, chopping carrots for the horse etc would be some common tasks. I'm also a mature student in Industrial Automation and Robotics, and currently use my lil victorinox Excelsior for cutting pneumatic tubing and removing cable sheaths etc.

Being a student, unfortunately until I start working next year my budget is limited to around 80 euro/dollars max (I'm in Ireland, would you recommend using a USA based store for best prices?)

I'd prefer a small-medium blade, around 2.2 inch - 3.5 inch.
Prefer other locks than liner, but not deal breaker.
Like the idea of a choil but no big preference.

So, knives Ive spotted so far that I really like;

Byrd crow 2
Byrd raven 2
Spyderco dragonfly (maybe a little small? Love the look of this knife though with the almost arrow head shaped blade)
Spyderco Cat
Spyderco delica 4
Spyderco Manix 2 LW

I'm sure there is more I've seen and more I haven't, so please help me choose or highlight something I may have missed. When budget is tight, do I go for the crow 2 or raven 2, or save for the Manix 2 LW in blue that has really caught my eye? Something about that blue handle makes me want to literally get my teeth on it (gnawable in a good way!).

Thanks for your time,
Joe

[Sharp Guy]

Hey Joe! Welcome to the forum! There are some many good models and there's so much personal preference involved. I would suggest looking through the catalog and choosing a model that appeals to you and fits your budget and order it.

Two models I'll suggest you take a hard look at would be the Delica and Native 5 LW. Both are very capable knives that are reasonably priced. Manix 2 LW is great as well but a lttle bigger than the other two I suggested.

[MichaelScott]

Or, you could wait on the upcoming FRN Chaparral. I like the Efficient for an all-around knife.

[xceptnl]

Welcome to the forum and the addiction. From your needs and your list, it would be hard not to recommend the Delica or possibly the Manix 2 LW. I would recommend buying the Delica and a Spyderco Doublestuff to aid you keeping it in tip top condition.

[Sharp Guy]

Or, you could wait on the upcoming FRN Chaparral. I like the Efficient for an all-around knife.

Also good choices! I'll add the Polestar or Alcyone to the pot.

See! So many great choices!

[Surfingringo]

Welcome to the forum Joe. The Delica is hard to beat for a first Spyderco.

[bouhunter]

I vote Delica or Native.

[jebrand]

Or, you could wait on the upcoming FRN Chaparral. I like the Efficient for an all-around knife.

Also good choices! I'll add the Polestar or Alcyone to the pot.

See! So many great choices!

Thanks for the welcome, and suggestions, for some reason I had missed the Alcyone- I like!

[jebrand]

Or, you could wait on the upcoming FRN Chaparral. I like the Efficient for an all-around knife.

Thanks, I do very much like the chapparal but the current version seemed to be just out of reach, do you know roughly what the frn version would retail at?

Ps nice quote in your signature, I have big respect for C. Hitchens

[jebrand]

Welcome to the forum and the addiction. From your needs and your list, it would be hard not to recommend the Delica or possibly the Manix 2 LW. I would recommend buying the Delica and a Spyderco Doublestuff to aid you keeping it in tip top condition.

Thanks for the welcome and recommendations, those two are high on the list! I do have a old wetstone that has a different grade each side, no idea what though-the thing is much older than I am.. it gets a wkd edge on my old billhook and carbon opinel etc but not sure how it'd hold up to the harder steels?

[jebrand]

Welcome to the forum Joe. The Delica is hard to beat for a first Spyderco.

Thanks, I didn't pay too much attention to the delica to begin with, but the more I think about it the more attractive/suitable it seems.

[sal]

Hi Jeb,

Welcome to our forum.

sal

[kwselke]

My personal Spyderco collection is composed of eight Delicas in various blade configurations, four Enduras, one Tazman Salt 2 , one Dragonfly, four Lady/Manbugs, and a Positron is in the mail. I would recommend your first Spyderco be a VG-10 Delica with standard FFG blade. If you are looking for something a bit more unique, I have been very impressed with both the plain and serrated edged Wharncliffe Delicas.

I reached into my pocket a couple of years ago and pulled out a Delica combo edge. I realized I had been carrying it daily for seven years, that it was a great knife, and that amazingly I had not lost or broken it. That got me to doing a bit of knife buying.

The Delica is a great way to start. The VG-10 models are priced right and are excellent steel. Make your second purchase a Sharpmaker, then build you collection.

[Wrathhog]

Delica or Native make excellent work knives. I think you would be happy with either. Native will probably take a little more abuse, something to consider.

[jebrand]

Hi Jeb,

Welcome to our forum.

sal

Thanks for having me Sir :)

Jeb

[ZrowsN1s]

Welcome to the forum Jeb. The Dragonfly is my favorite spyderco. It's on the small side, but it is a very capable little knife (we call it a little big knife). I would recomend a Delica/Native as well.

Here's a size comparison between the Native and Dragonfly

[jebrand]

My personal Spyderco collection is composed of eight Delicas in various blade configurations, four Enduras, one Tazman Salt 2 , one Dragonfly, four Lady/Manbugs, and a Positron is in the mail. I would recommend your first Spyderco be a VG-10 Delica with standard FFG blade. If you are looking for something a bit more unique, I have been very impressed with both the plain and serrated edged Wharncliffe Delicas.

I reached into my pocket a couple of years ago and pulled out a Delica combo edge. I realized I had been carrying it daily for seven years, that it was a great knife, and that amazingly I had not lost or broken it. That got me to doing a bit of knife buying.

The Delica is a great way to start. The VG-10 models are priced right and are excellent steel. Make your second purchase a Sharpmaker, then build you collection.

Thanks, I do like the Wharncliffe blade.. maybe a future buy. I'm struggling to pick between the delica, Alcyone, Manix 2 LW or native (last two are hitting budget limit for me atm), plus the dragonfly still looks a nice smaller knife (3" would be ideal for me)

[jebrand]

Welcome to the forum Jeb. The Dragonfly is my favorite spyderco. It's on the small side, but it is a very capable little knife (we call it a little big knife). I would recomend a Delica/Native as well.

Here's a size comparison between the Native and Dragonfly
z4-28-2017.jpg

Thanks for the welcome. That's a very handy size comparison, I have the feeling I will have a dragonfly in my collection.. whether it's the first one I'm not yet decided.. re: native/Manix , they seem to be similar in size.. would there be a reason the native seems slightly more popular in recommendations?

[ZrowsN1s]

Welcome to the forum Jeb. The Dragonfly is my favorite spyderco. It's on the small side, but it is a very capable little knife (we call it a little big knife). I would recomend a Delica/Native as well.

Here's a size comparison between the Native and Dragonfly
z4-28-2017.jpg

Thanks for the welcome. That's a very handy size comparison, I have the feeling I will have a dragonfly in my collection.. whether it's the first one I'm not yet decided.. re: native/Manix , they seem to be similar in size.. would there be a reason the native seems slightly more popular in recommendations?

Manix is a slightly bigger knife than the Native, people tend to prefer the backlock over the CBBL lock (I like the cbbl myself) and if you are looking at the base models, the Native has a nicer steel (s35vn) than the Manix (bds-1).

[jebrand]

Welcome to the forum Jeb. The Dragonfly is my favorite spyderco. It's on the small side, but it is a very capable little knife (we call it a little big knife). I would recomend a Delica/Native as well.

Here's a size comparison between the Native and Dragonfly
z4-28-2017.jpg

Thanks for the welcome. That's a very handy size comparison, I have the feeling I will have a dragonfly in my collection.. whether it's the first one I'm not yet decided.. re: native/Manix , they seem to be similar in size.. would there be a reason the native seems slightly more popular in recommendations?

Manix is a slightly bigger knife than the Native, people tend to prefer the backlock over the CBBL lock (I like the cbbl myself) and if you are looking at the base models, the Native has a nicer steel (s35vn) than the Manix (bds-1).

Thanks again, very useful information. I wrongly thought they were the same blade size, the native at 3 inches is perfect in size, maybe I'lll save for a couple weeks longer and go for that one.