Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
You might've seen my review of Spyderco's original Rescue and noticed how much I loved it. Well, I enjoyed that knife so much and y'all commented so enthusiastically about your own various Rescues that I decided to try out the updated second version of it, and I love this one even more. It's kicked the Native 5 out of my pocket, which is pretty awesome. Here's a photo of my new favorite knife, along with some similar rescue-style knives displayed below it, and an Endura for size comparison:
(in order from top: my new favorite Spyderco which is a Rescue after its first round of CQI, the original Rescue with the integral plastic molded clip, a Byrd Cara Cara 2 Rescue, and an Endura)
Measuring generations of the Spyderco Rescue is always kind of confusing, because the company made some really large CQI changes without changing the serial number of the knife. Those top two knives have the same serial number, and just about everything is different between them. FRN pattern, clip, blade shape, blade steel...
(same knives, presentation side)
I'll call those top two, in order, "version 2" and "the original". The original looks like an FRN Mariner, and the version 2 looks like an early edition of the Atlantic Salt. There was also a "version 3", which included a subtly different finger choil, a lower hollow grind, a fraction of an inch more cutting edge, and a cutout on the spine of the blade to rest your thumb on while choking up on the knife. This dude's website is a pretty good resource to learn more about the different versions and look at pictures: http://paulberetta.com/sheepsfoots.htm
The Rescue version 2 is slightly shorter than an Endura and a lot lighter, due to the linerless handle. It was released in 1997, as far as I can tell, and has the characteristic pinned construction, barrel clip, and volcano-patterned FRN of that era's Spydies, as well as ATS-55 blade steel.
The ergonomic shape and rounded corners of the handle make this knife possibly the most comfortable in-hand Spydie I own, and ensure that the knife is locked solidly into your grip, even without jimping. Fit and finish are great; either the edges of the FRN on the back of the handle meet up absolutely perfectly, or it was made all in one piece, I can't tell which. It does feel slightly more flimsy than my Native LW, which is probably because the Native has complicated molding and ridges on the inside of the handle for strength and lightness and the Rescue version 2 is all flat and smooth on the inside. Also the Rescue version 2 is significantly slimmer than the Native. There were a couple rough spots on the inside of the handle near the edge which I guess were left from the molding process, which were easily eliminated with a file.
The blade is a nice sheepsfoot shape, and the serrations go all the way to the tip, instead of stopping short of it like the modern Spydies tend to do. The size of the Spydiehole is comparable to the one on the Endura. It has a hollow grind instead of my preferred flat grind, but at least the hollow grind is higher than that on the original Rescue. The blade is taller than the blade on the original Rescue though, and I like that less -- one of the things I enjoyed about the original was how long and light the blade was, and this one is definitely built more for sturdiness, which is fine but I might grind the spine down a little to get that feeling back and to further reduce weight. The serrations are very pointy which makes them snag on things easier, in comparison to the Cara Cara 2 Rescue which has a smoother wavy serration pattern rather than the pointy pattern used for the Rescue version 2. Snagging has not been an issue yet though, because this thing came sharp enough to push cut paper, and I haven't got it dull enough yet to snag on anything instead of just slicing though like a demon. It's bitten me several times so far (the hazards of getting a beautiful new knife and not wanting to put it down or stop playing with it) and sometimes I didn't even notice til I saw the blood, so, yeah -- it's sharp. JD Spydo described this model as "heving a crocodile in your pocket", and that's an apt way of putting it. Action is a bit stiff, which is to be expected with a new lockback that hasn't been broken in.
Overall, I love it. It's my new EDC, it's awesome, it's perfect. I'm really glad that I spent the extra cash to get the new-in-box one instead of the used one. Will maybe check out version 3 of this knife when I replenish my knife fund, or another color of this one -- it apparently comes in orange -- or a plainedge version of it. Thanks very much to JD Spydo and Peter1960 who talked about and posted photos of their version 2 Rescues in the other thread, because that was what pushed me over into trying this knife, and oh man I am glad I did.
(in order from top: my new favorite Spyderco which is a Rescue after its first round of CQI, the original Rescue with the integral plastic molded clip, a Byrd Cara Cara 2 Rescue, and an Endura)
Measuring generations of the Spyderco Rescue is always kind of confusing, because the company made some really large CQI changes without changing the serial number of the knife. Those top two knives have the same serial number, and just about everything is different between them. FRN pattern, clip, blade shape, blade steel...
(same knives, presentation side)
I'll call those top two, in order, "version 2" and "the original". The original looks like an FRN Mariner, and the version 2 looks like an early edition of the Atlantic Salt. There was also a "version 3", which included a subtly different finger choil, a lower hollow grind, a fraction of an inch more cutting edge, and a cutout on the spine of the blade to rest your thumb on while choking up on the knife. This dude's website is a pretty good resource to learn more about the different versions and look at pictures: http://paulberetta.com/sheepsfoots.htm
The Rescue version 2 is slightly shorter than an Endura and a lot lighter, due to the linerless handle. It was released in 1997, as far as I can tell, and has the characteristic pinned construction, barrel clip, and volcano-patterned FRN of that era's Spydies, as well as ATS-55 blade steel.
The ergonomic shape and rounded corners of the handle make this knife possibly the most comfortable in-hand Spydie I own, and ensure that the knife is locked solidly into your grip, even without jimping. Fit and finish are great; either the edges of the FRN on the back of the handle meet up absolutely perfectly, or it was made all in one piece, I can't tell which. It does feel slightly more flimsy than my Native LW, which is probably because the Native has complicated molding and ridges on the inside of the handle for strength and lightness and the Rescue version 2 is all flat and smooth on the inside. Also the Rescue version 2 is significantly slimmer than the Native. There were a couple rough spots on the inside of the handle near the edge which I guess were left from the molding process, which were easily eliminated with a file.
The blade is a nice sheepsfoot shape, and the serrations go all the way to the tip, instead of stopping short of it like the modern Spydies tend to do. The size of the Spydiehole is comparable to the one on the Endura. It has a hollow grind instead of my preferred flat grind, but at least the hollow grind is higher than that on the original Rescue. The blade is taller than the blade on the original Rescue though, and I like that less -- one of the things I enjoyed about the original was how long and light the blade was, and this one is definitely built more for sturdiness, which is fine but I might grind the spine down a little to get that feeling back and to further reduce weight. The serrations are very pointy which makes them snag on things easier, in comparison to the Cara Cara 2 Rescue which has a smoother wavy serration pattern rather than the pointy pattern used for the Rescue version 2. Snagging has not been an issue yet though, because this thing came sharp enough to push cut paper, and I haven't got it dull enough yet to snag on anything instead of just slicing though like a demon. It's bitten me several times so far (the hazards of getting a beautiful new knife and not wanting to put it down or stop playing with it) and sometimes I didn't even notice til I saw the blood, so, yeah -- it's sharp. JD Spydo described this model as "heving a crocodile in your pocket", and that's an apt way of putting it. Action is a bit stiff, which is to be expected with a new lockback that hasn't been broken in.
Overall, I love it. It's my new EDC, it's awesome, it's perfect. I'm really glad that I spent the extra cash to get the new-in-box one instead of the used one. Will maybe check out version 3 of this knife when I replenish my knife fund, or another color of this one -- it apparently comes in orange -- or a plainedge version of it. Thanks very much to JD Spydo and Peter1960 who talked about and posted photos of their version 2 Rescues in the other thread, because that was what pushed me over into trying this knife, and oh man I am glad I did.
Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
Nice review. I plan on getting the Rescue 3 eventually.
Spydergirl88
3 Nats, 1 Chap, 1 Sham, 1 Urb
3 Nats, 1 Chap, 1 Sham, 1 Urb
Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
Bro, are you trying to coerce me into getting another knife? I just got the Native 5 SE. :eek:
Well, as long as you don’t post a bunch of cool pics like you did with the Native (hint hint).
Well, as long as you don’t post a bunch of cool pics like you did with the Native (hint hint).
- best wishes, Jazz.
- knivesandbooks
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Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
These are cool, may have to pick up the current model soon. Which Rescue is the one with the thumb indent cutout. Thing (idk if right word) on the blade?
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and on those in the tombs bestowing life!
Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
Real workhorses.
sal
sal
Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
I bet The Deacon would love that dudes collectionembry386 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 6:35 pm.... This dude's website is a pretty good resource to learn more about the different versions and look at pictures: http://paulberetta.com/sheepsfoots.htm
....
-Matt a.k.a. Lo_Que, loadedquestions135 I ❤ The P'KAL
"The world of edges has a small doorway in, but opens into a cavern that is both wide and deep." -sal
"The world of edges has a small doorway in, but opens into a cavern that is both wide and deep." -sal
"Ghost hunters scope the edge." -sal
Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
Ah, is the Deacon on here the guy that runs that site? I'm pretty sure he's on the forums here but couldn't recall what his username was. But the Deacon sounds right.ZrowsN1s wrote: ↑Sat Sep 22, 2018 5:40 pmI bet The Deacon would love that dudes collectionembry386 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 6:35 pm.... This dude's website is a pretty good resource to learn more about the different versions and look at pictures: http://paulberetta.com/sheepsfoots.htm
....
Check the Deacon's website, he knows more about that version than I do :) I think it's the 3rd version, but they all have the same serial numbers, so it gets very confusing. Regardless, they don't produce them anymore, so you'll have to go to eBay or some other similar place to get one.knivesandbooks wrote: ↑Sat Sep 22, 2018 12:39 amThese are cool, may have to pick up the current model soon. Which Rescue is the one with the thumb indent cutout. Thing (idk if right word) on the blade?
Well. Let it not be said that I cannot take a hint.
Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
Looks like BHQ still stocks the Rescue 3
-Matt a.k.a. Lo_Que, loadedquestions135 I ❤ The P'KAL
"The world of edges has a small doorway in, but opens into a cavern that is both wide and deep." -sal
"The world of edges has a small doorway in, but opens into a cavern that is both wide and deep." -sal
"Ghost hunters scope the edge." -sal
Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
The Rescue 3 is different from the 3rd CQI version, with the thumb cutout on the spine of the blade, that I was speaking of earlier. The one I'm talking about is the one at the top in this picture (if I may borrow the image from the Deacon's website for a moment):
The generations of Rescue get very confusing.
Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
^Indeed.
-Matt a.k.a. Lo_Que, loadedquestions135 I ❤ The P'KAL
"The world of edges has a small doorway in, but opens into a cavern that is both wide and deep." -sal
"The world of edges has a small doorway in, but opens into a cavern that is both wide and deep." -sal
"Ghost hunters scope the edge." -sal
Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
You should check these out. The thumb/ index finger ramp is a nice feature that sadly went away. I own one in every color, blade height and edge.
I missed it so much I made my own.
I missed it so much I made my own.
Flash Batch request: Flat Iron Salt (CE w/ yellow FRN)
New knife request: Police 4 Salt!!!
“Don’t be so open minded that your brain falls out”
New knife request: Police 4 Salt!!!
“Don’t be so open minded that your brain falls out”
Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
That modded Atlantic Salt is really cool, looks like you did a nice job on creating the thumb groove. How is the handle compared to the Rescues? It is basically the same, aside from the small slot near the base? Does it have liners?
I like those CQI version 3 Rescues you posted as well. The blue one with the inch of plainedge near the tip is very cool. I wish they'd do edges like that on more of their knives, mostly teeth but a bit of plain at the tip, seems super useful.
- lonerider1013
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Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
what is the horizontal thingee on the side of the grip? Just curious.
"A fool's blade may be sharper than his brain"
“Learn to ride a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live." - Mark Twain
“Learn to ride a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live." - Mark Twain
Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
If you're talking about the yellow Atlantic Salt that Dodge posted, the horizontal black thing is a slot cut into the handle to help the insides of the knife dry out faster after you get it wet.lonerider1013 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 27, 2018 2:22 pmwhat is the horizontal thingee on the side of the grip? Just curious.
- lonerider1013
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Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
okay cool. Wasn't sure if it was some kind of lever.
"A fool's blade may be sharper than his brain"
“Learn to ride a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live." - Mark Twain
“Learn to ride a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live." - Mark Twain
Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
It might do that, but it’s also a shackle key for boating shackles.
- best wishes, Jazz.
Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
The Atlantic salt does not have liners. I suspect the handle for the Atlantic is made in the same mold as the older Rescue 93mm was with the added “shackle key hole” pinned into it. It feels the same as the older 93mm, great in the hand! I really wish we could get a sprint of these blades in H1 for maritime rescue ops.embry386 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 27, 2018 2:03 pmThat modded Atlantic Salt is really cool, looks like you did a nice job on creating the thumb groove. How is the handle compared to the Rescues? It is basically the same, aside from the small slot near the base? Does it have liners?
I like those CQI version 3 Rescues you posted as well. The blue one with the inch of plainedge near the tip is very cool. I wish they'd do edges like that on more of their knives, mostly teeth but a bit of plain at the tip, seems super useful.
To loop back to the Embry’s discussion. This is a shining example of CQI, as you can see from this picture, Spyderco made a change in 2003/2004 to the hole position and width of the blades due to an issue (I’m told) with U.S.A.R. Personal prying with these and snapping the thinner profile blades. Maybe Sal can drop some knowledge on us?
Slightly off topic blurb, the Plain edge in the picture below is the absolute sharpest out of the box Spyderco I have ever owned. It could shave a split end off of a hair out of the box. I’m pretty sure paper would part itself if the edge got close to it.
Flash Batch request: Flat Iron Salt (CE w/ yellow FRN)
New knife request: Police 4 Salt!!!
“Don’t be so open minded that your brain falls out”
New knife request: Police 4 Salt!!!
“Don’t be so open minded that your brain falls out”
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Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
In the second pic, What is the notch in the FRN handle? I have this knife in AU8 steel quite old, one of my favorite Spydercos.
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Re: Vintage knife review: Rescue version 2
drying vent/shackle key, as mentioned above in the previous posts
Currently have 163 :spyder: 's & 41 different steels.
Bench Stones Atoma Diamond Plate 140,400,600,1200. Naniwa Chosera 400,800,1000,3000,5000.
Shapton Glass 1000,6000. Suehiro Rika 5000. Shapton Pro 320,1000,2000,5000,8000.
Naniwa Bonded Diamond 400,600,800,1000,3000,6000. Venev Gen2 OCB Combo Diamond 800/1200.
Spyderco 306UF, 306CBN. Doublestuff2 303FCBN2, & 204MF Sharpmaker w/204CBN for Spidie Edges.
Want List Steels 15V, S125V, K490, M398, Magnacut, S390, SRS-15, Vanadis 8, Vanax SC, Vancron SC,
Bench Stones Atoma Diamond Plate 140,400,600,1200. Naniwa Chosera 400,800,1000,3000,5000.
Shapton Glass 1000,6000. Suehiro Rika 5000. Shapton Pro 320,1000,2000,5000,8000.
Naniwa Bonded Diamond 400,600,800,1000,3000,6000. Venev Gen2 OCB Combo Diamond 800/1200.
Spyderco 306UF, 306CBN. Doublestuff2 303FCBN2, & 204MF Sharpmaker w/204CBN for Spidie Edges.
Want List Steels 15V, S125V, K490, M398, Magnacut, S390, SRS-15, Vanadis 8, Vanax SC, Vancron SC,