Knives you didn't expect to like so much, or vice versa

[silvershade255]

For me it's the spyderco khukuri. I picked it up just because I thought turning a big chopper blade into a small pocket folder was such a neat idea, and it's pretty much become the main edc. I think I like how small it carries (have to check out a baby jess horn next I think).

PM2 is the one I expected to really love, but it's just okay for me. The point of the nub at the end of the handle is right where my pinkie finger wants to go, it's easy to adjust to but if I haven't carried it in a couple days I notice immediately on picking it up.

[ZrowsN1s]

The Shaman was a big surprise for me. It was a knife I never intended to buy. Got one in multi knife trade, thought I'd check it out for a bit and either sell/trade/gift it. I have been in love with it ever since. Feels great in hand, the smooth 3D g10 is great, it's got a good weight to it, like the big full flat grind (starts thick but tapers nicely). It slices well for a hefty knife, like the flat spine and compression lock, carrys well in the pocket... for a knife I got on a whim, it's become one of my absolute favorites.

[The Deacon]

I'm a lefty when it comes to using a pocket knife, so Spydercos with "handed" locks don't appeal to me, especially those where the Spyderhole is really only accessible from one side. That said, ever since Sal sent me a Centofante Memory, one of the least "lefty friendly" models Spyderco has ever made, it's had a place on my desk and is within arms reach as I type this. It gets used nearly daily, mostly for cutting paper of one kind or another, and even sees occasional pocket time when I'm visiting Greenville and need to comply with their 3" blade limit.

As for the vice versa, there's the R. It's a great looking knife and the perfect size for me to carry but, for some reason, the Spyderhole placement doesn't work for me. Hard to explain, but it makes me feel like my thumb is just a half inch too short to comfortably move it from fully closed to fully open. Even tried having the handle of one modified to see if that would help, but no luck. If the Stretch did not exist, I'd probably carry an R anyway, but as things stand, it will remain a safe queen.

[Tims]

I put off buying an Endura for years because I thought it was ugly. I took a punt because I wanted the blade length it offered and It’s now my favourite and most used knife in my collection.

[JD Spydo]

To this very day and ever since 2004 when I got my very first Spyderco "Dodo" model>> I have not been deceived, misdirected, baffled and just outright fooled like I was with the Dodo model. Because when I got my very first Dodo ( blue PE, 2003 era) I truly thought it to be nothing but a "novelty" type collector piece.

I didn't have the foggiest idea of what Eric Glesser had in store when his brilliant mind concocted the Dodo model. It wasn't until I actually made myself EDC my blue PE Dodo for a whole week as my main carry when I truly discovered that the Dodo was indeed a real, true EDC. I was completely amazed at the versatility and genius design. It is now by far my most favorite short-bladed Spyderco knife I've ever owned. There's not even a close second runner up to the Dodo model in my humble opinion.

That Dodo is such a genius design and is such a great functional cutting tool that I'm sort of surprised that it didn't become a permanent model like the Endura, Delica, Police, Military ect. No I didn't expect that it would be in my JD's Top 10 for as long as it has been. I truly thought it was going to be nothing but a curiosity item and strictly nothing more than a strange collector's piece. No I didn't expect that to happen at all.

[Sumdumguy]

Hands down, the Swick.

I carry it almost daily, it is a fine tool and the only fixed blade I really carry. I think the main reason is because it is so thin. I was going to put handles on it, but decided against it.

I would love a knife that had the Swick handle and the Street Beat's blade.

[BigGrove]

Pleasant surprise: Sliverax - like it so much it earned a spot in my EDC rotation. It fits the hand so well and the slightly negative blade angle makes cutting tasks a breeze. Really hoping there is a sprint/exclusive in the future.

Runner-up: Lil Nilakka - Flash batch "collectability" be damned this one also makes it into my pocket regularly. I'll admit it's more about form over function but I'm infatuated with this retro-mod gentleman's folder. I wish Spyderco would make a 3-3.5" version.

Didn't live up to the hype: Kapara - thought this would be a slam dunk for the EDC rotation but something about the ergos just didn't click.

[anycal]

The Chaparral pleasantly surprised me. The smallest Spyderco I own, but it sees a lot of use, especially when in office.

On the other side it was GB2. On paper, I thought I would love it. Unfortunately I didn’t. The only knife I got rid of because I didn’t want it.

[TkoK83Spy]

Gayle Bradley 2 - When I first got this knife, I wasn't into knives that weren't stainless. I looked up the specs prior to my purchase, thought it was a bit heavy, the ergos didn't look to be the greatest, wasn't sold on the liner lock, thought it was a little on the larger side compared to what I typically like (PM2 I consider large for my uses) and this was even slightly longer.

Something about it appealed to me though. I waited for an Ebay sale, and managed to get it during one of the 15% off deals and also made an offer. I got it brand new for $117! I knew I couldn't pass up that deal. It is now one of my favorite 3 knives that I have. It's stout, yet elegant. Feels great in my hand, cuts like a laser and carries well for the size. I absolutely love this knife and would never sell or trade it. A definite keeper for me.

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

I did not expect to like the Manix that never changed.

I did expect to like the Yojimbo2 and did at first but then stopped liking it.

I did not expect to like the Military absolutly love it.

Was unsure about the Lionspy full Sized... Loved it so much I purchased two of them.

Was unsure about the Spydiechef was afraid I made a huge blunder when I opened the box and saw how tiny it is. Then after using it for a while Wowy wow it then dawned on me to put the cutting edge up against a full sized MIlitary and was shocked to discover very little difference in the slicing area due to the blade shape with it's huge belly.

Wound up buying two Spydie Chef's

Was unsure about the Pacific Salt Serrated, was unsure about the FRN Handles. Was unsure of the steel. Still prefer G-10 and all other handles to FRN the up and down play when cutting downwards through a piece of cheese is annoying. Hope the Stretch2 coming in is different. The H1 Steel does not hold as well at first but it is getting better with use I dulled the factory edge on cardboard immediately. After use and sharpening it is getting better. End result love the knife use it daily it lives in the kitchen but wish it had G-10 Handles.

[MichaelScott]

Liked - Lil’ Native
Didn’t (multiple times) - Delica 4

[Spydergirl88]

Not expected to love but did: Mantra 3
Expected to love but didn't: Too many to name but will go with the Santoku kitchen knife. Hate that thing.

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

Not expected to love but did: Mantra 3
Expected to love but didn't: Too many to name but will go with the Santoku kitchen knife. Hate that thing.

Laughing I had a Sikayo Kitchen Knife from Chris Reeve hated that thing, Ex-Wife claimed it in the divorce (after she had already chipped the blade I never felt like fixing from her abuse.) Man was I relieved she didn't want a paramilitary 2 or something I really like!

[wrdwrght]

PM2. Among my first Spydies. Bought on rep alone. Respected it but didn’t love or even like it. Love the half dozen (for different steels) I now have (carry one frequently). I held off getting a Millie (now have two) because of my PM2 reservations, and they are interfering with my PM2 carry.

GB1. Loved it but no longer (haven’t carried it for years). Not really into hollow-grounds, and have never felt I could get a secure grip. Still respect it, not least because it offered an easy avenue to wondrous M4.

[Brock O Lee]

These two turned out to be just excellent:

Pits - wasn’t sure if I would miss the lock, but it just works, and is silky smooth. I do not even think of it as a slipjoint anymore. Blade and handle are quite beefy and oozes quality, and it has an exceptionally comfortable grip.

Chaparral ti - most reviews complained about the weight of the ti model. I think it just feels nice and solid while still light enough to wear unnoticed in shorts. Love the thin blade and thin handles, both the same thickness as that of a Vic alox Cadet.

[agony]

My Spyderco experience has always been with Delicas and the various hawkbills.
I didn't buy into the PM2 hype until recently, despite owning a few over the years. Now I absolutely love it.
Also in the same vein I have been very surprised at how much I love the Para 3. I got my first one only a few weeks ago and have been carrying and using it daily.

[Marko]

Spyderco Brouwer. Liked it on paper but expected it be an “eh” impulse purchase. Ended up falling in love with it until I lost it last week... very sad. Looking to pick up another in Jan or Feb after recovering from Christmas spending. Great ergos. Made me realize how little blade I needed for 90% of my daily cutting tasks. One of the best knives I’ve bought in years.

Gayle Bradley Advocate. Almost bought one of his mid-tech versions and then Spyderco released the Advocate. It seemed to be everything I wanted. I had a great experience with the GB1 on a deployment, so Gayle’s designs are very near to my heart. I bought one of the first runs. No issues with the bearing pivot on mine. I just never connected with it, in hand or otherwise. I often feel like I need to give another go, but I don’t see much chatter on the forums about it either.

[Mattysc42]

Sliverax.
I had no idea what to think about it when I bought it alongside 2 other knives. I was leaning towards not particularly liking it a few days after i got it because it cut me with the tip several times when closed. I dropped the tip by grinding the spine a couple mm and it’s now easily one of my favorite knives.

Manix 2 blurple.
I thought I would love this when I bought it, which was reinforced when I got it in hand and it fit me perfectly. However, after about 200 hours of use and thousands of feet of cardboard cut at work, I realized that I hate the way s110v sharpens and cuts, regardless of finish. Then I accidently dropped it a couple feet onto concrete, and it snapped in half. I couldn’t bring myself to care too much about the loss, even though the knife was expensive, so I used what was left as a practice piece for my new 2x48 belt sander. I use my manix xl when I want something similar nowadays. That said, I will definitely be buying a 20cv manix when dlt releases them. I know from my use of the mule team 23 and benchmade 550-1 and 551-1 that I love 20cv.

[Wartstein]

The Shaman was a big surprise for me. It was a knife I never intended to buy. Got one in multi knife trade, thought I'd check it out for a bit and either sell/trade/gift it. I have been in love with it ever since. Feels great in hand, the smooth 3D g10 is great, it's got a good weight to it, like the big full flat grind (starts thick but tapers nicely). It slices well for a hefty knife, like the flat spine and compression lock, carrys well in the pocket... for a knife I got on a whim, it's become one of my absolute favorites.

Can only second that. Admitedly, I still do not OWN a Shaman myself at the moment, but I got to handle one. It is by design NOT my kind of knife, since in larger blades I normally look for light weight and long cutting edge in relation to the closed length (so I am not a fan of large choils in general). Both not exactly the strong points of the Shaman. Never thought I could like it.
But: The Shaman just somehow connected with me as soon as I had it in hands. You probably all no that feeling: You really do NOT need that kind of knife from a practical standpoint, but it just feels so good in hand, even when not cutting stuff.

[JD Spydo]

A few years back when I got my very first STREETBEAT I immediately thought that it was way too small for a fixed blade. It wasn't until I actually EDCed a STREETBEAT until I discovered that it was actually ideal as a daily carry.

Also speaking of fixed blades the SWICK was a most pleasant surprise as well.