Spyderco Forums

I don't think anybody likes the Chap more than me I'm a big fan of this model,
part of the reason is I love the thin slicey blade.

But if your not doing any hard cutting...a longer blade doesn't seem necessary.
If you plan on doing some hard cutting you probably need a little thicker blade stock.

RobDigi wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:43 am

I don't think anybody likes the Chap more than me I'm a big fan of this model,
part of the reason is I love the thin slicey blade.

But if your not doing any hard cutting...a longer blade doesn't seem necessary.
If you plan on doing some hard cutting you probably need a little thicker blade stock.

I have to disagree: What about food prep? Or generally cutting softer stuff with larger diameters?

Isn't the Caly 3.5 essentially a larger Chapparal with the same thin blade?

Wartstein wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:52 am

RobDigi wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:43 am

I don't think anybody likes the Chap more than me I'm a big fan of this model,
part of the reason is I love the thin slicey blade.

But if your not doing any hard cutting...a longer blade doesn't seem necessary.
If you plan on doing some hard cutting you probably need a little thicker blade stock.

I have to disagree: What about food prep? Or generally cutting softer stuff with larger diameters?

I would probably buy a longer version just because I like the thin blade ..
I don't know tho the Chap already feels like I could bend it pretty easy!!

Zatx wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:54 am

Isn't the Caly 3.5 essentially a larger Chapparal with the same thin blade?

Caly has 3mm bladestock as far as I recall, Chap 2mm..

Peter1960 wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 06, 2019 5:17 pm

The Deacon wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 04, 2019 3:13 pm

While I love the Chaparral, I'm not sure how well its handle would scale up. To be honest, my "ideal" Spyderco would be a Stretch (preferably the size of a 1st Gen Stretch 1) with a 2mm thick (or thinner) VG-10 blade...

My thoughts and wish also ... will it ever happen?

I'd say there's zero chance of it happening as I described it. They'd pretty much have to start from scratch, as none of the parts from the 1st Gen. Stretch 1 (SS/Kraton handled version) would be usable, and the tooling may not even exist anymore. One based on the 2nd Gen Stretch 1 (assuming the tooling still exists) or the Stretch 2 might be more feasible, at least some parts would be usable. Still, the Stretch is something of a niche model to begin with. Not everyone who likes it would want a thinner blade, and there'd be at least some risk of sales being negatively impacted by knuckle draggers making YouTube videos showing them using one as a sharpened prybar with the inevitable result. The way I see it, the Chaparral is positioned as a gent's knife, so fewer people are going to buy it for "hard use".

Zatx wrote: Isn't the Caly 3.5 essentially a larger Chapparal with the same thin blade?

No. The Caly 3.5, Cal3, Calypso, and Calypso Jr. all have 3mm thick blades, while the Chaparral has a thinner, 2mm thick, blade.

Wartstein wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:30 am

Thanks for your input! Not always better, correct, but maybe an interesting option in some applications? Lateral forced do not ALWAYS happen...

:) Yeah, I know, bro. I'm really liking the Natives lately because they still slice just great, and they're thicker than the Delica (stronger).

Jazz wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 07, 2019 10:15 am

Wartstein wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:30 am

Thanks for your input! Not always better, correct, but maybe an interesting option in some applications? Lateral forced do not ALWAYS happen...

:) Yeah, I know, bro. I'm really liking the Natives lately because they still slice just great, and they're thicker than the Delica (stronger).

I somehow like my Native but find myself not carrying it too often: It has just the size in which a fingerchoil is somewhat annoying to me: The Native is not so small that you would NEED a choil to get a good 4 finger grip (if the rear part of the choil wouldn´t take away grip area on the handle), but small enough that the remaining blade length in front of the choil is rather short... Imho choils are ok in really small and than again in rather large knifes, not in native-sized ones...

I have changed my mind. This is a good idea.

Doc Dan wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 04, 2019 7:34 pm

I have changed my mind. This is a good idea.

OP here, glad you like the idea. :)
Hope Sal considers contemplating a longer Chap...

There is not a “no” choice in the poll. Never the less, I vote no. The Chaparral is a highly refined knife and doesn’t need changes. I’d say get a thin blade knife that’s a bit longer although I don’t see what practical difference that would make.

MichaelScott wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 06, 2019 2:46 pm

There is not a “no” choice in the poll. Never the less, I vote no. The Chaparral is a highly refined knife and doesn’t need changes. I’d say get a thin blade knife that’s a bit longer although I don’t see what practical difference that would make.

Actually I offer 3 "no"-choices in the poll, but I guess you mean just plaln "no" without any preformulated reason for it? You'd be right, that's missing

Just out of interest: In your last sentence you mean "what a practical difference" a longer blade or a thinner blade would make?Especially a thin, slicey blade profits from beeing a bit longer in my experience: Lends itself towards foodprep, where often things with larger diameters are to be cut. Even a cardboard slicing motion works more smoothly and better with a longer thin blade Imho.
And generally such a quite thin blade (2mm) longer than 3 " is missing in Spydercos lineup as far as I am aware of.

I have been a believer in thinner and thinner blade stock since purchasing my first regrind. Fast forward a few years and getting to experience the 1.7mm stock of the original FFG, MBS-26 Catcherman has taken this belief to a whole new level. I would prefer a Caly 3.5 in this thin stock. I think given the right steel and heat treat that a durable slicer could be produced in 2mm or less.

xceptnl wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 07, 2019 5:17 am

I have been a believer in thinner and thinner blade stock since purchasing my first regrind. Fast forward a few years and getting to experience the 1.7mm stock of the original FFG, MBS-26 Catcherman has taken this belief to a whole new level. I would prefer a Caly 3.5 in this thin stock. I think given the right steel and heat treat that a durable slicer could be produced in 2mm or less.

Never owned a Caly, but just from the looks of it I see where you're coming from. I think probably a thinner Caly would be as good as a longer Chap.

A Caly3.5 with a 2.5 mm blade stock ground very thin behind the edge would be my choice.

Something like an even thinner Sage 2 would be the perfect thing I think for many people. If anyone here has owned a Cold Steel Code4 they'd know that you can fit a very thick blade suited for fairly hard use(by folder standards) and fit it in aluminum scales so thin it almost dissappears in your pocket but is also tough and sturdy enough to out perform 99% of folders out there - according to their stress tests. Now if you make Sage, and slap the same handles/hardware/washers similar to the Code4 as far as the slimness of profile goes, and then thin the blade just a tad bit more, youd have a beautiful slicer-oriented spyderco version of a code4, but even thinner... almost uncomprehendable considering how thin the code4 is, but so is the chaparral. I love the code4, it is such a tough and massive folder that is so thin it can be carried around with such incredible ease, id imagine a sage built like it (but thinner and for less hard use) would be the bees knees for sure.

I'd like a longer version. For me I'd prefer a 31/2 to 4" blade. A seriously good food prep knife.

FRN handle would be fine for this utility/camping kitchen knife.

I'm game. I haven't tried anything from Taichung yet!

kennethsime wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 05, 2020 11:07 pm

I'm game. I haven't tried anything from Taichung yet!

Thanks for joining the "quest"!

Said it several times already:
Each time I use my Chap FRN, I just know that a longer version of it would make for a great EDC knife (and I deliberately say (only) longer, cause I personally would like the other dimensions (blade- and handlethickness ("-thinness"), blade height and so on) to remain exactly the same).

I am thinking about PM2 blade dimensions, so lets say 3.40 " blade, and 3.00" actual edge. Sure this would be no "prybar-knife", but on the flip side could do perhaps 90 % of all daily knifetasks better than a thicker blade.

I personally honestly think, that in a folder (NOT fixed blade!) most "hard use" tasks are better done with rather short, stubby thick blades anyway, while it is the LONGER general "cutting" blades that lend themselves more towards being better in a thinner version.

considering the performance aspects of opinel-thickness bladestock, I'd be down for a "Rather Large Chap".