FRCP vs. FRN

[Catamount123]

Not a huge deal, as they are both very good handle materials. I find that I like the look and feel of FRCP a little better, though. What do others think?

[vivi]

I think there will be a lot of replies that will tell you FRCP feels slick and cheap, while not understanding that it has the feel it does due to the mold it was poured into.

FRCP can be textured numerous ways just like FRN.

I like them both equally. Never had an issue with either material. They're both light, strong and practical.

[Sumdumguy]

FRCP feels harder like plastic, FRN feels softer like rubber.

They both work great!

[VashHash]

I find frcp more prone to chipping when dropped. Frn bounces instead. I also prefer the way frn feels over frcp.

[BornIn1500]

I think there will be a lot of replies that will tell you FRCP feels slick and cheap, while not understanding that it has the feel it does due to the mold it was poured into.

So you're saying it's possible for them to make a translucent Delica with FRN? Seems to be more to it than just the mold.

[Jazz]

Give me FRN any day. I don’t think it’s just the molds that make FRCP slick. Could be wrong, but all my FRN is grippier, even the smooth stuff.

[vivi]

I think there will be a lot of replies that will tell you FRCP feels slick and cheap, while not understanding that it has the feel it does due to the mold it was poured into.

So you're saying it's possible for them to make a translucent Delica with FRN? Seems to be more to it than just the mold.

No, I'm saying injection molded polymers can be textured if the mold is textured, and vice versa. That the texturing isn't inherent to the plastic as much as the mold.

This goes for the heavily textured sides, and the "smooth" corners. The corners are given different levels of texture depending on the model, they're generally not completely smooth regardless of the plastic material. The "smooth but grippy" texture on the corners of the finger conntours of Delicas, Enduras and Salts can be done in either material.

Not every plastic blend can be run translucent.

[olywa]

I like them both. However I don't understand Spyderco's resistance to releasing more translucent FRCP variations. I'd love to see some gray, green, red and orange but these requests never seem to go anywhere. I think they'd sell well. I love my Manix 2 LW in translucent blue.

[Bloke]

more translucent FRCP

[The Deacon]

I prefer FRN. Mainly because, regardless of whether it's true or not, FRCP feels brittle to me so I have more confidence in FRN. In addition, I think transparent handles make a knife look like a toy and do not find that a desirable trait.

more translucent FRCP

IMHO, a transparent body on a butane lighter makes perfect sense. It allows you to instantly see how much fuel is left, and that's a desirable feature. A transparent handle on a knife, on the other hand, serves no useful purpose that I can see.

[Jazz]

I would actually really like a translucent Dragonfly. The toughness wouldn’t bug me so much on a small knife.

[steelcity16]

I think there is a lot of confusion around which Native/Manix models have FRN (if any) and which are FRCP. Is it really FRN in the Native or is it FRCP like the Manix? Are all Manix LWs FRCP, or just the translucent? If it is FRN in the Native, is it a different formula than the Seki FRN, or it the different feel due to the texture of the molds (smooth vs rough)? Was FRCP used for the translucency, or added rigidity over FRN needed for the Manix? Can the Manix LW be done with FRN instead of FRCP?

There is definitely a different feel to the Native and Manix than the Seki FRN models. I prefer the Seki style FRN. My all time favorite though it the Chap LW. I love the wafer thin scales, the feel of the FRN, and the FRN pattern (especially the stamped spydie logo in the middle!).

I did get a small chip in the black FRCP Manix LW handle where I have never chipped any of the many Seki FRN handles I own.

[Cscottsss]

I honestly didn't know I owned an FRCP Sypderco, but I guess I do. I bought a used Manix LW in translucent blue and always thought it was FRN, well I learn something new everyday!

I'm now excited to go home and compare it to my FRN handled Spydercos.

[Halfneck]

I prefer FRN over FRCP. FRN feels less "plasticy", and the edges on FRN knives are more rounded an contoured.

[knivesandbooks]

I like both.
Love how the frcp on my Native 5 feels.
Love how all my Seki models feel.
Not a fan of givory or whatever other companies are calling their formulas. It doesn't feel as good.

But Spyderco can keep both or do away with one or the other. I'll take either.

[vivi]

the edges on FRN knives are more rounded an contoured.

The amount of rounding depends on the shape of the mold, not the material.

If you bake a cake in a round mold, don't be surprised when it doesn't turn out square

[Bill1170]

I like both, but like FRN better. It is softer and tougher, and feels better in hand.

[BornIn1500]

I think there's more to it than just the molds. No matter how smooth you make FRN, it still has that "softer feel" than FRCP, which gets to the point where it feels glassy like a Lego. Show me a glassy FRN and it will change my mind.

[The Deacon]

the edges on FRN knives are more rounded an contoured.

The amount of rounding depends on the shape of the mold, not the material.

If you bake a cake in a round mold, don't be surprised when it doesn't turn out square

True, that's one reason why some folks are going to prefer the feel of the more rounded edges on the handle of the original Native Lightweight over that of the more squared off handles on the Native V Lightweight and Manix Lightweight, and vise-versa. I'd be interested to know if anyone who likes the feel of the FRN Calypso Jr's handle dislikes the feel of the Native V Lightweight's.

The texture built into the molds may also be a factor in the way the handle feels. Also, in the case of the Native V Lightweight there could very well be a difference in the composition of the FRN itself. FRN can vary in may ways. Nylon is not a single formula, it's an entire family of plastics. The glass fibers re-enforcing it can vary in length and thickness, and the ratio of glass fibers to nylon can vary as well. So the FRN in the Native V Lightweight may not be the same as that in the original Native Lightweights and is almost certain to be different from the FRN used by makers producing knives for Spyderco in Japan, Italy, Taiwan, and China.

[mattman]

I like them both. However I don't understand Spyderco's resistance to releasing more translucent FRCP variations. I'd love to see some gray, green, red and orange but these requests never seem to go anywhere. I think they'd sell well. I love my Manix 2 LW in translucent blue.

I have been asking for this all along, as well.

I'm surprised there hasn't been at least a translucent orange CS Exclusive.