Spyderco Forums

Most of you who know me do know that I'm a particularly big fan of many of Spyderco's older models. Particularly from a time period I affectionately like to refer to as "The GOLDEN ERA of SPYDERS ( 1998-2004). But not only limited to that time slot. Oh there are a few new models that have caught my eye but I find myself still wanting older models with newer materials.

So with this thread I would like to see what everyone's Top 5 GOLDEN Spyderco OLDIES are and how they rank. You could even tell us why you like those particular models. I'm kind of wanting to restrict this to models released before 2008. Because I believe up till that date many of those older models have kind of set the stage for a lot of the great models we've seen in recent years. OK here is my list of my Top 5 Spyderco GOLDEN OLDIES

(1) C-60 Massad Ayoob PE & SE
(2) TEMPERANCE 1 fixed blade PE & SE
(3) Dodo ( PE & SE)
(4) JD SMITH PE & SE
(5) C-56 ZOWADA ( PE & CE) >>> OK show us your Top 5 Spyderco GOLDEN OLDIES

Great idea for a thread!

1- C36 Military circa 1997/98.
2- C55 Starmate
3- C07 SS Police
4 - C15 Bob T, G10
5- C50 Centofante II

I love the evidence of some handwork on the original Military. It seemed to have new improvements every second week back in those days. There were many combinations available as they morphed. Blades, handle construction, clips, steel, etc. a timeless Classic.
I remember going into my local gun store and seeing some with the ats34 and 440V, fully serrated, plain edge, some had jimping on the choil, some didn’t. Old clip, new clip, handle pins, I even bought one that had no etching on the blade at all. All in stock at the same time.

The Starmate was just a gorgeous knife with great grind lines and shared the fantastic eccentric pivot pin of the Military- great invention.
The C07 is just a classic.
IIRC the C55 was the first of the custom collaborations and the first to use G10.....I think
The Centofante was just a sleek design and very classy.

Here are my top 5...errr...6. And I have to throw in what I would want to see in a sprint run...just because its fun to dream! :)

1. Spyderhawk SE - FRN Salt with TiCN coated H1 SE blade and neon glow in the dark scales
2. Jester - FRN Salt with TiCN coated H1 SE and PE blades and neon glow in the dark scales
3. C95 Manix - DLC 3V with Blurple Peel Ply G10 and keeping the original "dino jimping"
4. Worker - Lightweight FRN Salt with TiCN coated H1 SE and PE blades and toxic green scales
5. Ocelot - DLC 4V with Red Peel Ply G10 (made in Golden)
6. Starmate - DLC Cruwear with Black Peel Ply G10 (made in Golden)

I wouldn't mind seeing another ocelot. It's a very playful design

I'm gonna have a browse through the collection when I'm home to try a get a top 5 :D I'm a sucker for older models...

curlyhairedboy wrote: ↑

Thu May 09, 2019 7:35 am

I wouldn't mind seeing another ocelot. It's a very playful design

I too liked the OCELOT design overall. But the handle with the Paw Prints was kind of a turn off for me. I had an experience once using one on wild game and the residue got trapped in those hollow paw prints and stunk pretty bad. And I had one helluva time cleaning it. I liked all those WEGNER designs of the late 90s/early 2000s. The OCELOT would have been my favorite if it would have had a conventional G-10 or CF handle. If they ever do a Sprint Run of it I would prefer a CF handle on that one.

Some very interesting picks so far guys. I got a feeling this is going to get interesting. :cool: :)

I learned about the Goddard the other day and I gotta say, it's looks like a really cool knife that might be worthy of a new Sprint Run

JD Spydo wrote: ↑

Thu May 09, 2019 12:57 pm

curlyhairedboy wrote: ↑

Thu May 09, 2019 7:35 am

I wouldn't mind seeing another ocelot. It's a very playful design

I too liked the OCELOT design overall. But the handle with the Paw Prints was kind of a turn off for me. I had an experience once using one on wild game and the residue got trapped in those hollow paw prints and stunk pretty bad. And I had one helluva time cleaning it. I liked all those WEGNER designs of the late 90s/early 2000s. The OCELOT would have been my favorite if it would have had a conventional G-10 or CF handle. If they ever do a Sprint Run of it I would prefer a CF handle on that one.

Some very interesting picks so far guys. I got a feeling this is going to get interesting. :cool: :)

I actually really liked the paws, but yeah, I wouldn't be using it to process game due to what you described! Lol! I also really like all of the old Wegner designs. The Terzuolas and Walkers as well. Some great knives that I think would do well if they were done in Golden with some steels like Cruwear, 4V, K390, M390, CTS-XHP, Elmax, etc. The expense of Japanese G10 and the lack of steels like the ones I described would make them difficult to succeed as Japanese made models.

If I keep it strictly to new designs that first came out between 1998 and 2004, that I have first-hand experience with, then this would be my top 5 of that era:
1) C65 Lum Chinese Folder
2) C69 Lil' Temperance
3) C75 Kiwi
4) C83 Persian
5) C70 ATR

Great thread idea!

Oh, and as long as I'm wishing....

Could I get a Persian and Kris with screw construction and modern steel? Maybe BD1N to drop the price a bit?

1) Chinook 1
2) Ulize
3) 440V serrated Military
4) Original Manix
5) 80mm Manix

Mr Blonde wrote: ↑

Thu May 09, 2019 1:46 pm

If I keep it strictly to new designs that first came out between 1998 and 2004, that I have first-hand experience with, then this would be my top 5 of that era:
1) C65 Lum Chinese Folder
2) C69 Lil' Temperance
3) C75 Kiwi
4) C83 Persian
5) C70 ATR

Great thread idea!

That's a really high tech set of GOLDEN OLDIES there Mr. Blonde :)

For the one Brother the ULIZE is a bit too new to qualify as a GOLDEN OLDIE>> but in a way I don't blame you for putting it on your list. I still would love to try that model in SE.

The only 1 I really have is also one I wish they would bring back with new materials.
It is the Michael Walker plain edge.

rabbitanarchy14 wrote: ↑

Fri May 10, 2019 1:57 am

The only 1 I really have is also one I wish they would bring back with new materials.
It is the Michael Walker plain edge.

That original CF handled Michael Walker collaboration of the late 90s is probably in the top 3 of Spyderco "Holy Grail" collectilbes. The design never really appealed to me personally but the one I got to handle was a well built unit. After checking out one of the original fixed blade LUM models this past weekend I would have to rank that one up there too.

I've got some honorable mention units from the GOLDEN ERA of SPYDERS.
(1) The Impala
(2) The Carbon Fiber Harpy
(3) The C-111 Captain
(4) The STREETBEAT
(5) The C-54 Calypso ( the Grandfather of all the Calypso Series)

Wow!! there are just so many models from the GOLDEN ERA of Spyders that haven't yet been mentioned. And I know that there are a lot more of you who are also big fans of many of the older Spyderco models. Actually models like the STREETBEAT can be included in that lineup.

The Impala model really didn't get popular until it got discontinued. But try to find one now for a decent price :rolleyes: .

Making a big showing here might just give the company incentive for the next few Sprint Runs.

JD Spydo wrote: ↑

Sat May 11, 2019 2:12 am

Wow!! there are just so many models from the GOLDEN ERA of Spyders that haven't yet been mentioned. And I know that there are a lot more of you who are also big fans of many of the older Spyderco models. Actually models like the STREETBEAT can be included in that lineup.

The Impala model really didn't get popular until it got discontinued. But try to find one now for a decent price :rolleyes: .

Making a big showing here might just give the company incentive for the next few Sprint Runs.

I do really like the Impala (sans gut hook) as well as the old Terzuolas, Wegners, and Walkers. I would want to see them all made in Golden though with steels like Cruwear, 4V, XHP, CPM-154, and all the other great steels we have to choose from over here.

The three Spydercos I carry the most, namely the Stretch, Kiwi, and Jester, are all models that were introduced in that era as was my favorite Spyderco fixed blade, the Moran Drop Point. To bring it up to five, I'll just add the WTC Knife

The Deacon wrote: ↑

Sat May 11, 2019 5:16 am

The three Spydercos I carry the most, namely the Stretch, Kiwi, and Jester, are all models that were introduced in that era as was my favorite Spyderco fixed blade, the Moran Drop Point. To bring it up to five, I'll just add the WTC Knife

Hey Hey!! Now I remember back in the day about maybe a few years back you liked the KIwi and Kopa models both. What happened to the Kopa?
Frankly I iike the Kopa better than the Kiwi because I can hold on to it easier. Come to think of it though I haven't even seen a Kopa model in quite some time.

And this one guy who just mentioned the JESTER model really got my attention because that was another one I hadn't heard talked about in a while. I actually used to have two of those Burgundy, Micarta JESTER models at one time and I couldn't believe what some guy over at BF traded me for them.

I don’t really buy into the Golden Age/Golden Oldies idea in any context. The idea too often encourages snobbish purity tests, or lamentations for a lost world, and, so, I distrust it why it gets brought up.

But there is no doubting that most of the fine Spydies available since I joined the Forum do have their precursors in the early catalogs. It’s one of the reasons I like the Stretch so much.

Occasionally, I have gotten curious about what changes have been made to a model, such that I want an “original”. But the hollow-ground on the Stretch’s precursor is one reason I don’t want a Hunter (C03).

Two I now treasure are the Calypso (C54) and the foliage green Manix sprint (C95).

But neither are actually Golden Oldies, given the timeframe chosen here. The first is a latter-day sprint of a former production knife; the other is an original sprint but one too recent.

JD Spydo wrote: ↑

Sat May 11, 2019 9:07 am

Hey Hey!! Now I remember back in the day about maybe a few years back you liked the KIwi and Kopa models both. What happened to the Kopa?
Frankly I iike the Kopa better than the Kiwi because I can hold on to it easier. Come to think of it though I haven't even seen a Kopa model in quite some time.

And this one guy who just mentioned the JESTER model really got my attention because that was another one I hadn't heard talked about in a while. I actually used to have two of those Burgundy, Micarta JESTER models at one time and I couldn't believe what some guy over at BF traded me for them.

Well, JD, the Kopa didn't come out till 2005, so I figured it was out of your date range. Heck, the Stretch barely made it, they hit the street in late November of '04.

As for the Jester, the burgundy Micarta one is my favorite. Got my first one in '03 and have had it on my keychain since. Only a hair heavier than the FRN version, because it has no liners, and much lighter than the lined grey G-10 Sprint.