Spyderco Forums

JuPaul wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 28, 2019 10:50 pm

Out of 36 people that responded to Vivi's earlier poll, 33 people responded that their spyderco collections consist of fewer than 25% fixed blades. And of those people (myself included), most said they have numerous fixed blades, just not many spydercos. So the question that follows is: Why do you tend to choose other fixed blades over spyderco ones?

Personally, my 6 fixed blade knives are all outdoor/wilderness users btw 3.5"-7" that get abused waaay more than my folders. But I find it hard to really beat up an expensive knife, so I don't like to pay more than $100-150 for my fixed blades. I also gravitate toward grippy micarta scales and more bushcrafty designs. So there's just not much that fits my criteria in the current Spydie catalogue. I'm giving the Bow River a shot as my #7 as a slicey little mushroom hunting knife.

I don't have a good reason to. I carry folders way more often than fixed blades.

Vivi’s poll was about Spyderco FBs, not FBs in general. I have just the Waterway and will soon have an Enuff Salt. Why so few?

I came to Spyderco looking not for FBs but for folders, ones large enough to take on some of an FB’s functions yet ride conveniently in a pocket.

I’ve had FBs of some description going on 60 years and I’ve pretty much zeroed in on what I want from them. By the time my Spyderco affliction began, I had winnowed my accumulation outside the kitchen to about ten (ESEEs and Blind Horse Knives/LT Wright Knives, mostly).

Spyderco’s WaterWay and Enuff Salt give me options my other FBs can’t unless I take tedious precautions. Other Spyderco FBs certainly perform functions that I need but my non-Spydercos have already proven their worth to me. If it ain’t broke...

Seems lots of us are into LT Wright, ESEE etc.

Think Spyderco should try their hand at something more traditional, like a micarta scaled kephart in O1/A2/1095? Or do you prefer they keep doing their more modern, high tech style knives while other makers fill that niche?

Vivi wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:09 pm

Seems lots of us are into LT Wright, ESEE etc.

Think Spyderco should try their hand at something more traditional, like a micarta scaled kephart in O1/A2/1095? Or do you prefer they keep doing their more modern, high tech style knives while other makers fill that niche?

I think it'd be cool to see more combinations of the two: new twists on the classics with modern lines but more traditional materials. For example, a South Fork-like trailing point design with micarta scales and 1095.

Using a fixed blade as an edc is not my thing. I can carry a folding edc everyday and typically use the fixed in the kitchen, outdoors, or gardening, which I don’t do as often.
I like the spyderco fixed blades that I have but there is a lot of competition at both ends. Some good cheap fixed blades but also the custom fixed blades are not that much more, unlike the custom folders.

Vivi wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:09 pm

Seems lots of us are into LT Wright, ESEE etc.

Think Spyderco should try their hand at something more traditional, like a micarta scaled kephart in O1/A2/1095? Or do you prefer they keep doing their more modern, high tech style knives while other makers fill that niche?

I think the Glesser impulse is to explore the new rather than rekindle the old.

True, the Ethnic series is “traditional” but most knives in the series will have been surprising—to Americans particularly—not just because of their points of origin but because of Glesser flourishes on the theme. To be sure, collabs, as well as Sal’s and Eric’s own designs, have been markedly innovative and sometimes “out there”.

I reckon other knife producers can carry on with the traditional patterns, especially ones known to North America, which will include some Glesser designs in 50 years.

I hope Spyderco continues to take chances.

I do have several, and I like them. If I was an old time mountain man, it would be fixed blades all the way. However ....

1 - folders are an easy no-brainer to carry every day, whereas a fixed blade is not.

2 - Spyderco fixed blades always seem surprisingly expensive. They always seem to be significantly more expensive than a folder, which I have never understood. It seems like a folder would have more parts and be more expensive to manufacture. I would love to own the Ankerson Bowie, but I'm not sure I will ever talk myself into spending that much money.

Vivi wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:09 pm

Seems lots of us are into LT Wright, ESEE etc.

Think Spyderco should try their hand at something more traditional, like a micarta scaled kephart in O1/A2/1095? Or do you prefer they keep doing their more modern, high tech style knives while other makers fill that niche?

I am going to say, it all depends on model. My point of view is that a lot of fixed are a bit overpriced for what they are. Esse 6 is around 150+ Eur here....and its only 1095 and micarta, like not the latest high tech. So I though it was better to go for custom one in the same price (with Sleipner and micarta).

Many fixed blades in 1095 or O1 are a bit too pricey. I have made some knives at home and its not rocket science. And when you are making them at higher volume, cost should be a bit lower (like you are not cutting them by hand, someone else cut them with water jet......and so on).

I think that Bow river is a step in right direction mainly because of the price. You are not going to think twice if it is too pretty for outdoor use.
I would love to see some fixed blade with Spyderco DNA with O1 and micarta at a reasonable price like 100 Euros. (You can do it Spyderco). Someting like a Temperance 2 at lower price point......that would sexy as ****.

Some good points made that a lot of the Spyderco folders actually encroach a bit onto the traditional territory of 'belt knives' or fixed blades.

I used to carry my HAP40 Stretch as a backup to a custom 4" Loveless style drop point when deer hunting. Then I noticed that often I was deploying and using the Stretch without really thinking about it, when I had a deer to field dress.

Sometimes I would stop and take out my fixed blade and keep working with it, until I gradually realised I actually preferred the Stretch.

Now, I often don't carry a fixed blade on my person at all when hunting (although I usually have one in my pack).

Likewise, when I'm in the garden, or processing some game meat which has been hanging to age for a few days, I'll often choose the Gayle Bradley 1 when I would normally change up to a fixed blade.

I remember the first time I was out camping and hunting in the Victorian High Country for a week, just after I bought my first S30V PM2. Me and my mates usually wear a preferred belt knife at all times in that kind of environment. When we were heading back home, I realised that I'd hardly used the fixed blade at all for camp duties, I think it was only used to baton up a bit of kindling. The PM2 had handled all the camp knife chores with ease.

Of course a stout fixed blade can do things I'd never contemplate with a folder, but it was an interesting realisation.

One of the things that I want in my knives these days as well, is a high quality heat treat. I know when I'm getting a Spydie fixed blade that I'm getting a benchmark, industry heat treat, as far as production knives go.

Questioning many custom makers about their heat treat, it may not even be equal to Spyderco's standard, for example they may not be equipped to do deep cryo, or they may outsource to a commercial heat treater who treats a whole forklift load of workpieces in an industrial oven at once, including pieces which are much larger than hand knives.

I think it would be cool to see some Spyderco Ethnic type traditional fixed blades, but if we were to think back to those old school bladesmiths, I don't think they were necessarily thinking of making knives which were similar to their forefathers' blades - they just wanted to make the best possible cutting tools and designs with the materials and techniques they had at the time.

Spyderco's motivation seems to be the same. It's just that materials, scientific knowledge and understanding of design has advanced since then.

I do have a bunch'o Spydie fixed blades. Between the kitchen knives, mules, H1's, Phil Wilson's, and others, the count adds up. Really liking the Waterway, great design and steel. When moving into the higher end knives, there are a lot of nice custom fixed blades out there vying for the $$. The Province is a VERY nice and functional multi-use knife that I suspect is selling well to true knife aficionado's. Kudo's to Ankerson, Sanders, and Spyderco for making this happen. When this one is gone, there will be a lot of people wishing they'd bought this knife.

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as for me there are a few reasons
/ one is that i can carry a bigger blade when it fold up into my pocket as where a big 8" plus solid piece of metal in my side.
/ price is another. i can find a fixed blade in a good carbon steel 1095 for under 75$
/ blade shape and size are another. i like the blade shapes on normal spyderco folders, the ark is the right size with a weird shaped blade and handle, the street beat is huge for me, and the enuff is close but too expensive for something i will rarely carry.
/ the way it carrys is another, i can have a 3" spyderco folder in my back pocket and it not bother me to sit on it, a fixed blade is not comfortable to sit down with. another is i can take my folder out of my pocket and not carry it in to work, if it was a fixed blade i would have a leather sheath because they look nicer, i would have to undo my belt and redo it to take off. not convenient at all.

I’m more of a Spyderco folder guy. All my folders are Spyderco besides a Chris Reeve Mnandi

But when it comes to fixed blades I tend to be more of a mixed brand buyer.
Usually a more expensive outlay ( like a Burt Foster - Talon EDC - ) as a fixed blade is my preferred knife for hunting and camping. Rarely take a folder hunting or camping but usually 3 fixed blades

"End of the line" for the mule team is slowing me down on spyderco fixed blades.

I used to think Spyderco fixed blades were overpriced. Now I find them to be a best buy given their build quality relative to their price [I don't do knives from China (low end) or customs (high end)].

Darn Dao, Respect, Jumpmaster 2, Enuff, and Ark are all on the shortlist...

CG

Vivi wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:09 pm

Seems lots of us are into LT Wright, ESEE etc.

Think Spyderco should try their hand at something more traditional, like a micarta scaled kephart in O1/A2/1095? Or do you prefer they keep doing their more modern, high tech style knives while other makers fill that niche?

Being more traditional seems counter culture for Spyderco. I would prefer their direction with fixed blades remain in line with company knife philosophy and see what comes from it. Mule Team, Tempereance, Jumpmaster, Fish Hunter, Aqua Salt, Enuff, Ark all seem to be doing this. They need to find a couple models that have widespread appeal (the pm2's & delicas of the fixed blade world) along with the smaller niche models. They have not yet tapped and dominate the hunter fixed blade market so maybe room for improvement here; and maybe the same could be said for neck knife models as well.

The Artisan models and culinary lines are fine but don't appear to be anybody's favorites on a large scale ... so maybe some room for improvement here too.

Micarta doesn't seem too abundant across all their offerings, fixed or folder, and I've always found this odd as I thought it was considered a decent functioning and often preferred handle material.

CG

You know, looking at the thread with Reject's fixed blade collection, there have actually been a lot of spydie fixed blades that appeal to my more "traditional" fixed blade sensibilities but still have that spyderco flare: the Hossom line, the bushcraft line, the junction, to name a few. I actually really like the Perrin bowie, too, although it's definitely outside my usual fixed blade MO. I think I just got into spydercos after most of these had been discontinued, but looking back at the spydie catalogue, several of these had pretty competitive msrp's, too, I think. But given that most of them aren't in production anymore, I'm guessing they weren't huge sellers, which is unfortunate for those of us that want to see more! Or perhaps they did fine and we'll see some sprint releases. Fingers crossed.

Some of our fixed blades were made the way they were simply because we could. Knives like the "Proficient" ( Chris Claycomb NASA Bushcraft), Respect, Bob Lum Darn Dao are exceptional designs made with top notch materials and very high quality. They'll still be classics in a hundred years, in my opinion, simply because of the custom build quality and materials. They probably won't go a second run. I always grab a few to stash as exceptional gifts to special people after they're gone.

sal

sal wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 08, 2019 3:55 pm

Some of our fixed blades were made the way they were simply because we could. Knives like the "Proficient" ( Chris Claycomb NASA Bushcraft), Respect, Bob Lum Darn Dao are exceptional designs made with top notch materials and very high quality. They'll still be classics in a hundred years, in my opinion, simply because of the custom build quality and materials. They probably won't go a second run. I always grab a few to stash as exceptional gifts to special people after they're gone.

sal

I think many of us on here would drool over your stash for days! :D

My Enuff Salt arrived today. What a fantastic knife (and CQI’d sheath). Why did I wait so long?

I use fixed blades in the kitchen.
If I go outdoor and I need a fixed blade I would use a machete or a cheap Glock FM.

I would not use a 450+ EUR knife. (= 3x Para 3 LW!).

Spyderco does not have the models I would like, i have more need for EDC folders and I am rarely willing to pay that prices.