Which Spyderco for prying with tip?

[5-by-5]

Lum tanto is super stout. Some pry tools hang on the pocket too.

[Pelagic]

I haven't used it for any prying, but my jumpmaster could probably handle some HEAVY prying before it saw any damage. Solid thick H1 with a blunt sheepsfoot tip.

[MichaelScott]

Use any one you want to.

[Wartstein]

It doesn't surprise me that a lot of people don't understand this.

I have never used any spyderco for prying aside from the byrd rescue 2. It honestly works well as a light prying tool. If the Tusk wasn't such a small knife, I'd probably have purchased it a long time ago and I'd be posting about the marlin spike right now.

Some people have jobs where they need to get a task done immediately. There is no "Um, nope. I'm going to go get a pry bar for that". All you'll do is anger your superior and as soon as you walk off, someone else will use their cheapo knife to complete the task, so you'll be walking up with a pry bar for nothing. Then immediately they'll say "put that back where you found it" and now your crew has worked several minutes without you because you had to be "Mr correct tool for the job". Not a good look, and you would probably eventually get fired or sent somewhere else for being like that.

At work, for the longest time, I carried my s110v military, a byrd rescue 2, and a small crescent wrench attached to a carabiner clip. Being able use tools for multiple tasks saves time and makes your life much easier when you work yourself to the bone and wake up in pain every morning. I often used the crescent wrench to open rusty shackles that were seized up. I'd often use my byrd to start unraveling a cable so I could roll an eye. Sometimes the crescent wrench completed tasks more suited for a hammer. Sometimes the byrd opened a can of paint or epoxy. Using these tools, which were already on me, for these various tasks (and many more) saved me countless steps, trips up and down stairs and ladders, boat rides, and mini lectures. It made life easier and better.

I know I can't be the only person that's been in a similar situation. And let me just say, I have never used a military, pm2, or even a Shaman for prying. The ONLY model I've used was the byrd rescue 2. So am I advocating prying with spyderco knives? No. Am I strictly against any and all prying with knives? Also No. And I'm certainly not going to act like someone else is stupid for doing so. This was a legitimate question, not an invitation to ridicule the OP or anyone that has used a knife to pry something. Plus, when this happens, the person on their high horse is just demonstrating their inability to maintain an open mind.

+1
That´s about what I wanted to comment, you just did put it more directly.

If I am not in a hurry and have a dedicated prying tool (or cheapo knife) at hand, sure I´d never use my Spyderco folder for prying.

But I may bring once more my example of having to unload helicopter loads (brought in a cargo net) very quickly (cause they have to be unpacked and moved out of the way till the helicopter brings and puts down the next load): I always use my Delica combo edge sabre grind for that (and will use my Pac Salt SE in the future probably)
IF there is need to pry some stuff, SURE I´ll do that with the tip of that Delica. The thick sabre grind tip isn´t exactly a splinter picker in the first place anyway, and on this particular model I don´t look for a fine, acute tip at all.
The sabre grind VG10 tip can take some prying easily, and I don´t mind if it dulls a bit.
My folders are just tools, and I love to use them (as tools), of course without deliberately ruining them

Honestly, I prefer the slightly stouter Endura 4 (ffg!) tip over for example the more acute PM2 tip, exactly because the Endura tip is still fine enough for my needs (can remove ticks or pick splinters for example), but can also take some very light prying if need be. One example for what I mean: I had to lever /"pry" the lock of my post box a bit to repair it: I did not take the time to get a dedicated tool, but took the Endura in my pocket to do so - carefully, of course, but after all this is a TOOL and I carry it to use it. 99 % of the time for cutting of course, but also for other tasks if there is the need for it and I know the blade can take it.

Just for me personally, and no offense meant to anyone: I can understand it much more if people really use their knives and maybe even rsik damaging them, than people who probably only carry their expensive folders around all day but hesitate to even get scratches on the blade...

[jpm2]

The only tips I've broke were stainless, except for one zwear.
90% of the broken tips I've fixed for others were stainless.

[Bloke]

I don’t pry anything with any knife but I’ll used the spine of a closed folder to pry a coffee lid or similar.

I find it’s way easier to just whittle a makeshift pry bar/wedge from a stick with a pocket knife than risk snapping it’s tip. :)

[Bdubs808]

So I was watching Forged in Fire the other day, and the judges performed a tip strength test; simply jamming it in some wood and torquing the blade to see if the wood would give or the tip.
Was feeling too adventurous and whimsical earlier tonight and performed the same test on my S110V Millie. Here is the result:
I was 99% expecting this result, but it was liberating none the less to go ahead with the (unnecessary) experiment.

[BornIn1500]

Being able use tools for multiple tasks saves time and makes your life much easier when you work yourself to the bone and wake up in pain every morning.

This is why I always carried multi-tool pliers for farm work. Having a dedicated knife made no sense for that job. But there were still some occasions when I only had a knife and it had to stand in as a multi-tool when needed. Can't be afraid to pry when your job calls for it. After a couple years, that knife looked like it was put in a blender for a few minutes. As much as I like top quality knives, I stick to cheap beaters for hard farm work.

[jpm2]

So I was watching Forged in Fire the other day, and the judges performed a tip strength test; simply jamming it in some wood and torquing the blade to see if the wood would give or the tip.
Was feeling too adventurous and whimsical earlier tonight and performed the same test on my S110V Millie. Here is the result:
I was 99% expecting this result, but it was liberating none the less to go ahead with the (unnecessary) experiment.

Don't think I've ever tried that just for the heck of it. Most of my tip prying is paint can type lids, staples and some other miscellaneous stuff.

I once had to pry the latch of a public bathroom stall door open when the handle fell off and bounced away out of reach. It was either that or crawl out under the door on my belly.

[bearfacedkiller]

Lionspy, Shaman and Military. The Lionspy is stout! I don't have a Lum Tanto but I believe it is stout as well.

[carrot]

Know that when you are prying with the tip of your knife you are taking a risk. The risk of a snapped tip, the risk of slipping and cutting yourself.

I'm on FB group for Spydercos and the #1 most common snapped tip there isn't a particular model, it's a steel. That steel is S110V. Which makes sense because of the tradeoffs that steel makes for its extreme edge holding and corrosion resistance.

Honestly I think the best knives for prying with are from a company that I won't name that replaces blades practically at cost. They're all built like wedges and don't cut great anyway. Most models from Spyderco are built with extreme cutting performance in mind and make some tradeoffs in durability for agility and better slicing action.

In picking a blade to pry with, choose something where the grind stays fat almost all the way to the tip. A lot of people recommended the Shaman, which is certainly built tough enough but I'd be pretty bent out of shape if I screwed up a nearly $200 knife.

So instead I'll recommend the sabre-grind Delica/Endura in VG-10, the Byrd Cara Cara 2 Rescue, or any of the H1 Salts (Pacific or Salt 2 particularly). You'll trade off some deep cutting performance, but plenty of steel behind the tip for prying.

Pelagic is really on to something with the Byrd Cara Cara 2 Rescue as a beater. That thing is just made for abuse, the lockup is solid and the blade is quite thick.

And if you're going to pry a lot of things, consider a pocket prybar. They work great; I keep one on my keys to save my knives.

[bdblue]

I don't pry with knives unless absolutely necessary.

Years ago I worked in my father's garage, and carried a traditional folder that he had handed down to me. The main blade had the tip snapped off so I ground it nice and square and used it as a pocket screwdriver. It could also cut wire, belts and hoses. I sharpened it with a bench grinder so it had its own serrated edge. This was long before multitools were available and I've often wondered how well I would have done with one of the better multitools.

[Bloke]

I was 99% expecting this result, but it was liberating none the less to go ahead with the (unnecessary) experiment.

Hey Bd, sorry to see your knife without it’s tip and I know what you mean when you say you were expecting the result. It was the same for me chopping chicken bones with my Province. :rolleyes:

It’s strange but I can’t go past an electric stock fence with out touching it myself to feel if it is indeed live. Ah, hahaha! :eek:

[Tims]

So I was watching Forged in Fire the other day, and the judges performed a tip strength test; simply jamming it in some wood and torquing the blade to see if the wood would give or the tip.
Was feeling too adventurous and whimsical earlier tonight and performed the same test on my S110V Millie. Here is the result:
I was 99% expecting this result, but it was liberating none the less to go ahead with the (unnecessary) experiment.

Condolences for your loss mate. Your post did make me laugh though :D

[jdw]

^^^Wonderful demonstration of why they make pry bars, and it also made me laugh as well. Sometimes you just can't help yourself! ^^^

[blendergasket]

I would not pry with any of my spydercos. My jaakaripuukko or my cold steel drop forged hunter do prying work though.

[dreadpirate]

Clipi Tool?

[knivesandbooks]

Whattabout the Advocate. Pretty stout tip.

[SaltSerious]

Enuff Salt