I’m a Fireman/Paramedic in South East Florida for 26yrs and I carry the Chief And a Cruwear Military at the same time and I can tell you from person experience Cruwear Resists Rust better then I would have imagined !! I’ve been in Fires in the Summer time here with the Military in my Pocket and with that Suit on have lost 10lbs water weight with Sweat all over the Cruwear and have yet to encounter an issue.
It takes a **** of an edge and is tough as Nails !! I think Cruwear would take the CHEIF over the top and PLEASE Keep the Black G10 !! I’ve had Both Sweat and Blood on that Handle and still retained a positive grip on it !! Thank you Sal
Then here I am leaving fingerprint shaped rust stains on my carbon steel knives just from sharpening them in a warm garage :rolleyes:
I like the cruwear/micarta idea, but how well does micarta work on a linerless knife? I'd imagine it depends on scale thickness but I think it's not quite as stiff as similar thickness of g10. I like the look and feel of micarta but not if it ends up with scale flex. I'm pretty sure the unlined micarta buck 110 slim has some flex to it.
I'm pretty sure that the thickness on the Native/Chief would be nearly double that of the Slim 110. I doubt there would be any flex and if there was it would be negligible.
100% Down for CruCarta Native Chief!
Assuming blade HQ has the numbers correct, the slim 110 micarta is .40in and the g10 chief is .43 inches. Blade stock is .12 vs .125. sounds pretty similar unless they make a micarta chief thicker.
Scales on the 110 slim are .12" thick while the scales on the Chief are .15". Not huge but I also think the more robust back spring on the Chief makes the whole platform more rigid. Regardless I'm down for linerless.
Spyderco Caly 3.5 Super Blue user, Astute enthusiast, and geometry advocate.
The Chief reminds me of the backlock Manix and Police 4 in that they were discontinued without any sprints. Big knives — backlock knives, don’t sell the same as that sweet spot 3-3.5 inch blade. As much as I love the Chief, Police, and even Military for that matter, rarely do I feel the need to act quickly to avoid missing out the same way as when a PM2 or PM3 is available in limited form. The CruCarta Shaman was an entirely different animal; god-tier stonewashed super-steel, with sculpted micarta handle and everyone’s favorite compression lock. A Cruwear Chief doesn’t appeal the same way and although I’d personally be all over it, I have a nagging feeling the base model sales just aren’t there and it’ll soon go the way of the Police 4 within a couple years. The Police for that matter is an even more apt comparison. Big blade with a back lock but done up in the hottest steel of the moment (k390) and STILL didn’t sell! Still love my Chief, but I’m already resigned to learning to like S30V, a steel I’ve never quite clicked with.
I get the feeling the base model Shaman was kind of languishing in obscurity until the 4v and Cruwear sprints, though. Maybe a nice sprint would bring the Chief to a wider audience, that hasn't considered it yet.
The Chief reminds me of the backlock Manix and Police 4 in that they were discontinued without any sprints. Big knives — backlock knives, don’t sell the same as that sweet spot 3-3.5 inch blade. As much as I love the Chief, Police, and even Military for that matter, rarely do I feel the need to act quickly to avoid missing out the same way as when a PM2 or PM3 is available in limited form. The CruCarta Shaman was an entirely different animal; god-tier stonewashed super-steel, with sculpted micarta handle and everyone’s favorite compression lock. A Cruwear Chief doesn’t appeal the same way and although I’d personally be all over it, I have a nagging feeling the base model sales just aren’t there and it’ll soon go the way of the Police 4 within a couple years. The Police for that matter is an even more apt comparison. Big blade with a back lock but done up in the hottest steel of the moment (k390) and STILL didn’t sell! Still love my Chief, but I’m already resigned to learning to like S30V, a steel I’ve never quite clicked with.
Yep, it's rough being a Spydeco fanatic and preferring a minimum of 3.75" blades. At least the Police 4 in G10 was basically a sprint run with its K390 blade. Glad I picked one up, even if it isn't the best for summer carry. Incredible design, and incedible steel.
Isn't 3v more corrosion resistant than cru and 4v?
Think I'm actually leaning towards 3v as the go to all around semi-stainless steel thus far. Have recently purchased a few nice barkies in 3v.
Would like to see more spydies in 3v. Probably wishful thinking though due to m390, 90v, xhp, and everything else along that endless list of super steels.
Corrosion resistance isn't an issue for me (at all) because I live in the desert and carry clipped to a cargo pocket (no sweat issues).
My favorite of those 3 steels is still 4v, because it has the best edge holding and still maintains enough toughness for a thin edge. That's especially true on a small-ish EDC folder. Even in a (relatively) beefy folder like the Shaman I've found that I prefer 4v to Cruwear. Of course I have no 3v option to compare there, but my experience with other (mostly fixed blades) is that I personally rank those steels (in order of my totally subjective preference) as 4v -> 3v -> Cruwear, with 3v moving to the fore as the knives get larger (and fixed bladed) and Cruwear never really overtaking either 4v or 3v for my top spot.
Still, I'll definitely buy a Native Chief in any of these steels (and have no real interest in the standard version of it).
Myself as you also live in desert. Just going by certain parameters from reading mostly that 4v and m4 are about the same as far as corrosion resistance. Not that either will corrode easily, just that they can and will tarnish very easily compared to 3v. Little patina never really hurt nothing though. My only 4v knives are the fradon manix and ankerson bowie. Neither of which I've used enough yet to determine level of patinanes, new word made up just now...
