Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
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Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
This small knife has surprised me with its great performance at heavier tasks. Today I was out in Minnesota cold, breaking down a few boxes for recycling. Substantial cardboard included Chewy boxes which held ~30-40 pounds of canned cat food and cat litter boxes that don't crush when you jump on them (empty). The knife had superb cutting performance and kept going. CTS-XHP, good steel hardening, and thin stock made this daunting task much easier than I expected. Heavy gloves and a Carhartt coat also helped :)
Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
I really like the cutting ability of the chaparral. It is quite the slicer.
Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
I'm still trying to decide which one to get. I'm kinda bummed I didn't buy the stealth Ti one during the sale last year.
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Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
They're incredible little knives. Sal had gifted me with a pre-production CF Chaparral shorty before I started packing up to move from NY to SC in 2011. I decided to use it as my go-to knife for packing. Cut all kinds of cardboard, everything from cereal box thin to the tri-wall stuff used for major appliances, and lots of it. Among other things, had to protect the glass from 3 curio cabinets that had glass shelves and glass panels in the sides and doors. Chaparral performed like a champ.
Paul
My Personal Website ---- Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting ---- Spydiewiki
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My Personal Website ---- Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting ---- Spydiewiki
Deplorable :p
WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
The stepped ti ones are still on sale at KC for $200!
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"Be excellent to each other." - Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
I passed on those, not a fan of the pattern.
"If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so."
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Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
You’ll run into comments now and again to the effect that the thickness of the blade stock doesn’t really matter—that it’s the thickness behind the edge that makes for a good cutter. But the Chaparral just won’t bind up in a cut. You give up some leverage using such a small knife, but you need less.
Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
Great to have another advocate for the Chap as not-only-lite-duty-knife!!! :)Bruce Mack wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 6:43 pmThis small knife has surprised me with its great performance at heavier tasks....
I´ve said it before and I say it again: I´ve used and tested my Chap FRN in a lot of "harder"use tasks (bushcrafting, harder wood and so on). It is perfectly suited for that, solid enough and in many cutting tasks just superior due to its thin stock.
I mean, the only part of the blade you could really break (snap of) in any not overly crazy test (deliberatley inveneted to break a blade) is the tip. And due to the lead shape the Chaps tip is not that weak. I´d guess perhaps stronger than a PM2 or Para 3 tip...
/ Another great thing:; In real use the Chap is really stable and locked in the hand. Honestly, in my experience more stable than a Native 5
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
Sounds so good, can’t wait to get my own. The Chap is definitely next on my buy-list but am holding out for that sun and moon version that’s coming up...
On deck: FRN Chaparral
Moved on: Techno 2, SpydieChef
Excited to get: UKPK Heinnie Haynes edition, Lil'Kapara (bring it on! :D )
Moved on: Techno 2, SpydieChef
Excited to get: UKPK Heinnie Haynes edition, Lil'Kapara (bring it on! :D )
Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
The Chaparral is awesome. I won't use it for very dirty or mucky tasks because it appears harder to clean than some other lockbacks but as far as I'm concerned it's otherwise all the knife I need. It literally just disappears into the pocket and I love the glass smooth, precise action.
And wow, CTS-XHP. Its abrasion resistance is excellent and it's more than stainless enough for me. Carpenter is really killing it with their steels.
And wow, CTS-XHP. Its abrasion resistance is excellent and it's more than stainless enough for me. Carpenter is really killing it with their steels.
Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
Is there another CQI of the Chap LW headed our way? I saw Sal mention it in a recent thread but can't find it.
Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
How recent? And are you sure he was talking 'bout the Chap?!
Honestly, what on earth could possibly still be improved here?! :confused:
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
IIRC Sal may have mentioned CQI on the carbon and raffir scales like was done on the FRN scales recently in regards to clip placement and clip groove depth. Not sure tho... working from memory.
The improvement would be for clip mounting durability and retention.
Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
They did a CQI to the mold related to the clip mounting.
Did they also CQI the lockbar? Maybe add a chamfer? I vaguely remember seeing something.
Did they also CQI the lockbar? Maybe add a chamfer? I vaguely remember seeing something.
Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
I know, but the clip mounting thing was the FIRST cqi..
Csscotsss is talking bout a SECOND one I think... but as Enactive said, it might be just the same cqi but this time on the cf and raffir versions (the first one was just for the FRN I think)
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
Ok, I found it, and yes he's talking about the Chap. The reason I couldn't find it was it was on BF, not here.
Sal never replied to my last post in the thread so no more info on when this will happen.
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/the ... t-19439371
Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
The stiffness of the spring. I don’t own one, but have one on order (FRN is backordered everywhere) and that seems to be the most common issue for that comes up. The new batch hopefully has that fixed.
Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
I like the way mine came concerning the spring, but admittedly it's my "hardest" to operate backlock knife.Gamecock wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2020 8:26 amThe stiffness of the spring. I don’t own one, but have one on order (FRN is backordered everywhere) and that seems to be the most common issue for that comes up. The new batch hopefully has that fixed.
Still I personally saw no need to adjust the spring, but I guess you know that this can be done quite easily (though one has to disassemble the knife in order to do so) ?
But yes, you are right if a majority of consumers like a "softer" spring in the first place, it could come like this right from the factory perhaps.
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
Yeah, I'm going to wait until the most recent CQI to grab one. Hopefully Sal will chime in and give us a timeframe.Gamecock wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2020 8:26 amThe stiffness of the spring. I don’t own one, but have one on order (FRN is backordered everywhere) and that seems to be the most common issue for that comes up. The new batch hopefully has that fixed.
Re: Breaking down boxes with Chaparral
The spring does break in if you use it for awhile. It's weird. I've never had any other Spyderco need a break-in period like the Chaparral. My Chaps are now no harder to unlock than a Caly or Delica.
Another knife company that makes lockbacks that rhymes with Bold Meal also needs to break in.
Another knife company that makes lockbacks that rhymes with Bold Meal also needs to break in.