GIN-1 ( G-2) Era: Spyderco's Beginning

[JD Spydo]

I've done threads on other eras throughout Spyderco's climb to fame. But one era I think most of us have overlooked as far as it's overall importance was the actual inception of Spyderco's great line up of knives. Or you can just call it the GIN-1 era. Because for a significant amount of time knives with GIN-1 ( or G-2) blades is all they offered at the beginning.

As I've talked to fellow knife enthusiasts over the years most of them really turn their nose up even at the mere mention of GIN-1 blade steel. But at the beginning that was the only blade steel selection Spyderco had for the first few years. I would say that most of the relatively newer members here active on the Forum now at this time slot really don't know much about the GIN-1 era. Much less did they ever use any of the older Spyders with GIN-1

My very first Spyderco folder that I bought in the Spring of 1995 was a GIN-1, full SE stainless Mariner model. That was my first high quality serrated knife and I loved it. But it wasn't long after that time that Spyderco started making a bigger selection knives with more blade steels like ATS-34, AUS-8 and ATS-55 along with the first Crucible blade steel I remember and that being 440V ( S60V).

But throughout the years I've actually had fond memories of the GIN-1 era. I still like that blade steel for serrated folders >> but I will admit that I would never go back to a plain edge with GIN-1 because we just simply have a lot better options in PE. OK let's talk about the GIN-1 era.

[TomAiello]

My very first Spyderco was a G-2 Snap-it. I actually bought two of them. I still have one, in the glove box of my truck. It was by far the best knife I'd ever bought at the time, and I EDC'd it through graduate school.

[CXXX]

I have 3 GIN-1 models, Worker Spyderedge Tuffram, Police Tuffram, and a Police G-10. 2 Delica's with G-2 steel one with a Black Ti blade. All great early Spyderco's.

[JD Spydo]

I have 3 GIN-1 models, Worker Spyderedge Tuffram, Police Tuffram, and a Police G-10. 2 Delica's with G-2 steel one with a Black Ti blade. All great early Spyderco's.

You sure don't hear much about those TUFRAM models anymore. I had a TUFRAM Civialian model at one time. Again I still like serrated GIN-1 models.
In Spyderco's early going most people were not aware of the different blade steels like many of us are now at this time. Spyderedged/serrated GIN-1 units are still very good to use IMO.

[JD Spydo]

My very first Spyderco was a G-2 Snap-it. I actually bought two of them. I still have one, in the glove box of my truck. It was by far the best knife I'd ever bought at the time, and I EDC'd it through graduate school.

I had that same SNAP-IT and REMOTE RELEASE model both in G-2. I'm kind of surprised that those models are not still in the main line up with the popularity of all this rock and mountain climbing is gaining.

Even in the early going of the HARPY and POLICE models they got their start in the GIN-1 era. I think it's fair to say that with all the great selections of different blade steels that Spyderco really set the stage for people being so picky about which knife steel they prefer. Because there was a time and it wasn't all that long ago that no one gave a hang about what steel their knife blade was made of.

[5-by-5]

I love G2. I have many models in G2. No one could convince me it's not a "great" steel.

[JD Spydo]

I love G2. I have many models in G2. No one could convince me it's not a "great" steel.

Hey thanks "5 by 5" because I had almost forgotten that those GoDDard models were at one time made with G-2 ( GIN-1). Many of the classic models got their start with GIN-1. I think that the very first run of the Jot Singh Khalsa model was GIN-1 back in the late 90s.

The GODDARD models I had were all VG-10. I might have had one of the older ones before I joined the Forum.

[The Mastiff]

Hello Joe. I too have pretty fond memories of Gin 1/G2 steel as it was the steel my first few Spydercos were made of. I've said before it was the first stainless I respected and back then would only carry carbon steel knives. It was good in PE and SE and though it was decent enough at corrosion resistance for it's time frame it seemed to me to be the first stainless I encountered that was balanced with the big 3 attributes and was IMO a better knife steel for my purposes than 440C. ATS 34 / 154cm was the first stainless steel afterward that I liked better and thought was an improvement.

I have steels I like better now including VG 10 but I still have a few Gin 1 Spydercos and occasionally will use them. They are still good performers for me.

[JD Spydo]

Hello Joe. I too have pretty fond memories of Gin 1/G2 steel as it was the steel my first few Spydercos were made of. I've said before it was the first stainless I respected and back then would only carry carbon steel knives. It was good in PE and SE and though it was decent enough at corrosion resistance for it's time frame it seemed to me to be the first stainless I encountered that was balanced with the big 3 attributes and was IMO a better knife steel for my purposes than 440C. ATS 34 / 154cm was the first stainless steel afterward that I liked better and thought was an improvement.

I have steels I like better now including VG 10 but I still have a few Gin 1 Spydercos and occasionally will use them. They are still good performers for me.

One of the very first Spyders that I EDCed full time was a RENEGADE, combo edge model with GIN-1 blade steel. I carried it for about a whole year until I got my ATS-55 full sized C-44 Dyad model and EDCed it for about a year too. For years I've thought how cool it would be to bring back the RENEGADE model in one of the supersteels. I loved so many of the older models out of the GIN-1 era.

I still rate GIN-1 ( G-2) as one of the better blade steels for serrated/Spyderedge blades. I think that ATS-55 and VG-10 that both followed the GIN-1 were both better blade steels for plain edges especially.

[The Mastiff]

I still rate GIN-1 ( G-2) as one of the better blade steels for serrated/Spyderedge blades. I think that ATS-55 and VG-10 that both followed the GIN-1 were both better blade steels for plain edges especially.

ATS 55 was a fine steel as well. Sometimes I overlook it but that isn't because I don't like the steel. I remember how sharp that ATS 55 steel seemed to get in the serrated edge knives I used. Maybe it was just easy to sharpen but the edges I saw on my SE Enduras and Delicas was dangerously sharp at least in my memory. :)

I had an ATS 55 ( IIRC) Renegade also. It was an eye catching knife that I've often wondered why didn't catch on bigger than it did. There are several I wouldn't mind seeing in a new high performing steel like K390 and the Renegade is one. The Goddard had a nice feel and is another one I'd like to see a sprint of. Who knows if that sort of thing is even possible now. I'd imagine a lot of the old tooling is gone for the old Seki models and it would be like engineering a new model cost wise to bring it back. They would all be expensive and would have to fight for production slots with more modern and possibly better selling models. A lot of knives I'm nostalgic about wouldn't be the best decisions business wise for Spyderco as a company. I'm fortunate that I have my originals of the ones I like the best so I can spend time with them at least.

[JuPaul]

Like you said, JD, the gin-1 era was before my time in spydieland, but of course I've seen it mentioned here lots of times. So tell me about the steel - is there a modern equivalent?

[James Y]

Unfortunately, I missed out on Spyderco’s Gin-1/G2 era. I bought my first Spyderco in ‘97, and it was an AUS-8 Delica with the molded Zytel/FRN clip. So I never got to experience Spyderco’s Gin-1. Maybe it was still being used in models at that time, but I never got any of those.

The only knife I’ve ever owned in that steel was a Benchmade Panther, bought in the late ‘90s, in which the steel was labeled as G2. The knife was well-made, but its cutting performance wasn’t good, I put that down to its overly-thick blade/geometry rather than the steel itself.

Jim

[JD Spydo]

Like you said, JD, the gin-1 era was before my time in spydieland, but of course I've seen it mentioned here lots of times. So tell me about the steel - is there a modern equivalent?

I have no idea which of the newer generation of blade steels you could fairly compare it to. But it sure was the main blade steel in the earlier models for quite some time. Also one must never forget that GIN-1 is what helped make Spyderco into the company that it has evolved into this present time.

It took decades of very satisfied customers for Spyderco to grow to the proportion that it has become in the last 10 years or so especially.

And Like I said I would not turn down even a newer Spyderedged model if it had GIN-1 or 440V either for that matter.

Spyderco also should be given credit for being the company that made stainless steel knives that could really perform. Because all the older guys still cling to carbon steels knives only. Because most of the older stainless cutlery steels would even get dull cutting butter. Now they outperform any high carbon steels. Spyderco as a company had the courage to see it through.

[The Mastiff]

is there a modern equivalent?

Hello Julia. Yes, CTS BD1 is the same composition but made by Carpenter here in the US.

[Woodpuppy]

My first Spyderco was the Worker in G2 in ‘94. I loved that knife and carried it exclusively for several years. My second was a Remote Release in AUS8 in ‘98 at geology field camp in Taos, NM. When my Jansport blew out its zipper from carrying rocks, I had to replace it. The shop in Taos also sold Spydercos and when I saw that Remote Release I had to have it. I’d never seen anything like it; easily as revolutionary as the pocket clip.

Then I was lured away by thumb studs for a time, and I regrettably sold the Worker. The Remote Release found duty stripping glue off aluminum arrow shafts when it was time to refletch my arrows, and it’s lived in my archery tackle box for nearly 20 years. The big SE scallop conforms
nicely to a 2314/2315 shaft to remove the old fletching and glue.

I missed Spyderco’s take on ATS34/55, and 154cm if they used it, and returned to Spyderco with the Para 3 in CPM-M4 in ‘18. I was looking for a new knife after many years accumulating and using BMs, my last primary user being the BM525. That Para3 silhouette just screamed Spyderco to me. It’s like a beefier Worker model in an exotic steel. And I was hooked back in!

At the time I bought that Worker, I have no recollection of even being aware of other steel names. I had a Sog Pentagon, but don’t really remember if the steel name was stamped on it or not. My best knife before Spyderco was (and I still have it) a stag handled Damascus Buck 110. I had a Taylor SETO “Golden Dragon” butterfly knife with brass handles that was marked as “surgical”. Wish I still had that one, but one of my college buddies still has it. Had/have a few SAKs as well, still don’t know anything about their steel.

All that said, I got along with the G2/GIN1 just fine. At the time all my sharpening was on a big Arkansas stone. It was always a point of pride to have a very sharp knife, as I’d been taught since I was given my first knife. My college friends and I all would try to catch each other knifeless; we called it a “Spyderco check” and you were to be mercilessly ridiculed if you were discovered without your knife. Good times! Now since we all live in different states we do Spyderco checks via text.

[Woodpuppy]

is there a modern equivalent?

Hello Julia. Yes, CTS BD1 is the same composition but made by Carpenter here in the US.

That would explain why I did so well keeping that old Worker sharp. BD1 gets a seriously sticky edge! My Squarehead is amazing to sharpen. Doesn’t keep that crazy edge long, but it’s easy to get it back.

[JuPaul]

is there a modern equivalent?

Hello Julia. Yes, CTS BD1 is the same composition but made by Carpenter here in the US.

Wow, that's interesting. I have an alcyone with bd1 - haven't carried it in a long time, but I really liked the model and it was very easy to sharpen.

[JD Spydo]

is there a modern equivalent?

Hello Julia. Yes, CTS BD1 is the same composition but made by Carpenter here in the US.

That would explain why I did so well keeping that old Worker sharp. BD1 gets a seriously sticky edge! My Squarehead is amazing to sharpen. Doesn’t keep that crazy edge long, but it’s easy to get it back.

Maybe my RENEGADE must have not had that great of a heat treatment. My RENEGADE was a Japan made unit>> The RENEGADE and BLACKHAWK both of the GIN-1 era were made in GOLDEN, CO and Japan both. I think all of the few ATS-55 units of those models were Japan Made. I would love to find one of those RENEGADE models in combo edge in ATS-55.

The reason I say that I must have not got a RENEGADE with a decent heat treatment is because I never could get the plain edged portion of the blade to hold an edge for any length of time. I'll have to check out BD1 because I've heard some good reports about it. I didn't even realize that the two blade steels were so close to each other.

[Mini2white]

Here are a few of mine to add to the story. I love the old blades and still use some.

[Big50]

I’ve had my Delica 1 since about 1992.
It was out of my league as a poor college student, but I had to have it!
It’s still a nice knife and in some ways I prefer it to the Delica 4.