Spyderco Forums

TkoK83Spy wrote: Not trying to be disrespectful, but I thought I've read you said your a collector and not a user? I admire your collection, it's amazing! But if you don't actually use your knives, it's difficult to form an opinion I would think?

I'm also not trying to be disrespectful but, being a knife collector doesn't necessarily mean you never use a knife. As a knife collector, I have more knives in my collection that get used than you own in general. I also have more more knives that have never so much as sliced a piece of paper than you own in general.

What is the point of asking someone if they think their own opinion is valid?

TkoK83Spy wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:36 pm

SpyderNut wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:57 pm

I couldn’t agree more on on the small blades. (Most of my other preferences are unpopular, so I’ll just stick with this one for now. )

Not trying to be disrespectful, but I thought I've read you said your a collector and not a user? I admire your collection, it's amazing! But if you don't actually use your knives, it's difficult to form an opinion I would think?

That is a good question, Rick. No offense taken. Just to clarify, although I do purchase Spyderco knives primarily to collect instead of use, I do have a number of "users" consisting of various shapes/sizes/brands that I do use on a near-daily basis. I also carry almost every knife I own from time-to-time, just to get some insight on how certain models carry and feel in-hand. These insights are a big help when designing a new knife. I will usually make a prototype of a design out of G-10 or wood to get a basic proof of concept, and then I'll carry that around for a while to determine what needs to be tweaked before moving on to the "real" materials. Once the knife is made, I will cut various types of media with it to determine what I like and what I'd like to change on the design. (So I guess you can say I'm kind of a hybrid user/collector of sorts. :) ) Over the past several years, I've tended to gravitate towards smaller knives (2"-3" blades) because I find they are easy to carry (less cumbersome) and are adequate for what I need in a knife.

Spydergirl88 wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:49 pm

Michael is a knifemaker/designer (Spyderco Reinhold Rhino for an example to anyone that doesn't already know). He's also a collector of vintage spydies and one of the nicest and longest tenured members of this forum. I look forward to seeing more of your designs in a spydie collab in the future!

Thank you, Spydergirl, you are very kind! I hope you like them. Although, I'm probably not one of the nicest members here, hahaha! I can think of several others, such as yourself. :)

Mushroom wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:11 pm

TkoK83Spy wrote: Not trying to be disrespectful, but I thought I've read you said your a collector and not a user? I admire your collection, it's amazing! But if you don't actually use your knives, it's difficult to form an opinion I would think?

I'm also not trying to be disrespectful but, being a knife collector doesn't necessarily mean you never use a knife. As a knife collector, I have more knives in my collection that get used than you own in general. I also have more more knives that have never so much as sliced a piece of paper than you own in general.

What is the point of asking someone if they think their own opinion is valid?

I've had the same thing said to me, for collecting edged weapons. Before I delve in to this, a knife is a tool, and it is applied to some task, and the task performed makes the knife useful for some purpose.

I'm 60. I cannot possibly control people the way that I did when I was 25, or even 40. If it comes to a struggle, I will deploy a knife if I have to. I am NOT going to be hospitalized by some street thug. Not if I can help it.

I've been told that collecting knives for various encounters or outings for the purpose of self defense means that I never use my knives, but what am I supposed to do, order a knife to carry for a dinner party and wait for it's delivery? Don't you think that I should have classy dress knives for just such an occassion? Or, if during the Winter here in the Chicagoland area, I need to penetrate a Winter coat, and three heavy shirts to defend myself....I need to have such a tool before Winter hits.

Just because I have all these knives does not mean that I will not use them...and sure, maybe 5 to 10 of the knives I do not need, but the majority of them have specific functions. And as far as use goes, if and when it is deployed, it needs to work. That means that it cannot be a daily user. It has to remain unused until put in to action.

Everyone has different needs.

I do not see car collectors taking the same kind of grief for having a car in a garage and never driving it. Auto makers do not seem to get the same grief for making cars collectable or limited. Takes a lot of different players to field a team. Go team knife!

Hey Michael,

Thank you for your reply, though totally unnecessary on your behalf. I never realized you were an actual knife designer and apologize for feeling that I had overstepped my boundaries here. As I said, I meant no disrespect...which I'm glad you noted right away in your reply.

I just based your post off of what I've seen you post before, which Nick had pointed out...who am I to judge?? But I will say, I've always noticed your incredible and rare collection that you have and envy/respect that!

Thank you for being understanding and not taking my post the wrong way, as it easily could have. I'm also sorry for not realizing who you are and what you have accomplished in the knife world. You won't hear another peep out of me :o :cool:

ykspydiefan wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 30, 2020 7:01 pm

I do not see car collectors taking the same kind of grief for having a car in a garage and never driving it. Auto makers do not seem to get the same grief for making cars collectable or limited. Takes a lot of different players to field a team. Go team knife!

You must not be in the car scene bud!! The automobile industry is MUCH worse for having a garage queen car that a safe queen knife!!! Heck, guys get trashed for not driving their cars in the rain...not driving it at all??? That's a whole nother level.

Plus we're taking about a $40,000 + investment, not a couple hundred dollars on a folding knife. Those that can invest that kind of money in a car, and not actually drive it are looked down upon because it appears they bought something for profit, didn't build it for the enjoyment of their labor.

TkoK83Spy wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 30, 2020 8:11 pm

...Those that can invest that kind of money in a car, and not actually drive it are looked down upon because it appears they bought something for profit, didn't build it for the enjoyment of their labor.

Too true! Around here it’s motorcycles. They’re known as the “$20k/20mile” guys. Mostly white collar guys that buy a $20k+ Harley, and will never put more than 20 miles on it.

TkoK83Spy wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 30, 2020 8:11 pm

ykspydiefan wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 30, 2020 7:01 pm

I do not see car collectors taking the same kind of grief for having a car in a garage and never driving it. Auto makers do not seem to get the same grief for making cars collectable or limited. Takes a lot of different players to field a team. Go team knife!

You must not be in the car scene bud!! The automobile industry is MUCH worse for having a garage queen car that a safe queen knife!!! Heck, guys get trashed for not driving their cars in the rain...not driving it at all??? That's a whole nother level.

Plus we're taking about a $40,000 + investment, not a couple hundred dollars on a folding knife. Those that can invest that kind of money in a car, and not actually drive it are looked down upon because it appears they bought something for profit, didn't build it for the enjoyment of their labor.

I'll have to tell my brother and my neighbors they are all bums then.

My brother has a 70 GTO convertible and he's looking to do a frame off. He's owned the car since the early 80's and street raced it when it was in poor condition but now wants it mint, and he certainly does not plan to drive it in the Chicago SALT Winter snow or rain once the frame off has been done.

My danged neighbors!!! One has a late 60's Jaguar XKE convertible and the other has a 2020 Vette. All bums!!!

Back to knives... :p

I like lamination lines and clad steels. :eek: :D :cool:

P.S. would also never buy a car or truck I wouldn't drive the $hit out of... :D

Yeah, not in the car scene. I do know a couple collectors who are regarded more like custodians, taking care of a collection until it passes to the next custodian. I respect their ability to not drive the cars in their care.

Staying on unpopular knife opinions, fixed blades on belts are pokey, catch on stuff and are generally in the way. I like a good folder in the pocket and a better fixed blade in the bag where it belongs.

Enactive wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 30, 2020 9:11 pm

Back to knives... :p

I like lamination lines and clad steels. :eek: :D :cool:

P.S. would also never buy a car or truck I wouldn't drive the $hit out of... :D

+1

Forgot that on my own list! I like looks, functionality of and history behind cladded steels!

Nothing more personalized and unique than an HAP 40 / SUS 410 blade, patina-ed on the HAP 40 and scratched and used looking on the SUS410 part. No HAP 40 blade will look the same, and mine, well, just like "my" knives... :)

My unpopular opinions:

1 - My opinion is that I don't care if you are a collector or not.
2 - I don't like small knives. Para 3 and smaller are toys in my book.
3 - I don't like the Sebenza, no matter how great people say it is, it doesn't do a thing for me.
4 - I think S30V is great stuff.
5 - I think linerless knives are just fine, even great!
6 - I don't really have any lock type I don't like. I am lock type agnostic or at least neutral.
7 - looks don't matter if it works well. I am pragmatic to the core.
8 - I hate thumb studs more than words can express.
9 - I'm just not interested in the Japanese Spyercos

I forget all my other unpopular opinions. I guess they aren't strong enough for me to remember.

Tucson Tom wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 30, 2020 10:32 pm

My unpopular opinions:

1 - My opinion is that I don't care if you are a collector or not.
2 - I don't like small knives. Para 3 and smaller are toys in my book.
3 - I don't like the Sebenza, no matter how great people say it is, it doesn't do a thing for me.
4 - I think S30V is great stuff.
5 - I think linerless knives are just fine, even great!
6 - I don't really have any lock type I don't like. I am lock type agnostic or at least neutral.
7 - looks don't matter if it works well. I am pragmatic to the core.

I forget all my other unpopular opinions. I guess they aren't strong enough for me to remember.

I agree with all of these except for partially 2 and 7. For 2, a small knife is useful when you need to avoid cutting too deeply into something. For 7, if two knives have comparible performance, the one I find better looking is the one I’ll get, 10 times out of 10. Luckily for me, I like most blade shapes aside from the pm2/delica style cheese wedge.

Aside from these, my unpopular opinions are:

Thumb studs ruin a knife completely.

The wider and thinner a blade is, the better.

Anything thicker than 4mm at the spine when the primary grind is less than 1.5” tall is bad design on a tool made to cut efficiently.

A sturdy tip is much more useful than a super pointy tip.

Flippers are useless on Spyderco knives because the Spydiehole is far more versitile.

Low sabre grinds, regardless of flat, hollow, or convex, is by far the worst style of grind.

Full hollow grinds are the best grind. They are also among the rarest.

Serrated blades are horrible as beater knives, because they take exponentially longer to repair damaged edges on. Far less abrasive surface area to work with compared to even a small bench stone.

Comfort in hand is much more important than comfort in pocket on a knife.

Cruwear isn’t a particularly good steel for knives smaller than 5” and s30v is outright better on folders.

High quality sharpening equipment and super abrasives are worth their weight in gold. The hundreds of hours saved sharpening any steel more wear resistant than vg10 is worth far more than the cost of a top of the line Wicked Edge Pro setup for anyone who uses their knives enough to need regular sharpening.

Probably more to come later.

Nail nicks make sense on tiny pocket knives.

Spyderhole is so much better than thumb studs that I avoid the latter. (Probably not an unpopular opinion on this forum!)

Ball bearing pivots are a solution to a problem I’ve never had, and sacrifice durability/simplicity in the process.

Naperville wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 30, 2020 5:46 pm

I've had the same thing said to me, for collecting edged weapons. Before I delve in to this, a knife is a tool, and it is applied to some task, and the task performed makes the knife useful for some purpose.

I'm 60. I cannot possibly control people the way that I did when I was 25, or even 40. If it comes to a struggle, I will deploy a knife if I have to. I am NOT going to be hospitalized by some street thug. Not if I can help it.

I've been told that collecting knives for various encounters or outings for the purpose of self defense means that I never use my knives, but what am I supposed to do, order a knife to carry for a dinner party and wait for it's delivery? Don't you think that I should have classy dress knives for just such an occassion? Or, if during the Winter here in the Chicagoland area, I need to penetrate a Winter coat, and three heavy shirts to defend myself....I need to have such a tool before Winter hits.

Just because I have all these knives does not mean that I will not use them...and sure, maybe 5 to 10 of the knives I do not need, but the majority of them have specific functions. And as far as use goes, if and when it is deployed, it needs to work. That means that it cannot be a daily user. It has to remain unused until put in to action.

Everyone has different needs.

Thanks for the perspective on SD in winter. It makes total sense that you want an “as new” SD knife that you know will work when called upon, instead of ol’ Trusty Rusty that may let you down in you moment of need. In FL the only thought I give to thick clothing is from a hollow point perspective, and Hornady handles that with the flex tip in their Critical Defense & Critical Duty ammo lines. Of course a heavy cast solid will penetrate thick clothing as well. But I don’t live up north where winter padding can be a real issue.

Mattysc42 wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 31, 2020 5:04 am

Tucson Tom wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 30, 2020 10:32 pm

My unpopular opinions:

1 - My opinion is that I don't care if you are a collector or not.
2 - I don't like small knives. Para 3 and smaller are toys in my book.
3 - I don't like the Sebenza, no matter how great people say it is, it doesn't do a thing for me.
4 - I think S30V is great stuff.
5 - I think linerless knives are just fine, even great!
6 - I don't really have any lock type I don't like. I am lock type agnostic or at least neutral.
7 - looks don't matter if it works well. I am pragmatic to the core.

I forget all my other unpopular opinions. I guess they aren't strong enough for me to remember.

I agree with all of these except for partially 2 and 7. For 2, a small knife is useful when you need to avoid cutting too deeply into something. For 7, if two knives have comparible performance, the one I find better looking is the one I’ll get, 10 times out of 10. Luckily for me, I like most blade shapes aside from the pm2/delica style cheese wedge.

Aside from these, my unpopular opinions are:

Thumb studs ruin a knife completely.

How could I miss thumb studs, which I hate with a passion -- I would rather open a knife with my teeth, Thank you!
It wasn't too late to edit my post and add this as a number 8. I threw in a number 9 for good measure.

I think part of the point with this thread, was that we expect to disagree and can just speak honestly about how we feel as a thinking (or unthinking as the case may be) individual.

It takes all kinds to make a world and if other people like thumb studs and/or Sebenzas, that is great and I don't feel anything negative or an attack on my self worth if they say so. Same about smaller knives. My exception would be the native 5 -- there is just something right about that knife, so when I want something small and light, that is my choice. It does tend to get lost in my pocket alongside the sardine cans, axe handles, and other stuff, so it is the sort of thing I carry in a pack pocket.

As for looks -- when I first looked at the Manix, I said, "?? eh, what !!?" -- but it has become one of my all time favorites. It was like magic the first time I got one in my hand. How was this knife made just for me?

Woodpuppy wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 31, 2020 3:06 pm

Thanks for the perspective on SD in winter. It makes total sense that you want an “as new” SD knife that you know will work when called upon, instead of ol’ Trusty Rusty that may let you down in you moment of need. In FL the only thought I give to thick clothing is from a hollow point perspective, and Hornady handles that with the flex tip in their Critical Defense & Critical Duty ammo lines. Of course a heavy cast solid will penetrate thick clothing as well. But I don’t live up north where winter padding can be a real issue.

Yes! Good point. Hollow points clog and do not expand after hitting a typical target in the Northern Winter's.

Enactive wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 30, 2020 9:11 pm

Back to knives... :p

I like lamination lines and clad steels. :eek: :D :cool:

P.S. would also never buy a car or truck I wouldn't drive the $hit out of... :D

There are certain vintage cars that are worth a lot of money, talking about $1 Million or more and they could lose a lot of value if they are driven. So there is always that issue.

That's a rich man's game though, not like MOST people could even buy a car like that now.

They are investments for them.

There are those that are bought to be driven and can be then there are others like above that are NOT.

Unless one can actually lite a match to $100,000's it's just not smart to do it.

Ankerson wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 01, 2020 1:05 pm

There are certain vintage cars that are worth a lot of money, talking about $1 Million or more and they could lose a lot of value if they are driven. So there is always that issue.

That's a rich man's game though, not like MOST people could even buy a car like that now.

They are investments for them.

Or perhaps they are just conspicuous consumption -- a way to flaunt your wealth. In which case driving would be an even more effective way to flaunt your wealth -- "I can own this million dollar car, and I can drive it too, just because I am so rich. It doesn't matter to me if driving it causes it to lose its value".

I do not know if machine lines are as popular as lamination lines or anything else. I do own a North Arm Lynx, and meat does not stick to the blade like a smooth blade. My next knife buy will be a machined kitchen knife, it's all about the release.