Kahr Delica

[Mister X]

Was the Kahr Delica manufactured in the same way other new Spydercos are made or did they just take already made standard Delica’s and regrind and modify them?

Thanks.

[Robbob]

They were made that way by Spyderco, as far as I know. They are listed on the website as a genuine Spyderco product.

[Michael Janich]

The Kahr Delica was based on the concept of a regrind that I did for my MBC students who worked in US Federal buildings or lived in cities with extreme blade-length restrictions. Kahr wanted to do a unique knife, rather than just a stock production knife marked with their logo. One of my MBC instructors was a senior member of Kahr's sales staff at the time. We sat down with the CEO of the company and discussed his ideas. Ultimately, we decided on a folder that would parallel the compact theme of most of their pistols. I proposed the "chopped" Delica 4 and, since Kahr's headquarters was in Worcester, MA at the time, mentioned that it would be Boston legal. I also proposed low-profile handle colors that would blend in with the most common colors of pants--black, khaki, and denim blue. Ideally, the clips and clip screws would be coated to match, but our Japanese manufacturer couldn't do that, so we stonewashed them to match the blade finish.

The resulting Kahr Delicas were manufactured in Japan to the specs we defined; they were not reground from other knives. Only 1,200 of each color were made.

The biggest challenge with mixing industries is that the discount structures of guns and knives for dealers and distributors are very different. Economically, there is also a huge difference between manufacturing something yourself and manufacturing for another company. To be a viable business, there has to be a degree of profit. Ultimately, making a different version of a product for another company means that it's somewhat more expensive than the standard version--unless someone wants to go unpaid. People who bought the knives love them and appreciate the legal-anywhere concept. People who refused to understand the economics of the project or appreciate the need to obey blade-length laws complained. Ultimately, the project was short-lived.

Stay safe,

Mike

[Takuan]

It’s too bad that the Kahr Delicas were short-lived, because I really like the “legal anywhere” concept. I’m often in Chicago for academic conferences, so I have to carry something that meets their 2.5-inch blade length limit and yet fits my XL hands. I had a lot of medical bills back in 2014 because of a judo-related spinal injury, so I didn’t have the cash to pick up a Kahr Delica when they were available.

I’d love for Spyderco to make a 2.5-inch bladed version of the Yojimbo with the same sized handle for easy gripping. They could call it the “Kojimbo” (since “ko” is Japanese for “small”). :) I seem to remember that there was a thread recently asking for a “Lil’ Jimbo,” but I think most of those requests were for a scaled-down version of the Yojimbo. I’m thinking of something more like an Emerson Snubbie: full-sized handle with a shorter, “legal anywhere” blade.

[p_atrick]

I’d love for Spyderco to make a 2.5-inch bladed version of the Yojimbo with the same sized handle for easy gripping.

As luck would have it... https://5x5combatsolutions.com/shop/ols ... -yojimbo-2

[Takuan]

As luck would have it... https://5x5combatsolutions.com/shop/ols ... -yojimbo-2

Wow, thanks! It's not often that I immediately get exactly what I want. :) You don't have a link to a Para Military 2 in Vanax by any chance...

[p_atrick]

As luck would have it... https://5x5combatsolutions.com/shop/ols ... -yojimbo-2

Wow, thanks! It's not often that I immediately get exactly what I want. :) You don't have a link to a Para Military 2 in Vanax by any chance...

Ha! No, sadly. If I did I'd be a very popular person on this forum.

[Dodge]

We need a sprint run of these! It’s my ideal travel knife.

[Reject]

[nerdlock]

Kickass pic! I only ever saw a tan/coyote Kahr Delica, never saw them together with the black and blue scales. :)

[Takuan]

We need a sprint run of these! It’s my ideal travel knife.

Thanks to p_atrick’s helpful link to the 5x5 Combat Solutions website above, I was able to find not only the scaled-down Yojimbo, but also the Jandelica: https://5x5combatsolutions.com/shop/ol ... delica-r-4.