SpyOpera, Brouwer, ...

[Matus]

I hope it is OK to start this kind of thread. I came back to pocket knives a few months back after a pause - not having a single Spyderco (though having some other nice knives).

I am now looking for a knife that would fit city oriented EDC. I live in DE and thus very most knives - unless they are not slipjonts - don't fit the law as locking knives must need two hands to open, but I tend to put that one aside as I live in a small city and only take the knife out when really needed (rarely in a city), so as long as it does not look 'threatening' I think I am fine (German police does not seem to be hunting people down, at least not where I live).

So, I am looking and knives that are well made, nice action, thin cutting edge (I just have aversion towards thick cutting edges - if Gayle Bradley folder does not need one, not pocket knife does), OK steel and are unique in some way.

Right now I am looking at SpyOpera and Brouwer - both have some ups and downs (to spare you my life story I will not list them as they are largely subjective).

My question is - what other Spydercos should I add?

Thank you :)

[SG89]

Watu

[soulspy]

Brouwer is a true sleeper. They are so smooth and have great ergonomics.

I'd add the new slipit Lil Native (just shown in the newest Reveal), although no one knows when those will be released

[Matus]

Yeah, the Brouwer is right now ahead of the SpyOpera - like how well made is, does not look 'wow, look at that' while having some clever engineering and very smooth operation. Plus I have a LOT of respect for Taichung knives - Have at the moment both GB1 and GB2 at home. The F&F is fantastic.

SpyOpera - I LOVE the blade shape and it being a super smooth linerlock, but the construction is a bit finicky.

The Watu is definitely in that 'a little weird, well made, very cool' category, just a little too pointy. But definitely worth consideration.

Should I go for a slipjoint, then I would probably tend towards the penknife. The Lil Native (and similar blade shapes) are not quite my thing, nor is the black handle (I just need a little bit of color)

In general, I am not in a hurry (home office setting since March).

[SG89]

Vrango or Firefly?

[dan31]

The Watu is what you seek. Thin stock, thin grind and thinnest distal taper I have seen.

[Notsurewhy]

Chaparral in whatever handle you like best. The raffir Noble and the sun and Moon versions are particularly attractive in my opinion.

[ugaarguy]

The Watu is what you seek. Thin stock, thin grind and thinnest distal taper I have seen.

I agree. The Watu really is one of those knives that Sal occasionally does for us thin blade slicer junkies. If you can get over the pointy tip, it's amazing. I also really like the completely neutral grip.

Should I go for a slipjoint, then I would probably tend towards the penknife. The Lil Native (and similar blade shapes) are not quite my thing, nor is the black handle (I just need a little bit of color)

In general, I am not in a hurry (home office setting since March).

If you like the UKPK, and you're not in any hurry, there's a bright yellow handle Salt version of the UKPK in Reveal 7 that was released today. LC200N is super easy to sharpen, and it's become one of my favorite steels.

[nerdlock]

Watu...though for my uses it falls into the gentlemen's knife category since the blade is so thin and the tip looks fragile. After the initial hype, I only rarely carry it, and only for formal or business ocassions.

Brouwer might be a good bet also for daily EDC uses.

[Matus]

Watu looks like cool little knife, and would probably do great with letter or package openings, but I am not sure I would want one for general EDC. The Firefly looks very cool, but the size and blade geometry are not going to make it a very good cutter I suppose. And the price is pretty highl on secondary market.

Chaparral ist definitely a very cool little knife, kinda like the raffir version, but I would expect that in regular use the handle will get scratches. But then there is the carbon fiber one. Super thin slicey blade, that is real nice and CTS XHP is a great steel too. Actually the only reason this one is not higher on my list is simply personal preference for a different shape of the blade. I feel similarly about it's bigger brother, the Sage 1 (though the Maxamet version looks very cool)

Brouwer and Spyopera remain at the top of the list for now

EDIT: Let mu just add, the Memory by Frank Centofante is also a very beautiful knife

[Larry_Mott]

Matus: Brouwer, every day of the week
Spydergirl88: Vrango, every day of the week

[R100]

The Brouwer would be a great choice. It's beautifully made and is quite a unique piece. The blade is fairly thick at 3mm but is ground thin behind the edge and it always surprises me how well it slices. The blade shape is excellent for edc. It has a lot more belly than most Spydercos so that even though it's short it works well on a cutting board.

The Brouwer draws a lot of criticism for its clip and that may be justified but I removed it before I even used the knife. I live in Australia and knives are generally frowned on by the general public. It is much more discreet to slip a knife loose into a pocket and I always do this with small knives. The Brouwer is a perfect size for it. The ergonomics without the clip are outstanding and when you use the choil it gives a genuine comfortable 4 finger grip for large hands.

I also have an frn Chaparral which I love but the Brouwer is a more robust edc knife and has a more neutral grip. In profile it is a bit like a mini bushcraft knife. If I also have a larger knife, I'll often carry the Chaparral but if I only have one knife on me I choose the Brouwer.

Dan

[Wartstein]

Chaparral. Thin stock, but still strong enough (true for the tip too). Not at all just a "gents folder", I tested that...

[Wartstein]

....

Chaparral ist definitely a very cool little knife, kinda like the raffir version, but I would expect that in regular use the handle will get scratches. But then there is the carbon fiber one. Super thin slicey blade, that is real nice and CTS XHP is a great steel too. Actually the only reason this one is not higher on my list is simply personal preference for a different shape of the blade. I feel similarly about it's bigger brother, the Sage 1 (though the Maxamet version looks very cool)

...

... and FRN...and wood... and G10 (sun and moon)...and Ti...

[Wartstein]

Watu...though for my uses it falls into the gentlemen's knife category since the blade is so thin and the tip looks fragile. After the initial hype, I only rarely carry it, and only for formal or business ocassions.

Brouwer might be a good bet also for daily EDC uses.

You should give the Chap a chance and try it in the knife-tasks for which you figure the blade is too "thin" or fragile... I used mine really pretty hard, no problems at all. Many oldtimer knives have even thinner stock, and the Chap blade is pretty robust cause it is rather tall for the length. Same goes for the tip: Can really take a lot! It is certainly thin if you look at it from above (at the spine), but the profile from the side of the blade is wide and not too pointy (differently to like for example a Millie tip would look in profile), which makes it pretty strong.

As a matter of fact, I love to carry the Chap outdoors as companion for a fixed blade, and do all the smaller bushcraft- and wood-tasks with the Chap, cause it works so well for that. And that includes twisting in harder wood and the like - no damage whatsoever!

And the general built of the Chap is really robust anyway .

[archangel]

Ikuchi. A super slicer, and it rides really deep in your pocket.

Don't worry about the discussions about how hard it is to deploy the blade. All just a matter of breaking in this beauty, and finding the best technique (the hand has more fingers than just the index finger ).

[Sildani]

Reinhold Rhino. Taichung quality, great looks, slices everything well, great unique blade shape, and small.

[Matus]

Really appreciate your feedback and advises, thank you so much.

Spyderco does not make a blade thin enough that I would be afraid to use it as an urban EDC. Just the Chaparral design does not really resonate with me. I used to have Caly 3.5, Calypso Jr. (the burgundy one) and I sold these knives as I just did not bond with them.

Ikuchi is super cool and I would not be worried about opening (if I buy a new knife here in DE I can simply return it for a full refund including shipping - need no reason for the return), but it is super pointy and I am only considering knives which can be opened with two hands (to reduce any possibly adverse reaction in public). It is on my 'fidget wish list' :)

I am not too concerned about the clip on the Brouwer - I would get the same Ti clip like Nick Shabazz has in his video. Yes it adds to the price, but it looks like it belongs there.

Rhino looks a bit too pointy with a bit too much belly, but I am going to give it a closer look (== watch all YT videos available)

[nerdlock]

Watu...though for my uses it falls into the gentlemen's knife category since the blade is so thin and the tip looks fragile. After the initial hype, I only rarely carry it, and only for formal or business ocassions.

Brouwer might be a good bet also for daily EDC uses.

You should give the Chap a chance and try it in the knife-tasks for which you figure the blade is too "thin" or fragile... I used mine really pretty hard, no problems at all. Many oldtimer knives have even thinner stock, and the Chap blade is pretty robust cause it is rather tall for the length. Same goes for the tip: Can really take a lot! It is certainly thin if you look at it from above (at the spine), but the profile from the side of the blade is wide and not too pointy (differently to like for example a Millie tip would look in profile), which makes it pretty strong.

As a matter of fact, I love to carry the Chap outdoors as companion for a fixed blade, and do all the smaller bushcraft- and wood-tasks with the Chap, cause it works so well for that. And that includes twisting in harder wood and the like - no damage whatsoever!

And the general built of the Chap is really robust anyway .

Maybe someday and if I can get one at a discount...I already have enough "small" knives as it is nowadays, and the Slysz series are filling my need for XHP steel goodness. :)

[JuPaul]

I agree the Brouwer is what you need! It's an excellent knife, and does not look scary at all to non-knife people. It feels great in my hand, and the green color is very attractive. I love mine!