Why did you join?

[Xplorer]

Originally I joined this forum for 2 reasons. First, I saw this forum as a place to discuss knives with other knife enthusiasts in the same way I saw the other 2 larger knife-specific forums I joined. Second, Spyderco knives dominated my collection and I appreciated the variety of quality designs Spyderco offers.

The helpful and knowledgeable people I found here made this forum different from the rest. As well, Sal's open and kind participation sets a tone and a standard that is above the rest. Leadership comes from the top.

Over time I've appreciated, and learned much from many people on this forum and I consider myself fortunate to be able to call a few of them friends as well. I lost interest in the other forums long ago. This one is different. Better. :) :spyder:

Thank you Sal!

[pantagana23]

Prior to joining this forum, I was usually on Bladeforums, and would visit this site mostly as a Google search result. By the time I bought my 3rd Spyderco, most results would lead here, so I started lurking without Google, until one day I wanted to start communicating to other members, as I saw that this forum had really casual atmosphere, unlike BF, where you had to watch every word you write twice; there were some knowledgeable people here, who were, by my surprise, always willing to help.
I stayed because in the mean time 99% of my "casual purchases" were Spyderco knives/tools.
Not that I'm a fanboy, I just prefer your concepts more than any other knife producers at this time.
For now, this is the only "gadget" forum I'm participating, mostly because it feels like a gathering of completely normal people who like knives, with no tensions involved.

[archangel]

I was an early Spyderco devotee; My 1st was the Military 440c 2 screw clip. Many Many Spyderco knives later I'm still here.
on the Forum for 10 years. Where else would you be greeted by the Founder Mr. Glesser! The entire Spyderco experience of integrity, CQI, and my respect for the brand is why I will always be here.
Sal, I have had the honor of meeting you twice, once in Golden, once at Blade in Atlanta and I always wish you the best. You are a giant in the industry. Gail even gave me a tour in Golden, including the sailboat shop!
That is why I have 379 Spyderco's (1 in transit).

:eek: :eek: :eek: Good God!

[Donut]

I wanted to know more/learn.

[aicolainen]

Hi Sal,

I joined to ask questions about a knife I had some issues with. Nothing really came from that, so I quickly disappeared again.
I guess I was very focused on that particular problem, and not very curious about what else the forum had to offer. At that time.

So why did I come back?
I only discovered the concept of EDC and its associated internet community in 2016, and although hesitant I became curious. I knew nothing about pocket knives at the time, and at first I probably didn't see much use for a knife as part of my EDC. However they have a strong foothold in the community, and seeing knives in every pocket dump eventually picked my curiosity enough to try it out.
Long story short(ish), I tried a lot of different knives, and with time I realized that I wasn't in sync with most people posting on different social media platforms and EDC forums. Titanium flipper frame locks and knives in fancy materials didn't do it for me, and slowly I realized I looked at Spydercos quite differently than other brands. It was obvious, both from the wide selection and design, that they were made with real use in mind.
After stumbling into the forum by chance a few times, I suddenly realized that the inhabitants of Spyderville was to a large extent very much like the knives, focused on real use and performance.

I'm by no means a fanboy or a Spyderco-only person, but when looking for a solution to a specific use case, more often than not I end up with a Spyderco. And this forum is a fresh breath of down to earth realism in an IKC that is becoming very superficial. Don't get me wrong, the more enthusiast the better, but not all of it is for me.

Surprisingly, I find that the old style internet forums with anonymous users generally have the most qualified contributors, highest quality content, the most polite tone and most easily searchable / indexable knowledge-base. Can't quite wrap my head around that...

Thanks, Sal and team, for providing this space and sharing your values and insights. And everyone else for following their example.

[legOFwhat?]

Simply put, the people here on the forum are pretty stinking nice. :D

I was looking for a way to sharpen my knives and stumbled upon the sharpmaker videos while browsing Knifecenter. Watching that video sold me on purchasing the sharpmaker, and that led me to browse their "other" products. Other than a couple of case folders, Gerber multitool and a mini-tac neck knife, I had nothing that I carried. The case knives were gifted to me and stayed in drawers the other knives I kept in the glovebox. I lurked around the site learning what I could and saw that there was something a lot more positive than what forums, I previously tooled around on.

This is the only social media type thing that I do and I love the interactions I have with everyone here. This place has taught me so much and there is more to learn.

For these things and the amazing products you put out, I thank you!

[kennethsime]

I've mentioned it before, but I worked for a small family-run cutlery business in college. We sold everything from razors to broadswords and everything in between. We probably had 300+ folders in stock, and after months of learning most everything there was to know about pocket knives, I came to appreciate Spyderco's designs over all others.

"Doing more with less" was always an ethic I tried to uphold, and I felt that Spyderco embodies this with their high-performance blades in strong, lightweight handles (specifically, the Seki line). Even now, I still appreciate the Lightweight models the most.

I came to the forum for help picking a first Spyderco, and ended up with the ZDP-189 Stretch, which I felt embodied many of Spyderco's best features. It was a fantastic EDC, and though it's now lost, the Stretch is still probably my favorite knife. I learned a lot on the forum, which helped me both in my role as a salesman and in my personal passion for all things sharp.

I took a break from the forum after leaving that job, but joined again in 2019 after purchasing a few new Spydies. Some of my old favorite personalities are gone, but others are still here, along with plenty of new folks. Sal & Kristi still do a wonderful job of moderating the forum, and I couldn't be happier to be a part of this community. Thank you all.

[JuPaul]

Well, I joined to ask a question about a Delica I'd purchased. I stayed because right away I liked what I found here: the people and their comradery, the stand-up leadership, the civility, and the wealth of knowledge freely shared without condescension. And of course because - like Nick said above - I'm kinda obsessed with Spyderco!

[RustyIron]

I joined Spyderco Forum for TWO Reasons:

1. After some guidance from a friend, I had dramatically improved my sharpening game. I was eager to interact with others who placed a high value on well sharpened steel.

2. My new sharpening skill found me enthusiastically shopping for a new knife. Prior experience with the Benchmade Axis locks was leading me toward something similar in function. As you might imagine, the path led to the Manix 2, and eventually, this forum.

[toxophilus]

I've owned knives & Spydercos way before I learned about this forum. I wanted to learn more about the company & the various models besides my Mariner & Endura :spyder:

Learning about the various steels & actually putting them to use over the years has been icing on the cake, but not as great as getting to meet people like Taz Kristi, Eric Glesser, Ed Schempp, Mike Janich & folks from the Spyderco Crew when I get a chance to stop in whether at the Seconds Sale or when I'm in the area.

Speaking of the Seconds Sale getting to meet & connect with folks from the Spyderco Knives fb group & others from this forum like Nick (Mushroom) /Jack (Yablonowitz) / Jabba in person is just damned NEAT!!!

I've learned much over the years & really appreciate when people like Larrin share their knowledge!

Thx Spyderco for spoiling us :spyder:

[foofie]

I lurked for many years. Tried a delica and a PM2, but disliked both and stopped lurking :o . A few years later, I decided to try one more spyderco - caly3. Then, the ergonomics clicked. And the steel/materials clicked. And I had to find out more.

I still lurk more than I post. I stay because I have found a friendly and well-run forum that is full of members with great perspectives and experience. I especially appreciate the interaction and insight brought by Sal as well as various designers/makers.

[Evil D]

I originally joined while standing in a flea market looking at buying a Delica, and my first post was asking if it was a fake because at the time I thought all Spyderco were made in Golden because my first was a Native. Clearly it spiraled out of control soon after that first post.

[stanolszews]

I bought a couple smaller Spydercos in 2017/2018 (Byrd Finch, Manbug Salt, etc...) as an upgrade for the cheaper and/or larger knives I was typically carrying. I’d mostly been a cheap Gerber guy until then, but there is so much more out there. A Leatherman has become by go to carry, but my small Spydercos, plus the Native 5 LW and Manix 2 LW I now own are definitely in the mix.

My first visit here was a search for Manbug/Ladybug pocket clip ideas and I check in from time to time for whatever reason. I’m not super into all of the fancy stuff, but knives and multitools are so useful and have gotten so much better in the last ten years. The Lil Native Slip Joint or the UKPK Salt are probably next on my list.

On a side note, Spyderco makes the absolute best small knives on the market and the fully serrated versions are unmatched, and for those two reasons, it’s definitely my top brand, despite the fact that a Leatherman is probably my most carried tool.

[Lumpy620]

TLDR; This forum is a groovy little community.

Long version:

I had lurked for years, after getting back into Spyderco, and blades as a whole, probably around 2011-ish. I actually made an account around 2013 and forgot, but didn't get to posting till 2017.

The annual calendar contest was my first inspiration to post, not because of the prizes, but because I am admittedly quite jealous of some of you guys photographic skills, and really think it would be cool to be picked and subsequently be a part of an item created by the fan base, and a small piece of Spyderco history.

Even as an observer/lurker, I found the amount of knowledge and passion here on the forums to be a unique experience; lots of both, with a lot of "self moderation" on the member's part, and a direct dialogue with a company who's actions and words line up very congruently, which is a rarity IMHO.

I'm a small town guy, and there's literally 2 other "knife guys" of the hundreds of people I know, so when I talk about various aspects of the hobby sometimes, whether it be collecting and "exclusive drops", sharpening, steel properties, edge geometry, heck even EDC in general, I mostly get a glazed over look. Here I get a breadth of opinions and information, because theres a ton of different angles to be passionate about Spyderco and knives in general, from both the user and collector sides of the hobby.

[Mr Blonde]

I first joined the Spyderco forum on BladeForums, and I really liked that place as I just started discovering Spyderco in the late nineties. When this forum was announced I joined immediately. I've been here from the start. What I really enjoy is the direct interaction with designers like Sal, Mike, Ed and Phil and my fellow collectors. IIIRC, the first Amsterdam Meet originated from a thread on this forum, and I've been happy and honored to be part of it ever since. The constant invitation for customer feedback and then actually using that to make new products is amazing on this forum, and (oddly enough) rare in most industries.

[Lonehunter]

Got my first Spyderco in ‘91, always carried and used pocket knives , but that Delica was a changing point for me , as far as what a pocket knife could be . Own ,many brands, but it’s been mostly Spyderco’s that I routinely carry, including 28 years on the FD till I retired two years ago .

I was on Bladeforums, and USN along with here , I joined when I was more active in the hobby , it’s been years since I bought a new knife .

[Mike Slayer]

I joined my first forum when I was 16 or 17 years old which would be around 2001 or 2002. I remember forums being a closer and tighter community back then compared to most today. That first forums I joined were Knifeforums and The Lean to. That is around the time I learned what survival and bushcraft really meant and that I had been working on my skills years before that. I just didn't know what you called such things and just figured it's what everybody that loved and spent time in the woods learned or knew already. Knifeforums I considered my home for many years because of the close group that we had on outdoor subforum. It was nice to see people coming together online to share and learn from each other while staying humble and inviting to new members. As time progressed it something on knifeforums changed and more people considered themselves experts along with bigger egos. Instead of a group of people wanting to learn together and share it became more like larger forums. It wasn't the warm and welcoming place it use to be. Then eventually the entire forum went under. After that I didn't have a forum I felt at home in. Bladeforums and Bushcraft USA were a no go from early on for me due to common things you run into on most larger forums. Then I bought my first Spyderco which was a Stainless Police and after that a Titanium Military. That is when I looked up this forum and joined it. I just read and researched for a long time then as I got to know the forum I became very comfortable here. It ended up becoming what I call my forum home and it has been that way ever since.

[Lonehunter]

I see the oldest join date and one shared by a few here including Sal , is Sept 24 2004 . Was that the start date then ?

[donutsrule]

i don't even remember anymore but I'm pretty sure it was because I'd gotten hooked (sometimes literally, it happens) on Spyderco's knives over the previous 2-3 years.

[DSH007]

I found the forum while researching my first Spyderco purchase. I had carried and been interested in knives for as long as I can remember, but until a few years ago, my financial situation was such that expensive knives were simply out of my budget. After a nice Christmas bonus and raise in Dec 2017-Jan 2018, I decided that I wanted to buy my first "good knife." I spent months researching and settled on the Lil Native (I tended to carry smaller knives back then) as my first (aka "gateway") Spyderco. I was definitely "bitten," as they say..

Shortly thereafter, I added a Para 3, Native, PM2, Delica, etc, etc. and, at some point, realized that I was visiting the forum daily, spending hours there reading, and growing more and more interested in Spyderco and knives in general.. knives had always been useful and appreciated tools to me, but time spent on the forum really peaked my interest in learning more about designs, steels, sharpening.. and all things knives, really. Spending so much time here as a "lurker," I finally decided to join!

Versus other online forums, I appreciate the civility here. I appreciate the many knowledgeable members who are actually knowledgeable about knives and are willing to teach vs preach. I appreciate the unprecedented level of access to Spyderco and the input from Sal. This forum is definitely one of the better places on the internet. In the past few years, my interest in.. and accumulation of.. knives has grown exponentially, almost exclusively because of time spent here. Hence, my tagline "well, that escalated quickly.." :)