Pitch for a Spyderco neck knife and/or small skeletonized fixed blades

[TkoK83Spy]

The Bradford Guardian 3 has vaulted up to one of my favorite knives (have another on the way in the mail) I'd love for my favorite brand to come up with something similar, that also allows for comfortable scout carry. Small fixed blades are pretty freakin awesome!

What Bradford do you have on the way (steel & blade shape)?

I have a couple photos posted on the first page of this thread.

[Evil D]

I'd suggest being careful about what exactly you guys start asking for.

Are you looking for a skeletonized Izula competitor or are you guys looking for a complete small fixed blade with expensive contoured micarta scales and a new high end steel? Those scales aren't cheap and based on past threads, they will be more expensive than the majority of people are expecting to pay.

I'm specifically looking for a competitor, and the more I think on it the Mini Mule seems perfect. It already has a skeletonized design, it would come in various steels and could even be ran in previous mule steels again since it'll be a different design, it can be made into a fancier knife for those who want to make custom scales and it'll be one set design so companies can make aftermarket scales and sheaths and they'll be universal. Production will be as cheap or cheaper than the current mules. It's a win win all around.

[vivi]

I'm interested in more small fixed blades from Spyderco, but I'd prefer they come complete with scales & a sheath.

[JRinFL]

I'm interested in more small fixed blades from Spyderco, but I'd prefer they come complete with scales & a sheath.

I think with the right design, this same knife could be both bare & skelentonized and offered with full scales.

[JRinFL]

A picture of some of the potential competition.

[TkoK83Spy]

A picture of some of the potential competition.

Screen Shot 2021-04-28 at 10.53.48 AM.jpg

I like that Wharnie!

[JRinFL]

A picture of some of the potential competition.

Screen Shot 2021-04-28 at 10.53.48 AM.jpg

I like that Wharnie!

It is the Perrin-Janich collaboration made by a French knife company with a name I cannot remember at the moment.

Edit to add: Made by Ets. Pierre Supper in France.

[benben]

The Bradford Guardian 3 has vaulted up to one of my favorite knives (have another on the way in the mail) I'd love for my favorite brand to come up with something similar, that also allows for comfortable scout carry. Small fixed blades are pretty freakin awesome!

What Bradford do you have on the way (steel & blade shape)?

I have a couple photos posted on the first page of this thread.

No, you said you have another one in the mail.....curious what new Bradford you ordered?

[TkoK83Spy]

The Bradford Guardian 3 has vaulted up to one of my favorite knives (have another on the way in the mail) I'd love for my favorite brand to come up with something similar, that also allows for comfortable scout carry. Small fixed blades are pretty freakin awesome!

What Bradford do you have on the way (steel & blade shape)?

I have a couple photos posted on the first page of this thread.

No, you said you have another one in the mail.....curious what new Bradford you ordered?

Ohhh, my bad! I've got the stonewash finished 3V, drop point blade with the false edge (don't have many knives with a swedge) with the 3D contoured green micarta handles. Over this past weekend the Bradford site was running a deal on the limited batch they had recently got in. Was able to snag it with the leather sheath for $161! Killer deal!

[Bolster]

I'm always looking for lightweight backpacking knives. I think Evil's idea of a necker is great! Here are a few more similar knives. My request would be FRN scales that could be removed to make a skeletonized knife, if desired. Blade length 3-3.5" would be ideal.

[benben]

What Bradford do you have on the way (steel & blade shape)?

I have a couple photos posted on the first page of this thread.

No, you said you have another one in the mail.....curious what new Bradford you ordered?

Ohhh, my bad! I've got the stonewash finished 3V, drop point blade with the false edge (don't have many knives with a swedge) with the 3D contoured green micarta handles. Over this past weekend the Bradford site was running a deal on the limited batch they had recently got in. Was able to snag it with the leather sheath for $161! Killer deal!

Dang, that sounds exactly like the one I want!

[Bolster]

A picture of some of the potential competition.

If those are all yours, JR, then "I like your style!" I've pondered two of those long and hard, the Perrin/Janich and the Bradford are both very attractive options.

[Bolster]

I'm specifically looking for a competitor, and the more I think on it the Mini Mule seems perfect. It already has a skeletonized design, it would come in various steels and could even be ran in previous mule steels again since it'll be a different design, it can be made into a fancier knife for those who want to make custom scales and it'll be one set design so companies can make aftermarket scales and sheaths and they'll be universal. Production will be as cheap or cheaper than the current mules. It's a win win all around.

I nominate you as Top Consultant to Spyderco. Great ideas, IMO.

[JRinFL]

A picture of some of the potential competition.

If those are all yours, JR, then "I like your style!" I've pondered two of those long and hard, the Perrin/Janich and the Bradford are both very attractive options.

The Perrin/Janich is a bargain considering country of origin and relative cost to competitors. The Bradford uses thick stock which is ground thinner for the blade portion, thus giving you a comfortable grip and still keeps a reasonable blade width.

The bottom two are the rarest, the very bottom is a Simonich Bitterroot and the one above it is a Busse Combat Assault Shaker.

Edited to add name.

[PeaceInOurTime]

As much as I've pushed for people to see SE as not being fragile and being capable of doing most anything a PE can do, the ARK is ground so thin and in such thin blade stock I would expect the serrations to bend if you tried to carve hard wood with it. If they weren't discontinued and were a little cheaper I'd push one and see what happens.

You're probably right. I want to test it's limits, but I'd hate to cause actual damage.

[Xformer]

Hard to make a better small fixed blade than a Izula 2. It's the perfect fixed blade for the size. The ergo are just great.

[vivi]

Hard to make a better small fixed blade than a Izula 2. It's the perfect fixed blade for the size. The ergo are just great.

It's an extremely good design and I agree on the ergos. I've used mine a ton and plan to buy a backup someday. For $60 why not keep an extra one or two around?

However, there are a few things that could improve the knife in my eyes:

1. Thinner stock. 2.5-3mm would still be thick enough for the light batoning a knife this size is capable of, while letting it cut wood, food etc. better.

2. Better steel. I appreciate ESEE's 1095 for how easy it is to put an amazing edge on it, but aside from that it isn't an amazing steel. I get better performance from just about every other steel I own. I'll still use their designs, but I'd like more steel options. Imagine an M4 Izula 2.

3. No sharpening notch. Gets in the way when whittling and catches on things when slicing. Silly concept in the first place for no other reason than the amount of cutting edge removed is greater than the portion of cutting edge that is tough to sharpen on regular stones, thus defeating its very purpose.

4. Better scale contouring on the front end. I modded mine so it works much better in a pinch grip.

5. Shrink the massive lanyard hole. My pinky would find the handle more ergonomic with a solid handle to hold on to instead of a hole.

6. Make them ferro rod compatible from factory. Maybe sharpen a small portion of the spine or offer all the versions in uncoated blades. Seems like an odd design choice given its marketed as a survival / woods knife.





stripped the coating, sharpened the spine, reduced the edge angle by 50%, painted the hardware and contoured the scales better. Feels much more high end now.

[Evil D]

Yep. Agree with all of that ^^^


Better steel and better blade grind geometry if nothing else. This is why I prefer the BK14 over the Izula 2.

[Bolster]

...stripped the coating, sharpened the spine, reduced the edge angle by 50%, painted the hardware and contoured the scales better. Feels much more high end now.

I admire blades that have been customized to suit the user's individual needs. Nice job with your mods, Vivi.

I have a couple of BK24s (the D2 version of the BK14) rather than the Izulas because I find the very large belly of the Izula difficult to use (I don't skin animals). Even the BK24's belly is too vast for my preference. I much prefer the leaf shape of a Mule.

Ditto the above ^ to an upgrade of steel in the Izulas and the Beckers.

[vivi]

...stripped the coating, sharpened the spine, reduced the edge angle by 50%, painted the hardware and contoured the scales better. Feels much more high end now.

I admire blades that have been customized to suit the user's individual needs. Nice job with your mods, Vivi.

I have a couple of BK24s (the D2 version of the BK14) rather than the Izulas because I find the very large belly of the Izula difficult to use (I don't skin animals). Even the BK24's belly is too vast for my preference. I much prefer the leaf shape of a Mule.

Ditto the above ^ to an upgrade of steel in the Izulas and the Beckers.

I feel the same way about the blade shapes. I learned to make the Izula, Street Beat etc. work for me, but I prefer the blade shape on this similar sized LT Wright Frontier Valley:



Unfortunately the handle is a little small and narrow for me, so I don't carry the LT much.