I don’t think it needs jimping. The C54 was designed in the first place to be a large gents knife, not a hard use or utility knife. It should remain a large classy refined knife.
Facts.
Jimping has it's place. Just, not on the Calypso.
I find that the C-54 Calypso and C-60 Ayoob to be Spyderco's two very best in Spyderedge. And both of them are great in PE too. Both the C-54 Calypso and C-60 Ayoob are great for different reasons but both have proven themselves several times over with TEETH.
As far as "Jimping" goes I can take it or leave it on most designs. However on the C-36 Military model I find it quite useful..
The C-54 is close to perfect other than maybe using newer/better blade steels in the future.
The C-54 is close to perfect other than maybe using newer/better blade steels in the future.
Agreed
With the current "Magnacut" thread running I'm seriously thinking that this C-54 might just be an ideal model to reintroduce with that blade steel. A super blade design in one of the newer supersteels I do believe is an excellent proposal.
And if they could do the original Micarta Handle along with a newer/better blade steel this could be a very coveted Sprint Run. But again it wouldn't be right if they didn't offer it in SE & PE both IMO.
With the current "Magnacut" thread running I'm seriously thinking that this C-54 might just be an ideal model to reintroduce with that blade steel. A super blade design in one of the newer supersteels I do believe is an excellent proposal.
And if they could do the original Micarta Handle along with a newer/better blade steel this could be a very coveted Sprint Run. But again it wouldn't be right if they didn't offer it in SE & PE both IMO.
With the current "Magnacut" thread running I'm seriously thinking that this C-54 might just be an ideal model to reintroduce with that blade steel. A super blade design in one of the newer supersteels I do believe is an excellent proposal.
And if they could do the original Micarta Handle along with a newer/better blade steel this could be a very coveted Sprint Run. But again it wouldn't be right if they didn't offer it in SE & PE both IMO.
O please let it be so.
Can I hear the rest of you folks shoot a big AMEN to what this Brother just said !!!!!
I can assure Mr. Glesser and the great crew of the Great Spyder Factory that sales would not be a problem with a C-54 Calypso with that blade steel and original Micarta scales. Make half of them in SE and the other half in PE and they would all be gone within 3 months or less >>I'm certain.
To save money they could do the serrated units with a nitrogen based steel like LC200N or Elmax. Because it seems that those nitrogen based steels do really well with TEETH.
As much as I prefer the original, linerless Micarta version, Sal told us long ago that they learned a lot from the problems they had with them, so that configuration is not likely to return.
As much as I prefer the original, linerless Micarta version, Sal told us long ago that they learned a lot from the problems they had with them, so that configuration is not likely to return.
Primarily warpage, but also clip screws stripping out. Micarta is a little less stable than G-10. Changes in altitude and humidity affect it, so making them in low lying, humid Japan and shipping them to mile-high, dry Golden produced some unwelcome dimensional changes.
Primarily warpage, but also clip screws stripping out. Micarta is a little less stable than G-10. Changes in altitude and humidity affect it, so making them in low lying, humid Japan and shipping them to mile-high, dry Golden produced some unwelcome dimensional changes.
Personally for hard use I've been really sold on G-10 handles for quite some time now. For beauty I do like the Micarta scales and on some models it turned out to be a great handle material. I'll always love the original C-44 Dyad and JD Smith models with Micarta and would like to see those come back again at some point. But for hard use folders I don't think that G-10 handles can be beaten in the long haul. It performs great in all weather extremes and resists chemicals and other harsh elements.
A close second to G-10 I like some of the titanium handles. Because Titanium has nice grip factors to it. But G-10 is so easy to maintain and preserve just by using Ballistol on the handles about 2 to 3 times a year.
Of all the Micarta handled Spyders I've ever owned and used I've personally never experienced any significant "warpage" on any of my folders.
The key word there is "significant". What is insignificant to you may be unbearable to someone else. I can't even count the number of posts I've read here whining about things that I would call insignificant. Things I would ignore if I noticed them at all draw "I'd send it back for that" and "that's unacceptable" responses all the time, and Spyderco gets to deal with all of them. Making better products just raises already high expectations to ever more unrealistic levels. At the Seconds Sales I look for the returns, the knives that Spyderco has replaced under warranty for problems so small that I would never notice and often can't even find when I'm *looking* for them.
Studying my unlined Micarta folders over the course of a decade or more of daily carry and use, I have seen small changes come and go. Never enough to bother me, but way beyond what I've seen people post complaints about here and elsewhere. The long handle of the Calypso shows it more, but I have seen days when the scales on my Dyad are closer to the blades than other days.
The key word there is "significant". What is insignificant to you may be unbearable to someone else. I can't even count the number of posts I've read here whining about things that I would call insignificant. Things I would ignore if I noticed them at all draw "I'd send it back for that" and "that's unacceptable" responses all the time, and Spyderco gets to deal with all of them. Making better products just raises already high expectations to ever more unrealistic levels. At the Seconds Sales I look for the returns, the knives that Spyderco has replaced under warranty for problems so small that I would never notice and often can't even find when I'm *looking* for them.
Studying my unlined Micarta folders over the course of a decade or more of daily carry and use, I have seen small changes come and go. Never enough to bother me, but way beyond what I've seen people post complaints about here and elsewhere. The long handle of the Calypso shows it more, but I have seen days when the scales on my Dyad are closer to the blades than other days.
Those are some really good points you bring up. Because to a large degree I totally agree that some people aren't even satisfied with "GOD-Like" perfection. When I buy a commercially made, mass produced item I don't expect microscopic perfection myself. I just want the tool to be able to perform and to be made with quality materials.
Take the 2011 Sprint Run of the C-60 Ayoob model. They did it with a G-10 handle whereas the older model was made with an "almite" handle>> even though I think the 2011 G-10 Sprint Run was way better than the original I would still never discard any of my older Ayoob models for any nominal, mundane reason.
I'm quite sure that with all the additional experience that Spyderco has accrued over the years I would have 100% confidence that a Sprint Run of the C-54 will be nicely improved. I would truly be surprised if I was wrong.
I just got the big guy yesterday and I really like it, I'll post some other pics and thoughts after some more usage...
When I got my first C-54 Calypso back around the 2004-05 time slot it was truly a pleasant surprise for me. I immediately got to thinking "Why Doesn't This C-54 Model Sell Better Than It Does?">> the only answer to that is this>>>> When the C-54 was launched there were so many premium models launched at that same time the C-54 simply got over-shadowed by many other top models in the 1998-2000 time slot.
The C-54 is truly one model that they could start over again and do extremely well with it. But!! BUTTT!!! they need to make it available in SE & PE both for it to be a super success.
The G10 Japanese produced knives are at a premium price wise. Steels like HAP40, Superblue or ZDP-189 would help these models sell. The price would be higher with the upgraded steel but that will help people see the value. Anything Superblue will sell out fast.
Primarily warpage, but also clip screws stripping out. Micarta is a little less stable than G-10. Changes in altitude and humidity affect it, so making them in low lying, humid Japan and shipping them to mile-high, dry Golden produced some unwelcome dimensional changes.
I wonder if the same was seen on the models produced for Al Mar back in the day? They had a very similar construction on the lightweight models and were also made in Japan.
I never noticed any issues with my older ones, but I also never lived in a very dry climate either. If it acts like unstabilized wood, things can go pretty wonky when there are dramatic moisture content swings.
"...it costs nothing to be polite." - Winston Churchill
“Maybe the cheese in the mousetrap is an artificially created cheaper price?” -Sal
Yes. I have a couple of the Al Mar lightweights and I live in a very dry (most of the time, anyway) climate. I've seen the same thing, just less pronounced due to the much smaller size.
