Spyderco Watu is the answer to my quest

[Sharp Guy]

Spyderco excels at steel but they don't seem to pay as much attention to their scales.

I respectfully disagree! I'm pretty sure they take every aspect of the knife into careful consideration including the handle material. Just because you don't care for their choice of scale material doesn't mean they didn't pay attention. I'd be willing to bet there's a good reason they decided to use the CF/G10 laminate. They didn't just put all the choices in a hat use what they pulled out. And I guarantee selling price played a part in their decision. That said, I'd welcome something different but I wouldn't let another model with the same CF/G10 stop me from buying a Watu

[Bolster]

[walnut scales on Watu]

That's really cool, Tko. Did you do those scales yourself?

[TkoK83Spy]

[walnut scales on Watu]

That's really cool, Tko. Did you do those scales yourself?

I did not. I got these through Trifect Custom Shop.

[lilshaver]

Now you went and busted my bubble. Had me thinking about making some of my own.

[gull wing]

I have one on way.
Does anyone make scales of G10, Micarta? Not interested in wood.

[TkoK83Spy]

I have one on way.
Does anyone make scales of G10, Micarta? Not interested in wood.

Pretty pricey, but there's a few options here.

https://trifectcustom.shop/collections/ ... er-release

[lilshaver]

I have one on way.
Does anyone make scales of G10, Micarta? Not interested in wood.

The prices of the ones mentioned above are outlandish, but I have seen micarta scales offered on line that were reasonable in both canvas and linen micarta. You just have to cut them out and finish them which shouldn't be to hard with the factory scales as a pattern. I do not remember does this knife have a liner? If yes then inletting also.

[Wartstein]

I have one on way.
Does anyone make scales of G10, Micarta? Not interested in wood.

The prices of the ones mentioned above are outlandish, but I have seen micarta scales offered on line that were reasonable in both canvas and linen micarta. You just have to cut them out and finish them which shouldn't be to hard with the factory scales as a pattern. I do not remember does this knife have a liner? If yes then inletting also.

Probably I don´t understand or am missing something: But if the knife would NOT have liners, proper functioning Micarta custom scales for this comp.lock model would be a lot HARDER to do, right?!

The Watu though is the best case for custom scales, at least how "easy" they are to make: It does have liners, but those are not nested (much like the G10 Manix or the Tenacious).

(To be clear: I don´t have a Watu myself, but the way the liners are done can clearly be seen on pics)

[lilshaver]

Thanks Wartstein. I may have to look at making some if I can find some walnut with some interesting grain.

[gull wing]

Ok, if I want other scales than the CF, I will have to make my own. The prices are way out there ,on the site.
I have a little scale material, but I have no shop anymore.

[ABX2011]

Hey Spyderco, how about making a Sprint with the same maple used on the Chap? I'd be in for a sprint or exclusive. I really don't like the pattern of the cf laminate.

[Bolster]

OK, I’m late to the game on the Watu. Really late. Now that they’re being disco’d I finally got one. What was I waiting for? I’ve been looking at them for years and had talked myself out of buying one.

I thought: “Not for me. Full liners. Fragile tip. Choil can’t keep finger from sliding forward.”

Now that I have it in hand, I’m thinking, “I could have been carrying THIS for the past few years?” The positives have waaay outweighed my reservations: it has my preferred nearly-straight-but-not-quite edge shape. Disappears deep in pocket or waist band like a social knife should. Great comp lockup (nails the preferred 1/3 over position) and good closed bias, the blade sucks right in. No lock stick. Thin blade stock. Lovely scale texturing. Given the fine tip I won’t go crazy with it, but it’s more of a gent’s knife, so that’s OK.

Well done Spyderco, and sad to see you disco'd, Watu.

[JSumm]

Watu call me? Late to the party, but you made it.

The Watu is the Performance Delica before there was such thing as a Performance Delica, Delica. Same thickness, but the grind just seems better. Slightly more edge and a much more generous grip that is neutral and fitting for almost any hand. It's a great design. I'm not a big fan of the Compression Lock on the light blade, but it is a great and unique design. Just wait until you get a Kapara.

[Brock O Lee]

The Watu is the Performance Delica before there was such thing as a Performance Delica, Delica. Same thickness, but the grind just seems better. Slightly more edge and a much more generous grip that is neutral and fitting for almost any hand. It's a great design.

I wanted to post exactly this ^ on the Performance Delica thread but refrained.

I normally don't buy backups, but I bought a backup.

[bbturbodad]

The Watu is the only disco'd knife I bought this time around because it's just too good not to have an extra if something happens to my other one. I like it so much that I don't even keep it as a backup it went right into rotation with my wood scaled one. I keep one with a polished edge and one with a coarse edge and love them both.

[Bolster]

Backups, you say. Hmm, let me think about that. Found mine for $147 at Knifeworks. Seen $139 on eBay. Better prices elsewhere?