Don’t mind the occasion 2am wake up to buy something I really like. Have pretty much got most of what I wanted in sprints from the plethora of dealers that do ship.
( getting a M4 PM2 jade with DLC was a 2 day planning event that turned out fruitful and makes the knife more special so I see a good out of a bad )
Glad that not all sprints are available to be shipped to Australia as I would have less money.
Just the other week picking up a Para 3 lightweight in M4 from BladeHQ for $122 as easy as I did was sweet ( or minty )
Im a vegetarian as technically cows are made of grass and water.
I like a mix of production, exclusives, and sprints. But I do not like so many exclusives and sprints that they cut off the availability of the production models.
Production for sure. I only care about the steel, and less so the color. Offer magnacut, cruwear, s90v, s110v, k390, 10v regularly (on different models) on black g10 and I'll be satisfied
I voted “sprints (more than exclusives)” because “production” (i.e. supposedly readily available) will predominate. At least usually…
The question really turns on proportion. I’d give “production” 75% of Spyderco’s factory effort, sprints 15%, and exclusives 10%. My sense is exclusives have eaten increasingly into “production” effort.
I don’t like dealers/distributors wagging the dog, nor do I like five-minutes sellouts.
I’m far more interested in what Spyderco wants to sprint—among all its dealers—to heighten our interest.
Just my opinion. Spyderco will do what it must.
-Marc (pocketing an S110V Native5 today)
“When science changes its opinion, it didn’t lie to you. It learned more.”
I voted that I don't care. I prefer production models due to availability, which is still very limited in certain high demand models. I don't normally get too excited about sprints or exclusives. I have a few and the main reason I've purchased them is to try a new steel, and if I like the color that's just an added bonus!
Current Top 3
Kapara, Native 5, Pacific Salt 2
M.N.O.S.D #0034
"If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month."
-Theodore Roosevelt
When I was newer to the knife world and was still searching for that one perfect knife, production would have been the vote. But now I've found a model that meets my needs perfectly and selfishly want sprints just to try different steels for fun.
When I was newer to the knife world and was still searching for that one perfect knife, production would have been the vote. But now I've found a model that meets my needs perfectly and selfishly want sprints just to try different steels for fun.
I like a lot of the sprints and exclusives, but I am internet lazy so I cant keep up with what is going on. Next, I see a Spyderco I like and then find out it was a sprint or exclusive. Then I look to see it sold out. Finally, I find one on EBay marked up 300% and I pass.
Last edited by Archimedes on Wed Nov 24, 2021 2:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I don't really dislike any of the methods but my preference would be more production knives like the crucarta PM2. Knives that we all know will be crazy high in demand need to be made for a period of time long enough to avoid paying twice the street price on the secondary market. The first Magnacut folder release has got to be a production model even if the wait after the initial sell out is exceedingly long. Otherwise the secondary market is going to obscene. I would happily pre-pay MAP to secure all of the Sprints/Exclusives I'm interested in, even if the wait is a year.
I like cool combinations (mostly Micarta and Tool Steel), but I don't need any form of exclusivity to feel cool or add value to my collection. I use my knives!
I appreciate that the exclusivity makes it worthwhile for vendors to order up cool combinations (like K390 + Ranger Green), but honestly I'd rather Spyderco just Crucarta them all straight from the factory.
I'm happiest with Micarta and Tool Steel.
Top four in rotation: K390 + GCM PM2, ZCarta Shaman, Crucarta PM2, K390 + GCM Straight Spine Stretch.
I've found this thread super useful. Thanks everyone who participated. I wasn't expecting the preference of sprints over exclusives, but everyone's reasoning makes a ton of sense to me.
I like both for different reasons. Production is great for regular carry…sprints and exclusives are cool to collect, pick up, look at and carry when you’re in the mood. I don’t do the whole safe queen thing but I understand wanting to keep certain knives looking nice.
A nice compromise for me is the higher end production stuff like the k390 seki models. You can deck those out accordingly and not feel like you’re disassembling something “exclusive” or whatever descriptor you wanna use.
Crucarta: Shaman (x2), Manix 2, Lil Native, Delica, GB2 & PM2
Notable: 52100 and Cruwear Millie. “15v-arta” Shaman. REC Manix. K-carta Endura, P4, Dragonfly and Delica.
Favorites: Shaman, Sage 5 lightweight, Sheeps Caribbean, Manix, Endela and all things Stretch
I like both for different reasons. Production is great for regular carry…sprints and exclusives are cool to collect, pick up, look at and carry when you’re in the mood. I don’t do the whole safe queen thing but I understand wanting to keep certain knives looking nice.
A nice compromise for me is the higher end production stuff like the k390 seki models. You can deck those out accordingly and not feel like you’re disassembling something “exclusive” or whatever descriptor you wanna use.
Production models are usually uninteresting but easier to get than exclusives, so that’s nice.
Can you elaborate why?
Sure!
Exclusives are from a single source, so there are fewer opportunities should it be a particularly popular configuration or if I experience connectivity or checkout issues. This happened with the DLT Purple Cruwear PM2 and several of the St. Nicks models.
Sprints can be purchased from the SFO, and if I’m lucky enough to do so, I can utilize my veteran discount.
Sprints are available to foreigners as well, and this is a positive in the case of a vendor not being willing to ship internationally. It may reduce the qty I technically have access to, but I care about our overseas friends as well.
Sprints come from the mothership with love. They feel more special to me than a model that a dealer is just trying to make a pile of cash on.
There may be other reasons that I don’t recall, but that’s all that comes to mind at the moment.
) 
