I just bought a Starmate in 440v - what should I expect?

[ChrisinHove]

Black Friday was a total damp squib as far as UK Spyderco purchases go, so I consoled myself by scrolling through FB group sale pages and found myself buying a 90’s (?) PE Starmate in 440v for little more than I paid for my UKPK Salt…

Larrins article on s60v / 440v piqued my interest. And is that a hollow grind?

It’s virtually unused but unboxed so not really collectible, and I’m starting to look forward to getting it.

Any experiences with the knife here?

[dsvirsky]

I have one. I like the knife but rarely carry it, since it's not optimal for my normal, everyday tasks.

The knife is a bit unusual for Spyderco, with a completely neutral blade angle. Hollow ground with an interesting swedge, thicker behind the edge than most here would likely prefer. Meant to be more of a "tactical" knife than a slicer. The 440V takes a wicked aggressive edge with fine diamond and should offer good wear resistance, but was heat treated a bit soft (56 hrc IIRC), so the edge rolls easily.

[ChrisinHove]

I have one….

Many thanks!

My original Starmate arrived yesterday, in pretty good condition for a twenty year old user. It’s certainly an interesting knife…

1) Lightweight- with only a partial liner on one side to the G10. Years ahead of it’s time.

2) Eccentric pivot. I’m glad I read about this in the Blade Forum archives before dismantling it without marking tdc, so to speak. What a great idea to ensure long life in a liner lock - but no doubt too complex for ham-fisted disassemblers. I wonder what the Spyderco “special tool” to adjust/set it was?

3) Surprisingly, a very comfortable handle, especially for someone used to all the hand swells & choils of modern offerings.

4) Man-made washers. There are a pair of super slim near translucent washers each side. Cleaned up and nano-oiled, this still has a super-slick action after 2 decades. I wonder what the material is?

5) The beefiest pivot screw I’ve ever seen. And why not!

Bob Terzuola is a great designer and Spyderco’s Golden manufacturing quality has clearly been top drawer for a long time!

It’s currently about as sharp as a table knife so I’m now about to start learning about the 440v / s60v steel, and that fabulous hollow grind. Both “firsts” for me.

[JRinFL]

When you get a chance, please post pictures. These haven't been around in ages so many may not know what you are writing about.

[yablanowitz]

Well, I can answer one question. The "special tool" used to set the eccentric pivot is "Experience. Lots and lots of experience. With a large helping of patience on the side."

Be patient when sharpening that 440V, use light pressure and lots of passes. It has a lot of vanadium carbide, and the burr can be a nightmare to deal with.

[ChrisinHove]

When you get a chance, please post pictures. These haven't been around in ages so many may not know what you are writing about.

I was a bit late in noticing but this model is December in this years Spyderco Calender!

[ChrisinHove]

Well, I can answer one question. The "special tool" used to set the eccentric pivot is "Experience. Lots and lots of experience. With a large helping of patience on the side."

Be patient when sharpening that 440V, use light pressure and lots of passes. It has a lot of vanadium carbide, and the burr can be a nightmare to deal with.

Thank you. I started on it last night … blimey, it’s a bear to get sharp! .. it may be a while!

[VWTattoo]

(Bad) Pic for your thread!

I expect that you'll be carrying your "new" Starmate quite a lot. Mine opens fast and with such a nice hefty "Clack!" that you just know its locked open. It's a very solid and large folder, and I feel it epitomizes Bob Terzuola's work in overall blade and handle design and geometry. I love all of his Spyderco collaborations, as I can't afford anything from him directly!

Did you get it sharp yet?

[ChrisinHove]

(Bad) Pic for your thread!

I expect that you'll be carrying your "new" Starmate quite a lot. Mine opens fast and with such a nice hefty "Clack!" that you just know its locked open. It's a very solid and large folder, and I feel it epitomizes Bob Terzuola's work in overall blade and handle design and geometry. I love all of his Spyderco collaborations, as I can't afford anything from him directly!

Did you get it sharp yet?

Yes - after following the advice from Yablanowitz! It really is a fantastic knife. With these ergo’s, I’m wondering about a Bradley 2 now.