Spyderco knives that you have gifted - any extra info welcome. To whom, why, and how did it hold up?

[Tristan_david2001]

Last year for Mother’s Day, I bought a tattoo dragonfly for my mom. She carries it every day in her purse, rarely has to use it much, mostly opening mail packages. The thing came incredibly sharp, she was using it once to open some package in the car, she said it sliced through it so easy she accidentally sliced in to the bottom of the car seat under it, uh oh. Dragonfly’s a very beautiful design, especially in a stainless steel handle version and that beautiful chromatic dragonfly design on it. Perfect size knife most normal/ modern lifestyle edc cutting chores.

[embry386]

Gave a Brouwer to my dad because the ergonomics didn't work for me. He carries it whenever he wants to have a knife available but doesn't want to risk damaging/losing his fancy older Benchmade. He's not much of a knife guy, but the knife is definitely getting more appreciation from him than it would with me, so I'm satisfied with the situation.

Gave a gray Endura to my brother because I liked the weight and balance better on the Pac Salt. He enjoys using it as a "beater knife", when he isn't carrying one of his fixed blades. Don't talk to him often so I haven't heard any news about it for months, might ask him next time he calls how it's holding up.

Gave a Cara Cara 2 to my mom because I wanted to see if she would become a knife person when presented with a cool enough knife. She put it in her purse and has probably forgotten about it. Ah well, it was worth a try -- never know if someone will become a knife person unless you first give them the opportunity! Think I'll stick to other gifts in the future though, haha.

Gave an orange Dragonfly to a coworker, because I don't like tiny knives and had only purchased it due to a blade length rule at my workplace, and I wanted to gift her something cool. When I quit that workplace, no more reason for me to hang on to the Dragonfly. I'm not in contact with that coworker since leaving, but she complimented that knife a few times when we worked together, and had shown some interest in other knives as well -- so the chances are good that it's getting some appreciation.

Gave a QSP Penguin (non-Spyderco) to a different coworker, because I wasn't particularly attached to it, and I wanted to gift him something cool. He mostly enjoys Microtech switchblades, so this one doesn't get a ton of carrying, but he'll carry it occasionally.

Gave a blackout serrated Pac Salt to my best friend, because he enjoys knives (although isn't a collector to the extent I am), and it was his birthday. He bought himself a Cara Cara 2 Rescue after I showed him my collection, and mentioned particularly enjoying my Pac Salt and Endura, so I let him pick out which Pac Salt variant he wanted and then bought it for him. He can't carry knives as often as he would like due to workplace rules, and his favorite EDC is a cheap combo-edge Smith and Wesson alongside that Cara Cara 2 Rescue, but despite all that he still carries the Pac Salt pretty often. :D

[SchoonerBum]

A couple of years ago I was chatting with one of my good friends (who lives on the opposite coast from me) and she mentioned that she needed a pocketknife for work and (separately) how much she loved the look of damascus knives. I bought her one of the KnifeJoy steel blue damascus Delicas, and had it shipped straight to her. She loved it and as far as I know still carries it and uses it daily.

[spoonrobot]

Sent a bunch of H1 knives to Afghanistan in 2010-2011. Some got lost, some stolen, some made it back home and I heard how great they were. Guys loved the Atlantic Salt for some reason, got specific requests to send more. Later I spent some time tracking them down after they were discontinued to send a few for post-service college graduation gifts. Heard nothing but good things about them.

Before that, my go to gifts were Delicas and Natives - gifted quite a few of the $40 Walmart natives back in 2005-2006 (?). Whenever I ran into someone who I'd gifted a knife they'd pull it out and show me very excited about how much they used it. For many it was the first and probably only quality pocket knife they'd owned. Saw a few broken tips that I reprofiled, had a Delica with the front 1/2 of the blade broken off (from abusive prying) but the owner didn't care and was still using it fine until I asked to reprofile for him.

Whenever possible I'd make sure the knives I was gifting had a non-black handle. People seemed to like the colored handles.

It's been a few years since I've had occasion to gift anyone a knife. My friends and family are getting along fine with their knives and not many new people I meet that aren't already carrying something. Different time from 15+ years ago, or maybe just different people. Last knife I gifted was the GID plastic Delica kit to my 7 year old niece in the Spring. Was a huge hit so now I've got to get one for her brother and younger sister - for Christmas I suppose.

[Ranger_Ike]

Native 5 to my oldest daughter on her 18th birthday. She loved it, but honestly doesn’t carry it a lot.
My two younger daughters each got a tenacious. They carry them use them a lot, and they have held up great.

A few other friends, I’ve given each a tenacious (I’m avoiding using the plural for tenacious, cause I don’t have a clue what it is… tenaci?)

Given a few bugs out as gifts too. They make great gifts.

[skeeg11]

Would that be Tenacii in latin?

[VooDooChild]

I have gifted a pac sat 1 to a buddy.
I have also gifted a few manbug salts, and some saks.

Manbug salt is a great knife to gift to non-knife people. It requires no maintenance, its small and non-threatening, no pointy tip, will cut just about anything. And theres a good chance it will end up on car or house keys and actually get used.

[JRinFL]

I have gifted a pac sat 1 to a buddy.
I have also gifted a few manbug salts, and some saks.

Manbug salt is a great knife to gift to non-knife people. It requires no maintenance, its small and non-threatening, no pointy tip, will cut just about anything. And theres a good chance it will end up on car or house keys and actually get used.

Good points and advice.

[Mrj]

I gifted a dragonfly with g10 to father-in-law. He chipped the vg10 in a week. I think next I’ll get him k390. My has a few para 3 and pm2’s for Christmas and birthdays. My boss I gifted a new s45vn para 3. My boss said I was too nice to use lol. He normally sports a busted bench made. Now they all love Spyderco.

[Josh Crutchley]

I gave my rarest user, Manix 2 Cruwear w/ diamond G10, to a life-long friend. He hasn't had it long but I imagine it will last a lifetime.

Gave a BD1 Cat to one of my brothers and he promptly lost it. Now I give him other brands so I don't hear of another lost Spydie.

Also gave my other brother a Tenacious because it felt too big at the time. He uses it daily and brings it to me when it needs sharpened. Of course I like bigger knives now and want another for myself like the S35 variant.

[Superflex]

I gave my son an orange Delica 4 for Christmas 2 years ago and he lost it within a year at Ole Miss. Once he graduates, I'll give him something else. He really likes my M4 Tanto PM2, but I'm thinking something more pedestrian.
My older brother got one of my Para 3 LWs in DLC BD1N. He's old school and usually carries an old timer. Cant seem to get the thumb roll.
My wife still has her Dragonfly serrated hawkbill but doesn't use it as much as the Gerber LST while at work (manager of a garden center). She said some Karen customer was scared of the hawkbill when she pulled it out (lol).

[Pokey]

Delicas, Mule Teams, Native 5’s, Value Folders, Ladybugs, Tenacious’, Counter Puppy’s, Bug’s, 1 Shaman, and 2 Assists to different people. (Coffee mugs, shopping bags, bandanas, stickers, calendars, etc…)

I sent the Assists to an ex-door neighbor and his son. They drive through the local canyons a lot where silly drivers no nothing about the laws of physics or gravity. The dad got a Tenacious, too. He keeps it in one of his tool bags for handyman work. He was astounded by the quality, liked the blue scales for visibility, and said he’d never had a knife that nice.

Why? Because they work specifically for their uses.

[zuludelta]

I've gifted a lot of Spydercos to family, friends, and coworkers over the years. From something as small as the Manbug that I gave to a senior coworker to something as large as the Yojumbo I gave my younger brother for his birthday earlier this year.

In all cases, the knives are appreciated, and they are used. The people I gift knives to are either people who use folders as tools in their job/hobbies, or are knife nerds, or both.

Some of the people I've gifted Spydercos to will occasionally text me about their experiences with their knives. A friend told me that the Dragonfly 2 Salt I gave her was the knife she carried when she did a through-hike of the SCT (Sunshine Coast Trail) earlier this summer, and a close friend & former co-worker actually just texted me the following yesterday (I gave her an SE Dragonfly 2 & an Alcyone as going away presents):

[James Y]

I'm really enjoying reading this thread.

Although I must admit I have never gifted anyone a Spyderco knife. Nobody in my family is into knives; the most I ever gifted were SAK Classics to everyone. Only two were ever carried. Back in the late '90s, I gave my late mom a CRKT Mirage, which had a wharncliffe blade. She did use it a bit for weeding. If I ever gave Spydercos as gifts, they would end up sitting in a drawer, or lost.

Jim

[legOFwhat?]

Let's see. 16 orange rescue 2's that all went to my Bil, nephews and my nieces husbands. Christmas gifts a few years ago. 7 ladybugs one each for my children, wife and 2 went to my son in law because TSA took his 1st one. Df2hb to another son in law and V-toku2 endura to my younges(both in Army). Pd1 mt to my son, pma11 mt to my son in laws father. Byrd crossbill that replaced a lost rescue2 to another nephew.
Probably a few more that I'm forgetting.

[pantagana23]

SS Police to my father in law, who has a bear paw sized hand, because he always carried some crappy old slipjoint, handle fits him just fine.
Gave a Byrd Tern to the husband of my first cousin, just to get him hooked :)