Stretch 2 XL in grey G10 and CruWear steel!

[Manixguy@1994]

It was a toss up for me between the Stretch XL and the Manix2 Sprint . The dealer I got mine from on request before purchase thoroughly checked over the Stretch XL before shipment . He even called and asked if I was happy with the example . I’m glad Spyderco came out with this variation , I have carried it a lot . I hope this issue can be resolved and hope you enjoy one in the future . Dan

I think I’m going to call DLT when they get them in stock and ask for the same service.

DLT has never disappointed me , always have had great service.,Dan

[bwj109]

Oh man. This knife was instantly filtered out as a non-interesting knife to me when it was announced. I haven't even looked at this thread until today, after I saw it in a KC video. For its size it just looked so nimble. And while the blade is stupidly large, the handle seems barely larger than a regular S2 (which I also have totally dismissed for having handle that seems oversized, for my hand and the blade length).
Seeing, thanks to this thread, how slim it is compared to the Chief just further inhibits my the rational part of my brain to come online.
Not sure what's happening here.. I mostly carry DF2 to Delica sized knives, but here we are, only 4 days into the new year and the first two knives that are grabbing my attention is this one and the SNK Millie. Both expensive, with no apparent use case and totally too large. Probably both in the ergonomical sense and the practical sense. This ain't lookin' too good.

Other than the blade wrap/lanyard tube strikes I love this knife. Mine was very well done otherwise. Price slightly high to me but it hits all my knife "feels".

[bwj109]

Mine has some edge damage from the lanyard tube as well.

I'd eat it if it wasnt a $300 knife. But in this case I think I'll be sending it to warranty for a replacement. Bummer.

I'd be interested to know if it is fixable under warranty, or if the fix will need to be a CQI in the future. Mine has this, as well, and it has put a tiny chip in the blade (really tiny, like can't see it without a loupe). I'm kind of hoping it will go away after a few sharpenings, and it certainly has zero impact on the cutting performance, so I'm hanging on to mine for now.

I do not speak for Spyderco and may be completely off base, but it seems to me there are a few ways to work around this from a warranty and repair perspective:
1.) remove the lanyard tube entirely.
2.) file down the lanyard tube so it doesn't interfere.
3.) sharpen the blade until it doesn't touch the lanyard tube

I would suspect that #3 is the best solution for warranty and repair as it doesn't require disassembling the knife. Sharpening knives is a regular part of being a knife company. There is minimal to zero training required to execute.

One might argue that filing down the lanyard tube a little doesn't require disassembly, but there's only 3mm of space to work with between the liners. I wouldn't have a lot of confidence in the execution of that solution myself. I 'm just not certain that I could carry that out without nicking the inside of the liners with whatever tools I might try to use. This might also be kinda ugly if one looks at the inside of their folding knife.

#1 would be my favorite, but is probably the most time consuming.

As far as CQI goes, there are more options to prevent future versions from having the issue, but the simplest one would be to just not have the metal lanyard tube. Just don't have that part. Problem solved. Old G-10 Enduras and Delicas didn't have it.
The other two W+R solutions would work for assembly too. Filing down part of the lanyard tube makes for a round part that has to go in a certain way, so that complicates assembly a little.

Otherwise, I guess the blade or lock bar could be redesigned . Either the lock bar gets a little thicker where the kick/choil meets it or the choil gets just a little bigger too. I would see these as $10,000 answers to a $50 problem though (dollar amounts obviously made up).

I don't know about the tooling involved but adding a minute kick, just a fraction of length in the ricasso would eliminate the problem. I don't know geometry of the top of my head but probably as little 10 to 20 thousandths.

[cabfrank]

We are a forgiving group, and we love Spyderco, but, this ain't a cheap knife...

[Manixguy@1994]

We are a forgiving group, and we love Spyderco, but, this ain't a cheap knife...

Agree . Dan

[ZrowsN1s]

After thinking it over for a while, and knowing that this knife is a user that wont sit in a box or be resold. And after weighing which is a bigger hassle (a return or fixing it myself)..... I've decided to live with the defect and just remove the lanyard tube. The edge damage is slight. It will easily come out on the next sharpening and removing the tube will prevent reoccurrence. I don't think the removal of the tube will hurt the knife cosmetically or functionally (I'm not intending to use a lanyard). While not thrilled to have to mod a decently expensive knife, these things happen, and it's not worth going through the return process (with no guarantee I'd get a better stretch xl than the one I have, which is otherwise perfect)
Price tag be darned I'm keeping it

[cjk]

After thinking it over for a while, and knowing that this knife is a user that wont sit in a box or be resold. And after weighing which is a bigger hassle (a return or fixing it myself)..... I've decided to live with the defect and just remove the lanyard tube. The edge damage is slight. It will easily come out on the next sharpening and removing the tube will prevent reoccurrence. I don't think the removal of the tube will hurt the knife cosmetically or functionally (I'm not intending to use a lanyard). While not thrilled to have to mod a decently expensive knife, these things happen, and it's not worth going through the return process (with no guarantee I'd get a better stretch xl than the one I have, which is otherwise perfect)
Price tag be darned I'm keeping it

This is my sentiment exactly.

[Cycletroll]

After thinking it over for a while, and knowing that this knife is a user that wont sit in a box or be resold. And after weighing which is a bigger hassle (a return or fixing it myself)..... I've decided to live with the defect and just remove the lanyard tube. The edge damage is slight. It will easily come out on the next sharpening and removing the tube will prevent reoccurrence. I don't think the removal of the tube will hurt the knife cosmetically or functionally (I'm not intending to use a lanyard). While not thrilled to have to mod a decently expensive knife, these things happen, and it's not worth going through the return process (with no guarantee I'd get a better stretch xl than the one I have, which is otherwise perfect)
Price tag be darned I'm keeping it

This is my sentiment exactly.

+2!
My S2XL was not perfect either (no lanyard tube problem just grind & centering issues) but given that it's a user and my example has a relatively thin grind and good lock up I decided to keep it.
Hasn't left my pocket in weeks!

[Buddafucco]

In stock at DLTtrading... https://www.dlttrading.com/spyderco-str ... wear-blade

Edit: Out of stock

[ladybug93]

i'm glad some of you can afford it, but that price is absurd. how do they justify over $70 more for this than the ayoob? i thought the ayoob was too expensive, but at least it was a sprint, so it can demand a little higher price. what makes this so much more expensive as a production piece? if this was $210, it might be tempting, but at $285, not even close. and it already has fit and finish problems reported. that should be unacceptable.

[cjk]

i'm glad some of you can afford it, but that price is absurd. how do they justify over $70 more for this than the ayoob? i thought the ayoob was too expensive, but at least it was a sprint, so it can demand a little higher price. what makes this so much more expensive as a production piece? if this was $210, it might be tempting, but at $285, not even close. and it already has fit and finish problems reported. that should be unacceptable.

There's always the VG-10 lightweight version which is both similarly and differently wonderful as well. Only $112.35.

[steelcity16]

i'm glad some of you can afford it, but that price is absurd. how do they justify over $70 more for this than the ayoob? i thought the ayoob was too expensive, but at least it was a sprint, so it can demand a little higher price. what makes this so much more expensive as a production piece? if this was $210, it might be tempting, but at $285, not even close. and it already has fit and finish problems reported. that should be unacceptable.

Mine was only $254.55 thanks to $31 in rewards from DLT! Fingers crossed that I don't get a lemon!

[steelcity16]

In stock at DLTtrading... https://www.dlttrading.com/spyderco-str ... wear-blade

Thank you sir! This is what I have been waiting for! I love ordering from DLT due to their rewards, free shipping, and lack of sales tax in my state.

[KnotTheory]

Well I have mine on the way. Like everyone else I'm going to observe this is pricey. But, White Mountain has them right now and 10% off still means it's over $250, but that takes some of the sting out of it all the same.

But it's too sublime in concept, so here's hoping it's even mostly competent in execution (I have faith!) and I should be pleased with it after I forget how much it cost. I always thought the Stretch XL was a brilliant and underrated design, and I nearly bought the VG10 version a number of times, but I just really wanted G10 scales on it. Don't get me wrong I love my FRN Spydies it just felt... wrong for it, and I think my FRN Police just works for me so in my mind it'd be two too similar knives.

Then I heard rumors a G10 version was coming so I figured I'd hold off, and some time later I was rewarded with confirmation it was in fact on the horizon. Then I heard it was Cruwear. Then I figured out it was going to be made in Japan and said... well of course it is. So it's going to be awesome, but it's going to cost as much as a Paramilitary 2 AND an Endela together.

You have to want this one, and I want it. It's not for everyone, but it is for me.

[cabfrank]

There's always the VG-10 lightweight version which is both similarly and differently wonderful as well. Only $112.35.

Yep, that's the one for me. It was around $75 for Black Friday, but I stupidly missed that.

[kennethsime]

In stock at DLTtrading... https://www.dlttrading.com/spyderco-str ... wear-blade

Thank you sir! I got the email around 2:30pm today too, but didn't see it.

Mine was only $254.55 thanks to $31 in rewards from DLT! Fingers crossed that I don't get a lemon!

I only had $12 in DLT points, but didn't hesitate a moment. I did make a special request to DLT to check the knife out before shipping. I'll take it either way, but I'd be stoked if I didn't have to deal with this issue.

[ladybug93]

you shouldn't have to hope that your $200+ knife doesn't have a defect that damages the blade from the factory.

[phaust]

There's always the VG-10 lightweight version which is both similarly and differently wonderful as well. Only $112.35.

Yep, that's the one for me. It was around $75 for Black Friday, but I stupidly missed that.

If you decide you can't wait for Black Friday, it's $89 at KnifeJoy now if you sign up for their KnifeJoy+ program (free)

[kennethsime]

Wrong thread

[DLTJordan]

To clarify, we usually put up product a bit later because we wait to receive our full batch from Spyderco and distributors before uploading them, it helps makes the releases much smoother.