Caly Series. What's Next?

[remnar]

There's so much Caly awesomeness in this thread but I didn't see my favorite Caly. Let me fix that. MORE BOLSTERS!



I did see this one but you can never have too much super blue...

[vivi]

Please tell me how to open a Police tip up knife as quickly as a Caly 3.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=93657

could be tougher with smaller hands, granted.

[JSumm]

I don't think zero exists in manufacturing. It is just tolerances. It appears that Golden lockbacks have tighter tolerances. They appear to have less noticeable lock rock, so they give the impression of rock solid usage. I think that is why so many people swear by them. I have to admit, I like the tighter tolerances that I perceive the Golden lockbacks to have.

[vivi]

My Golden lockbacks do have less lock rock than my Seki FRN knives but there is still some rock.

Doesn't bother me in the slightest, but this forum gave me unrealistic expectations.

I went a long time between golden lockbacks. Pretty sure I went straight from the C95 Manix to the Chief. In between I read countless posts about zero play golden lockbacks, only to find out they apparently don't exist. Tested about 200 different lockbacks since that first Chief too.

Ah well, the Caly series is great regardless. Wonder how soon the 4" Caly will be ready to show off to the public?

[Bolster]

The Caly is my favorite series and I regret sounding a sour note here, but I just did a check of my records, and of the ten Caly3s and 3.5s that I've owned, seven of them had lock rock.

I don't know if 70% matches other peoples' experience, but given that lock rock doesn't occur in so many other Spyderco lockback models, it would seem extremely possible to eliminate it in whatever Calys come next.

100% of my Spyderco lockbacks have lock rock and aside from the Chap with an internal stop pin I'm convinced that's just how they are.

I've tested brand new lockbacks from every country Spyderco has made them in, and none of them can pass the cutting board test. Take the ones you don't notice lock rock in and try pressing the tip end of the cutting edge into a cutting board hard and I would imagine there will be play.

It doesn't bother me from a user stand point whatsoever, I just find it odd how many people here are convinced golden co made lockbacks have zero play when I've yet to find a single one over 15 years of buying golden lockbacks.

Maybe we need to calibrate, for sake of the conversation. Lock rock isn't really binary, it comes in degrees, right? So to be more precise, I'll say that 70% of my Calys had enough lock rock that it was quite noticeable and a little bothersome; for 30% the lock rock was either negligible or for all practical purposes, not noticeable. It was easy enough for me to determine the difference -- the lock rock I'm referring to isn't subtle.

And I'm not putting the knives to a rigid test like tip on a cutting board...I'm just pinching the locked blade with my left hand's fingers, handle in the right hand, and if I can wiggle the blade up and down by a few millimeters, that's enough lock rock I think to myself, "That shouldn't be there; other Spyderco lockbacks don't do this."

I would put all my other Spyderco lockbacks in the category of "not enough lock rock to be noticeable, or no lock rock" (with my simple test above): Manix lockbacks, Native, Chap, Persians, Kris, Sage lockback, Chinook, Kopa, Stretch. I would ditto those people who have observed the Golden models have so little rock that it's below the threshold of noticing in daily use. Whereas many Calys are afflicted.

When the tip of the blade moves several mm with a light pull on the blade, yeah, that bothers me a bit. Not enough to scotch my love for the Caly, but enough that I wish the Caly could at least be as solid as other Spyderco lockbacks. I'm not looking for perfection, just, enough rigidity that it's not so noticeable.

Bottom line: If the new Caly could be built with the same amount of blade rigidity as Spyderco's other lockback models, that would be dandy.

[Bolster]

...MORE BOLSTERS!

Yay! More of me!

[vivi]

That could account for why my experiences differ from yours. To me there is either lock rock or the blade does not move any perceptible amount.

[R100]

I agree with both Bolster and Vivi. All Spyderco lockbacks - including my 3 Golden models - except the Chap have lock rock. On the other hand it is also not binary for me. My Caly 3.5 has such pronounced lock rock which is so easily instigated that I cannot enjoy using it. I like the design but won't buy another iteration unless this issue is fixed or at least reduced to normal Seki levels.

Dan

[remnar]

...MORE BOLSTERS!

Yay! More of me!

YES!

[elena86]

Christmass is closing. There is only one question for me : should I ask Santa to bring me a LW Caly 3.5 ? I was good in 2022… most of the time.

[Bolster]

Christmass is closing. There is only one question for me : should I ask Santa to bring me a LW Caly 3.5 ? I was good in 2022… most of the time.

Don't lose faith in Santa if he doesn't bring you a LW Caly by Christmas. Word is that Santa is currently enlarging his factory, and that's delaying the production of various new toys.

[Bolster]

Actually the above posting of mine is off-key. The factory expansion may be a non factor since Golden doesn't make the Caly.

The Caly family as you all know is a Moki knife, from Japan. I've spent the last half hour reading through a forum search of "caly+moki" and have noticed a number of times it's been hinted, or said outright, that the reason the Caly series almost vanished from the lineup (save the still available Caly CF 3.5) has nothing to do with a lack of sales or interest; it has to do with the Moki mfgr falling on hard times, particularly regards quality control. Reading between the lines (my interpretation! I could be wrong here) it sounds like Spyderco didn't want to make a big investment in the Caly line until Moki was able to turn things around. And Spyderco is loathe to pull a model from a manufacturer, for reason of keeping relations with contractors in good shape. SO, given all this conjecture on my part, it may mean that the coming Caly LW series signals a return of Moki to good order.

I hope so. I'll still be checking my new Caly LW knives for lock-rock, but I am optimistic!

Footnote: My casual research seemed to indicate that Moki vastly prefers (and may only work with) Japanese steels. So if Moki is still the mfgr, there may be a lot of steels we can cross off the list of potentials.

Hey! My research and knowledge of this area is mediocre at best; it's worth less than you paid for it. So please correct me if I'm in error here.

[JSumm]

I think you are correct Bolster. I wouldn't mind seeing some Hap40.

[Rymanz]

I decided to pick up a Caly 3.5 for a good price this past holiday weekend, and boy am I glad I did. This thing is everything I wish the Endura was from an ergonomics standpoint. Almost the same blade length without the unnecessarily long handle (for my hand size, anyways).

My only gripe is that there is still a burr hanging off one side of the edge, from the factory. But there is no lock-rock and the action is good.

[Buddafucco]

Footnote: My casual research seemed to indicate that Moki vastly prefers (and may only work with) Japanese steels. So if Moki is still the mfgr, there may be a lot of steels we can cross off the list of potentials.

Hey! My research and knowledge of this area is mediocre at best; it's worth less than you paid for it. So please correct me if I'm in error here.

The latest Moki made Ayoob uses CPM-Cruwear. So you can un-cross off the potentials and add a "probably not, but maybe!" in parentheses.

[Bolster]

Footnote: My casual research seemed to indicate that Moki vastly prefers (and may only work with) Japanese steels. So if Moki is still the mfgr, there may be a lot of steels we can cross off the list of potentials.

Hey! My research and knowledge of this area is mediocre at best; it's worth less than you paid for it. So please correct me if I'm in error here.

The latest Moki made Ayoob uses CPM-Cruwear. So you can un-cross off the potentials and add a "probably not, but maybe!" in parentheses.

Woo - hoo! Thanks for this excellent info! CruWear is extra delicious, too. Guessing that CruWear was shipped to Japan to make this happen?

[JRinFL]

I was hoping they would some day release a bolstered model with no damascus and a less costly handle materiel. Bolsters are not just for pocket jewelry!

[JSumm]

Footnote: My casual research seemed to indicate that Moki vastly prefers (and may only work with) Japanese steels. So if Moki is still the mfgr, there may be a lot of steels we can cross off the list of potentials.

Hey! My research and knowledge of this area is mediocre at best; it's worth less than you paid for it. So please correct me if I'm in error here.

The latest Moki made Ayoob uses CPM-Cruwear. So you can un-cross off the potentials and add a "probably not, but maybe!" in parentheses.

Woo - hoo! Thanks for this excellent info! CruWear is extra delicious, too. Guessing that CruWear was shipped to Japan to make this happen?

Yes, CPM-Cruwear is from Crucible here in the States.

Sal hinted before about different Japanese models getting Cruwear and SPY27. Hopefully we will see more of it.

[Bolster]

Yes, CPM-Cruwear is from Crucible here in the States.

Sal hinted before about different Japanese models getting Cruwear and SPY27. Hopefully we will see more of it.

I marvel at economics that allow shipment of steel from US to Japan and then back again, then being sold at a still-reasonable price. It's a miracle!

[ChrisinHove]

I decided to pick up a Caly 3.5 for a good price this past holiday weekend, and boy am I glad I did. This thing is everything I wish the Endura was from an ergonomics standpoint. Almost the same blade length without the unnecessarily long handle (for my hand size, anyways).

My only gripe is that there is still a burr hanging off one side of the edge, from the factory. But there is no lock-rock and the action is good.

Good catch! The 3.5 is an excellent knife!