1st Spydie for Teenager

[hannes w]

Hi Folks,



I'm looking for a birthday present for my little brother.



He will turn 14 in August and it will be his

first "real" folding knife aswell a his first Spydie.



So the big question is:



Which model between 3" and 3.5"?

and

plain or combo edge for a first knife?



Thanks for your help



Hannes

[Nicky]

You absolutely want a Delica.

[JBE]

May want to check out the Dragonfly also...

"I'd come to realize that my job was less about saving lives then it was about bearing witness..."

[chux]

For a first knife its hard to go wrong with a PE FRN Delica.


"Better gear than good sense a traveller cannot carry."

[The Deacon]

Hi hannes, I'd suggest the C41 Native Lightweight in S30V. The handle shape and bi-directional texturing makes it easy to control and extremely comfortable to use. The deep choil makes it very difficult to cut oneself, both while using the knife and when closing it. The blade shape is a good compromise for most uses and I find the "humpless" spine makes it feel smaller in the pocket than other comparable size Spydercos. It is made of the best currently available steel, and holds an edge incredibly well. It is available in either plain or combo edge. I would suggest plain for your brother as it is much easier to learn how to sharpen a knife with a plain edge than it is with a serrated one.

Paul <A HREF='http://home.earthlink.net/~paulberetta/index.htm'>my page</A>

[jaids]

Pe delica

<img src="spyder.gif" width=45 height=45 align=middle border=0>

[Civilian]

FRN Delica PE is a great first knife. A G-10 Civilian SE is a great second knife!
_____________
MAT<img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>TER

[boxer93]

hannes w,
I would also reccomend the native. I like the blue native III pe. The opening was not as stiff as the original III's. My son also 14 has been using a G10 CE native for 2 years now. He can even whittle with it. (not sure how :/ )
If he has smaller hands then I'd reccomend the calypso Jr Ltwt PE.
My 2cents US
Chris

Be Excellent to each other. <a href="http://home.comcast.net/~boxer93/q2.html" target=blank>boxer93 Q's </a>

[J Smith]

Any of these would be great for him
Native
Delica
Calypso Jr,ebay has great prices on these
Navigator,29.99 at eknifeworks.com

<img src=http://techhelpers.net/e4u/drink/trink36.gif

[vTek]

I bought a Dragonfly for my dad's birthday. It's next month so he hasn't gotten it yet but I think it is a great "first-time" knife to offer to someone. Great cutter and small enough not to attract too much attention.

[CKE]

For a first <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> go with the Delica. Maybe the olive drab with black blade or a couloured handle if you can fine one. Someting different but on a very trustworthy <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>. Good luck and let us know what you decide. Take Care!!!

"everything else is just a jeep"

[Mr Blonde]

I'd go with the FRN PE Delica and Drone combo. The drone is not ofr MBC, but rather safe knife practice.

Wouter

Spyderco photos and reviews at: <a href= http://www.geocities.com/mrblonde50>Mr Blonde’s Blog</a>

[hannes w]

Thanks for all your replies

I just want to summarize de pros and cons of
the mentioned models:

Native & Native 3d

pro great ergos & materials
con a little to agressiv blade shape

Dragonfly

pro nice little cutter
con maybe to small for future tasks

Navigator

same as Dragonfly

so the choice is either

a Delica or a Calypso Jr.

If the knife would be for me I would
choose the Calypso because of the full
flat grind and its limited availability.

I prefer my knives either plain or SE but
what do think about a combo edge for a
newbie knife?

thanks

Hannes

[vTek]

For such a small blade I'd rather go for a plain edge. IMO unless you have a specific usefor a serrated/combo blade, it's not worth it.

[DAYWALKER]

Aloha!

Ahhhhh, definite Delica! A GREAT knife that's economic and easily replaced if lost or abused! LOL!

The Delica was one of my first Spyders and I have been hooked on this model ever since!

Proverbs 16:3...Commit YOUR works to the LORD, and YOUR plans WILL succeed!

[vampyrewolf]

Don't discount the 'fly as "small"... I've got long fingers, and the 'fly has been on me for 3yrs, daily use. Neck carry for a long time already, 24/7).

Great beater for it's price.

Native should be a nice solid package for hard work, but mine is still waiting to go in or I'd be able to give my thoughts.

Delica is the ultamite work knife. "Cheap", readily replaceable, and takes a load of abuse.

<img src="http://www.members.shaw.ca/pjharyett/sp ... pyder5.gif">
Mei Fides, Mei Victus
We are programmed to receive. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

[Joyce Laituri]

Hi Hannes,

What will he be primarily using it for? Just a thought, but take him out for a Saturday and help him decide after handling a couple knives. Getting a few in the hand can make the difference between the perfect birthday gift and one that just had great intentions.

Joyce @ Spyderco

[Shiden]

Meerkat.
It's a good cutter and also fun to play with.
But Delica, Dragonfly or something else are ofcourse also excellent choices.

Shiden


Audentis Fortuna Iuvat

[sharp]

why not a salt? keep it sharp and safe

[dialex]

Try to find out what the kid would like first. Start a discussion about knives, blade shapes and materials, handles aso., show him a Spyderco catalog, see what strikes his fancy and why. PE would be better as a starter, for it's easier to maintain.

<a href="http://users.pcnet.ro/dialex"><font color=blue>(my page)</font></a>