Evil D wrote:All my "grails" are knives that don't (yet) exist but my latest love affair is my 52100 Military. I'm just as happy with the CQI changes as I am the steel.
I hear ya. The Military is so refined now.
Just got my 52100 back from Jason. He finished it at 16K, its really nice. So much fun to use!
For me its K2. Waited and hunted it for 2 years. Bought with clearance fantastic price. And I can say it is one of the most favorite knife! One of the best purchases!
Caly 3 Damascus and G-10 Navigator plain edge were my grails for a long time and I recently found and bought both. I found an SE G-10 Navigator a while back and figured I'd have to settle and be content with that even though I really wanted the plain edge, so now I have both Navs. :)
Not sure what my current Grail is. Maybe a discontinued Schempp (carbon fiber Balance, Navaja, Persian w/silver bolsters, Barong?), or the dark green PM w/204p steel.
Those are all findable, though. It's more that I'm not sure I'll carry them enough to justify the cost.
Well, the Gunting or the original Ronin, whichever was the more-recently produced of the two. Nothing has been a highly-anticipated "grail" since that time. I did handle a Temperance II at the Blade Show, to confirm fit in my hands. (I have an original Temperance, so there is no particular hurry to buy.)
I have bought Spyderco knives since my several Guntings and several Ronins, for my personal use, but I saw them as either utilitarian, or as open-minded experiments, with a degree of doubt, not holy grails. Of course, I am not much of a knife collector; more of an accumulator of a relative few favored models. Most of my recent Spyderco purchases have been gifts for others.
Been a while since any have really excited me, so the most recent special one would be this "pre-loved" Centofante Memory. Special, because it was a gift from Sal. Special, because despite being about as "wrong handed" as a knife can get and the polar opposite of everything I normally like in a knife, it was love at first sight. It immediately became my dedicated desk knife/letter opener and has found its way into my pocket more than a few times for trips downtown.
The Deacon wrote:
Special, because despite being about as "wrong handed" as a knife can get and the polar opposite of everything I normally like in a knife, it was love at first sight.
Paul,
I have similar feelings for the knife. Reading about it and looking on the pictures it was nothing of what I like: smooth blue Ti, liner lock, too shiny glassfiber, tip down carry. I bought due to peer pressure (thank you Ken), but when I got it I fall in love.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf"
I've got a used D'Allara drop point CE coming in the mail. It's been hung up in Jersey City for 3 days (hope Christie isn't blocking bridges again :p). I had been looking for a deal on one of these for a long time, mainly for yard work and around the house EDC. I didn't want to get a new one (disco'ed around 9 yrs ago) because this knife is just so collectible I would have been reluctant to use it. I've been using the SE Rescue version for 2 or 3 years, and I really like the hand-filling ergos of this platform. It's truly amazing how the SE cuts. If the Dragonfly SE is a pocket chainsaw, then the D'Allara Rescue must be a pocket sawmill. The CE won't be as powerful for limb lopping, etc, but its long un-serrated area will make it a great go-to knife for most all utility purposes. Unlike my early SE version, it has the smooth oval under the clip, which will help with the pocket shredding problem :D
This is the SE sheepsfoot version \|/ -- I'll try to get back with a drop point pic when it arrives.
K-390 on hand: Mule Team 17, Police 4 G-10, Endela (burlap micarta), Endela backup, Endura (canvas micarta), Straight Stretch (now blade-swapped with G-10 Stretch), Delica Wharncliffe, Dragonfly Wharncliffe, & Dragonfly Wharncliffe shorty mod Note to self: Less is more.
Been a while since any have really excited me, so the most recent special one would be this "pre-loved" Centofante Memory. Special, because it was a gift from Sal. Special, because despite being about as "wrong handed" as a knife can get and the polar opposite of everything I normally like in a knife, it was love at first sight. It immediately became my dedicated desk knife/letter opener and has found its way into my pocket more than a few times for trips downtown.
I am also a big fan of the Centofante Memory. The design is "classic" Frank Centofante, and hails back to some of the early Centofante/Spyderco collaborations, which I have always been very fond of. However, the materials are higher tech, and aesthetically gorgeous. The fit and finish are superb, and "custom-like" -- a real showcase of the high quality that Spyderco is capable of achieving through its Seki manufacturer.
I was fortunate enough to pick one up NIB for only $139.99 -- still some good deals out there on this fantastic knife.
My most recent purchases (within last 6 month) are: Caly3 ZDP189 and 0562CF. I am not sure if these knives are qualified to be grails, but I am enjoying both of them. I bought both to try new steels, but I love designs as well.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf"
Probably not considered a grail by many, but I have wanted the Sage 5 ever since early rumors started and now I have it!! :D
I wish I could get it in CTS-204P steel to truly make it a grail for me, but S30V is just fine and it checks pretty much every box I want otherwise in terms of size, materials, ergos, clip, lock, blade shape, etc. Just a great EDC.
