The Stretch

Stevie Ray · #1

Allright ... I now have my CE Stretch. Let me do a brief writeup ... I'm not given to ooohs and aaahs about any knife, but IMHO, the Stretch is one of Spyderco's finest. What a nice surprise to receive this knife. Here's why I like it:

1. I'm a fan of the big Wegner. The blade shape is a cross between the Pro-Grip and the big Weg..
2. The Stretch's Spydie hole is Military size ...
3. Although blade length is only a 1/4 inch or so off the big Weg, the Stretch is a little over 1/2 ounce lighter and is a MUCH more compact carry than the Weg (width and length).
4. It has filing on the upper and lower choil for fine work .... NICE ....
5. Kraton on stainless ... well ... my earlier comments in another thread about lighter weight aluminum aside, it just makes for a nicely finished grippy folder with nice heft.
6. It just feels right in my hand ...

I dunno ... I've never had a new Spydie impress me like this one has. Very nice work Spyderco !

rycen · #2

Nice write up.That one is on my list for sure.

swede · #3

Hey Steve,

Couldn't agree more. After some of the wilder designs lately, this model has a traditional flair. The ergos are great too, and I didn't realize the weight differential. The only one nicer is a CF Native...

Dave

Stevie Ray · #4

Dave,

Grinning ... yep .... I agree. Nuff said.

Steve

thombrogan · #5

Great write-up. How's it fair on your regular cutting chores?

The Deacon · #6

My Stretch seems to find its way into my pocket almost every day now. Not big on liner locks, so did not have the large Wegner to compare it with, but do appreciate the size to weight and blade length to handle length ratios. Agree with all the other reasons you stated Steve, and will just add the superior slicing ability the flat grind provides, and the "user friendliness" the four way mountable clip give it, to the list.

Thom, can't believe you've held off this long. The Stretch cuts like a Calypso Jr. on steroids, is 100% lefty friendly, and has a cute little :spyder: engraved on the blade to boot, what more reason do you need?

thombrogan · #7

It's definitely been tempting me, Paul. Of course, :spyder: has been putting out so many temptations and Calypso Jr is reprofiled to outcut most every other stainless-bladed folder, so I'm waiting for a ClipIt whose esthetics and slicelisciousness simultaneously send me reeling.

#8

Thanx much for the kind words. I put a great deal of time into the design and the maker is doing an excellent job. Mine seems to find its way into my daily carry quite often as well.

sal

The Deacon · #9

I hear ya Thom, and realize that, with no mouths to feed other than my own, it's a lot easier for me to indulge my whims than it is for a lot of others. Understand your desire for a super-slicin' thing of beauty, to the point I'm already debating the idea of tricking out my "backup" Stretch with some fancier scales. Will just say that when I got my customized Persian back from Ron, it became my most regular carry and I figured it would stay that way, as it offers super looks and great cutting power combined. Then I got the Stretch, and, as the weeks go by it has all but pushed the Persian out of my pocket. Compared with the Persian it's slimmer, lighter, and has the same blade length yet is half inch shorter closed, and the Kraton, while not pehaps the most elegant handle material around, feels good and washes up easy. What I'm finding is that praticallity is a stronger factor in determining what I carry than looks.

Sal, the Stretch is easy to praise. The time and effort you put into refining this design before releasing it to the market is evident. Fitting successor to the Hunters and Pro-Grips, its heritage is obvious, yet it is also an execellent design in its own right. Only thing I'd change is the Boye dent, and I realize that what I'm really wishing is that the majority of buyers disliked them as much as I do. I'll just say that if the boys in Seki ever forget to "dent" a PE one, I'd be happy to add a third one to my personal inventory.

:D

Stevie Ray · #10

Paul,
Let me know what you decide to do with your backup Stretch. Ron did a really nice job with your Persian, so there's no telling what he might be able to do with a Stretch. I caught your comment about maybe adding a 3rd one .. :D . I'll have to confess that I ordered a 2nd one (PE this time).

Sal,
Yep .. the thoughtful design and lessons learned from previous models are evident in the Stretch. As you and Paul both mentioned, once you pick this one up, it's going to start finding it's way into your pocket on a regular basis for the reasons discussed above.

Franco G · #11

How thick is the Stretch's blade? I would expect 3.5 mm, but would not be surprised if it were 3 mm.
How strong is the lock? Again, I would expect it to be in the category of Native II SS, but it could be stronger. Native II SS is in the 400 in/lbs range (it would need 600 in/lbs to be MBC rated).

Franco

The Deacon · #12

Stevie, this one's not as easy for me as the Persian. Object is to improve the looks without reducing the toughness. Funny thing is, I'm almost inclined to think that the ultimate scales for the Stretch, at least for my purposes, would be flat slabs of FRN with 16 lpi sharp cut checkering. As for getting a third, that would only be if one "escaped" the factory with no Boye dent.

Franco, blade is 3mm, same as Persian and Police and a hair thicker than the one in my SS Native II. I'd guess the lock is somewhere in the same range as that of the SS Police and probably a bit stronger than the SS Native. I have every confidence that the lock is plenty strong enough for anything I'd ever do with it.

J Smith · #13

Why is Spyderco still useing the dent?
I don't think I have read a post anywhere that someone said they liked it.

The Deacon · #14

J Smith wrote:Why is Spyderco still useing the dent?
I don't think I have read a post anywhere that someone said they liked it.

Got me Jeff, and what makes it even more puzzling is that some new models have it, and others don't. Why "dent" the Scorpius, Persian, and Stretch, yet leave the Chinook II and Manix "undented"?

Zrexxer · #15

J Smith wrote:Why is Spyderco still useing the dent?
I don't think I have read a post anywhere that someone said they liked it.

I've said it previously, and I'll say it again - I love the Boye dent. I think every lockback should have it.

#16

The Chinook and Manix use a smaller lock well. We may ultimately go to the smaller well. We'll wee what the ELUs in general prefer.

sal

mac_heath · #17

It always impresses me that Spyderco pays close attention to its end-users. I haven't handled the Manix or Chinook II, so I don't know how the smaller lock well compares to the boyle dent. However, I'm a big fan of the compression lock and would like to see more knives with it. I wish the Manix and Stretch came with compression locks instead of lockbacks.

talonturbo · #18

Sal PLEASE keep "denting" knives. I know some people dislike it, but I love it. When I buy a Manix I'm going to have to add my own.