Premium version of the Cat???

[ronT2]

Would anyone else be interested in a premium version of the Cat or am I the only one? Maybe something reminiscent of the original carbon fiber jimped version? Peel-ply CF scales like the Sage 1 or Chap would be fine by me, possibly in premium steel like CTS-XHP or 204P? How about some slightly proud liners to give it a contoured feel like a Gayle Bradley 1 or 2?

So would that make it a smaller version of the Sage 1 or a liner lock version of the Chaparral? I love the size of the Cat and the Chaparral, rarely do I need anything larger for edc.

I don’t know if Sal and Company have a policy of not making the same model knife at two different plants but I’d sure love to see what could be done by the Taichung plant.

[yablanowitz]

I'm sure the Taichung plant would do a wonderful job on it, but I'm less sure of the price point. As for the proud liners, I can describe my feelings in two words: deal breaker. They are why I gave away my GB1, why I don't have an Air or a GB2, and probably never will buy anything else with his name on it. For me, "digital rounding" is an oxymoron and is synonymous with "intentional hotspot". But that's just me, and my tastes seem to get farther from the market that Spyderco targets every day.

[TomAiello]

Yes, definitely.

That recent thread with the photo of the CF Cat started me looking for one.

CF Cat in XHP or 204p would be amazing. :)

[Doc Dan]

I would. The Cat is one of my favorite designs. They need to bring back the jimping.

[DougC-3]

I like mine quite a bit because it's such a well made and functional little knife, but I probably wouldn't buy another one because I'm a lefty and it's a little harder to close left handed than right handed. Also I usually carry a bigger and a smaller knife, and the Cat falls between the sizes I carry. Though, in truth it's probably about all the knife I usually need.

[funghiman]

I would. The Cat is one of my favorite designs. They need to bring back the jimping.

Yep same here. I'm in for a flash batch.

[ronT2]

I knew that the thought of proud liners would be met with mixed opinions. I like my GB1 with the thicker liners better than the GB2, the thicker liners just feel better. I think it would be fun to have a Cat with proud liners and one without on a table in front of me just to see and feel the difference.

[ejcr98]

I would be interested. Especially if the blade length was like the one of the original model (close to but less than 2.5") and not like the current model (2.5" or slightly longer). That would make the knife carryable where the blade length limit is less than 2.5" (e.g. federal facilities, etc.). Give it a compression lock and an M390 blade and I have got my perfect EDC knife. Maybe the scales could be more like the Sage 5 than the Sage 1.

[jmh58]

A CAT with a Tux!! I am in!!! John

[Donut]

I think you'd be tough to justify this one... when the Original Cat came out with S30V and Carbon Fiber and was discontinued because it didn't sell very well.

If you really wanted one, I'm sure you could find one on the secondary market.

[StuntZombie]

I thought it was discontinued because there were some quality issues. Or am I thinking of a different knife?

[ronT2]

You're thinking of the right knife. Yablanowitz does a good job explaining some of the issues below.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=73734

Most of the first run of the Chicago and Cat with CF and S30V ended up in the Seconds Sale that year. It was an experiment with a different maker in Taiwan (not the one in Taichung) that didn't pan out. Often you have to go over a second with a magnifying glass to find the flaw that made it a second, but not so with these. They looked like the scales and liners were made using jigs in two plants, neither of which even knew where the other was. The fit was simply atrocious. There were literally hundreds at the sale, and I didn't see a single person having trouble finding the defect on one. If you have one that passed QC, you have a rare bird indeed.

The last CF Cat I saw on the bay went for $80 plus $45 shipping from Moscow. And not one of the many towns in the USA named Moscow. Bidding on that one was a little out of my comfort zone.

[Donut]

Alright, well, that sucks. Keep your eye out!

[Toter]

Greetings--Spyderco fan and first time poster here. Glad to see this question asked, and I wanted to chime in. My short answer: YES!

I'd pay Sage 1 prices for a mini-Sage 1 from Taichung on the Cat platform, with a 2.49 inch blade in CTS-XHP--even more so after recently picking up a Chaparral.

The Chap blade is outstanding, but not Federal building friendly. As noted above, pocket knives carried there must have blades of LESS than 2.5 inches in length. If you look at the current Spyderco catalog, there's not much in it that maximizes that length potential, which is a bit surprising given Spyderco's deserved reputation for developing great small knives and for catering to populations with legal restrictions.

I also have a Cat, and--other than unmodified blade length (both the 440C and the current BD1 are every bit of 2.5 inches) and steel, it ticks all the right boxes for me: Liner lock, wire clip, finger choil, and low profile black handle. Just add an ever-so slightly shorter blade in CTS-XHP (with jimping)...please!

[Sildani]

I'll buy one. The Cat has become my favorite knife in a **** of a hurry. A harder steel for better edge retention would be welcome!

[Doc Dan]

Yes, the Cat is a really superb design. The only thing that keeps it from being perfect is that it is a liner lock rather than a mid back lock. But, I can live with this on a small knife, if I have to do so. I bought a Cat a few years ago to have a cheap knife to travel with. I wanted a cheap price but Spyderco quality and this knife had that in spades. It was actually better finished than my Chaparral. As I said, mine has jimping top and bottom and I wish they would go back to that. I, and many, here, have advocated for a higher end version (but keep the cheaper version!) with better steel. In fact, keep the G10 as is (on my sample), too. Elmax, M390, CTS-XHP would be nice choices.

This design is why I like my new Urban LW K390 so much. It is hand and pocket friendly. With the pocket clip removed, it fills the role of the old pocket jack knife. Great design on the Cat and the ULW.

[ronT2]

Greetings--Spyderco fan and first time poster here. Glad to see this question asked, and I wanted to chime in. My short answer: YES!

I'd pay Sage 1 prices for a mini-Sage 1 from Taichung on the Cat platform, with a 2.49 inch blade in CTS-XHP--even more so after recently picking up a Chaparral.

The Chap blade is outstanding, but not Federal building friendly. As noted above, pocket knives carried there must have blades of LESS than 2.5 inches in length. If you look at the current Spyderco catalog, there's not much in it that maximizes that length potential, which is a bit surprising given Spyderco's deserved reputation for developing great small knives and for catering to populations with legal restrictions.

I also have a Cat, and--other than unmodified blade length (both the 440C and the current BD1 are every bit of 2.5 inches) and steel, it ticks all the right boxes for me: Liner lock, wire clip, finger choil, and low profile black handle. Just add an ever-so slightly shorter blade in CTS-XHP (with jimping)...please!

Welcome to the forum Toter!

I agree with you here. I would also pay Sage/Chap prices for a well executed Cat. I love my Chaparral, for me it's one of those benchmark Spydies.

[Larry_Mott]

Here's my granny Cat :)

[ronT2]

Nice…now I can picture a premium model with the bright hardware and liners like a Sage 1.

[Toter]

Nice pic! I thought the CF scales might be a bit on the fancy side for me, but after using them on the Chap I like them okay (they are easy on pants, too). I'd be fine with CF, going back to the original design, or a not too heavily textured G10 (like the current version of the Cat), as long as it is black. I put a dark Sage 1 clip on my Cat and like the way it subdues things.

This thread prompted me to dig around a little more on the Cat, and Sal confirmed on the site that it is one of his designs. Sal, if you're reading, there's a large number of folks who are limited to a knife of this length, and bunch of us here who love this design and would love an upgraded Cat 2!