should i get a dodo?

Discuss Spyderco's products and history.
karnigy
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should i get a dodo?

#1

Post by karnigy »

I have heard all of these great things about the dodo, but I am worried about the lock as I have heard in some cases that it failed on some people. Also, is this knife better in serrated or plain? It seems too short to put any use to serrations. Thanks.
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DAYWALKER
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Location: Hawaii USA

#2

Post by DAYWALKER »

Aloha karnigy!

I'm in the same boat as you.

BUT, regarding the Dodo blade to be to short for serrations, no way. I have used a SE Cricket in my, well, "MBC" and it is VERY functionally SCARY! Also, my old Co-Pilot had a small blade that was SE, and it worked fine. I would think it safe to assume the shape of the Dodo blade would "amplify" it's ability w/ a SE!

Keep us posted!

God will put you over...if you let Him! John 14: 13,14...try it, it WORKS!
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timlara
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#3

Post by timlara »

I agree with DW - I own both the PE and SE flavors of the Dodo, and for raw cutting ability and general utility, I tend to prefer the SE. Plus, the serrations completely change the "attitude" of the Dodo, making it look and "behave" quite a bit meaner. The PE is "cute" by comparison!

If you're looking to do things like this:

<a href="http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showp ... ostcount=6" target=blank>http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showp ... count=6</a>

Then the PE would definitely be better suited than the SE, but in general, the only "disadvantage" of the SE is that combined with the curved blade, it does make sharpening a bit more difficult than the PE. But of course, that's basically true with any PE vs. SE...

With regard to the ball lock, it is rock-solid on both of my Dodos. I think that the reports of problems / lock failure were probably during Spyderco's "learning curve". Sal has indicated that they did some fine-tuning of the space in the tang where the ball slides into the blade. Early on, the angle of approach was not quite right, so sometimes, the ball would not snap forward as far as it was supposed to, or disengage as smoothly as it should have. In my experience, I have not had either of these problems. Just by looking at the ball lock on the Dodo, it would be very easy to see if it was in danger of failing or not because you can see the "line" where the edge of the blade tang meets the part of the liner that houses the ball bearing. From the looks of it, these parts should basically butt up flushly against each other. If there is a space, or if you notice that the ball doesn't go far enough past this "line", then I would question the tolerances of that lock. But as Sal said, I think they have alleviated these type of problems by now...

Check out this thread for a look inside the Dodo's ball lock:

<a href="http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showt ... p?t=297532" target=blank>http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showt ... =297532</a>

(the picture in that thread shows a gap between the tang and liner that my Dodos do not have, so I don't know if this was an older model or what...)

Edited by - timlara on 6/18/2004 9:14:15 AM
thombrogan
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#4

Post by thombrogan »

For goodness' sakes: get one! The black g10 Dodos have a very solid lockup (basing my opinion on my dad's and my Dodos) and the newer blues do, too. The first run are a gamble.

The Dodo is a lot of cutting power in a wee blade. The PE is like one huge serration and the SE version is a magnification on that. I had trouble following the curve on the PE with my Sharpmaker (sometimes it'd be sharper, but not always), so I use a 1" felt pad on my Dremel loaded with CrO.
karnigy
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#5

Post by karnigy »

Why is SE better than PE? Isn't the blade too short for sawing? I always thought that it was meant for PE and pulling strokes. By the way, how does the PE version handle cardboard? Thanks for your help.
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Jimd
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#6

Post by Jimd »

The SE Dodo is an absolutely wicked cutter. Those serrations don't need to be used in a sawing fashion; just pulling them along the cutting material is enough to cause wicked cuts. Trust everyone on that one.

Yes, the Dodo's blade is small, but it's geometry is such that it has incredible power.

Sniper -- One Shot, One Kill Email: ST8PEN01@aol.com
cdf
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#7

Post by cdf »

You wont be sorry!
thombrogan
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#8

Post by thombrogan »

Karnigy,

The PE version handles cardboard with devilish aplomb! It's like running the cardboard through a highspeed saw instead of using a knife (though without the noise or sawdust). The tip sinks in and allows you to use the knife as a hook that pulls what it's cutting smack into the edge. Combined with the placement of its hollow grind, the narrowness of the blade used in that manner increases its cutting ability. It's wonderful.
karnigy
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#9

Post by karnigy »

Thanks everyone. I think that I will get a plain edge in black. I hear all the great things about the serrations, but for some reason I really would like it in plain edge. Maybe I'll get a SE harpy though.
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