A first post regarding a first Spyderco

[ZrowsN1s]

Thanks again, very useful information. I wrongly thought they were the same blade size, the native at 3 inches is perfect in size, maybe I'lll save for a couple weeks longer and go for that one.

No problem :D

[Jazz]

Welcome, Jeb. I definitely think you should get either of these, or both because they're great, especially the wharncliffe.

[MichaelScott]

I have to agree that the Delicas are great all-around knives. I happen to prefer the Wharncliffe blade on the Delica but the standard one is fine too.

I’ve read speculations here that the FRN Chaparral will come in very close to the cost of a Delica.

[embry386]

I can vouch for the Native 5 Lightweight, it's pretty awesome and is my favorite Spydie and my EDC. It's got a sturdier feel and a slightly thicker blade than the Delica, a choil, and comes in plain edge, full serrated, and combo edge versions -- maybe get something with some serrations if you do a lot of rope cutting? Not quite the selection of colors the Delica comes in, but it's got a few options -- one of them is dark blue, although not quite the same blue as the Manix you're enamored with.

Also it's flat-ground, which makes it awesome and slicey. The Delica has a flat-ground option too but its flat-ground version doesn't have serrations; you need to go with the saber-ground Delica if you want serrations on it, which makes it a little less slicey.

[dialex]

Welcome aboard Joe. The Delica is a great choice. It was my trusty companion for many years and it always met my expectations.
Lately, I find myself particularily attracted by the newcomer Spyderco C216GP Efficient :)

[setldown]

On a students budget I would start off with the Byrd Raven 2. It's a lot of knife for the money. It will handle all the duties that you listed.

[elena86]

Welcome aboard Joe. The Delica is a great choice. It was my trusty companion for many years and it always met my expectations.
Lately, I find myself particularily attracted by the newcomer Spyderco C216GP Efficient :)

^^ That

[Eli Chaps]

Once upon a million years ago, I lived on a cattle ranch. Looking back on those days and the broad range of knife duties such a life entails, it would be hard for me not to recommend an Endura. It is longer than you mentioned but in this instance, I think that is a benefit.

I love the Delica and the M2LW but for the work you're doing, especially with the potential of wearing leather gloves, the Endura would be a great choice.

If you want to get a feel for the Delica and the Endura, the byrd Meadowlark and Cara Cara are pretty close cousins to those designs and much lower priced.

Welcome and let us know what you decide.

[jebrand]

Welcome, Jeb. I definitely think you should get either of these, or both because they're great, especially the wharncliffe.

Thanks for the welcome :) I do like that delica Wharncliffe!

[jebrand]

I have to agree that the Delicas are great all-around knives. I happen to prefer the Wharncliffe blade on the Delica but the standard one is fine too.

I’ve read speculations here that the FRN Chaparral will come in very close to the cost of a Delica.

Had a look at the released pics of the frn chaparral earlier.. :o so nice, I think she could be the one!

[MichaelScott]

Welcome aboard Joe. The Delica is a great choice. It was my trusty companion for many years and it always met my expectations.
Lately, I find myself particularily attracted by the newcomer Spyderco C216GP Efficient :)

^^ That

Yes.

[jebrand]

On a students budget I would start off with the Byrd Raven 2. It's a lot of knife for the money. It will handle all the duties that you listed.

Thanks, if I were sensible that would Def be the one to get, I don't need more than that really, but then I see for $15-20 more I can get slightly better, and again, so soon as I know it I've gone from $44 to $84!

Chances are I'll get the frn chaparral, then buy the raven 2 because I don't want to loose/wear the chapparal!

[jebrand]

Welcome aboard Joe. The Delica is a great choice. It was my trusty companion for many years and it always met my expectations.
Lately, I find myself particularily attracted by the newcomer Spyderco C216GP Efficient :)

^^ That

Thanks, atm delica is joint 2nd with the native, with frn chaparral just ahead!

[jebrand]

Once upon a million years ago, I lived on a cattle ranch. Looking back on those days and the broad range of knife duties such a life entails, it would be hard for me not to recommend an Endura. It is longer than you mentioned but in this instance, I think that is a benefit.

I love the Delica and the M2LW but for the work you're doing, especially with the potential of wearing leather gloves, the Endura would be a great choice.

If you want to get a feel for the Delica and the Endura, the byrd Meadowlark and Cara Cara are pretty close cousins to those designs and much lower priced.

Welcome and let us know what you decide.

Thanks for the welcome and input :) I discounted larger knifes as I carry a mora around the farm, but there could be room to swap that if I get a suitable folder.. those Byrd knives are v tempting for the price

[ThePeacent]

Byrds are very nice for the price! The Cara Cara is my favorite.
But if you want to go for an all time classic, proven design and in your budget, I'd pick a Delica. Straight to the point, working tool, and gateway knife for thousands of people during the years

:spyder:

[jebrand]

I can vouch for the Native 5 Lightweight, it's pretty awesome and is my favorite Spydie and my EDC. It's got a sturdier feel and a slightly thicker blade than the Delica, a choil, and comes in plain edge, full serrated, and combo edge versions -- maybe get something with some serrations if you do a lot of rope cutting? Not quite the selection of colors the Delica comes in, but it's got a few options -- one of them is dark blue, although not quite the same blue as the Manix you're enamored with.

Also it's flat-ground, which makes it awesome and slicey. The Delica has a flat-ground option too but its flat-ground version doesn't have serrations; you need to go with the saber-ground Delica if you want serrations on it, which makes it a little less slicey.

Thanks for the input, the native does tick all the boxes, the choil does appeal making it maybe more favourable than the delica.. but I realise I'm basing this on pics.. I'm
sure the delica would feel great in the hand also. Rope not too often, mostly baling string (the stuff holds our place together!) so would prefer non serrated I think..

[dreadpirate]

Hi Jeb. I would say Delica or Native. I would give a slight nod to the Delica in terms of value and the handle design.

[carrot]

Since you're looking at a pretty wide variety of knives, I thought it'd be helpful to characterize them.

- Delica: the standard bearer for "every day carry". Light, slim, discreet. Versatile and a great performer (in FFG variant especially) but a little vanilla.

- Native: the "afi's choice". Similar to the Delica but has the crowd-pleasing finger choil for fine tip control. Carries a little wider and higher than the Delica, so less discreet. A little more comfortable for longer cutting chores.

- Dragonfly: the truly discreet carry. Great for urban use, cuts way outside its size class. Good if you like to be subtle, or carry the lightest, smallest tool for the job.

- Cat: urban knife for big hands. Similar to the Dragonfly but with much bigger hand-filling handles.

- Manix 2 LW: full-sized knife without the weight. Similar to the Native, but bigger. Perfectly fits in the hand and great for extended use. The wire clip and light weight make this knife feel invisible in the pocket.

- Raven and Crow: tough knives for casual users. These knives are thicker than they look and can take a beating. They trade some slicing ability to gain a sturdier build for users who may apply their knives to light prying duty. I'd characterize them as full-sized knives, despite their blade lengths suggesting a smaller stature.

- Chaparral: right in between the Delica and Dragonfly in blade length, but with a wonderful handle. Very slim, daintier than the Delica and Cat. Again a great choice if you like to be subtle and carry the smallest tool for the job.

You should also look at the Polestar and Alcyone. They're tough knives also, but slicing performance is on par or better than the aficionado classic, the Paramilitary 2.

[ZMW]

Can we throw a VG-10 stretch into the mix? same price roughly as a Native, but a little bigger. Maybe a lesser steel (barely?), but perhaps a bigger knife would be better for this type of work?

Per OP -
I'd prefer a small-medium blade, around 2.2 inch - 3.5 inch.
Prefer other locks than liner, but not deal breaker.
Like the idea of a choil but no big preference.

3.45 blade, not a liner lock, and has a choil. $80 US. And VG-10 is still an easy steel to sharpen and good to start off with...

[npad69]

get the delica. it is my first spydie and what drove me deep into the 'hole'

spydies may look funny and sometimes fugly to those who aren't familiar with the brand, but the moment you hold one, you'll realize its in a league of its own