Chaparral Lightweight - thoughts and pics

[cheeseheaded]

Great Review. I have really been enjoying mine as well except for one issue. I carry on the left and have reversed the pocket clip. Keeping it tight has been somewhat challenging as the wire ends don't seem to sit as deep or seat as well in the FRN as they do on the other side. After a week of carry, I had lost some clip tension. I have re-adjusted and re-tightened, but I suspect it will loosen again as the retaining screw doesn't overlap the wire ends much. I think the altered seating and minimal screw overlap allow for tork on the wire ends to loosen the clip. Still, I love this little knife...the thin but not too thin blade thickness is excellent for my fairly light duty EDC.

[araneae]

Nice review. It's definitely the next Spydie on my list.

[likethevegetable]

Awesome photos and review!

I've been debating on a Delica for my next Spydie, but this is very tempting, and only $16 CAD more... Love the wire-clip and finger choil.

I have a DF2 in VG-10, do you think the Chaparral is a big enough of a step up in size to justify for someone who does not like redundant items (I'm a one knife in each size category kind of guy)? How does the pocket presence compare between the two? (considering that I was looking at a Delica as my next purchase)

[SG89]

Awesome photos and review!

I've been debating on a Delica for my next Spydie, but this is very tempting, and only $16 CAD more... Love the wire-clip and finger choil.

I have a DF2 in VG-10, do you think the Chaparral is a big enough of a step up in size to justify for someone who does not like redundant items (I'm a one knife in each size category kind of guy)? How does the pocket presence compare between the two? (considering that I was looking at a Delica as my next purchase)

I carried a df2 every day for a few weeks until I got the lw chap then I didn't really carry the df2 after that. whenever I got the Lil native I stopped carrying the lw chap. in my opinion the lw chap and df2 are definitely different enough from each other to not be redundant but I no longer have any use for the df2 since I have the lw chap and lil native

[likethevegetable]

Awesome photos and review!

I've been debating on a Delica for my next Spydie, but this is very tempting, and only $16 CAD more... Love the wire-clip and finger choil.

I have a DF2 in VG-10, do you think the Chaparral is a big enough of a step up in size to justify for someone who does not like redundant items (I'm a one knife in each size category kind of guy)? How does the pocket presence compare between the two? (considering that I was looking at a Delica as my next purchase)

I carried a df2 every day for a few weeks until I got the lw chap then I didn't really carry the df2 after that. whenever I got the Lil native I stopped carrying the lw chap. in my opinion the lw chap and df2 are definitely different enough from each other to not be redundant but I no longer have any use for the df2 since I have the lw chap and lil native

Thanks for the reply. The Lil' Native looks great with that compression lock. Do you have a Delica to compare?

[SG89]

Thanks for the reply. The Lil' Native looks great with that compression lock. Do you have a Delica to compare?

yes I do and they are very different than each other with the chaparral of course being overall smaller and slimmer plus it has a choil. in my opinion a Chap LW and a Delica 4 wharncliffe in either vg10, s30v or the upcoming hap40 would serve you well.

[Joris Mo]

Very nice review and from another fan of the Native 5 and the Dragonfly who got finally got his Chaparrel LW today..

Bloody ****! What a great little knife! Was very interested but it's much more impressive in hand.
Great for urban carry/use but also perfect for being paired with a big folder which can sometimes be a bit too much for some people. I also like to carry a Pacific Salt SE as a bigger folder so that makes this a perfect PE match up, plenty of knives that are way heavier than these 2 together. :D

[4143]

Nice review, and great pics!

You've almost got me thinking I made a mistake with the Chaparral. While I wanted to love this knife, that lock bar made it impossible. It remains the only Spyderco that I've ever sent back.

As others have said, the back lock is extremely sharp. (I even managed to slice open my tender little thumb on it.) Also, for such a small knife, the tension on the lock bar spring is much too heavy. I disassembled, and adjusted the tension by bending the spring. This helped some, but then the blade wanted to kinda, sorta flop open. No bueno. I readjusted the spring, but then I was back to square one.

I carried the knife for a week, but it never felt good. Every time I picked up my Native 5 G10, the difference was absolutely night and day. Like stepping out of hard pair of bowling shoes, and into your favorite slippers. The Chaparral's back lock was such a bummer, it made my Byrd Finch feel luxurious.

Maybe a Chappy 2 will address this one day. Until then, I just can't with this one.

Cheers!

[Halfneck]

Very tempted by this knife. Not necessarily a fan of choils, but I really like the steel and it looks like a great office EDC.

[Uke]

Nice review, and great pics!

You've almost got me thinking I made a mistake with the Chaparral. While I wanted to love this knife, that lock bar made it impossible. It remains the only Spyderco that I've ever sent back.

As others have said, the back lock is extremely sharp. (I even managed to slice open my tender little thumb on it.) Also, for such a small knife, the tension on the lock bar spring is much too heavy. I disassembled, and adjusted the tension by bending the spring. This helped some, but then the blade wanted to kinda, sorta flop open. No bueno. I readjusted the spring, but then I was back to square one.

I carried the knife for a week, but it never felt good. Every time I picked up my Native 5 G10, the difference was absolutely night and day. Like stepping out of hard pair of bowling shoes, and into your favorite slippers. The Chaparral's back lock was such a bummer, it made my Byrd Finch feel luxurious.

Maybe a Chappy 2 will address this one day. Until then, I just can't with this one.

Cheers!

Sorry to hear that mate. I've had my Chap a fair few months now and have got pretty comfortable with the lock. The tension seems to have broken in nicely - I thought I'd maybe have to smooth down the edges of the bar where it contacts the thumb (as Jazz had suggested) but the need to do that isn't there anymore. It might be a difference in tension, or it might just be that I've unconsciously adjusted the way I'm manipulating the lock as I carry it over time...or a bit of both! I get the comparison with the Native 5 though - it doesn't matter how much I get used to the thin bar on my Chap, going back to that Native 5 is like sinking your thumb into butter!

[olywa]

Very fond of the Chap LW. So much so that I'm probably going to sell my Chap CF. I haven't had any negative feelings about the Backlock release. I depress it with the inside of my thumb knuckle rather than the pad or tip of my thumb. Thick skin and hard bone there, and it's not nearly as sensitive as the tip of my thumb.

[this_is_nascar]

Not sure why some are having issues. My FRN Chaparral is pretty much perfect.

[Joris Mo]

The lockbar like the blade on the Chaparral is quite thin so it can be a bit 'sharp' on the thumb, not much of an issue if you're not just playing with your knife all day and even then one should get used it and the lock should break in.

[Doc Dan]

Not sure why some are having issues. My FRN Chaparral is pretty much perfect.

Mine, too. I said as much in a long review last month. Great knife all the way around.

[Molle Ninja]

I’m really impressed with this knife.

[Halfneck]

Any chance someone might have a pic of the Chaparral LW next to a Calypso 3"?

[crazywednesday]

I love mine. I've played with it enough to break it in and it snaps open great. As far as closing, i just stopped being a cupcake. Sure the stock is thin, but it's a compromise.

[Nate]

Any chance someone might have a pic of the Chaparral LW next to a Calypso 3"?

Yo:



Caly 3, Chaparral LW, Calypso Jr, and a Baby Horn for good measure (it was in my pocket and is also a gray back lock :)).

[jmh58]

Nice shot Nate!! Thanks for that!!! John

[Halfneck]

Thank you very much Nate, gives me a good idea of how it might be in-hand. I don't have a Native, but I do love my Caly 3. This knife is getting more tempting.