What's your favorite Spyderco that's a little bit of a "hidden gem?"

[Mr Blonde]

And the fluted cf Native 5, I hardly read any comment about it. I predict people are only going to realize how great this folder is when it's gone.

[RadioactiveSpyder]

Agreed 100% Mr. Blonde, the fluted CF and Ti Native 5s are amazing, as is the fluted Ti Military - truly impressive scales on those! The different versions of the Ti Chap are also beautiful.

[DSH007]

Honestly, I haven't found a Spydie yet that I don't really enjoy for one reason or another.. but as far as "hidden gems" go.. I'd say the Brouwer, the Wolfspyder, and most recently, the Lil Temperance 3. Absolutely fantastic knives, each of them.

Wolfspyder got my #1 vote. I recently discovered the LilTemp3, and totally agree with you. Absolutely fantastic. Definitely gets the #2 “gem” spot of my collection. You’re also making me go look at Brouwers now. If you’re grouping it with these two, I’m pretty sure I will really dig it. My bday is in two weeks and that may be the one I get now. :spyder:

I tend to rotate my edc quite a bit, but the Brouwer is probably my single most-carried knife. I'm a huge believer in simplicity as a design tenet and, in my opinion anyways, the Brouwer is nothing more or less than everything it needs to be. It's become kind of my "goldilocks" edc knife. Compact, comfortable, highly capable, and a little bit classy all wrapped up into one package. If I'm in the woods, I'll carry a Manix or PM2. At the beach, a Salt.. To be more discreet, a cricket or DF.. etc.. but as an all-around, highly functional edc knife, the Brouwer just keeps finding its way into my pocket and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

A few caveats - the factory pocket clip placement, while very comfortable in hand, is not ideal if you prefer deep carry. I put an MXG Gear deep carry clip on mine and like it much better. Also, I've heard some grumbles over the price and, I agree, it is expensive.. especially with the added cost of the deep carry clip, if that is your preference. However, I think the knife is very, very well made and I haven't regretted the purchase at all.

If you're not deterred by the cost or pocket clip, I'd highly recommend picking up a Brouwer. And whether or not you decide to get one, happy (early) birthday! I use my birthday as an excuse to pick up a new knife, or three, myself! :)

[wrdwrght]

And the fluted cf Native 5, I hardly read any comment about it. I predict people are only going to realize how great this folder is when it's gone.

Thanks for the reminder, Wouter. Just ordered one.

[ST1513]

The Yojimbo 2, it's a hidden gem and often overlooked because it's primary MO is self-defense, however I have found it to make a wonderful EDC blade as it pertains to the CPM-M4 Satin model.

[David R]

D'Allara 3.

I like mine a lot. The lock release is sub-optimal, but the lock and the blade are just great. I would love this knife with just slightly contoured micarta scales. Hmm... maybe I need to make some.

[bbturbodad]

I use my Gen 4 Dog Tag all the time and love it. It sits on a table (replaced our Manbug) where all our packages are opened and gets used by everyone in the family. :spyder:

[TomAiello]

The Yojimbo 2, it's a hidden gem and often overlooked because it's primary MO is self-defense, however I have found it to make a wonderful EDC blade as it pertains to the CPM-M4 Satin model.

It's an amazing box cutter too, and I bet that even the most tactical among us do a substantial amount of our knife use breaking down shipping boxes.

[BigGrove]

For a small EDC hidden gem, I really like the Lil Nilakka. It has a bit of a retro look and is perfect for a number of light-duty tasks. I carry mine regularly.

I wanted to really like the full-size Nilakka but it was just too bulky in the pocket.

[JD Spydo]

There was an older Spyderco model that I owned back in the early part of the 2000 decade and had it till about 2005 or thereabout. Since I traded it away I've only seen one other of that model since then. I'm speaking of the older Spyderco SPUR model. To me it was one of the better designed short bladed Spyders I ever saw. Now I never used mine I strictly kept it as a potential collector piece but through the years I've searched for a used SPUR model.

Another model I own which I still consider a "gem" is the Burgundy JESS HORN ZDP-189 model of 2006 era. I even liked it somewhat better than the Burgundy Caly Jr. ZDP-189 model. Those earlier ZDP-189 models were ones I won't easily forget.

[SF Native]

I’m going to throw the dice up there. The domino get more of the love, but the dice is a nice little knife. Both the dice and domino are on the thick and beefy side, which I like actually. My dice doesn’t flip real well, but let’s face it, I use the thumb hole anyway. If I wasn’t lazy, I would grind off the flipper tab. It fits the hand well and is meets my needs.

[brainfriction]

I like the Domino and Southard. Flippers aren't really Spyderco's forte but the Domino and Southard are really nice. Maybe not hidden gems so much, but they definitely don't have the recognition of the all time favorites like the PM2 or Delica.

[Brock O Lee]

I really like all these ti folders because they are thin and carry easily. The ti Chaparral is a standout. It’s as skinny as the Victorinox alox Cadet at 8.5mm. Solid little knife that disappears the the pocket.

Another favorite and hugely underrated IMO is the PITS. It fits my large hand perfectly. It is quite beefy for a 3 incher, with a thicker blade and scales, but the holes in the handle makes it surprisingly light weight. Love the “lock” mechanism too. Best Spyderco slipjoint in my book, with the new Heinnie UKPK not far behind.

[AshK]

The little MeerKat might not be my absolute favorite Spyderco but it's right up there in my top three and it's 100% a hidden gem IMO.

I've had mine since 2005. It was my EDC every day till mid-2014 and still works like the day I got it. The AUS-6 steel doesn't hold an edge all that well but it's so easy to sharpen and gets wicked sharp, so I've never worried about that at all. It deploys effortlessly and is totally nonthreatening to non-knife people.

And of course, I love the lock! Want to baffle someone who doesn't know their Spydercos? Just hand them that thing and ask them to close it :)

[pete bogman]

Another vote for the Des Horn. We get a sprint now right?

[cycleguy]

Mule! It's a great fixed blade that doesn't get the attention it should. However, I think same could be said for most of the Spyderco fixed blades.

CG

[RadioactiveSpyder]

Another vote for the PITS by Mike Read. I’ve referred to this knife as the Emperor of the Slipits for years! :)

[youmakemehole]

I'll second the Rhino, been using mine about 1.5 weeks and it has impressed me heartily. Light, low-profile, distinct style, I like the clip (middle depth, not as shallow as many), incredibly smooth and well-made, and I can easily go between 3 and 4 full finger grip. It is my go to itty bitty.

Good to know someone else can relate, I was beginning to think I was going crazy for calling the rhino my #1 edc! Not sure if you are a fan of deep carry, but getting an MXG clip for mine was the best thing an aftermarket clip has ever done for me. It uses a Benchmade 940 pattern and the length should be ideally as short as possible. Link here to the one I purchased if you'd like some ideas: https://mxggear.com/collections/osborne ... -knives-16. I think there is one other option that is short enough which is one that looks like a fatty lynch style design with the big hole on top.

I want to also add here, based off receiving and having the knife since yesterday, that the Spyderco Hungarian is an exceptionally super well done knife! I initially bought it as a safe queen as the style didn't really appeal to me. Taking it out of the packaging for the first time revealed one of the most beautiful Spyderco's I've ever seen... the F&F is only matched buy one other knife I have, the One Eyed Jack. The Jack seems very slightly more polished on its liners with less sharpness around the edges as well, other than that, the G10 on the Hungarian is the same level of finish and the bolster is as shiny and smooth as the Jack's most polished parts. Even the feel and the sound of the gentle lockup are very similar to the Jack. Action is very similar and luxurious feeling, both knives are running bronze washers. The ergos are fantastic for such a fancy knife as well, the flanged bolster/hilt both feels and looks incredibly special. Definitely not something you experience every day. The knife is very slim and the handle is radiused making have sort of a bougie penknife feel, the blade could've been slimmer and thinner to help in this regard perhaps. However, the blade with its thickness at 3mm in XHP steel and its fairly substantial stop pin makes it seem like it can stand up to some rougher use, despite its seemingly delicate disposition. The handle also allows for a good variety of different grips, one most notable is the one where the palm wraps around the end of the handle, like how you would while doing the piercing angel for a bowie knife . I got mine at a really solid price and I suspect this one is going to hit the mid $200s quite quickly, I had no idea it was going to be this nice and versatile as well though and I've never been more impressed on the first day of having a knife... not to mention I've never had a knife I didn't like in CTX-XHP... it would be by far the ultimate thing in my collection for me to carry when I'm dressed formally and I'm so conflicted... oh first-world problems... :o

[JD Spydo]

There's one more older Spyder I used to have and would love to see another one. And it really broke my heart when Mr. Glesser said that the tooling for that specific model was gone. I'm speaking of the CENTOFANTE C-50 model. That model was so much like my beloved Benchmade Boguszewski Spike model that I EDCed for years.

Another one from that time period I would love to see in a modern day Sprint Run with updated materials would be the RENEGADE model. I had a combo edge RENEGADE model with GIN-1 blade steel that I EDCed for almost a complete year. To me both of those older models will always be gems.

[Fine Swine]

I think the G10 Manbug is a little gem. It looks classy and does the job it was designed to do very well.

Agreed. It's a great little knife. I wish I'd bought another to put in storage.