The Species ( or type) Of Spyder That Hooked You?

[JD Spydo]

It was back in the Spring of 1995 when I first got Spyder-bit :D The culprit model was a Stainless Handled, full SE Mariner model. That purchase of my very first Spyder got me hopelessly hooked and the rest is history as several famous narrators have put it. But not all of us went down the same path to our destiny of Spyderville citizenship and just being hooked on Spyderco's finest.

So which type of Spyderco knife really set it off for you personally. I know that many of you really focus on Spyderco's wide array of small bladed units. Whereas with me I've always been more intrigued with Spyderco's full sized models along with many of their specialty models like Hawkbills, Reverse S and culinary models.

Some of you I've talked to tend to gravitate toward Spyderco's Salt Series and that's understandable because there are a lot of great hard users in that sector of Spyderco blades. Or maybe your vocation is what drew you to a certain type of Spyderco blade?

So which genre if you will>> or which group of blades in Spyderco's great line up got you to make your first purchase >> or what style of blade drew you to patronize the excellent cutlery selections of the Great Spyder Factory???? :cool:

[DougC-3]

My first was the Manix 2 S30V PS HG model, in the spring of 2013, though I really wanted the plain edge HG DLC, which I got soon after. The easy one-hand, left-hand closing action, ball bearing lock, and perfect hand fit really impressed me, and it's remained my favorite even after buying and using dozens of other models. If I were just now joining the forum i'd call myself Manixiac :D ,,,or manixac :confused: :p

[carrot]

I bought an Endura and later a Delica on advice from other knife forums. That particular poster said, if you want to see the (knife) world right, you should have both "butterfly" and Spyderco. That was when the culmination of my knife interest was in Doug Ritter's Equipped to Survive and the MK1 Ritter.

I never did get that RitterGrip, and though I failed to learn real appreciation for Spyderco it stuck with me long enough to get a Paramilitary, the OG model with the exposed tang. The Paramilitary was the knife that really drew me in, and soon after a (full-size) Manix and full-size Military. But the Para was the knife that did everything I wanted, stayed sharp forever, carried comfortably, and perfectly reliable in every way.

I don't even want anybody else's knives anymore, every time I buy one, they just disappoint me in comparison. The Glessers really do it best.

[Wartstein]

Though nowadays I prefer larger blades, for me it was the Delica (a combo edge ( sabre grind of course)).. guess I'll not remain the only one giving that answer to your question...

[JD Spydo]

Though nowadays I prefer larger blades, for me it was the Delica (a combo edge ( sabre grind of course)).. guess I'll not remain the only one giving that answer to your question...

That's a great example you give there "Wartstein" because it was about 6 or 7 years after I got my very first Spyderco model ( MARINER) before I ever got my first Spyderco Hawkbill and then probably a year or so after that before I started finding out how good of a companion blade the Harpy & Merlin both were.
Also I kind of went through a period where I got sort of fascinated with Spyderco's short bladed models but soon discovered that for my work the full sized models did me much more good.
Also I would have never got any knife like the DODO model right off the bat>> it was strictly a curiosity of sorts that got me initially interested in "Reverse S" blades made by Spyderco.

Some very interesting testimonies so far :)

[wrdwrght]

Leafy Spydies hooked me first, their pocket-hoggery be damned.

I started, like many here, with a Tenacious, then graduated to the Superleaf, to Manix2s, to Native5s, to the Chaparral, and to the Caly family. And let’s not forget the Caribbean.

Eventually I saw genius in drop points (the GB1, Stretches) and the straightened spine (PM2s, Millies, the Delica/Endura family, the Police4). Trailing points irritate me.

[steelcity16]

Dragonfly Salt! I did Amazon prime shipping to the beach house we were staying at because I wanted a knife I could clip to my boardshorts. Never looked back!

The Dragonfly is still my first love and I'll keep buying new unclad versions. I was REALLY hoping that M390 BBS exclusive was a Dragonfly, but the fact that it was a Delica gives me hope that the Dragonfly will be next if the Delica sells quickly.

[JD Spydo]

Leafy Spydies hooked me first, their pocket-hoggery be damned.

I started, like many here, with a Tenacious, then graduated to the Superleaf, to Manix2s, to Native5s, to the Chaparral, and to the Caly family. And let’s not forget the Caribbean.

Eventually I saw genius in drop points (the GB1, Stretches) and the straightened spine (PM2s, Millies, the Delica/Endura family, the Police4). Trailing points irritate me.

That's interesting too "wrdwrght" because when I really got started the beginning of the Calypso series really intrigued me a lot along with some of the other Spyderco IN HOUSE designs. It makes me wonder if you ever liked any of the TEMPERANCE line up ( fixed & folder)?

[gibs0n]

My first Spyderco knives, back in 1999 or 2000 were the FRN ATS-55 Dragonfly and Cricket. I quickly graduated to the FRN Calypso Jr.

I’ve since visited a few other “families” like the Natives, Military/Paramilitary/Para3, and Manix. But I always seem to come back to the Calypso/UKPK families. I really need a lightweight 3.5. Even better: a 3.5 UKPK!

I do still have my ATS-55 FRN Cricket. It still gets a lot of use too!

[ZrowsN1s]

ZDP-189 Dfly and S110V PM2

[flasharry]

Original red bone Kiwi... resistance was futile...

[Mako109]

Hate to date myself here...the original C01 Worker. It was in a display case at a local cutlery hope, brand new release. Connected with it immediately. Been a Spyderco fan ever since.

[DutchBlades]

An SE black FRN Endura 1 in G2... I can still remember the day I got it :rolleyes:
I was young and had close to no money since I was at the washing-your-neighbours-car-for-loose-change stage of life :o
But after walking dogs, washing cars, doing the groceries for old people etc. came the toughest task:
Convincing my parents a nine year old kid needed a knife...

I remember looking at my grandfather slicing his apple with an old Victorinox and being amazed by the amount of tools inside of the thing.
Being obsessed with small items, tools and intricate mechanical things, it quickly got me into Swiss Army knives and knives in general.
After some cheap flea market stuff, I got a Victorinox Huntsman and loved it :)
My parents didn't approve of it all too much, but I wasn't being irresponsible with it, so it was all good.
The Endura however, was a step up; a big boy knife if you will :p
Good thing I got the green light for picking up the Endura, seeing how I had already purchased the knife unbeknownst to them...
After purchasing the Endura for a whopping ƒ30,- ("Gulden", the currency we had before the Euro came around) which was a small fortune for me at that age, I was hooked.

Trying to track down more Spyderco's with a lack of money, the internet being what it was back then and the knife hobby not being as prevalent yet, was proving to be rather difficult the first couple of years.
Slowly but surely I got some more knives and I had a feeling this wasn't gonna end any time soon.
Fast forward 17 years, lots of money and 150 Spydies or so, and the collection is still growing!
The latest addition to the collection came in today in the form of a Spyderkey :D

[vivi]

I used to EDC Swiss Army Knives.

I got a job at a warehouse at one point. One of my first real jobs. Everyone there had some kind of one handed opening clipped folder because we constantly had to cut things. Took me one shift to realize the SAK was going to be a lot more cumbersome than what they used.

I asked around and a lot of folks suggested Spyderco.

Made a thread here and people suggested the Delica. Tried it and did not like it. Uncomfortable and the saber grind cut cardboard worse than my SAK.

Tried a few other models, and eventually got an S60V Military user off the secondary market. I think I traded the Delica, an old Buck 110 and some $$ for it.

That's the one that sold me on the brand. The handle was comfortable, the liner lock was easy to use one handed, and the knife cut well. I was pretty impressed with how light it was for the size. Same size as my old Buck 110 but half as light. It felt very modern in comparison.

[JD Spydo]

An SE black FRN Endura 1 in G2... I can still remember the day I got it :rolleyes:
I was young and had close to no money since I was at the washing-your-neighbours-car-for-loose-change stage of life :o
But after walking dogs, washing cars, doing the groceries for old people etc. came the toughest task:
Convincing my parents a nine year old kid needed a knife...

I remember looking at my grandfather slicing his apple with an old Victorinox and being amazed by the amount of tools inside of the thing.
Being obsessed with small items, tools and intricate mechanical things, it quickly got me into Swiss Army knives and knives in general.
After some cheap flea market stuff, I got a Victorinox Huntsman and loved it :)
My parents didn't approve of it all too much, but I wasn't being irresponsible with it, so it was all good.
The Endura however, was a step up; a big boy knife if you will :p
Good thing I got the green light for picking up the Endura, seeing how I had already purchased the knife unbeknownst to them...
After purchasing the Endura for a whopping ƒ30,- ("Gulden", the currency we had before the Euro came around) which was a small fortune for me at that age, I was hooked.

Trying to track down more Spyderco's with a lack of money, the internet being what it was back then and the knife hobby not being as prevalent yet, was proving to be rather difficult the first couple of years.
Slowly but surely I got some more knives and I had a feeling this wasn't gonna end any time soon.
Fast forward 17 years, lots of money and 150 Spydies or so, and the collection is still growing!
The latest addition to the collection came in today in the form of a Spyderkey :D

And that is so interesting that many of you guys from the Netherlands are also big fans of the SPYDEREDGE :cool: My good Dutch Brother "SPYDUTCH" who unfortunately I haven't seen in a while was one of the first to really start me to really getting into the Spyderedged models more and more. Now I liked the Spyderedged models from the get-go and my very first Spyder was an SE unit. But SPYDUTCH was truly one of the pioneers in that area.

It was actually the Spyderedged units that got me to get my very first Spyder. Because before I ever owned one I had two deer hunting buddies of mine were talking to me one evening >> I told them I wanted to get either a folder or fixed blade with a really good set of serrations. And that was back in the mid 90s. And both of them said without hesitation that SPYDERCO was the only way to go. That should go into the history books as well

[steelcity16]

Man, we REALLY need an FRN Worker LW! I've been saying for awhile that I want a Worker LW Salt in SE H1, but seeing the SE model in this photo makes me want one even more! :D

[JD Spydo]

My first Spyderco knives, back in 1999 or 2000 were the FRN ATS-55 Dragonfly and Cricket. I quickly graduated to the FRN Calypso Jr.

I’ve since visited a few other “families” like the Natives, Military/Paramilitary/Para3, and Manix. But I always seem to come back to the Calypso/UKPK families. I really need a lightweight 3.5. Even better: a 3.5 UKPK!

I do still have my ATS-55 FRN Cricket. It still gets a lot of use too!

This is really wild!!! because you're not the only Brother who got his start here at Spyderville with the CRICKET model. There are way more than most people think. I've met a couple of really macho type guys that were big enough to spar with Evander Holyfield and both them told me how much they liked the CRICKET models :D

Also Brother you're only one of dozens I've talked to that got his start in the ATS-55 era. That truly was a very special era to me in Spyder-History.

[SF Native]

First was a waved endura. Never really liked that one. Gave the spyder a second chance and got a sage 1. That did it.

[benben]

First ever was a serrated Cricket, but the one that sealed the deal for me was my Wegner Jr. (my 2nd Spyderco).

[DutchBlades]

And that is so interesting that many of you guys from the Netherlands are also big fans of the SPYDEREDGE :cool: My good Dutch Brother "SPYDUTCH" who unfortunately I haven't seen in a while was one of the first to really start me to really getting into the Spyderedged models more and more. Now I liked the Spyderedged models from the get-go and my very first Spyder was an SE unit. But SPYDUTCH was truly one of the pioneers in that area.

It was actually the Spyderedged units that got me to get my very first Spyder. Because before I ever owned one I had two deer hunting buddies of mine were talking to me one evening >> I told them I wanted to get either a folder or fixed blade with a really good set of serrations. And that was back in the mid 90s. And both of them said without hesitation that SPYDERCO was the only way to go. That should go into the history books as well

I do have more plain edge knives in the collection than serrated (partially because of the fact that quite a few models are sold exclusively in PE),
but for some tasks nothing will beat a good serrated knife.
And what you were told in the 90's still holds true; nothing beats Spyderco's serrations! :D

Man, we REALLY need an FRN Worker LW! I've been saying for awhile that I want a Worker LW Salt in SE H1, but seeing the SE model in this photo makes me want one even more! :D

I put the Worker in there as a size reference and it's similarities with the Spyderkey, but it sure is a great model; even after all these years!
I like the PE Worker as well, but slap some serrations on there and this thing is a little beast :D
The serrations that Spyderco does are simply the best IMO.
Even the tiny little H1 Hawkbill Ladybug turns into a cutting machine with serrations and (depending on the material)
will outperform PE knives twice it's size.

I have to admit I'm not the biggest fan of LW models because I can carry heavier knives without any issues and I like the heft of them,
but I can imagine an SE LW Worker in H1 would attract quite the crowd!
There's a lot of FRN in my collection though and I'd probably pick one up regardless of my preference to natural materials, Ti, G10, CF, etc. :p