Best knife design and steel pairings?

Discuss Spyderco's products and history.
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Evil D
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#21

Post by Evil D »

GarageBoy wrote:
Fri Aug 23, 2019 4:49 pm
The 4V lil native to me was a weird combo - a tough steel in a tiny folder seems odd, but I guess you can really go ham on it

So which steel/model combinations do you feel bring out the best in each other?

Like the h1 hawkbills in serrated - tough, holds a good edge- the rust proof is the icing
I can't say much about how strong the pivot is on the Lil Native but consider how short the overall package is, this limits how much leverage you can put on the knife and pivot which can make it less likely to take damage. As you said, it should be a heck of a little beater knife but I do agree that it seems like the steel would make more sense in something like the Shaman or Chinook.

Personally I want to see 52100 or AEB-L in a Nilakka and/or Wolfspider.
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#22

Post by GarageBoy »

I do appreciate that overall, Spyderco doesn't have any drastic "mismatches" - certainly nothing like BM's minimalist folder turned "hard use" with 3v
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#23

Post by cycleguy »

Sumdumguy wrote:
Fri Aug 23, 2019 10:05 pm
The Caribbean, duh :P
What he said ... +1

CG
So many knives - so little funds!!!
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elena86
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#24

Post by elena86 »

Dragonfly in ZDP189
Pac Salt (spyderedge)
Tasman Salt (spyderedge)
Millie in Cruwear
Marius

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Dazen
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#25

Post by Dazen »

Caribbean PE LC200N
Province 4V
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#26

Post by Igi964 »

Province 4V
Salt line-up in H1
Delica Wharncliffe VG10
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Pelagic
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#27

Post by Pelagic »

I'm in Shaman-mode currently, but I think some of the most appropriate steel choices in any offerings will be the cruwear and potential 4v Shamans coming out. H1 serrated knives are an excellent steel choice for several designs as well. I really like my jumpmaster. I also believe k390 is a near perfect choice for the police 4. LC200N on the waterway is perfect too. I also like the cruwear native. Now we just need to see a steel like Maxamet in a long thin blade. Imagine a police in CPM 15V, slicing monster.
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wrdwrght
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#28

Post by wrdwrght »

If the question is merely (as it seems to have become) pairings we like, I won’t complain about:

VG10 Stretch2
M4 Manix2
H1 Pacific Salt
52100 PM2
204P Military
K390 Police4
LC200N Caribbean
S90V Shaman

I can’t say whether the design or steel of any one I’ve named (or of others I could have named) actually maximizes/optimizes the other.

That is the more profound question and would require an experimental physicist to test...

We’re left with what’s “good enough” for our purposes, which we learn from our own experience, guided perhaps (and provisionally, I would hope) by the anecdotes of others, such as members here.

But we’re hardly on a fool’s errand. Spyderco has pretty much tilted everything in our favor.
-Marc (pocketing an M4 Sage5 today)

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Pancake
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#29

Post by Pancake »

Best knife and steel pair WOULD BE: Native Chief and something like CPM 10V, or S110V. Nice long and slicey blade with good edge retention steel. What a combo.
In the pocket: Chaparral FRN, Native Chief, Police 4 K390, Pacific Salt SE, Manix 2 G10 REX45
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#30

Post by ugaarguy »

Spydiechef and LC200N. Both a Salt knife and folding paring knife. Basically rustproof steel, in a classy, simple, rustproof (with CQI ceramic detent ball) handle package. Really makes me want a Sage 2 in LC200N. Vanax in a Sage 2 would be my dream knife.

I also think S30V is a pretty good match for the Sage 2 and Sage series in general. S30V may be boring at this point, but it's a nice mix of toughness, edge retention, and corrosion resistance for a general use EDC knife. Likewise, the standard S30V Native, linerless G10, is another good all around EDC combo.
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#31

Post by knivesandbooks »

I've been very pleased with the Advocate's M4 as the Advocate is a great edc design and m4 is a superb edc steel for me. Also, who else has an M4 ti framelock flipper?

I really feel like CRU Wear suits the PM2 design well (though I'd kill for a cru wear fixed blade). CRU Wear is such a good user/beater knife steel and that's what the PM2 is for me.

K390 for the Police was a great idea and I do like s110v on the Military. For whatever reason, I'm prone to prefer higher edge retention steels on my bigger folders.

Also, I feel like the decision to leave the XHP on the frn Chap was a great idea. Such a great knife and not many knives at that price have either the geometry or the steel quality of that knife. I really do admire that thing.
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Wartstein
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#32

Post by Wartstein »

knivesandbooks wrote:
Sat Aug 24, 2019 11:46 pm

...
Also, I feel like the decision to leave the XHP on the frn Chap was a great idea. Such a great knife and not many knives at that price have either the geometry or the steel quality of that knife. I really do admire that thing.

Very true.
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#33

Post by Baron Mind »

Cool thread, lots of good responses. I like the Delica in ZDP-189.
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#34

Post by Cowboyfromhell »

Salt series knives
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spyderg
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#35

Post by spyderg »

Cruwear in anything, (other than salts, lol!)!
No but really, I think the Cruwear Manix2 I have is a great combo. I have a PM2 in CW and the new Delica in CW but it’s better suited to the Manix imo.
I don’t have one but based on its design I’m guessing the Tuff in 3v makes for a good combination, would love to see a sprint Cruwear Tuff.
I used to keep a Zdp Dragonfly on my pack, I liked that I could just not really have to worry about sharpening it as I found it to hold a great edge. I’ve heard it can be chippy but on a light duty knife like my Df, I never had any issues.
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Doeswhateveraspidercan
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#36

Post by Doeswhateveraspidercan »

Considering the steels I own and use:

Cruwear in the following knives
Military
PM2
Para3
Manix2 and wish they would do this with the XL
Delica.

It is very hard to beat Cruwear in any design.

Delica 4 wharnclife HAP40

Hundred Pacer CTS-XHP

Pacific Salt SE in H1

Stretch in HAP40

Native in LC200N
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#37

Post by zuludelta »

TomAiello wrote:
Fri Aug 23, 2019 11:01 pm
Dragonfly in ZDP-189
This. I love the DF II in VG-10 (it's pretty much all the knife I need outside of work) but the DF II platform is perfect for ZDP-189: enough cutting edge for most "convenience cutting" tasks & it stays razor-sharp for a long, long time... but when it finally does dull, the blade is not so long that it will take too much time & effort to sharpen the notoriously hard-to-sharpen exotic steel.
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#38

Post by Wartstein »

I am totally glad and content with that the whole "Endura-family" (though I don't have "family members" smaller than the Delica) do come both in VG10 and cladded HAP 40.

Personally I'd wish HAP 40 would not be reserved for sprints, but regular production (rather than ZDP 189, which most likely is a great steel, but harder than I ever need and like to sharpen).

Really, having each knife both in VG10 for amazing ease and fun of sharpening on the SM (even with less-than-good-sharpening skills ;)) plus in HAP 40 when I need more edge retention, but still decent sharpenability, is perfect for me (and so I am hoping for a HAP 40 Endela...)

The "jump" or gap from VG10 to ZDP (concerning hardness / ease of sharpening) on the other hand is just a bit too big for a down to earth knife user, but just basic sharpener and not-steel-nerd like me...
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#39

Post by Cambertree »

Gayle Bradley 1 in CPM M4
Paramilitary 2 in Cruwear
Pacific Salt in H1
Dragonfly in ZDP189
Police in K390
Urban in K390
Wharncliffe Delica in HAP40
Delica in Superblue
Para 3 in Maxamet
Waterway in LC200N
Stretch in HAP40
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Re: Best knife design and steel pairings?

#40

Post by BLUETYPEII »

Sumdumguy wrote:
Fri Aug 23, 2019 10:05 pm
The Caribbean, duh :P
This ^
40 Spyderco knives in 11 different steels,
1 Byrd and 30 “others”
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