Your top 10 why?

Discuss Spyderco's products and history.
Robishere
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Your top 10 why?

#1

Post by Robishere »

So for those who who have 10 or more knives....If you picked your top 10, for use reasons, no safe queens, what would they be? Remember this is for user knives.
I value edge retention, blade geometry, and ergonomics myself. Going dull or chipping is not an option, nor is making my hand sore or being difficult to deploy.
Spyderco used to be 9 out of 10...now there are 4. The ZT in my eyes in 20cv blew the shaman out of the water and fits my hand like I was born holding it. It is a heavy user for coarse heavy use and light twisting/prying.
The Bradley2 slices forever and out classes and out styles most other blades and does not have the huge spyder hole hump and is slender and classy.
The benchmade is a heavy M4 that will go in rain and mud and I can band it up where I would never tale my Bradley. The coffin shaped ZT is just a neat 20cv but it is too slender for my hand, it will drop out of the top 10 soon.
The para 2 in M390 and titanium is self explanatory. I don’t have to say why it is great.
The zT 0566 in cf elmax is a heavier use than the native 5 and draws less attention.
The native 5 soon to be re scaled is s35vn is low profile, discreet, full steel lined, and comfortable.
The titanium chaparral is a dream slicer, light, thin, has class and great for dress pants.
The boker on the keychain replaced the ladybug and honeybee and one other as the Spyderco’s had the giant hump for the hole, and blade steels were....well you know...I swear paper and cardboard could damage the blade.
I refuse to have frn or g10 anything, it looks and feels too cheap.
So I go from heavy use to easy use in large...some can handle rain and mud while others cannot, to mid sized for around the house or mall, which people don’t notice much, to dress pants, to a keychain.
Those are my top 10 carry knives at this moment but they do change. All of these but the ZT0640 fit my hand superbly and suit conditions for weather, who is around me, dress, etc. All have superb steels that are reliable.
So what are your top 10? Or top 5 etc that you USE and not just collect.
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VooDooChild
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#2

Post by VooDooChild »

I definitely cant handle this queestion right now. But I want to. I will report back later. This is a hard question.
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Doeswhateveraspidercan
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#3

Post by Doeswhateveraspidercan »

Mind cleaning up those pictures a bit pretty hard to see what is what in any detail.

As For top 10 no problem

#1. Maxamet Native = Light weight, ergonomics of the handle afford different hand positions allowing it to slice above its pay grade and keep the hands safe from sharp edged cardboard created by slicing with a super sharp knife. Steel is easy to sharpen to a truly sharp edge with Shapton Glass Stones and holds that edge insanely long.

#2. Spyderco Stretch Ergonomics of the handle are superb and I mean this for the Stretch 1 and the Stretch 2 and the straight spine stretch. VG-10 very stainless, easy to sharpen with just about any tool, takes a truly sharp edge and holds it pretty well and touches up easily.

#3. Spyderco Delica in Cruwear combination od steel and thinness behind the blade makes for an excellent little slicer and easy carry in shorts. Cruwear is far more stainless than it should be by formula it takes a truly sharp edge with almost any tool and keeps it for a reasonable amount of time and is very easy to touch up.

#4. Para3 S30V fully serrated in all honest this is the only Para 3 I really like the blade shape and size and serrations imparted by the factory are a perfect combination.

#5. Dragonfly Hawkbill Serrated H1 Steel little knife stays sharp is always in the kitchen or in a pocket when doing wet tasks outside for opening packages and could care less if it gets wet, bright yellow color makes it easy to see and eyes are drawn right to it if it falls in soapy water could care less. Great little rust proof claw.

#6 Hundred Pacer CTS-XHP this is one awesome knife blade is big enough to use for larger tasks and makes an excellent pizza knife.the steel is very corrosion resistant easy to sharpen to a truly sharp edge and holds it for a good long time.

#7. Naitve 5 LC200N serrated great size great ergos and a great Rust Resistant steel winds up in use outdoors allot cutting string trimmer string etc.

#8. Spyderco salt Serrated DLC nice little knife that takes a very sharp edge and lasts a long time do not have to worry over it like LC200N it is easy to sharpen and touch up all you need is the sharp-maker with everything from Diamond to ultra-fine rods and can be repaired if teeth are bent or damaged pretty easily.

#9.Spyderco Native Chief Everything I love in a larger knife great ergos, great lock steel could be better but this has been the best experience with S30V in a plain edge knife ever it tends to sharpen better than many other S30V models I own and I am not sure why, edge retention is a bit better as well. I think the steel was ran a bit softer.

#10. BUck Custom Hunter with Pocket clip from the factory 440C steel. I can cut cardboard all day long with this and never makes the hand tired, the steel is super easy to sharpen, incredibly corrosion resistant, the G10 handles with Nickel silver bolsters at the pivot only drop allot of weight, the clip point hollow ground blade is awesome to work with as it has a slight re-curve and catches material just right, it is on par with Cruwear for edge retention and far more stainless. Size and weight are actually on par with many spyderco's.

And one more for good measure.... Cold Steel Broken Skull in CTS-XHP excellent steel, excellent drop point, excellent thinness behind the edge excellent coating on the blade, light weight and on of the best locks ever.
Robishere
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#4

Post by Robishere »

Those are great choices Doeswhateveraspidercan. I got fed up with s30v chipping out on the slightest thing. For me anyways it seemed to chip on even cardboard. I just couldn’t believe it. However you mentioned full serrated. That is a whole different animal.
I think those are good picks. I am re thinking getting another delica if I can get one in a super steel and re scale it. They are fantastic in the pocket
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bdblue
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#5

Post by bdblue »

I have almost 10 in my rotation, but some of them are just variations so I only have 2 actual models- PM2 and Manix2. I have 4 different versions of PM2 and 2 different versions of Manix 2. Add a Manix 2 XL and that makes 3 different versions. And I have one lonely knife from another brand. I have a couple of other Manix 2 and a Bradley 1 that I use as work knives. So that is basically just 3 models of Spyderco. I have a couple of Military that I carry sometimes so that makes 4 models of Spyderco, 12 total knives. There might be a few others that I would like to try, but I've been through a lot of different knives and the ones listed above are the ones that had the qualities to stay. I know that if I bought others now they might or might not stay for awhile and I have plenty of knives to use so I didn't want to buy others to take away from the ones I have that I like.

The knives that I like are mostly in S110V, M4 and Cruwear. My single Manix 2 XL is S30V and I have one Manix2 in S90V.
The knives that I use the most are typically around 3.5" blade length and a one-handed lock type other than linerlock. I have my preferences as to clip position but strangely enough my rotation is about half and half.
Last edited by bdblue on Thu Mar 12, 2020 7:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Sharp Guy
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#6

Post by Sharp Guy »

Robishere wrote:
Thu Mar 12, 2020 6:32 pm
I got fed up with s30v chipping out on the slightest thing. For me anyways it seemed to chip on even cardboard. I just couldn’t believe it.
You must have the worst luck ever with S30V. I've had a bunch of S30V knives and haven't had one chip yet.
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Robishere
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#7

Post by Robishere »

Sharp Guy wrote:
Thu Mar 12, 2020 7:51 pm
Robishere wrote:
Thu Mar 12, 2020 6:32 pm
I got fed up with s30v chipping out on the slightest thing. For me anyways it seemed to chip on even cardboard. I just couldn’t believe it.
You must have the worst luck ever with S30V. I've had a bunch of S30V knives and haven't had one chip yet.
You may be right. I have had 3 and they would micro chip where you can feel it with a fingernail or it would snag things.... or big long chips about 1/4” long popping out. To some degree S110v did the same exact thing.

All my s30v and my one S110v are traded or sold or in the garbage.
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Doeswhateveraspidercan
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#8

Post by Doeswhateveraspidercan »

S30V is somewhat of a protected topic on this board, Lol small wonder.... Spyderco has used it as a base steel for so long in so many great models and it is the sprints made of Cruwear and other alloys that have given these models fresh life and direct comparisons and S30V comes up wanting as does S35VN.

So I guess it is time to aggravate it's protectors once again with truth.

S30V is the only steel I have ever have used that the tip snapped off of a Para3 just cutting cardboard, I really do not care for this steel and will never purchase another knife in it. It is an underwhelming performer a true generalist that does everything ok but nothing very well.

Fully serrated however seems to take most steels to a different level. This is certainly the case with S30V and H1.

That being said I think allot of it has to do with how it is hardened. I also think Spyderco heat treats it to, too high / hard of a degree in most of their line up. Without testing equipment I firmly believe the Native Chief I own was not heat treated as high / Hard as my S30V Military and as such is a superior performer blade geometry not withstanding.

I have S30V from different manufacturers in fixed blades like the Benchmade Nestucca Cleaver https://youtu.be/ODm7U39eoNE the steel feels much different and sharpens much easier.

Furthermore I use it to cut semi frozen meat for grinding and it has not chipped once. It has also proven to be more corrosion resistant then my Spyderco S30V which again as I recall is a function of heat treatment.

In my honest opinion S30V is okay in many different uses but I am ready for it to be replaced once and for all hoping very much S45VN gets it right where S30V and S35VN have always been underwhelming performers despite all their hype and following by fan boys and girls.

Also Hoping SPY27 is so awesome that it and S45VN become the new base steels for Spyderco. If I have failed to make this clear in my honest opinion I am ready for Spyderco to drop S30V as too many great models like the Smock and Native Chief are not approaching their full potential with that steel.

The Native 5 and Native Chief are currently in my sights in REX-45 eagerly awaiting their release.
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JonLeBlanc
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#9

Post by JonLeBlanc »

I only have twelve (different models that is lol) and I love them all, so it wouldn't make too much sense to pick a top ten, but if y'all would indulge me my top five might be (in no particular order):

1) Military 52100, it's just a beast. My user has a few little rust spots (not on the edge obviously) and I really don't even care anymore lol.

2) Wayne Goddard Sprint, it's super slim, I like the VG-10, and it's ultra ultra sharp.

3) PM2 52100, same reasons as my Millie, just a more compact and possibly even more ergonomic jewel-like version. I keep one pristine and one for a corrosion-be-d@mned user.

4) Police 4 K390, please make that navy blue FRN version Sal and co.!

5) SS Jester CE, I don't have it anymore, but it was my gom jabbar lol.
My collection so far: 52100 Military (2); 52100 PM2 (2); 52100 Para3; Stretch2 V-Toku; KnifeWorks M4 PM2; BentoBox M390 PM2; BentoBox S90V Military; Police4 K390; S110V PM2; SS Delica AUS-6; Wayne Goddard Sprint VG-10
Wish list: Hundred Pacer; Sliverax; Mantra; 52100 PM2 SE; Kapara
Robishere
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#10

Post by Robishere »

JonLeBlanc I think those are great users. I think the 52100 and K390 should keep you blazing through stuff quite well. Those all sound like great users with versatility and edge retention. Nice size variety as well. I worked with a guy that had a Cold Steel XL Espada that had lost 2 jobs due to being told to leave his “pocket sword” at home and he refused. It sounds like you have tour work horses and discreet pocket knives and in good steels!
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JonLeBlanc
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#11

Post by JonLeBlanc »

Robishere wrote:
Fri Mar 13, 2020 1:54 pm
Oh thanks man, yeah the five-two and K are great steels. I've got some funny looks too for breaking out the Millie at work, but the advice I was given (which seems to work) is just to say with a completely straight face and a tone of bemused puzzlement "it's just a knife." Was kinda hoping someone would catch the reference I threw in at the end, but maybe it'll make more sense next December lol. We need a new Jester Sprint!
My collection so far: 52100 Military (2); 52100 PM2 (2); 52100 Para3; Stretch2 V-Toku; KnifeWorks M4 PM2; BentoBox M390 PM2; BentoBox S90V Military; Police4 K390; S110V PM2; SS Delica AUS-6; Wayne Goddard Sprint VG-10
Wish list: Hundred Pacer; Sliverax; Mantra; 52100 PM2 SE; Kapara
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#12

Post by The Deacon »

Must have at least 40 Spyderco models, many of which are just display pieces, but these are the ones I use.

Jester, specifically the burgundy Micarta version. IMHO, it's the best key chain knife Spyderco ever made and I've had one on mine for nearly 17 years.

Kiwi, all the production versions plus most of my 70+ custom ones. Never went in for jewelry, never saw the point of rings and chains, but these little guys are another story. Functional jewelry at its finest. If I have pants on, there's one in the coin pocket.

Chaparral, have them all but the CF version is only one I've carried, up to now. just picked up a second blue ti one to have as a user. Small enough to satisfy Greenville's 3" blade law, big enough to make me not mind complying with it when I visit and, just for good measure, a super slicer.

Stretch, especially my five "woodies". My absolute favorite large Spyderco and I carry one almost every day.. Strong preference for the VG-10 versions, although there is one ZDP-189 one in that quintet.

PE Atlantic Salt, mine has been customized by Steve Rice with birdseye maple scales over ti liners. This is my go to knife for when I walk the dog in foul weather.

Kitchen Sharps, mostly the K05 Small Utility and K08 Santoku. Never a day goes by that at least one of them gets used in my kitchen.

Centofante Memory, my go to desk knife and occasional substitute for the Chaparral on trips to Greenville. My user was a gift from Sal and, although it's one of the least lefty friendly knives I own, I love the darn thing.
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Nate
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#13

Post by Nate »

JonLeBlanc wrote:
Fri Mar 13, 2020 3:52 pm
Was kinda hoping someone would catch the reference I threw in at the end, but maybe it'll make more sense next December lol. We need a new Jester Sprint!

I got you man, the spice must flow.

Also just righted a wrong and picked up the old gray g10 Jester sprint. Would definitely be in on a new one.
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JonLeBlanc
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#14

Post by JonLeBlanc »

Nate wrote:
Fri Mar 13, 2020 5:33 pm
JonLeBlanc wrote:
Fri Mar 13, 2020 3:52 pm
Was kinda hoping someone would catch the reference I threw in at the end, but maybe it'll make more sense next December lol. We need a new Jester Sprint!

I got you man, the spice must flow.

Also just righted a wrong and picked up the old gray g10 Jester sprint. Would definitely be in on a new one.
Hah nailed it. Is that Jester CE or PE?
My collection so far: 52100 Military (2); 52100 PM2 (2); 52100 Para3; Stretch2 V-Toku; KnifeWorks M4 PM2; BentoBox M390 PM2; BentoBox S90V Military; Police4 K390; S110V PM2; SS Delica AUS-6; Wayne Goddard Sprint VG-10
Wish list: Hundred Pacer; Sliverax; Mantra; 52100 PM2 SE; Kapara
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#15

Post by Evil D »

Man I could probably write a book on my top 10 so rather than do all that I'll just throw out the first 10 that I like that come to mind.

Military
Caribbean
Sliverax
Autonomy
Shaman
Yojimbo 2
Dragonfly Salt
Manix 2
D'Allara 2 SE sheepsfoot
Rock Lobster

There are other models I may throw in but I don't own them and it's kinda weird to call them a favorite if you've never had one.
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#16

Post by Nate »

JonLeBlanc wrote:
Fri Mar 13, 2020 6:02 pm
Hah nailed it. Is that Jester CE or PE?
Image


Pretty high on the Jester right now, but also just got it. It's a user, but not sure if it will actually supplant the Manbug on my keys.

Back to topic, will stick with folders for now:

Manbug Salt
Urban
UKPK
Baby Horn
Chaparral
Para 2
Military
Manix 2
Svörd Peasant
Alox Vic Cadet

*arrrgh, how doid I forget the PITS? Been out of rotation for a minute, but belongs here for me. In a pinch I could ditch the Peasant knife. (The Svörd is a solid user though, hangs on a peg in the garage.)
:spyder:
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#17

Post by TkoK83Spy »

I tend to get pretty long winded, so I'll just name off mine in no particular order. I've been doing weekly updates in the "what Spyderco is your pocket" thread. Use mine daily in a warehouse and have a great time testing them. I'll list some of my favorite models and not duplicate steels, though there's definitely duplicates I'd consider!

Military / 204P
Smock / S30V
Shaman / 4V
Shaman / Cruwear
PM2 / Rex45
Para 3 / M4
Manix 2 / 20CV
Manix 2 / 52100
Dragonfly / V-toku 2
Delica / Hap40
15 :bug-red 's in 10 different steels
1 - Bradford Guardian 3 / Vanadis 4E Wharnie
1 - Monterey Bay Knives Slayback Flipper / ZDP 189
1 - CRK Small Sebenza 31/Macassar Ebony Inlays
1 - CRK Large Inkosi Insingo/ Black Micarta Inlays
1 - CRK Small Sebenza 31 Insingo/Magnacut

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JonLeBlanc
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#18

Post by JonLeBlanc »

Nate wrote:
Fri Mar 13, 2020 7:42 pm
Man that Jester's tight
My collection so far: 52100 Military (2); 52100 PM2 (2); 52100 Para3; Stretch2 V-Toku; KnifeWorks M4 PM2; BentoBox M390 PM2; BentoBox S90V Military; Police4 K390; S110V PM2; SS Delica AUS-6; Wayne Goddard Sprint VG-10
Wish list: Hundred Pacer; Sliverax; Mantra; 52100 PM2 SE; Kapara
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anycal
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#19

Post by anycal »

There is a 'top ten of the year' thread, running annually. These were mine back in December 2019, and still true today. Granted I haven't bought anything new in some time.

Why these? Initially it started as wanting to try different models. These are the ones that stuck throughout the process. Steel varies depending on what is sharp at the time . I like the variety and having different sized knives for different occasions. Any of them could be EDC, but some are better suited for specific occasion.

Pic of top five models below.

Military REX45
Endura 4 HAP40
PM2 K390
Manix 2 M4 DLC
Ikuchi S30V
Mantra M4
Delica 4 Cruwear
Caly 3 HAP40
Native 5 Cruwear
Chaparral XHP


Image
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Re: Your top 10 why?

#20

Post by acer »

My top 10 folders of which I own , be it , users or in-collection in no relevant order
military
para 3
para military 2
stretch 2
Manix2
Clay 3 / ukpk
Police 4
caribbean
Native chief
Vallotton
Domino
Ps adding was never my strongpoint, my speeling not to hoot either 😬😀
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