Lightest Weight Spydercos...?

[JRinFL]

LC200N is closer to VG10 edge retention than M4.

It’s been closer to AUS-8 in edge retention for me, with the factory edge at least. It will get a course edge soon and I’ll reassess.

[Monty]

Well you said Ultralight and not lightweight so I'll throw in my 2 cents... I've done a thru of the AT, numerous partial runs and a lot of shorter trails and I just plain don't carry a knife anymore. My ladybug didn't weigh much...but a lot of things don't weigh much until you add them up.

[Ric]

- And if you want liners: Don´t overlook the regular Delica: Just 2.3 oz, and with that even a tad lighter than the linerless Para 3 LW or Native 5 LW (and for me personally the a bit better knife too)

Wartstein, please stay to the truth.
Delica and Para 3 lightweight have the same weight according spyderco.com 2.4oz (68g)


If you want a lightweight folder the Dragonfly is hard to beat.

[Bolster]

Well you said Ultralight and not lightweight so I'll throw in my 2 cents... I've done a thru of the AT, numerous partial runs and a lot of shorter trails and I just plain don't carry a knife anymore. My ladybug didn't weigh much...but a lot of things don't weigh much until you add them up.

Very true, Monty. Lots of light/ultralight packers don't carry a knife at all. I just....can't....do that. Some sort of lack of faith on my part; just can't imagine being alone in the wild without a knife. Maybe I'm more of a lightweight than an ultralightweight wannabe. I want to at LEAST carry my Bradley Air...I can always cut off a couple of fingers or toes to make up the weight difference.

Manix 2 LW s110v ca. 3 ounces...this knife will exceed your need in the best way possible.

I'd forgotten about that knife, good call...dug it out, a blue FRN with S110, weighs 2.8 oz. Lot of blade for the weight but (eek) that's almost half the weight of my Ghost Whisperer down jacket...!

[Wartstein]

- And if you want liners: Don´t overlook the regular Delica: Just 2.3 oz, and with that even a tad lighter than the linerless Para 3 LW or Native 5 LW (and for me personally the a bit better knife too)

Wartstein, please stay to the truth.
Delica and Para 3 lightweight have the same weight according spyderco.com 2.4oz (68g)

....

Ric, as always it is actually very important to me to- and I DO stay to the truth: I always look specs up before I post them, did this in this case too of course, and the Delica does have 2.3 oz indeed "according to spyderco.com".
See here:
https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details/C11F/456

Of course practically no one will be able to perceive the weight differences between 2.3 and 2.4, and so I said "a tad" lighter since the OPs question was specifically for lightest weight.

[sal]

Hi Blnd,

Welcome to our forum.

Hey Bolster. Think carefully on this. "A portable edge" is not easily replaced by just about anything. better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Cutting cheese and opening packages doesn't take into account other potentially dangerous situations that only an edge can serve. It would be nice to hunt grizzly with a 22 caliber pistol, because it's light, but it won't do the job. You'll be bear food. I would suggest a 3" blade that 's light. You can do a lot with a 3" blade that less is more difficult, in my opinion. I carry the larger blade when I can (Police 4) just because it's more horsepower.

sal

[Doc Dan]

If you are not in a hurry, you could wait on the linerless Salt 2 LC200N.

Right now, the Dragonfly 2 is so light you don't know it is there.

[Bolster]

Thanks for the reply, Sal! Words o' wisdom.

I looked through the lightweight models that I liked, and made a scatterplot of blade size for weight. The knives that are on the right/lower side of the line are "punching above their weight": Bradley Air, Centofante 3 FRN, Manix 2 LW, Street Beat FRN, and surprisingly, the CF Native Chief in S90V. If the Chief came in a FRN handle, it would be hard to beat for its blade:weight ratio...

[carrot]

I am a UL backpacker but I am also a knife nut.

On my last trip I picked the Para 3 LW SE, but if I had my scale in front of me, the M2LW is a little lighter with a more ergonomic design.

If there’s any real chance of fire making, an Izula fits in nicely. Otherwise a small FRN knife is plenty.

[Wartstein]

I am a UL backpacker but I am also a knife nut.

On my last trip I picked the Para 3 LW SE, but if I had my scale in front of me, the M2LW is a little lighter with a more ergonomic design.

If there’s any real chance of fire making, an Izula fits in nicely. Otherwise a small FRN knife is plenty.

Though I vastly prefer the Manix 2 LW over the Para 3 LW, the Manix LW certainly is not lighter, but around 0.5 oz heavier?!

[Wartstein]

Thanks for the reply, Sal! Words o' wisdom.

I looked through the lightweight models that I liked, and made a scatterplot of blade size for weight. The knives that are on the right/lower side of the line are "punching above their weight": Bradley Air, Centofante 3 FRN, Manix 2 LW, Street Beat FRN, and surprisingly, the CF Native Chief in S90V. If the Chief came in a FRN handle, it would be hard to beat for its blade:weight ratio...

Nice work... Perhaps you´d like to add the new Pac Salt ffg? Should beat all the "competition" in your scatterplot, 3.78" blade and just 2.6 oz...

[sal]

Hi Bolster,

Cool chart. You're OC like the rest of us.

sal

[James Y]

As Sal said, “It’s better to have and not need than to need and not have.”

As has been mentioned, there are many people who, if they carry a knife at all, carry only a Victorinox Classic (one woman I’m aware of hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail by herself with a Classic as her only knife). One hiking authority (I forgot his name) who wrote a book on hiking even said he planned to remove the nail file/screwdriver blade from his Classic to shave off even more weight. I understand that to ultralight backpackers every ounce adds up, but IMO, in some instances, like the latter case I just mentioned, the OCD to remove ever more and more tiniest amounts of weight can become ridiculous. You may or may not even need the knife much, but if something happens where you really do, lugging that extra couple of ounces would have been well worth it.

You don’t need a big knife, but I’d want to have at least a good 3” blade, in addition to something like a 2-layer SAK or something that can handle other possible tasks, like opening things, having small scissors, tweezers, etc. As some others have mentioned, if you’re not in a hurry, you might want to try the LC200N Salt 2 when it comes out, perhaps in SE, if edge retention is a concern. Just make sure that all the screws have been loctited so they don’t back out when you’re out there.

Jim

[Ez556]

I’m not sure why the Salt 2 and Pacific Salt are omitted from your chart, I really hope that does not mean you are overlooking the two most fitting and capable knives for the mission you are outlining. Lightweight with the the best outdoor steel you can get, rust proof and one of the toughest out there. I’ve added both to the chart in green, take a look at where the Pacific Salt lands, food for thought.

[Ez556]

And when I say the best outdoor steel that’s tuff and rustproof I am speaking of LC200N, not the H1 models. Granted, the Salt 2 in LC200N isn’t out yet, but it’s coming.

[Bolster]

I’m not sure why the Salt 2 and Pacific Salt are omitted from your chart, I really hope that does not mean you are overlooking the two most fitting and capable knives for the mission you are outlining.

Thanks for the green dot add, Ez, that's a convincing argument. The reason I didn't include the Salts was simply because of personal preference. I've got a hangup about the Delica/Endura handle and have sold all I've owned. I like a more pronounced index finger curve on the handle. Also I'm a FFG addict. But for others who are shopping, especially with LC200N, your argument is very valid!

[Wartstein]

I’m not sure why the Salt 2 and Pacific Salt are omitted from your chart, I really hope that does not mean you are overlooking the two most fitting and capable knives for the mission you are outlining.

Thanks for the green dot add, Ez, that's a convincing argument. The reason I didn't include the Salts was simply because of personal preference. I've got a hangup about the Delica/Endura handle and have sold all I've owned. I like a more pronounced index finger curve on the handle. Also I'm a FFG addict. But for others who are shopping, especially with LC200N, your argument is very valid!

Just in case you should have overlooked that: The LC200N Pac Salt IS ffg (and even lighter than the sabre hollow grind H1 variant).
Sure it still has the Endura handle though (which you say you don´t like)

[Ez556]

I had a feeling there was personal bias against them, because objectively they are a no brainier. If that’s the case, I’ll throw my hat in with the Manix LW because they are just great knives, though you will pay a weight penalty. Also, keep in mind that the Street Beat weight is also likely without the sheath which you would need to carry the knife safely. This assumption is based on the precedent set by the ARK, who’s weight is listed as .9oz in the specs, but in the description it says it is 2oz with the sheath. That makes me assume the 3.1oz weight of the Street Beat listed in the specs is also sans-sheath, so it may be closer to 4.5-5oz with it.

[Bolster]

I had a feeling there was personal bias against them, because objectively they are a no brainier.

Agreed, the green pacific salt is a winner. It beats the line by a large margin. It's not for me, but objectively, it's an ideal choice.

Subjectively, what I WANT is a FRN Caly, if there were such a thing, either 3 or 3.5. A friend has loaned me a ZDP/420J Calypso Jr FRN and it's really close to what I'm looking for, at 2.0 oz and 2.8" blade. Maybe he'll let me buy it...

[Menipo]

If you really want to go ExtraMegaUltraMaxilight the choice is clear: the Delica. I mean, THIS Delica:



Just kidding :rolleyes: