If you liked X you’ll love Y

[NCC-2893]

I think most people here are chasing some design or utility that causes them to keep searching for the perfect knife that fits that purpose. Some have tried more knives than others, and so I am attempting to tap into that wealth of knowledge. Like the subject of this thread describes, just state: if you liked knife X you’ll love knife Y.

I’ll start. If you liked the Para 3 LW you’ll love the Sage 5 LW. This has been spoken here in other places too. It holds true for me because I think the Sage 5 LE incrementally improves upon much of the Para 3 LW. The skeletonized liners, while heavier, improve on balance and rigidness. The Sage FRN texture and finish don’t feel as cheap.

Your examples don’t necessarily have to be two similar knives, and in fact I would welcome surprisingly different compared knives. I’m hoping to find examples that will lead me to knives that I otherwise would not have considered.

[Wartstein]

This is surprisingly hard for me... actually at the moment I can't really pin two particular single Spydies ("X" and "Y"), but rather particular features:
Like I like the for a long blade a bit thinner ffg blade (3mm) on the Endura, so I like thinner stock for a short ffg blade (2mm on the Chaparral) too.
Or I like a backlock in knife X, and in any other knife ("Y", "Z".. ) too.

Also, your example shows how very subjective this is: If I had a Para 3, I would not like it (for a Spyderco!!), but the Sage 5 for me is just a great small comp. lock knife... so not "I like X, and so I like "Y" too (or even a bit more) for me here..

[kobold]

Spydiechef <-> Drunken
PM2 <-> Straight Spine Stretch <-> Endela
Chaparral <-> Centofante <-> Native 5 LW <-> Sage 5 LW
Native 5 Fluted Ti <-> Military Fluted Ti
Native Salt SE <-> Caribbean Leaf SE
Southard <-> GB2 <-> Caribbean Leaf PE
Swayback <-> Caribbean SF PE

[Evil D]

This seems simple at first but I'm so picky that it doesn't always hold true. Those subtle differences between (as with your example) a Para 3 and Sage 5 really hit me different than it seems to hit others, and it's the small differences like thumb ramp height and spacing between finger grooves that make it or break it for me. Fortunately for me I have grown a pretty good sixth sense about designs and I can usually tell just from pictures if I'll like how a design feels and I've only been wrong a few times.


Anyway a few that I think might work for most people (or at least do for my OCD self):

Tenacious = Caribbean
Stretch = Rock Jumper (if you can live without a choil)
Military = Police 4
Endura = Police 1/SS (kinda obvious)
Delica = Mantra 2
Sage = Chaparral
Lil Temp 3 = Rock Jumper

[archangel]

Slysz Bowie -> K2

And sorry David but I disagree that you gotta love the Police 4 if you loved the Millie. They are similar in size, but I think very different if you look at their strenghts. The one is a work horse, the other more of a filigree slicer. In my opinion.

[VooDooChild]

...
Swayback <-> Caribbean SF PE

Completely disagree.

[Evil D]

Slysz Bowie -> K2

And sorry David but I disagree that you gotta love the Police 4 if you loved the Millie. They are similar in size, but I think very different if you look at their strenghts. The one is a work horse, the other more of a filigree slicer. In my opinion.

I meant more along the lines of ergonomics but yeah they're fairly different all around. The more Iook at the two the less I see in common.

[archangel]

The following two have distict differences, but still to me they speak the same language:

Szabo Folder -> Tighe Stick

And the Battlestation speaks that language, too. Just not as loud...

[cycleguy]

Delica -> Other Spyderco

CG

[Wartstein]

Delica -> Other Spyderco

CG

Best post so far! :)

And true for me too.

[TomAiello]

For me, there is a strong ergonomic similarity between Manix, Native and Chapparal (and UKPK).

[TomAiello]

Also, as an aside, NCC, I keep wondering if you will appear in two places at once.

[jdw]

For me, there is a strong ergonomic similarity between Manix, Native and Chapparal (and UKPK).

This mainly holds true for me as well but less so with the UKPK. It's a lot slimmer and less stable in my hand than the other three. Out of those three the Manix and Native seem to be the most similar pair in fit.

[cycleguy]

For me, there is a strong ergonomic similarity between Manix, Native and Chapparal (and UKPK).

I thought the Manix LW and the SS Stretch seemed much the same - but I haven't heard others sharing a similar opinion so maybe that's just me.

CG

[NCC-2893]

Also, as an aside, NCC, I keep wondering if you will appear in two places at once.

That would be quite the maneuver...

[tonijedi]

Delica -> Other Spyderco

CG

Yep!

[NCC-2893]

I like the thread so far. In my mind, I don’t think the two knives necessarily need to be similar. I think two very different knives helps us glance into the difficult-to-describe subjective reasons why we like one thing over something else. Thanks to everyone who has shared so far.

[kennethsime]

For me, there is a strong ergonomic similarity between Manix, Native and Chapparal (and UKPK).

I thought the Manix LW and the SS Stretch seemed much the same - but I haven't heard others sharing a similar opinion so maybe that's just me.

CG

The big difference for me (and what kills the Manix for me) is the secondary point on the Manix - it hits my third finger in just the wrong way, and forces me into a hammer grip. The Stretch handle is more neutral, less defined, and thus a better fit for a wider variety of hands. If they made a Manix blade on say, a Native 5 handle, or a Shaman handle (or ****, just a Stretch handle) it'd be a big improvement to my mind.

[Airlsee]

Manix 2: Domino ~ Shaman ~ GB1 ~ Native Chief
Native 5: Sage 5 ~ Chapparal ~ Q-Ball
Para 2: Advocate ~ D'Allara 3 ~ GB1 ~ GB2
Para 3: Caly 3 ~ Mantra 1 ~ UKPK
Chef: D'Allara3 ~ Drunken

Just a few off the top of my head, I feel like if you enjoy the first knife listed (the more popular models) then the others are good ones to check out.

[archangel]

Delica -> Other Spyderco

CG

I don't get it. If you like a Delica, you're gonna love a Respect? Or a Tusk? Or the Spyder Throwers? :confused:

Spyderco has such a broad repertoire of different knives. Some similar to the Delica. But some are very VERY different.