Totally agree Salty Dog. The drop point yields a more robust tip and would seem to be a good idea with this longer blade and the distal taper that will go with it.
Another reason I'm waiting out the VG-10, which has (surprising, to me) low toughness, which fine tips want and need. I like a tougher steel for a knife that has a long, thin, acute tip.
Maybe on paper it does. In use the toughness of VG10 never let me down.
I've used a Police 3 reprofiled to a very thin convex edge for anything I'd use a folding knife for, and have been batoning with Perrin Street Bowies for a decade. No issues with either.
It's also tough enough for Fallkniven fixed blades, though to be fair those are generally thicker than the SXL.
I've never had an issue with VG10. True, I wouldn't push it as far as K390, but it is tough enough for anything reasonable to do with a knife and it takes a very keen edge.
I Pray Heaven to Bestow The Best of Blessing on THIS HOUSE, and on ALL that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof! (John Adams regarding the White House)
Follow the Christ, the King,
Live pure, speak true, right wrong, follow the King--
Else, wherefore born?" (Tennyson)
Totally agree Salty Dog. The drop point yields a more robust tip and would seem to be a good idea with this longer blade and the distal taper that will go with it.
Another reason I'm waiting out the VG-10, which has (surprising, to me) low toughness, which fine tips want and need. I like a tougher steel for a knife that has a long, thin, acute tip.
This is actually the only concern I have with the Stretch XL.
And even more so when it comes to SE: Here the chisel grind makes the tip even more fragile (since it makes the grind angle steeper also right there).
/ And yes, I´d generally slightly prefer the "original" Stretch blade shape anyway, but the straight spine is far from being a deal breaker.
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)
Totally agree Salty Dog. The drop point yields a more robust tip and would seem to be a good idea with this longer blade and the distal taper that will go with it.
I am hoping for a more sweeping tip, which would put this way ahead of a PM2 for my personal use. I agree that the stronger tip on the regular stretch design is far better for me. My fear is the blade design moving away from the hunter pattern to a paramilitary pointy tip.
...
My fear is the blade design moving away from the hunter pattern to a paramilitary pointy tip.
I just guess that there are many more EDC / tactical pocket knife users & collectors, than there are hunters using a folding knife to gut the game (though our neighbor did exactly that). Still - keeping that one model for the given purpose would make a lot of sense, especially if Spyderco would made it in LC200N or Magnacut - to make cleaning afterwards easier and less rust-prone in the long run.
If I had my rathers, I would rather have the old tip. It was different, and I liked it. Similar to the Kapara. Will not keep me from buying it however. Just rather.
- Jeff May your feet be warm and dry and your throat warm with whiskey. A knife in hand or in the sock band.
MNOSD Member #0005
the original blade shape would have been neat! but it also won't keep me from buying it.
I also wish this knife had liners, I guess I can take them or leave them and in this case ill have to leave them but I like the feel and this knife would still be plenty lightweight even with them. if I want a knife without liners ill grab a salt!
I apologize if this was discussed already, but browsing (out of sheer curiosity) upcoming knives on lamnia I found out, that they apparently expect 3 versions of the XL: PE, CE and SE. Interesting.
I would go as far as to argue, than in a blade this long a Combo Edge might even make sense for certain use ...
I apologize if this was discussed already, but browsing (out of sheer curiosity) upcoming knives on lamnia I found out, that they apparently expect 3 versions of the XL: PE, CE and SE. Interesting.
I would go as far as to argue, than in a blade this long a Combo Edge might even make sense for certain use ...
Stretch_2_XL.JPG
I agree , I personally don’t mind a CE blade on larger blades at times myself , short blades not so much . MG2
MNOSD 0002 / Do more than is required of you . Patton
Nothing makes earth so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.
Henry David Thoreau
I was pondering the options of PE and SE and yeah, buying my first combo edge might be interesting with that long of an edge.
Though, I mostly use the first inch near the ricasso and the last near the tip on my PE blades. Maybe the SE part will be in the middle ?
In the collection : Lots of different steels, in lots of different (and same) Spydercos.
Robin. Finally made an IG : ramo_knives MNOSD member 004* aka Mr. N5s
I was pondering the options of PE and SE and yeah, buying my first combo edge might be interesting with that long of an edge.
Though, I mostly use the first inch near the ricasso and the last near the tip on my PE blades. Maybe the SE part will be in the middle ?
This thread was incomplete without your humor ! MG2
MNOSD 0002 / Do more than is required of you . Patton
Nothing makes earth so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.
Henry David Thoreau
Any speculation on the diameter of the spydie hole? Going back and looking at pictures is obviously difficult to tell. I am hoping it is on the larger size like the Manix.
- Jeff May your feet be warm and dry and your throat warm with whiskey. A knife in hand or in the sock band.
MNOSD Member #0005
Eric mentioning the Spyderco Pro Venator when discussing the XL Stretch gave me another fun design idea complete with a cool name inspired by a dinosaur (I know, I’m talking about Prehistoric stuff again ).
It’s essentially just an XL Stretch or Larger Pro Venator with the classic drop point, but a salt too. Maybe I’ll come back and explain myself a little better once I sketch it? I don’t know if people find my weird dinosaur obsessed ideas interesting or annoying, but I’m just constantly seeing similarities between knives and biology, so I can’t help it.
I for one could not encourage this obession more enthusiastically
Anyone hear anything out there in the wild about a release date. I am getting more excited about this one the closer we get. With some of the more specialized models dropping from the last reveal, I can only think we have to be close.
Outside of the Native 5, this seems to be the only linerless lightweight option for larger blades. Not considering salt options of course. Native Chief LW will add a 2nd. I will say, I was close to buying a Pac Salt, but decided to wait for this model once I learned it was linerless. Excited to try it out.
- Jeff May your feet be warm and dry and your throat warm with whiskey. A knife in hand or in the sock band.
MNOSD Member #0005
"I will say, I was close to buying a Pac Salt, but decided to wait for this model once I learned it was linerless."
For me, the Pac Salt will still have more utility, being corrosion-free, but I'll definitely try one of these to experience the Stretch handle. If it's as much better than the Endura handle as claimed, and Spyderco ever decides on a Salt version, then one of those will push my Pac Salts way, way, way back in the rotation. Stretch XL Salt SE MagnaCut!
yep, until a Stretch XL salt or Chief Salt is in my rotation, my Pacifics will always have a role. Linerless handle with a VG10 blade will be pretty easy to take care of, but I'd still carry a salt over the base SXL for many situations.
"I will say, I was close to buying a Pac Salt, but decided to wait for this model once I learned it was linerless."
For me, the Pac Salt will still have more utility, being corrosion-free, but I'll definitely try one of these to experience the Stretch handle. If it's as much better than the Endura handle as claimed, and Spyderco ever decides on a Salt version, then one of those will push my Pac Salts way, way, way back in the rotation. Stretch XL Salt SE MagnaCut!
If it comes in a Salt Magnacut Version, I'm not sure anything else will be "needed."
- Jeff May your feet be warm and dry and your throat warm with whiskey. A knife in hand or in the sock band.
MNOSD Member #0005
"I will say, I was close to buying a Pac Salt, but decided to wait for this model once I learned it was linerless."
For me, the Pac Salt will still have more utility, being corrosion-free, but I'll definitely try one of these to experience the Stretch handle. If it's as much better than the Endura handle as claimed, and Spyderco ever decides on a Salt version, then one of those will push my Pac Salts way, way, way back in the rotation. Stretch XL Salt SE MagnaCut!
If it comes in a Salt Magnacut Version, I'm not sure anything else will be "needed."
"I will say, I was close to buying a Pac Salt, but decided to wait for this model once I learned it was linerless."
For me, the Pac Salt will still have more utility, being corrosion-free, but I'll definitely try one of these to experience the Stretch handle. If it's as much better than the Endura handle as claimed, and Spyderco ever decides on a Salt version, then one of those will push my Pac Salts way, way, way back in the rotation. Stretch XL Salt SE MagnaCut!
If it comes in a Salt Magnacut Version, I'm not sure anything else will be "needed."
Would not surprise me to see one. Spyderco seems to have a lot of confidence in this model. Would likely be the ultimate EDC knife for me based on what Lance has shown of magnacuts corrosion resistance.
...
In the collection 
).
).