Which model has impacted your preferences the most?

[Tristan_david2001]

The one that originally had the biggest impression on me from when I first got into spyderco about 7 years ago was the cricket. The first knife I saw that for me was and is the perfect unique, simple, and highly functional blade, in a smaller package. It is probably that one knife that first made the biggest impact on my passion for “outside of the box” knife design, the practicality of the spydiehole, and as well as many other interesting spyderco knives I looked into from there. Still one of my favorites

[vivi]

Pacific Salt.

When I got into Spydercos I had very different values.

- Didn't care about corrosion resistance
- Wanted a fully lined handle with no flex during hard use.
- Didn't like serrations at all, even ground them off an Endura 3 I got cheap as part of a trade.
- Carried knives tip down
- Wanted a full flat ground blade like my Swiss Army Knives I liked carrying
- Thought plastic handles looked and felt cheap (I EDC'd an Alox Farmer and Buck 110)

Over the years I started with a first run pinned Pacific in PE, then picked up a serrated with a black blade.

It wasn't until I got the serrated version and made a point to EDC it that my eyes really opened up. Prior to that the PE Pacific was just carried when I wanted extreme corrosion resistance.

After EDCing it for a while it really changed my perspective.

I no longer minded the handle flex from the unlined handle and began to appreciate the lighter weight.

I realized a low edge retention rust proof knife required less maintenance for me than an S30V knife with liners, hardware and a blade that can rust.

The serrated one is the knife I learned to sharpen SE with. I still prefer PE but now I know SE can cut everything in my day to day life just as well for the most part.

Pacific 1's could only be carried tip up, and this is one model that made me like tip up carry better. I find it's faster to get the knife open and more comfortable when reaching into my pocket with it clipped on the edge.

These days I prefer FRN knives due to their light weight, low cost and extremely good grip.

Shout out to the DLC Para 2. The shop I bought it at was sold out of satin blades so I settled on the DLC version. It showed me how much DLC can improve corrosion resistance.

[knivesandbooks]

The Native 5. Love the model in all it's configurations. I judge knives now by how the feel in use compared to that. It's such a good user.

[kobold]

Although my first ever Spyderco was the Manix 2 S110V G10, it didn't play any catalytic role.

A non-Spyderco model, my first folder, the Buck Mayo/TNT initiated my love for Ti RIL knives and as a consequence I bought the SpydieChef, the Swayback and a few CRK knives, as well as the fluted Ti Military. Soon after I bought another Military.

The GB2 also paved the way with its blade and handle geometry towards hollow grind blades in general and CRK knives in particular.

Thanks to the Para3 I discovered I am not a fan of compression locks and blades with pronounced humps that restrict my thumb placement, steering me towards the Sage, Native 5 and the Chaparral (also, the Para3 introduced me to Maxamet, which made me forgive its shortcomings and made me seek out other Maxamet models).

The Salt Native (LC200N SE) led me to other serrated Salt models: the Caribbean SE, DF2 SE, Tasman Salt SE.. and thanks to its perfect ergonomics and reliable lock, to other (high end) Natives, and ultimately to Native Chiefs.

Lastly, the black on black SE Native made me realize tactical style is not for me, I sold it and started selling my other tactical knives as well.

[billdoier72]

The Native 5 LW is the knife that changed my mind on FRN and spyderco's lightweight designs in gerneral.

It's also the first knife that gave me everything I wanted ergonomically, i.e. forward choil and spyderhole.

This knife for me hits just right.

[Ramonade]

The Native 5 solely converted me to an almost only-Spyderco buyer.

[Ngati Pom]

The ClipiTool (C176) plain/serrated. I bought it ‘just to see’…
It’s really had a profound effect on my knife choices.
It focused me on how smaller blades can be useful in most situations and also introduced me to serrations.
I now own several sub 3” knives and six serrated models.
All because of this spur of the moment purchase.

[Coastal]

I really enjoy topics like this, so thanks for posting, David.

By "model," I assume you mean Spyderco model and, if so, I can immediately say Pacific Salt.

The Pac Salt changed how I think about "useful" knives. I separate the useful category from the "play" category because, now that I'm retired, useful knives are the ones I need for hobbies, recreation, and duties around the yard, and am thus more serious about. These are truly active activities, and take place in moist or wet places, and often in salt water. (Play knives are used for pocket jewelry, experimentation, admiring perusal... Don't get me wrong, all that stuff is fun, too.)

Years of fishing, hunting, hiking, gardening, ranch work, etc., had already taught me that my needs were best met by large, locking, one-hand-opening folders of high quality, with pocket clips and acute tips. So about about a year ago when I began lurking here, searching for opinions on EDC-ing in salty environments, I immediately discovered the Salt Series, and found that all those requirements, plus light weight and rust-proof-ness, are available in the Pacific Salt! It was a grail of sorts. I now have five of them, plus several more knives from that series. Since that first Pac Salt, for the way I most often use my knives, I don't see a reason for me to buy anything other than a Salt Series knife, even the smaller ones.

The Pac Salt also taught me that FRN is a miracle of sorts. If I could have only one handle material, FRN would be it. It hits so many of my hot buttons: weight, shape, grip, durability, mod-ability, and it's often the cheapest option as well. (I'm not as hard over on FRN as I am on Salt, but that's just because the Carribean is not available in FRN.)

[sal]

Great thread David.

Thanx much.

sal

[ZrowsN1s]

It was my very positive experience with the Shaman that led me to it, but the Police4 has probably had the biggest impact on my collection of the last 3 years.

Before that I tended to carry the smallest knife that could get the job done. After the Police4 I came to realize I liked the added performance of big knives. And carrying a knife as large as the Police4 everyday wasn't the inconvenience I thought it would be. I dont notice it in the pocket anymore than smaller knives.

The 'Jazz Delica' made me appreciate a good Wharncliffe.

The biggest impact on my knife preferences over all was probably the Dragonfly sized $6 serrated Hawkbill I bought at a liquor store in the early 2000's. I EDC'd that knife for years at work, and it left me with a lifelong fondness for hawkbills. In particular small hawkbills. I was ecstatic when Spyderco made the Hawkbill Dragonfly, I finally had a modern high quality knife that embodied the spirit of my old edc and had greatly improved ergos and performance.

[vvs]

Gayle Bradley 1 folder still my number one folder for past 10 years. Helped me a lot when evacuation from warzone on feb 24.

[TkoK83Spy]

Gayle Bradley 1 folder still my number one folder for past 10 years. Helped me a lot when evacuation from warzone on feb 24.

Great knife to pick. I'm glad to hear you're safe, very sorry to see what you and your people are going through.

[Evil D]

Great thread David.

Thanx much.

sal

Thanks Sal. I'm sure this is a very different question for you since many of these models came from your preferences or ideas at least, but what would you say were the big ones for you prior to Spyderco? At some point in the past before Sal was a knifemaker he was just a knife user, what did that guy like the most back then?

[GarageBoy]

Calypso Jr was my first real knife - introduced me to the ffg leaf shape blade with a finger choil

I don't necessarily look for knives specifically with those features, but when I use one, it always feels like a home coming

[lilshaver]

Two models kept me coming back and looking at Spyderco. This was the original native model which I waited too long to get and it was discontinued. And then there was the Jess Horn which I loved the looks of this knife. Secondary market helped me scratch these itches, but by then I had moved on to other Spyderco models and had become interested in different steels. These two models kept me focused though and are why my interest is in Spyderco.

[Xformer]

The Native 5. Love the model in all it's configurations. I judge knives now by how the feel in use compared to that. It's such a good user.

Same boat.

The PM2 was my Spyderco main, but the Native 5 changed my perspective. It's such a perfect spot in terms of pure utility. I wish it was slightly longer, but that's a nitpick. I use my knife hard and despite all the abuse, the Native 5 never flinched once. It's so versatile and I trust it more than my PM2 nowadays.

The PM2 is a lightsaber in terms of pure cutting, but it's less versatile to me than a Native 5.

I test my knife by cutting meat for cooking at home usually. It's a great benchmark I think. The Native 5 is a great parring knife. I got rid of all those flimsy parring knife I had and just use my Native 5 now.

So yeah, Sal/Eric, you did an amazing work with it. It's such a looker too.

[FK]

Delica/Endura

Regards,
FK

[vvs]

Great knife to pick. I'm glad to hear you're safe, very sorry to see what you and your people are going through.

I woke at 5 +/- AM feb 24 from far explositions and heard winged rocket flown just over my house followed by SAM intercept rockets (two supersonic booms) followed by mid air explosions. 21th century, Europe ~70 miles south from Belarus border, Kyiv region.

You cannot imagine things happened here: air raid alerts several times per day even today, your lovely shopping malls hit by ballistic (this night) and/or winged rocket killing 8 civilians, civilians executions by russian army personnel on sight: at least four mens were executed in my village alone population around 1400 (I know personally three of them - 42,14,14 y.o., yes two scholars), armed robbing, war crimes, war crimes, war crimes. This is russian army/national guard/police people. Evertyhing you heard of Nazis Geshtapo ? This is it. In XXI century in Europe in almost the same place.

Thank you all the people from US, UK, EU, AU, NZ and other countries for support when Ukraine need it most.

PS: was searched on/by Ukrainian army blockpost and asked about my stash (20+ Spydies) why so much knives, got stuck with answer. Collection ? Ah, ok, go on then :)

[JD Spydo]

I really liked your opening post David. Because the Military and Native were two of the earlier models that really got me established in which Spyderco models I would later come to like>> and they are 2 models that I still dearly love ( and use). One model that totally and completely changed my overall viewpoint on knife uses and my overall preferences of which blade I preferred was the 2002 release of the C-60 Massad Ayoob model. That C-60 Ayoob model totally changed the way I view knives. The C-60 Ayoob model was one of the most influential Spyderco models that got me to see first hand that Spyderco puts most of it's emphasis on "FUNCTION" rather than "Aesthetics".

It literally amazes me how several serious knife collectors and users declare so many of Spyderco's models as being "ugly" or just plain "weird". Because they are not taking into consideration that most every one of their great designs are truly function oriented.

[Skywalker]

Probably the Southard for me. And I guess in a negative way, since it's limited what I'll consider buying since. As much as I tried to like it and carry it and put a nice, sharp edge on that 204P, the 4mm blade stock is just too dang thick.



Since then as a general rule I've stayed away from folders with 4mm/0.156" blade stock. Just too many issues with blades binding up in things, from apples to cardboard. If I need something like that thickness give it to me in a fixed blade.

It's not 100% inviolable. The Military still works for me, with the FFG and distal taper over a 4" blade. And there's a couple other designs since I've really wanted to try and broken the rule on, but they either end up not being carried or sent off for a regrind.

So no Starmate, no Tuff, no Benchmade 810, etc. Instead I have more Delicas/Enduras and Manixes and carry the (excellent) Domino when I want a Spyderco flipper.

All thanks to the Southard. Doesn't matter how well made it is, doesn't matter how much I like the rest of the design - it's gotta be thin enough to cut, before anything else. Otherwise it's just one-weekend-a-month pocket jewelry for me.