The first thing that struck me about the knife was the weight to size ratio. Extremely impressive, rivaled by few Spydercos.
Another impressive thing I noticed was the balance. I was surprised it didn't feel blade heavy at all, but instead is balanced right at the index finger.
Fit and finish left a little to be desired. The opening was gritty, and the lockbar doesn't sit flush with the scales. Centering is a bit off too.
Might just need to be adjusted, this is straight out of the box.
Here is a video showing the opening and closing action. https://streamgg.com/v/mym4d9xv - Folks that like to drop the choil on their index finger will likely need to adjust the pivot.
The scales have very nice contouring, especially near the opening hole. All the edges of the handle are nicely rounded and melt into my grip.
There is no steel reinforcement for the lock like on the Police LW, so it's two FRN slabs holding the spring in place like a Pacific 2. I will take it apart later tonight and add pictures of the insides.
Opening hole is 100% exposed, making opening a breeze. This contrasts with the Chiefs and Siren I've been carrying a lot lately. Makes it wider in the pocket, but easier to handle.
Very thin tip. I like it! The blade has excellent geometry all around. I don't have calipers handy but judging by feel it strikes me as thinner behind the edge than any comparably sized Spydercos, like the Military, Police, Chief or Pacific Salt. Very effortless cutting.
Smooth handle on the top side, as opposed to the Manix LW and Pacific 2 that have jimping on top of the scales. It works well for me, as the sides of the scales provide plenty of grip for me.
Here's some in hand shots, and comparisons. Basically the same length and width as a Pacific Salt 2. Very ergonomic.
I love how much space there is to extend my thumb up to the thumb ramp. That's the #1 thing that kills the ergos for me on most thumb ramp knives, is feeling too cramped in this area. Putting my thumb up on the ramp of the SXL was like putting on my favorite pair of shoes. Felt "right" immediately.
Comparisons:
Carries about the same as the Pacific Salts in LC200N. Very light and thin in the pocket. The butt end does feel a bit wider when reaching in the pocket though.
Like the Chief, the edge to handle ratio compares very favorably to the Military and Manix XL.
Trying to use it for whatever odd jobs I can, like poking a hole in this container for my straw.
Also cut some cardboard, sliced a lemon for my tea, and opened a few packages.
The factory geometry is amazing - very thin behind the edge bevel. Feels thinner than the LC Pacific, Siren and Chief.
Apex is sharp and polished. Not the sharpest I've had from Spyderco but smoothly shaves and has performed very well on everything I've cut so far. Went through the lemon extremely easily.
While the fit and finish isn't perfect, the overall design has me very impressed so far. I've been a fan of the Stretch since the 2000's, owning a CF/ZDP189, blue FRN & ZDP189, and VG10 & FRN Stretch 2 over the years, and I've gotten to try the old stainless & kraton version too.
This is my favorite version of the Stretch. The ergonomics always worked well for me on the Stretch 1 & 2, but the blade was a little shorter than I prefer. This one also has a pointier tip, which I appreciate.
I'm sure over time the pivot will smooth out, especially once I adjust it myself. I plan to carry this one a lot this year, and I hope we see a Salt version someday.
Will it end up being my favorite Sal design, over the Chief, Military and Police? Possibly. It's that good.
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